General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Sat., June 30, 2012

This session can’t be over fast enough for me.  Like the Supreme Court, the Delaware General Assembly behaved like a wholly-owned subsidiary of the State Chamber of Commerce this year. Which is what it is. Minimum wage buried. Tax breaks for any business with a pulse. Delmarva and the telecoms reaping undeserved benefits. Undeserved spoils for the racinos.

Thursday illustrated this theme perfectly. As I had warned, the Senate, unencumbered of posting its agenda, passed Valerie Longhurst’s Fuck the Doomed bill.  Granted, the bill was watered down significantly from Delmarva’s initial malevolent intent, so the doomed weren’t screwed as badly as they initially were gonna be.  But they sure ain’t better off.

While  Rep. Darryl Scott’s bill protecting the privacy rights of students when it comes to social media passed the Senate unanimously, his companion bill protecting the rights of employees and applicants from their employers remains stalled in the House, courtesy of the Chamber.

The news was not all bad, though, far from it.

The Senate passed HB 9(Keeley), the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights for eligible felons who have completed their sentences. The bill now must pass next session to take effect and, while it looks to have a comfortable majority of supporters in the Senate, chances for passage are a bit dicier in the House.  Wouldn’t hurt if putative Democrats ‘Law-Abiding’ John Atkins and Lumpy Carson would vote yes next time. Since this is the first leg of a constitutional amendment, the bill does not require the Governor’s signature.

The Senate passed HS1/HB371, quite the collaborative effort, designed to more effectively investigate child abuse. The bill heads to the Governor.

The Senate passed legislation giving a modest pension increase to state employees. The bill heads to the House. I am prepared to modestly accept said increase.

The House passed SB 234, which ‘establishes the offense of Child Abuse’. My issue/question isn’t whether this bill would prohibit spanking, which it would not. I have the same issue with this bill as I did with the ‘home invasion’ legislation: Does this bill do anything more than to pile yet more offenses onto dozens and dozens of existing offenses? It’s not as if ‘child abuse’ is legal in Delaware right now. No, methinks that this is mainly brochure material. Which is why there’ll be lots of photos snapped when the Governor signs it in the presence of virtually every legislator.

The House passed the Budget Bill, with 5 no’s, all Rethugs: Ruth Briggs King, who, in every respect, is one of Dover’s most odious legislators; the Greengrocer Hocker; and Kenton, Willis, and Wilson. To the Governor.

To its credit, the House, as opposed to the shrouded-in-secrecy Senate, has an Agenda. Also to its credit, more specifically, Speaker Gilligan’s, the House has already gotten the retirement festivities out of the way. Former Speaker Terry Spence used to futz around for hours on end on June 30, with endless hosannas to retiring House members, said hosannas often sung by (I’m not making this up) an Elvis impersonator. Self-indulgence at its worst. I was working in the Senate at the time, and we used to stew at the turning the ‘people’s business’ into some freak sideshow for two hours every June 30.

The key bill before the House is the Bond Bill, which will likely be worked fairly early so that the Senate can consider it either right before, or right after, midnight. You can also bet that this bill will be worked and passed as well. For all of my criticism of endless tax credits for business, this is a good bill, and has the potential to attract businesses providing  serious jobs to Delaware. It is also likely to serve as the centerpiece of Sen. Katz’ reelection campaign, and, even with his idiosyncrasies, he  remains infinitely preferable to serial bloviator Msgr. Greg Lavelle.

Here’s what’s gonna happen today.  The House is scheduled to convene at 4. The Senate is scheduled to convene at 6.  House Majority Communications Director Drew Volturo explains what happens next thusly:

There will be a break at some point in the early evening for dinner. If past years are any indicator, the House will go into session, recess, return, work bills, recess, caucus, work bills, etc. throughout the night.

Why multiple caucuses, you might ask. Because emissaries from both houses are scurrying back and forth trying to finalize ‘must-lists’, and the respective caucuses need time to at least have an inkling about what they’re voting on.

Plus, they have to fill at least enough time to get them to the Special Session that begins at midnight. Why? Because, unless the respective chambers convene in special session after the official close of session at midnight, then they can only be called back by the Governor. Since the Special Session is merely recessed early tomorrow morning, the legislators can be called back by the Speaker and/or the President Pro-Tempore. Practically speaking, unless there is a totally unexpected impasse tonight, the only special session we might see is a fall Senate session to consider nominees.

I have been told that Rep. Gilligan’s goal is to be done around 1 p.m. I doubt that the Senate plans to work real late, either. So, look for people to stream out of the chambers around 2 a.m. or so.

Hopefully before too much more damage gets done.