I don’t think it was on yesterday’s Senate Agenda, but this was the best, and potentially most important, bill passed yesterday. SS2/SB 130 (McDowell) creates Complete Community Enterprise Districts, and here’s the statement of policy as to what they’re supposed to do:
(1) Encourage development that maximizes the economic value to the citizens and the government of the State of both existing and new transportation infrastructure.
(2) Strategically deploy transportation funds in ways that meet the mobility needs of the people of the State at the lowest total economic cost to the people and government of the State.
(3) Encourage transportation solutions that enable the formation of new households in the State that have less than one vehicle per adult worker.
Should the bill become law, local communities could enter into agreements with DELDOT to create districts using the synergies described above.
McDowell has been at this issue for virtually his entire career. Troglodytes like Kermit Justice and a succession of like-minded Transportation Secretaries have kept Delaware far behind the national curve when it comes to innovative mass transportation alternatives. Justice fought commuter rail tooth and nail. Until, of course, his conviction for taking kickbacks. Jason330’s new BFF, Colin Bonini, was a co-sponsor, leaving only three downstate Troggs to vote no. Hocker, Lawson and Simpson.
It looks like this bill has the strong support of the current DELDOT secretary, so maybe better things are ahead. I know that this would be a boon for the ongoing Claymont renaissance, so I’m for it.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.
Today’s Committee meeting schedules. House. Senate. Click on each committee for the respective agendas.
Today’s Most Interesting Bills* in Committees (*=interesting to me):
SB 165 (Peterson): Wow! This bill completely changes school elections as we know them:
The purpose of this Act is to eliminate the potential for improper electioneering in schools being used as polling placed and to increase voter participation. To accomplish this purpose, this Act directs the Department of Elections to conduct all public school elections by United States mail and requires that all voters participating in such an election be registered voters.
This Act also provides that all public school elections will be held on the same day, the second Tuesday of May. This includes referendum elections under Chapters 19, 20, and 21 of Title 14 of the Delaware Code and, therefore, a school board may hold only 1 referendum election in any calendar year, on the second Tuesday of May. Senate Education Committee.
As much as I generally support and vote for district referenda, it is a bit ridiculous that they can have elections seemingly every two months when one fails. Maybe if they only had one shot a year, they’d do a better job of explaining their proposals and mobilizing support.
SB 226 (Hall-Long): Hey, if BHL and Speaker Pete say there’s a need for a new psych hospital in Georgetown, then screw the review process, or get rid of it altogether. Which is what this bill does. Any truth to the rumor that there will be a wing exclusively devoted to constitutional sheriffs? Senate Health & Social Services Committee.
HB 142 (Outten): What would back-benchers do if they couldn’t introduce special license plates bills? This time, retired firefighters. Already passed the House. Senate Highways & Transportation Committee.
HB 239 (Dukes): Worst Bill of the Week. I rarely double-down on a bill I previously covered. But this bill routs us back to the 1990’s and some of the ill-considered draconian drug laws that led to prison overcrowding. We all know that there is a major opiate epidemic sweeping the nation. We should know that, in large part, this was created due to the greed of pharmaceutical companies. The over-prescription of pain medications by doctors helped create this demand. Jump-started by a relentless marketing campaign for oxycontin by Big Pharma. Physicians and pharmacists are now taking the lead in trying to rein in this epidemic. For those unfamiliar with the roots of this epidemic, I highly recommend this book, especially to legislators. So, El Som, blahblahblah, what does the bill do? Glad you asked. The bill creates a new crime: Drug Dealing–Resulting In Death. Meaning added charges and sentences for the schlub who sold the drug if it turns out that the purchaser died. As if that’s gonna solve the problem. You can bet that PurduePharma will not be held liable under this law, although they sure as shit should be. They paid a huge fine and kept on marketing Oxy. A health professional like BHL should be ashamed to be a prime sponsor on this bill. But, when you’re running for office…Anyway, the bill just squeaked through the House, 23 Y, 10 N, 2 Not Voting, and 6 Absent. Here’s hoping that reason prevails in the Senate. Senate Judiciary Committee.
HB 285 (Keeley): A nice little bill that removes arbitrary discretion on the part of the Department of Corrections when it comes to increasing a probationer’s accountability level. The determination is to be made by the courts. House Corrections Committee.
HB 232 (K. Williams): This bill requires that the State Board of Education “accept(s) public comment on all agenda items at its meetings, including charter school applications and changes to regulations. The Board is not required to accept public comment concerning student disciplinary appeals. The Board retains discretion to limit the manner, length, and timing of public comment at its meetings.” House Education Committee.
HB 296 (Viola): This is why I do the updates. Because it’s better than fiction. This bill would designate the Golden Retriever as the Official State Dog of Delaware. Why? Because it’s a really cool dog. Didja know that both Reagan and Ford had them as White House pets? (Reagan’s dog doubled as Secretary of Agriculture, little-known fact. Hey, he was the best-qualified applicant.) Didja know that they can be service animals (as can several other breeds and, yes, mutts)? They’re great with kids, they retrieve tennis balls, they’re very gentle, I get it. However, there is nothing remotely Delawarean about the Golden Retriever. Laid-back Californian, yes. OK, I think I get it. There was probably a class somewhere, and the legislator challenged them to come up with a bill, and he would show them how a ‘bill becomes law’. And the kids came up with this. But, if this happened in all 50 states, it’s possible that the Golden Retriever would be the State Dog in all 50. I really hope that someone acts like a grown-up here. Besides, I have a serious proposal for the State Dog, and it would actually do some good: The Rescue Dog as the Delaware State Dog. You’re welcome.
HB 274 (Mulrooney): Appears to expand the bargaining rights of public employees. I don’t know the technical ins and outs, so could someone fill in the blanks for me?
Today’s Senate Agenda consists of bills that are listed as ‘Out of Committee’ even though they’re also listed on the committee schedule. Nevertheless, they appear to be bills that make incremental improvements when it comes to protecting people from domestic violence, so they should pass easily. The House does not generally have a Wednesday agenda, and today is no exception.