The Everything Must Go The Budget Must Pass June 30 Last Day of the Session Thread

The Everything Must Go The Budget Must Pass June 30 Last Day of the Session Thread

June 30. The only day on the legislative calendar, or any calendar for that matter, that lasts much longer than 24 hours. So here is your thread for following the last minute last second backroom deals. Post anything you hear here for discussion. And you can follow the twitter stream of the Delaware House Dems for more info. And if you post on Twitter or Facebook, use the hash tag #DEJune30.
Sunday Open Thread [6.30.13]

Sunday Open Thread [6.30.13]

Lt. Governor Matt Denn:
I want to take special note of the work that newly-elected Representative Paul Baumbach did this year to get both landowners and residents to agree on a bill to set some limits on rent increases for manufactured home residents. Working with Senator Bruce Ennis, who has championed this issue for years, Paul helped do what the General Assembly had been unable to do for well over a decade. Thousands of manufactured home residents, many of them on fixed incomes, will benefit when the Governor signs the bill this afternoon. Paul was quietly effective, and even after the bill's passage has sought little attention for himself -- but he deserves it. Kudos to both him and Senator Ennis.
Indeed, Paul Baumbach hit Leg Hall running and has been a progressive champion.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: The Final Day, Night, & Day

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: The Final Day, Night, & Day

We're gonna have drama after all!  Democrats vs. fellow Democrat Chip Flowers.  I support the Democrats not named Chip Flowers, and so should you. Here's why. Chip Flowers claims that he has the power to invest state money, money that goes to fund state pensions. He is the only treasurer in memory to make that claim. Other treasurers have recognized that the responsibility for making these determinations rests with the Cash Management Policy Board, of which the Treasurer is but one member.  Flowers wants to play cowboy in search of higher investment returns.  He's even hired some guy to look at how to increase performance. He hasn't hired anyone to warn him of imprudent risk. This is precisely the type of fiscal irresponsibility that left scores of public pension funds in shambles  throughout the country following the financial scandal. Delaware, which had invested its money prudently and conservatively, remained in strong fiscal condition, and so did state pensions. If Chip Flowers wants to gamble, let him do so at a racino or online or in the market with his own money. As a pensioner of the state, the last thing I want is for him to do is play the market with our money. The proposed bill essentially does to Flowers what earlier legislation did to the Sheriff of Nuttingham--make clear that he can't overstep his bounds and/or create new imaginary powers for himself.  For the sake of my fellow pensioners, I hope it passes.
Friday Open Thread [6.28.13]

Friday Open Thread [6.28.13]

Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims (D) of Philadelphia introduced a Marriage Equality bill in the Pennsylvania State House after the DOMA decision, and he sought to speak to the chamber supporting his bill. Sims is openly gay, the first openly gay lawmaker in Pennsylvania. And he was not allowed to address the chamber. Why? Because a fascist theocratic bigot disguised a supposed freedom loving Republican, State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, raised the following procedural objection:
"I did not believe that as a member of that body that I should allow someone to make comments such as he was preparing to make that ultimately were just open rebellion against what the word of God has said, what God has said, and just open rebellion against God's law," Metcalfe had told WHYY of Philadelphia.
I am fracking floored. Metcalfe must be impeached. Whomever sustained the objection must be expelled from the chamber. (Yeah, today I am on a "kicking the evil GOP out of office" theme). For they both have just violated the Federal and State Constitution by endorsing a state religion and approving a religious test, both of which are explicitly forbidden by both Constitutions.
The IRS IG Must Resign. But so should every single Republican on the House Oversight Committee

The IRS IG Must Resign. But so should every single Republican on the House Oversight Committee

Earlier this week, lost in the hub bub surrounding the Supreme Court's decisions on DOMA, Prop 8 and the Voting Rights Act, was this revelation that the IRS Inspector General’s report on the IRS was deliberately limited to only discussing Tea Party groups, and the IG says it was Congressional Republicans who ordered this limitation. We now know that the IRS targets both tea party groups and progressive groups, singling out the terms progressive and occupy in 2011 just as they singled out tea party and patriot. Thus, it would appear that the Inspector General perjured himself before the House Oversight Committee when he said the IRS targeting was limited to the conservative groups and terms. Andrew Sullivan says the IG must resign due to such perjury. He is half right. But he conveniently ignores the true scandal here.
The Treasury inspector general (IG), whose report helped drive the IRS targeting controversy, says it limited its examination to conservative groups because of a request from House Republicans. A spokesman for Russell George, Treasury's inspector general for tax administration, said they were asked by House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) "to narrowly focus on Tea Party organizations."
Darrell Issa must be arrested for obstruction of justice at once. If he had any honor he would resign, as should every single Republican on that committee. They purposefully and with malice aforethought attempted to create a scandal where none existed. And in so doing, they interfered with the investigation into what actually happened at the IRS.
HB 88 Fails to Pass the Senate After Overwhelming House Vote

HB 88 Fails to Pass the Senate After Overwhelming House Vote

HB88 is a bill that sought to better define (so it could actually be enforced) procedures by which dangerous mentally ill persons could be restricted from firearm ownership, but also creates a path to let those restricted demonstrate that they are no longer dangerous and able to manage their gun rights. This is a great bill -- one that was worked hard by the House, to ensure that concerns of all sides were reasonably dealt with and it passed the House 40-1. A bipartisan victory by any stretch of the imagination -- and it means that the House reached a remarkable consensus on this issue. This bill was sent to the Senate, who voted it down tonite 6 - 13, with 2 not voting. One of the not voting was Bryan Townsend (D-11), which surprised a great many people. Cathy Cloutier voted NO on this, even though she is reported as telling folks she would vote YES. Michael Barbieri is the bill's primary sponsor, and I am told that he needs to get just one Senator who voted NO to bring it back to the floor. To say that this defeat is a surprise is an understatement. It's overwhelming majority in the House should have been an indication to the Senate of just how well this bill had been worked. In addition, the NRA was NEUTRAL on this bill -- as good as it gets on a gun measure. How did it get defeated? Ever hear of a group called First State Liberty? It is run by Eric Boye, who is plenty new here. And I understand that after HB88 passed in the House, a campaign of robocalling began to get people to contact Senators on this issue. As is often the case, the robocall was more about scaring people than actually informing them. This group is toxic enough that even the Delaware State Sportsmans Association has warned its membership about this group -- saying that is is a counterfeit organization that is run by persons with their own interests at heart, rather than those of gun owners