I’ve got limited time to write about a whole lotta bills in committee for today. After that…DIY? (Deep breath, followed by first sip of coffee.)
Today’s House Committee highlights:
*HB 42(Kowalko) ‘fully applies FOIA to the University of Delaware and Delaware State University, including the Board of Trustees.’ The bad news? It’s in Pete ‘n Val’s House Administration Committee.
*HS 1 for HB 28(Jaques) increases permissible campaign contributions for all offices within Delaware. It would even ‘exempt the cost of postage from counting as a donation from a political party to a candidate or candidate committee.’ When campaign donations increase, those with the most $$’s to donate have even more influence. I’m not supportive. In Pete ‘n Val’s shop, so it’s coming to the floor.
*HB 152(Baumbach) ‘ensures every elementary, middle, and high school in the State employs at least one library media specialist’. In Education.
*HB 157(Matthews) requires that so-called ’emergency free-standing medical department’ clearly define the scope of their practices. As the synopsis states, ‘(c)itizens of Delaware cannot be expected to discern the differences in levels of care offered in outpatient facilities’ w/o such clarification. Good bill, IMHO. Health & Human Development
*HB 126(Barbieri) is yet another bill that you’d wish we wouldn’t need, but we do. From the synopsis:
This Act adopts the ABA standard for juvenile delinquency by establishing the age of 10 as the minimum age of responsibility in juvenile prosecutions. Currently, at least 11 other states (including Pennsylvania) have adopted the ABA standard. Since 2009, approximately 90 children between the ages of 7-9 have been arrested and prosecuted in Delaware’s Family Court. Most of the charges brought against these children were minor, low-level misdemeanor offenses, and the vast majority of all charges against children in this age range were dismissed or otherwise terminated in favor of the child. Since 2011, there have only been 10 arrests and no adjudications of children under the age of 10 for felony conduct.
In Judiciary.
Also in Judiciary is a bill designed to get around that ‘unreasonable search and seizure’ thingy. From the synopsis of HB 141(Miro):
Currently the law requires that any person convicted of a crime identified under the section identifying sexual offenses, or offenses relating to children and incompetents must submit to DNA testing. The DNA testing is compiled and stored in the state DNA database. This bill will provide that any person arrested [vs convicted] for any of these specific crimes will now be subject to DNA testing.
In other words, even though you weren’t convicted of a crime under this section, the simple fact that someone arrested you would be sufficient cause to store your DNA in the state data bank forever. Well, at least we can rest well knowing that Rebecca Walker will be overseeing that data bank. Which reminds me…did you know that Rebecca Walker’s husband (Scott A. Walker) is a former county cop who is now a Deputy Fire Marshal in New Castle County? Uh, what happens when evidence from the Fire Marshal falls under her watch, as it will? How can justice be served when there’s such a blatant conflict of interest?
Never mind. Nobody gives a shit. The game is now and will forever be rigged. For the insiders and against normal citizens who believe in equal justice. In Delaware, equal justice does not exist.
Now that we’ve resolved that, let’s look at today’s Senate Committee highlights:
*SB 111(Henry) establishes election day voter registration provided that specific identification is provided. It also ‘removes the requirement that a felon has paid all financial obligations, including fines and restitution, before his or her right to vote is restored’. Elections.
*Never let it be said that the General Assembly doesn’t jump through hoops whenever bleats of ‘overregulation’ are heard from business. SB 113(Hocker) and SB 120(Marshall) are proof. Every year, we get bills like this signed into law. Doesn’t stop bleats of ‘overregulation’ from the usual suspects. Banking and Business Committee.
*HB 50(Kowalko) is again on the Education Committee schedule. As is SB 122(Henry), which ‘would give the State Board of Education the authority to change school district boundaries in New Castle County in a manner consistent with the final report of the Wilmington Education Advisory Group’.
*SS1/SB68(Blevins) looks like a Matt Denn bill, and a good one at that. The bill creates ‘the Delaware Online Privacy and Protection Act, which expands the legal protections available under Delaware law to individuals, in particular children, relating to their online and digital activities’. It’s quite a comprehensive piece of legislation, and I encourage you to click on the link and read the entire synopsis. A lot of work went into this one. Judiciary.
*SB 59(Townsend) ‘creates the means for an undocumented immigrant to apply for and obtain valid driving privileges in the State of Delaware’. SB 60(Townsend) creates an initiative designed to ‘enhance trust between immigrants and Delaware’s law enforcement agencies; encourage immigrants to report crimes and otherwise contribute to public safety in Delaware; and facilitate immigrants applying for Delaware’s driving privilege card’. Both bills in Public Safety.
*SB 112(Poore) is a pretty weak result of a Joint Sunset Committee ‘review’ of the Delaware Economic Development Office. Jeez, a five-year comprehensive plan. Should keep an intern busy for two weeks. While the bill does require ‘ (a)n analysis of the return on investment produced through the Strategic Fund’, there is no requirement that said analysis be comprehensive, nor that disbursements from the strategic fund be contingent upon empirical data. Sunset.
Since I’m done with time to spare, here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. Memo to Legislative System Administrators: You’re doing a great job. However, the links from the Session Activity Reports to Bill Tracking do not work. All we get is a ‘Server Not Found’ message whenever we click on the link to a bill. Could you fix it, please? Thanks.
The Senate unanimously passed HB 75(K. Williams), which now goes to the Governor. Great work by Rep. Williams and all involved.
The Senate passed SS1/SB79(Sokola), which is designed to protect the confidentiality of student data. 4 R’s voted no, I know not why.
The House passed HB 148(Keeley), which would ‘create the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission as recommended by the recent report on Strengthening Wilmington Education, prepared by the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee. The Wilmington Education Improvement Commission (WEIC) shall serve as a State advisory committee for the administration of planning, recommending and implementing changes to improve the quality and availability of education for children in Pre-K through 12 in the city of Wilmington and advise the State on improvements for all schools within the State with high concentrations of children living in poverty.’ 32 yes votes, the usual array of Rethuglicans either went ‘no’ or ‘not voting’.
Val Longhurst’s sop to Total Wines passed. 10 legislators voted no, which was the correct vote.
Question for Dave McBride and the members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee: How is it that you released the bill killing gray foxes from committee but buried legislation enabling state parks to generate revenue? And you’re not even holding a committee meeting today? Why?
That’s it for today. Work and our relentlessly energetic puppy beckon, not in that order.