Wednesday Open Thread [5.1.13]

McKay Coppins notes that with teabagging criticism of the immigration reform effort "grow[ing] louder, many Republican operatives, donors, and consultants are bracing for an outcome that would be even worse, politically, than the demise of the bill: A fierce, national, right-wing backlash that drowns out the GOP's friendlier voices, dominates Telemundo and Univision, and dashes any hopes the party had of making inroads to the Hispanic electorate by 2016." I personally think we are going to get both nightmare outcomes for the GOP. The demise of the bill will be accomplished by having the right act all explicitly racist, anti-immigrant and insane.

This Is Not An Accident

BURKESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in southern Kentucky say a 2-year-old girl has been accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother, who was playing with a .22-caliber rifle he received as a gift. [...] White told the newspaper that the boy received the rifle made for youths last year and is used to shooting it. He said the gun was kept in a corner and the family didn’t realize a shell was left inside it. White said the shooting will be ruled accidental. (Emphasis mine)
Who, in their right mind, gives a 4 year old a gun? Who, after giving (or accepting) a gun to a flippin' 4 year old, keeps it in a flippin' corner? Who, with a functioning brain cell, would ever call this an accident?

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., May 1, 2013

Yes, SB 19(Peterson) was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee, which disappoints death penalty repeal supporters like myself. However, keep in mind that this is the first of a two-year General Assembly session, so the bill is not dead, just 'sitting in limbo.' House sponsor Rep. Darryl Scott has stated that he may try to petition the bill out of committee. Not sure if that's the best strategy for now, think I'd only do it if I knew that I had the votes for the bill on the floor. Timing is everything, and this might not be the best timing. Sen. Bruce Ennis introduced SB 33 yesterday, which would require owners of manufactured home communities to seek approval for any increase above the average inflation rate.

PDD-DL Vote Tracker for April 30, 2013

Not to steal any thunder from El Somnanbulo, but tomorrow is a big day for legislation in both the House and Senate. In the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee will consider the Marriage Equality Bill, HB 75. In the House, the Administration Committee will consider HB51, the large capacity magazine ban. To keep up to date on all legislation that is of priority to liberals and progressives, DL has partnered with the Progressive Democrats for Delaware (PDD) to compile this Vote Tracker. Now, this chart does not follow all the legislation that has been filed. We don’t report on perfunctory bills like the ones about the charter of Georgetown or ticket scalping. Nor do we follow the progress of judicial nominations, executive nominations, or Concurrent or Joint Resolutions unless they are a matter of controversy. So the legislation that is listed is a matter of concern and priority for those of us on the liberal / progressive side of the aisle. Come inside to view and download the Vote Tracker charts.

Tuesday Open Thread [4.30.13]

In Pennsylvania, a new Quinnipiac poll has such horrible numbers for the Republican Governor that I am now worried that he will bag a reelection campaign all together, in favor of a Republican that might have a chance. Gov. Tom Corbett trails all three major Democratic challengers.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Report: Tues., April 30, 2013

A HUGE week coming up in Dover. HB 75(Smith) will be considered in the Senate Executive Committee this Wednesday. If you have not yet contacted your senators, especially if your senator is either Cathy Cloutier or Bethany Hall-Long, now is the time to do so. Be friendly and positive, and encourage them to do the right thing. Marriage equality is RIGHT THERE, do everything you can to help push it over the top. Residents in manufactured homes communities are back and they're seeking justice. So are the overlords, who have thrown campaign cash around to legislators in large quantities. Except, of course, in their case, they're paying to ensure a continuation of injustice. Meaning that, this year, legislators will either have to do the right thing or face the electoral consequences for siding with their wealthy (and amoral) contributors. And, yes, we will be naming names, both legislators and contributors. SB 33 will be introduced this week, and, once again, all it asks is that these landlords be required to justify rent increases that are larger than the rate of inflation. There will likely not be a more important legislative battle between Good and Ee-vil to be fought this year. Choose sides. After a disorganized committee meeting last week, the House Judiciary Committee convenes solely to consider a motion to release the death penalty repeal bill from committee:
Due to time constraints at the end of the April 24 Judiciary Committee meeting because the House Chamber needed to be vacated for session, action on a motion on Senate Bill 19 was not completed. This April 30 (Tuesday) meeting on Senate Bill 19 is being held solely for the purpose of taking action on a motion regarding the bill. There will not be an additional public comment period.

Marriage Equality Committee vote set for Wednesday

The Senate Executive Committee will vote on the marriage bill on Wednesday. Which means, once it passed out of committee (which it should), it could be set for a vote on Thursday. Ask your Senator to support HB75, but we would also like you to send a note of encouragement towards Senators Cathy Cloutier and Bethany Hall Long. Their contact information can be found here. As a reminder, here is our most likely whip count.