ALERT!! MARKELL, CHAMBER AND LONGHURST GIVE MIDDLE FINGER TO DELAWAREANS:
HB 235, the so-called Delaware Competes Bill, is the first bill the House will consider this year. What’s amazing, well, not amazing, but typical of the primordial ooze behind this, is that the bill will be considered under Motion to Suspend Rules. Here’s why. Even though the bill cleared the House Revenue & Taxation Committee, the bill was reassigned to the House Appropriations Committee (the committee is comprised of the House members of the Joint Finance Committee). That’s because the bill has a significant cost. Such bills are typically not considered until/unless JFC does the fiscal legerdemain. In this case, even though the bill will have a significant annual cost, the House will try to bypass the budgetary process. Since the bill wouldn’t even take effect until January of 2017, rushing this through serves no purpose other than to satisfy the Chamber and its millionaire minions. This is a transfer of wealth from ordinary citizens to the politically-connected corporate overlords, pure and simple. We’ll pay somehow, just wait. Last days of June when they hope that no one is watching. Hey, whaddayawant from Markell, Longhurst and their (wait for it) ilk? Call your state reps!
What’s not on the House Agenda under Motion to Suspend Rules is HB 50–the Opt-Out Bill. As opposed to HB 235, doing this under MTSR is legit. The bill has been through the committee process, was passed (twice) by the House, and it’s a veto override, not consideration of new legislation. Now, maybe the House will entertain a motion from the floor, maybe Speaker Pete won’t, but it sure as hell should be considered. Has the cynicism of Pistol Pete and Vindictive Val become so great that they can ignore the will of the members of the chamber? We’ll see.
Today’s House Agenda also includes HJR 10 (Bolden), which ‘apologiz(es) for the wrongs of slavery and espress(es) Delaware’s profound regrets for its role in slavery. Long overdue, of course, but forgive my skepticism in noting that this resolution will not, say, cost taxpayers $22 mill. Or anything. But there will be brochure pictures.
Only bill on the Senate Agenda merely streamlines procedures for getting an insurance producer license.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. Say-y-y, lookee here. Looks like a direct hijack of Rep. Kim Williams’ HB 186, which was supposed to have been considered in the Senate Education Committee yesterday. In fact, every House sponsor on this new bill voted against HB 186, except Rep. Heffernan. Here’s what I wrote in yesterday’s Post-Game/Pre-Game:
The Senate Education Committee considers HB 186 (K. Williams), which adds charter schools to the list of entities for audits through the Auditor of Accounts. The bill passed the House primarily on a party line vote, with Reps. Jaques and Speaker Pete the only D no’s along with all the Rethugs. Makes me think it’s a good bill.
Gotta say, introduction of SB 171 seems pretty low to me.
This session can hardly have gotten off to a worse start.