Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 4, 2019

After a pretty successful election in 2018, the last thing I expected was that progressives would go into June playing defense. But that’s where we are as this abysmal legislative session grinds toward its close.

Of all issues, reinstituting the death penalty has become a top priority of all the ex-cops and cop bootlickers who befoul the General Assembly. You can bet that the thick blue line will be out in force after having been invisible during the gun bill debates. AG’s against it, Governor’s against it for religious reasons, although apparently his religion makes an exception for the killing of a cop. But demagoguery can overcome a lot.

Oh, gun bills are dead. The self-appointed grown-ups are looking to strangle marijuana legalization in its hemp-lined crib. Which reminds me…why the fuck is the Chamber weighing in on this?  Aren’t they all about expansion of business? Guess it has to be their kind of business. Governed by their kind of rules. And of course the cops will be out in force against that bill as well–without their phony pot busts, how could they do their jobs and steal from the alleged perpetrators?

There’s this to dream on, but I’ve been to this rodeo too many times.  Does anybody think that the Chamber’s favorite governor will embrace a $15 minimum wage? Hey, maybe it will at least light a fire under a prospective challenger to Carney. Probably not.

Nevertheless, I’ve got a job to do. Might as well do it.

Today’s Senate Agenda is brought to you courtesy of the corporate law section of the Delaware Bar.  In order to keep Delaware at the top of the business law ladder, the General Assembly annually passes a bunch of bills that few, if any, legislators know what they’re passing.   It’s a rite of passage, kinda like increasing the pilotage rates, which happens later this week.

The Senate will also consider SB 95(Walsh), which creates a ‘Delaware Contractor Registration Act’.  I have but one question: Has this guy honored the law barring legislators from lobbying for at least one year?  If not, will anybody do anything about it? (That’s a rhetorical question. The answer is no. Meaning the law is a fucking joke.)

Today’s House Agenda features perhaps final consideration of HB 63(Lynn),  which seeks to promote gun safety by requiring safe storage of weapons, especially to keep them away from children. Lacking sufficient votes in the Senate, an amendment was voted onto the bill that makes it more difficult to prosecute such offenses.  Still, the bill is better than what we had before, and I hope that Rep. Lynn runs the bill while waiting to fight again another day.

A bleepload of bills were prefiled over the past week or so. You can browse here to your heart’s content to see what was introduced.  I prefer to discuss these bills when they come up for committee consideration. Meaning you will likely see them discussed starting with tomorrow’s committee meetings.

I’ll be here to guide you through that legislative thicket then.