General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, May 20, 2021

The Big News? Sen. Darius Brown showed up for (virtual) work today.  Rumors that he wolfed down leftovers from Taverna Rustic Italian Restaurant during Session have so far not been verified.

L’Incident Darius could indeed potentially end his legislative career.  It’s not as if he hasn’t had other issues.  Such as not paying his income taxes:

In the spring of 2018, while he was running for the District 2 seat, Brown was hit with a federal tax lien for $50,803 in unpaid income taxes from 2012 through 2016. A month later, the Delaware Division of Revenue filed a complaint in Superior Court for $9,854 in unpaid taxes and penalties from 2014 through 2016.

Let us also remember that he publicly lamented the state of his campaign coffers, got contributions from the lobbyists for Waste Management,  and then supported an increase in the height of the Minquadale Landfill.  Having said that, here is who he defeated in the four-way primary to succeed Sen. Margaret Rose Henry: Ex-Wilmington Police Chief Bobbie Cummings, and the ethically-bankrupt duo of Sam Guy and Herman ‘The Lesser’ Holloway.  I’m reminded of the line from Moon River:

“Two grifters, out to fleece the world, there’s such a lot of world to fleece…”

There has to be somebody who’s, what’s the word I’m looking for, good, to replace Darius if/when the occasion arises.  Names, pipples, names.  We’re a blog. It’s never too soon to speculate.  Responsibly or irresponsibly.

But, I digress.  A little.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  Few surprises. Except the high rollers are that much closer to purchasing high-end cigars at lower prices. Embarrassing.

We have big bills on both agendas today.  The highlight of today’s House Agenda is HB 125 (Longhurst),  which seeks to put an end to the manufacture and availability of so-called ‘ghost guns’. From the synopsis. This bill ‘ establishes the crimes of possession of an unfinished firearm frame or receiver with no serial number, possession of and manufacturing a covert or undetectable firearm, possession of and manufacturing an untraceable firearm, and manufacturing or distributing a firearm using a three-dimensional printer. This bill also makes it a crime to possess a firearm frame or receiver with a removed, obliterated, or altered serial number. ‘  Here’s what worries me.  Longhurst has long insisted on hoarding some of the high-profile bills for herself.  On gun bills, she has a history of gutting the very bills that she sponsors.  I look forward to her running this bill as is.  No more bowing to the Great Unwashed.  Uh, Dan Short has wasted no time in filing an amendment protecting the miscreants.  His amendment ‘provides a mechanism for persons who lawfully own or possess an unfinished firearm frame or receiver with no serial number prior to the effective date of House Bill 125 to retain possession and ownership’.  Uhhhh, no.  Protecting people for being up to no good before the bill becomes law makes no sense.  There’s no good reason to own ‘ghost guns’. None.  Escaping detection is not a good reason.

Today’s Senate Agenda is lowlighted by the breakneck fast-tracking of SB 127 (Walsh), which is just another giveaway of tax dollars to businesses in the hope that we’ve bribed them enough to come to Delaware, to stay in Delaware, or to expand in Delaware.  Empirical research has demonstrated time and time again that states ultimately don’t benefit from this, but corporations do.   Because the money is being doled out by a non-governmental agency (wink wink), no inconvenient Fiscal Note is required, even though the money comes from the taxpayers.  Just horrible Delaware Way stuff.  But the fix is in. I predict 21 yes.

There are some good bills on today’s Senate Agenda, SB 107 (Pinkney) and HB 198 (Dorsey Walker), to name but two.

I apologize for keeping this a little too brief.  But we’re catching a 6:20 am train to Rhode Island to see our son-in-law receive his Doctorate.  Since only two relatives can attend in person, we’ll be drinking mimosas while watching the closed-circuit broadcast.  Which is a relief. I was afraid I’d have to bring a suit…