General Assembly Pre-Game Show/Post-Game Wrap-Up: Weds., May 15, 2019
The bad news: Nicole Poore is still in leadership. The good news: Bryan Townsend is still in leadership. The public betrayal by Prevaricator-Pro-Tem Dave McBride and Nicole Poore will not soon be forgotten. They, whoever ‘they’ are, say that you’re only as good as your word in politics. Meaning McBride and Poore are no good. ‘They’ are right. Nothing that McBride or Poore say from this point on can ever be believed. And, no, I’m not gonna let this go.
Finding credible challengers for Poore and McBride will be a legitimate test for progressives who, so far, have apparently not found challengers to John Carney, Chris Coons, LBR, or Mayor Mike. Wellll…maybe there will be a progressive challenger to Mayor Mike. There’s a great name floating out there. But so far, the only person publicly expressing interest is the ethical sewer known as Velda Jones Potter.
However, I digress.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. You will note that the Rethuglicans have introduced bills that you would expect from Rethugs…except that one of them has been embraced by our allegedly ‘D’ governor. HB 155 (Ramone) would embed ‘budget-smoothing’ into the Delaware Constitution. Sen. David Lawson, who truly is a whack-job, has introduced SB 99. Along with arguably Delaware’s Dumbest Legislator, Lumpy CArson. Although the bill synopsis doesn’t state what the bill would do, I think that you deserve to savor every syllable of it:
This Act is modeled after American Laws for American Courts legislation that has passed in Tennessee, Louisiana, Arizona, Kansas, South Dakota, Alabama, and North Carolina. The Declaration of Independence announced the formation of a new country that would no longer find itself in the clutches of a foreign power. For over 2 centuries, hundreds of thousands of men and women have given their lives to protect America’s sovereignty and freedom. America has unique values of liberty which do not exist in all foreign legal systems such as freedom of religion, speech, and press; due process; and the right to privacy. Unfortunately, because state legislatures have generally not been explicit about what their public policy is relative to foreign laws, the courts and the parties litigating in those courts are left to their own devices. State legislatures play a vital role in preserving fundamental constitutional rights and American values of liberty and freedom. No United States citizen or resident should be denied these guaranteed liberties, rights, and freedom.
Senate committee highlights:
*There are two bills in committees today designed to provide dental services to under-served populations. SB 81(Townsend) ‘ permits an individual to practice dentistry for the Division of Public Health (Division) under a provisional license. Delaware law provides several routes for entering practice on an interim basis until full licensure can be obtained, however, none of these routes specifically permit hiring by the Division with the intent to practice in a state-supported dental clinic. This Act will assist the Division in recruiting dentists to serve those in need.’ Sunset Committee. SB 92(Townsend) ‘expands Delaware’s Public Assistance Code to provide dental care to all eligible adult Medicaid recipients.’ Did’ja know that Delaware is one of only three states that does not offer some form of adult dental coverage through Medicaid? The other two being Alabama and Tennessee. This bill would change that. Health Social Services.
Here’s today’s Senate Agenda. Pay close attention to tomorrow’s scheduled Senate Agenda. There are some good bills and some that are, to put it mildly, questionable. I’ll ask those questions tomorrow.
KEH losing by 30 points has scared everyone off. Its ashame but the reality is the bench for progressives is thin. When I say bench those who could actually make credible and charming candidates.
So now Carney, Coons and ilk of Poore and McBride will continue to flourish. We need to a better job at finding young people and grooming them. The reality is no one wants to run into a buzz saw and that’s what it looks like running against Coons and Carney at the moment.
charming…
There’s a bench and it’s getting deeper ever day. Think about where Laura Sturgeon came from and multiple that by 5.
Laura Sturgeon won a close race in a trending democratic area. By the way Laura better step up her game after the gun bill debacle if she ever wants to run for something outside rich North Wilmington. That was amateur hour.
Again I’m talking statewide office. Please name some people. It also seems when we elect one to the legislature they are content to stay there. Will Sean Lynn run? Doesn’t seem like it? Townsend already tried and got mowed down by establishment and LBR.
Tizzy Lockman gives me some hope but we will see.
Like I’m going to list the candidates in training for some fucking random internet dude “Lurker”. Absurd.
I get that. Carney, though, has far less support than Carper ever had. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lost to Markell. He has no vision and doesn’t seem to have any energy either.
And McBride and Poore are now damaged incumbents. McBride hasn’t had a campaign in forever, and he’s ripe for the pickin’s. And Poore has a record of ethical lapses that, along with her screwing the vast majority of D’s in her district who oppose mass massacres, make her quite vulnerable.
I’m not a fan of Coons, but that challenge is the closest analogy to the one that Kerri faced when she challenged Carper. If I were to let one race go, it’d be that one.
