General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., March 7, 2019

The big story, if there is one, is which bills cleared committee, and which ones did not. In addition to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact bill discussed below,  legislation increasing the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21 cleared committee.  Other notable bills clearing Senate committees: SB 11(Sokola) and SB 12(McDowell). As I predicted, the two phony ‘right-to-life’ bills were tabled in Senate committee, and will remain there unto perpetuity, aka the end of session.

I now have proof that HB 46(Kowalko) is a good Democratic bill, and I have proof as to why no Rethugs are on the bill.  As to why it’s a good bill, allow me to quote from Alby:

As someone who covered the controversies around land-rent housing off and on for years, the problem for homeowners is that park owners tie things up in court for years, knowing that a lot of the activist homeowners are retired and won’t live to see the end of their lawsuits, so the activism against the park owners waxes and wanes. This funds a way of keeping the pressure on perpetually.

This is something that no Rethug wants to see happen. Which is why Rep. Ruth Briggs King introduced this amendment to the bill.  The synopsis:

To dissuade frivolous litigation, this amendment allows community owners to recuperate their legal fees if they are successful in actions against a tenant that are funded by the Delaware Manufactured Home Owner Attorney Fund.

Right. As if any litigation that fails must in and of itself be frivolous.  This, of course, is just a blatant attempt to chill any inclination to sue these bastards. Rethugs gotta Rethug. Defeat the amendment. Pass the bill. Which cleared committee yesterday.

Well. This will be shorter than I expected.  The House has no posted agenda for the day. Rather, this is what’s posted: “Session will start at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 7, 2019. No House agenda is scheduled but several resolutions will be run before caucus.” That is almost unprecedented as there are plenty of bills that cleared committees yesterday and could be placed on an agenda. Coupled with yesterday’s cancellation of the House Administration Committee meeting, a committee comprised of legislative leadership, I can only infer that maybe Speaker Schwartzkopf is unavailable.  Hope everything and everyone is OK.

The Senate has a one-bill agenda. This bill.  Looks like it has the support of all those senators who are not from Jeezus-Land.  Downstate Rethugs oppose the bill, putatively b/c it will lessen Delaware’s influence in the Presidential election. To which I ask, (1) What influence?, and (2) Will it really?  After all, if enough states band together to form the compact, then those states might gain outsized influence. The real reason for their opposition is b/c ensuring that the candidate with the most popular votes becomes President eliminates perhaps the last best Rethug hope of electing a President going forward.

Hey, man, I can only work with what I’ve got. That’s all I’ve got.