General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., March 22, 2018
With two session Wednesdays lost to the snow, there’s a backup of legislation in House and Senate committees. Meaning, there’s a paucity of legislation available to consider during regular session. More likely a good thing than a bad thing. Especially when one sees how the ‘Honorables’ have dealt with the limited number of bills they’ve considered.
The Senate, in particular, has been an impediment to enacting what some would consider worthy, albeit, marginally worthy, legislation. While the amendments to the bump stock ban are not as onerous as have been stated by Rep. PAL Longhurst, how the bleep did the Senate, especially the D’s, so meekly acquiesce to the NRA and its odious Delaware counterpart, the Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association? I’ve asked, but have not received any answers so far.
Even more disgraceful is the Senate’s failure to support a (too) modest increase in the state’s minimum wage. Sen. Brian Bushweller can’t leave that chamber soon enough. He’s basically admitted that he’s ransoming his vote for another giveaway to Dover Downs. Great job, Senator. Screw people up and down the state who are just scraping by so that the greedy businessmen who screwed up their Golden Goose at Dover Downs might access yet more state revenue. You are the State Senate’s Official Carperbot. Devoid of empathy save for your financial backers. BTW, I hate your slug of a moustache (I know, I know, it’s immature, but I really hate that moustache; it’s…Boltonesque).
Here is the Session Report from Tuesday. The House passed legislation increasing the minimum age for purchasing most guns from 18 to 21. One D voted no, Lumpy Carson. One R voted yes, Mike Ramone.
I found the roll call on this bill interesting. Four nos, and they run the gamut: Bolden, Collins, Heffernan, and Johnson. Also, two not voting: Brady and Potter. Which means that, of those who represent the City of Wilmington, only Helene Keeley voted for the bill. Can our education mavens explain what happened here?
The Senate unanimously passed SB 149 (Lavelle), which established a fine for ‘coal rolling’. The bill synopsis defines coal rolling as follows: “Coal Rolling is the practice of modifying a diesel engine to increase the amount of fuel entering the engine in order to emit large amounts of black or grey sooty exhaust fumes into the air. It also may include the intentional removal of the particulate filter.”
Little of interest on today’s House Agenda, although…Rep. Longhurst could bring up the amended bump stock ban under suspension of rules. That procedure is often used when a bill returns from the other house with amendments.
The Senate Agenda is equally devoid of interesting legislation, which is what happens when there are no committee meetings.
Perhaps next week will provide more intrigue, weather permitting.
Yes, Heffernan didn’t like the bill so she told Bolden, Potter, and Johnson the bill wouldn’t help poor black kids. She had no clue what she was even talking about but they swallowed her Kool-Aid. I imagine Brady probably overheard the conversation given who he sits near in the House. Which strikes me as very odd. Deb Heffernan’s husband, Patrick, railed against the bill at his LAST State Board of Education meeting in January. He resigned the day after that meeting. It is public knowledge they have a child with disabilities so I don’t get why they would be against this bill. Delaware education is downright weird sometimes!
@ this bill links to a gun bill, not an education bill.
Thanks. Corrected.
I think it’s silly to just say that Heffernan told the black people how to vote. Bolden was a teacher for 30plus years. Also, I know JJ Johnson, and nobody tells him how to vote. Creating alternate diploma tracks in a culture where young black males are increasingly targeted by the special education industry (a.k.a the school to prison pipeline) you run the risk of this bill (while good intentioned) creating an inferior degree, not recognized by accredited colleges, to hand off to young black boys as a pot of fake gold at the end of the district’s social promotion rainbow. Seek to understand first Mr. Ohlandt.
Now to be fair, the substitute bill seems to address the issue by mandating that the student must qualify for the alternate state assessment, but the black community should still be weary of any reforms like this, as they almost always act to trap black males deeper in the school to prison pipeline. Next year trauma will probably be considered a cognitive disability, and every kid in Wilmington will magically be eligible for the state alternate assessment. That’s how much faith there is in this state’s education system and legislators.
Bane, you obviously don’t understand how severely disabled someone has to be to take the alternate assessment. There is VERY specific criteria for that, addressed by an IEP team. It is NOT a matter of black or white. It is a matter of disability and what the student is or is not able to do in a classroom.