General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, June 17, 2021

$15 MINIMUM WAGE DAY. 

If we had a Democratic governor, the outcome would not be in question.  “Pass this bill, then come on up to my office, and I will sign it right now. Photo ops for EVERYBODY.” 

Instead, we have arguably the strangest governor we’ve had (which is saying something, considering Carper was governor), someone who places himself in an intellectual straitjacket and is force-fed talking points from the Concord Coalition.  He comes across as a nice fella, which he is. (He’s not strange in the same manner that Carper is strange.  He, after all, is demonstrably human.) But he’s no Democrat. Not in 2021.  He and his administration are also circumspect.  So we have no idea if he’s quietly pushing for amendments to water down the bill. Most importantly, we have no idea whether he will sign the bill.  He ‘supports’ the minimum wage, just declines to state in what form he supports it.

Meaning, we enter this most important of legislative days with the outcome of SB 15 still in doubt.

If the House leadership whips (only figuratively this time) its members to vote down all amendments, the bill will pass as is.  There are enough votes. Especially since any D’s voting against the bill are likely committing political suicide. Why? Because they saw what happened to the most anti-progressive legislators in 2020.  Here’s a message to those D’s who are tempted to water down the bill: That, too, will almost certainly lead to a primary challenge. The $15 minimum wage is a defining issue for D’s, it’s part of the State Party platform.  There are already people waiting in the wings to see how the lines are drawn before making their intentions clear.  You can make it easier on yourself, or start looking for a golden parachute.  Based on how the deliberations have gone so far, those most likely to stray from the flock are:  Representatives Kendra Johnson, Sherae’a Moore, Krista Griffith, Lumpy Carson, Andria Bennett, Bill Bush, and Speaker Pete.  None are on the bill as sponsors. Griffith, Carson and Bennett have publicly expressed doubts about minimum wage, and Sherae’a Moore, who won a primary largely due to progressive support, has introduced an amendment. Rep. Moore, do you really want your political career to die on the altar of supporting the Chamber of Commerce?

If you are represented by any of these legislators, stop reading, and go contact them right now.  And, kids, just remember, a vote for any of the amendments is a vote against a minimum wage increase starting in January. We will be watching the tally on every single amendment, and we’ll report the results.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  Of note, SB 166 (Hansen), which ‘establishes the Prescription Opioid Settlement Fund (Settlement Fund) and Prescription Opioid Distribution Commission (Commission), to ensure that settlement money is used to remediate and abate the opioid crisis and is not diverted to other purposes’, passed w/o opposition.  Good work all around on this.

Today’s Senate Agenda is certain to be overshadowed by what’s going on across the Hall.  I have not previously discussed SB 181 (Sokola). Because, why would I?  But it intrigues me.  The bill:

…makes clear that the Town of Delmar, Delaware is a public employer for purposes of the Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Employment Relations Act, Chapter 16 of Title 19 of the Delaware Code, and Chapter 16 of Title 19 applies to the Town, including in a cooperative agreement between the Town of Delmar, Delaware and the Town of Delmar, Maryland.

So. Why is the bill exclusively sponsored by D’s, and why is Delmar’s ‘finest’ (*cough* Dave Lawson *cough*) not on the bill?  Answer:  The bill permits Delmar police and firefighters to unionize. Rethugs are gonna have to choose between helping cops or fighting unions.

Some of the bills preceding the minimum wage bill on today’s House Agenda could well engender some significant debate.  Why? Because they are progressive bills.  Such as HB 115 (Chukwuocha), which:

…sets a minimum age at which a child may be prosecuted, except for the most extreme offenses. This Bill prohibits the prosecution of children under the age of 12. It also bars the transfer of juvenile prosecution to the Superior Court unless the child is aged 16 or older. The exception to the prohibition on prosecuting children under 12 and transfer to Superior Court for children under 16, is only for the most serious of charges: murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, rape in the first and rape in the second degree or accused of using, displaying, or discharging a firearm during the commission of a Title 11 or a Title 31 violent felony set forth in § 4201(c) of Title 11′;

HB 195 (Dorsey Walker), which ‘requires certain police officers and some certain employees of the Department of Correction and Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families to wear a body worn camera and to use the body worn camera to record interactions with a member of the public in accordance with the regulations to be established by the Council on Police Training’; and

HB 215 (Minor-Brown), which ‘mandates electronic recording of the custodial interrogation process by law enforcement when the interrogation relates to a crime allegedly committed by an adult or a delinquent act allegedly committed by a child.’

Assuming good faith on the part of the Speaker, I imagine that he took SB 6 off of today’s Agenda b/c there was no way that the House would be able to get to it today. We’ll see next Tuesday.

First things first, though. Eyes on the prize.