The analysis that Carney doesn’t have support based on his losing to Markel in an open-seat race somewhat neglects what happened in the intervening years. Note that no one, I mean NO ONE, challenged him in an open-seat gubernatorial primary.
Okay, so you don’t like him. The whole DL crowd doesn’t like him. So what? As was pointed out, Harris lost 65-35 with every progressive in sight pulling for her.
Now knocking off a State Senator is a different story. How about you guys work on that one, starting like before last Christmas?
This HB133 Bill has nothing to do with budget smoothing. Check out section 4 of this report.
https://gear.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/103/2018/12/2018-GEAR-Annual-Report.pdf
While you are at it, take a look around their website at the great work being performed by GEAR representatives of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches, along with some “other” elected officials working together to make progress on the basic “blocking and tackling”of making government work for the taxpayers.
This bill is a way to get the legislature and some outliers on board.
Is this a joke?
Bill,
Thanks for telling us it’s not budget smoothing.
Next step: spell out in plain English what this bill is all about. If you guys would write and speak clearly, maybe you’d have a chance of getting the rest of us in GEAR.
Here is the Executive Order creating GEAR:
https://governor.delaware.gov/executive-orders/eo04/
I agree w/Mediawatch–explain it in English so that, you know, people understand what’s going on.
I read that report and, at best, it’s bureaucrats speaking to bureaucrats in bureaucratese.
I think everyone would be in favor of greater efficiency in government. I live in a state with 17 school districts plus charters, I live in a county with at least 9 separate police agencies and I live in a house that hasn’t been reappraised since it was built 18 years ago even though the value has climbed significantly. What’s lacking is not the knowledge that these are inefficient or inequitable and it’s not training in project management. It’s the will of our elected officials to mandate obvious positive change.
“making government work for the taxpayers”
That’s the tell, folks.
Not kids. Not the elderly. Not everyone. Certainly not the poor.
Got to say. I’m skeptical.
Layman’s terms… Government is big and old. Agencies don’t talk to each other, especially the career staff. Therefore redundancies have been created throughout government where divisions in different agencies are providing the same services or hiring contractors to provide services that other agencies could be providing for a lower cost; or the opposite. Agencies also rarely discuss or share best practices. So Governor Green Eyeshade created GEAR (With reps from each agency) to force cabinet agencies to talk to one another, learn about one another’s agencies, identify and eliminate redundancies, and improve efficiencies and services. Looks like this bill is going to make each agencies show their strategic improvement plans that are emerging from GEAR to the joint finance committee during their budget presentations.
Capital must be concentrated efficiently! Austerity will be maintained in an effective manner.
As the French would say: Quelle Merde
The health and welfare of Delaware’s children and first-responders was dealt a serious setback today when the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance and Commerce Committee tabled HB 117. This bill would “prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of children’s products, upholstered furniture used in residences, and mattresses that contain harmful flame-retardant chemicals. These flame retardants have been found to cause cancer, particularly to firefighters who are extinguishing fires that involve products that contain these chemicals.”
Fifteen states have already banned these chemicals in similar bills. Members of the committee however felt that the interests of the American Chemical Council and the Chamber of Commerce overruled the safety of our children and firefighters.
Wednesday is committee day and bills must clear committees before coming to the floor of each house for a floor vote. Some have already questioned why a bill to keep children safe would ever even be sent to the banking committee, but the leader of each chamber, in this case Pete Schwartzkoff, decide where bills will be heard. Of course sending this type of bill to this particular committee placed it in jeopardy as many members consider the profits and interests of corporations paramount.
Below are the members of the committee- Chair: William Bush, Vice Chair Andria Bennett, members Krista Griffith, Sherry Dorsey Walker, Quinton Johnson, Paul Baumbach, Raymond Seigfried, Sean Matthews, Kevin Hensley, Michael Smith, Jeff Spiegelman, Lyndon Yearick.
ONLY Rep. Baumbach and Rep. Seigfried voted against tabling the bill!
How is this even possible? Do we value the American Chemistry Council (ACC) over children?
In order to lift a bill from committee a member must make a motion to lift the bill from the table, the motion must be seconded, and the committee can then revote.
Please call the members of the committee and tell them to reconsider this important safety bill. The fate of this bill is now in the hands of the public. If you feel mattresses and children’s products should not contain flame retardant additives, dangerous chemicals like Chlorinated Tris, PLEASE call and write.
HB 117 can be viewed on the State Legislature site and I have linked to an article highlighting what lobbyists from the ACC have been doing throughout this country to defeat legislation of this kind.
https://publicintegrity.org/environment/american-chemistry-council-lied-about-lobbying-role-on-flame-retardants-consultant-says/
Thank you.
Representative John Kowalko