Something rare: An important bill passes and goes to the Governor. And the sponsors threaded the needle with this one. HB 325 (Osienski), which ends the ridiculous practice of automatically granting a gun permit if a criminal background check cannot be completed in three (!) days, barely passed the Senate with a Senate Amendment, and barely passed the House for a second time. It now goes to the Governor. For some reason, the bleeping legislative information system no longer enables me to provide a direct link to the roll calls. So let me point out that, in the Senate, one R voted for the bill (Cloutier) and one D voted against the bill (Ennis). In the House, not a single R voted for the bill, and the following D’s (remember their names) voted against the bill: Andria Bennett, Lumpy Carson, Mike Mulrooney, and Trey Paradee.
Oh, and yet another important bill heads to the Governor. SS1/SB 163 (Peterson) removes the requirement that those convicted of three non-violent felonies (‘Three Strikes and You’re Out’) automatically be sentenced to life in prison. Several R’s voted yes during yesterday’s House vote, and I salute them: Hensley, Miro, Ramone, D. Short, and Yearick. Only one D voted no: Lumpy Carson.
Oh, and one notable bill was defeated or, more accurately, didn’t achieve a 2/3 supermajority vote. SB 262 (Townsend) would have created a regulatory framework for the Uber and Lyft networks, among others. Specifically, the bill would seek ‘to ensure the safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness of rides provided by Transportation Network Company Drivers within the State of Delaware and to preserve and enhance access to these important transportation options for residents and visitors to the State.’ The bill had 13 yes (the 12 D’s plus Cloutier) and 8 no. One vote short of a 2/3 majority. Guess which side is getting those campaign contributions.
The House has an Agenda today, as any straggling committee meetings will take place before the gavel comes down at 3 p. m. To me, the highlight is SB 26 (Peterson), which ‘provides for recording and maintaining a record of all deliberations made by public bodies during public hearings, including any discussion made “off the record.” We’ve discussed many of these bills previously, so check out the Agenda and let us know what interests you.
The Senate Agenda features SB 190 (Peterson), which is a constitutional amendment that ‘provide(s) for equal protection regardless of race, sex, age, religion, creed, color, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.’ At this point, it appears that, if Sen. Lopez votes yes, the bill passes. The D’s are on board, so is Cathy Cloutier. I, for one, am optimistic, at least for Senate passage.
You know how they say (whoever ‘they’ are) that bad cases make bad law (well, I’m not sure I got that quote right)? Sometimes, circumstances might pave the way for better law. SB 287 (Marshall) ‘prohibits the sale, transfer, or delivery of a firearm to any person on the Federal Government’s terrorist watch list or the Federal Government’s no-fly list, or on any other list used by the Transportation Security Administration for purposes of identifying individuals who are prohibited from boarding aircraft because they pose a threat of terrorism.’ The bill was introduced yesterday, and was ‘Laid on the Table’ (insert Tony DeLuca/secretary joke here). In this case, LOT means that the committee process has been bypassed, and that the bill can be brought up for consideration by a motion to lift from the table.
That’s it for today. Who knows when I might resurface?