Here’s yesterday’s Session Activity Report.
Biggest news? Bicycling is about to become Delaware’s Official State Sport. HB 235(Longhurst) passed the Senate, and heads to the Governor. Look for a run on figure-flattering Spandex for the inevitable photo op which, by the way, I want to save for posterior posterity. 5 R’s voted no. I would have been #6.
Today’s Senate Agenda features SB 201(Blevins),which:
…clarifies the roles and authority of the Delaware Division of Public Health Office of Animal Welfare and Delaware Department of Agriculture. The Office of Animal Welfare was established to consolidate and coordinate companion animal programs and address the treatment of companion animals in Delaware by reviewing and determining emerging issues needing attention for the protection of both animals and members of the public. This bill not only authorizes the Department of Health and Social Services to enforce existing shelter standards, the animal population control program and spay/neuter fund, and companion animal welfare license plate funds, all programs previously overseen by the Department of Agriculture, it also establishes an enforcement mechanism to do so.
I’ve also previously touted SB 217(Townsend), which ‘repeals the provision of the Delaware code requiring the revocation of the driver’s license of any individual of a drug offense, regardless of whether the offense is related to the operation of a motor vehicle.’ I’m all for it.
Today’s House Agenda features HB 308(M. Smith), ‘create(s) an Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsman’ to address disputes between developers and residents in communities ‘created by legal documents drafted by the developer and…intended to be managed by those living in these communities. As someone who did a lot of constituent service work, I can tell you that there were a lot of issues that could have used this mechanism to resolve w/o going to court. I think this is a real good bill. Once again, excellent legislating from Melanie Smith, one of the General Assembly’s best.
Just a short one today. Work once again beckons…