General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday 24, 2021

Dispatcher: “Adam-12, Adam-12, we have a Gold Alert on SB 147 and SB 148. Both have gone missing and have been unaccounted for for at least 48 hours. Please respond.”

Trooper Pete: “Roger, Roger. I have them in protective custody. They’re not going anywhere. Over and out.”

The preceding dialogue may, or may not, have happened.  But Trooper Pete is in full Kop Kabal mode.  SB 147 appeared on the House Agenda on Tuesday. Wasn’t worked. SB 148 is out of committee, but hasn’t yet even sniffed a spot on the Agenda.  Neither made it to today’s House Agenda. After today, there are only two sessions remaining this term.  Time to reprise Jea Street’s right-on quote about the General Assembly:

“Everybody knows the cops run the place.”

Since NCC Councilman Street uttered that timeless phrase, the Senate has emerged from under the thumb of the Kop Kabal. Thanks to elections.  (The ‘K’ ‘s are deliberate to highlight the racist subtext of policing in Delaware.)  But the House leadership, the mathematical formula of which is “K times 3”, is determined to deep-six any accountability on the part of the police.

If I’m misreading the situation, fine.  But, if I’m not, then these bills must be at the top of any Senate Must-List (bills the Senate deems essential) before the end of session. I, for one, would put a hold on all these pension bills for cops and firefighters until the House complies.  There should be no free passes here. Sen. Sokola is a nice guy.  He has been the best President Pro-Tem ever this year.  However, there should be no Mr. Nice Guy when it comes to these two bills.  Oh, and add SS1/SB 101 to the list.  If Stephanie Bolden, Andria Bennett, Bill Bush, and Sean Matthews want to screw the renters in their districts, get ’em on record. Then get rid of ’em.  (BTW, if you don’t think that the slow-walking of the legalized marijuana bill and the fact that ‘the cops run the place’ are related, you’re not paying attention.)

Someone woke up Gov. Carney long enough for him to sign HB 198 into law. The bill mandates ‘each school district and charter school to establish and implement a curriculum on Black History for students in grades K through 12’.  The bill didn’t require a Fiscal Note, which is likely why he signed it.

Got a kick out of this: The Senate passed HB 29 (Baumbach), which ‘eliminates the ability of a candidate to change their candidacy to become a candidate for a different office after the deadline for notification of candidacy has passed’.  One senator went ‘Not Voting’.  If you guessed Darius Brown, dingdingding, you know your self-dealing senators. If memory serves, didn’t Darius use this tactic when he ran for Treasurer of Wilmington?

The House unanimously passed SB 72 (S. McBride), which ‘clarifies that discrimination against any person because of religion is illegal under Chapter 45 of Title 6, the Delaware Equal Accommodations Act.’ Even Rep. Collins voted yes.  As did Dave Lawson in the Senate. (Psst: Don’t tell ’em the bill also applies to Muslims.)

Collins was the only no vote, though, on legislation that guarantees the minimum wage for persons with disabilities.  Kendra Johnson, who has a conflict-of-interest, went not voting.

The House passed yet another giveaway program to corporations, all in the name of ‘economic development’.  Only three D’s, Kowalko, Morrison, and Wilson-Anton, cast the correct votes against this.

We previously identified the House D’s who opposed full disclosure on manufactured home transfers:  Bennett, Bolden, Bush, and Matthews. Remember their names when it comes time to recruit progressive primary candidates.

Strange bedfellows on the Budget Bill in the House.  The one ‘no’ was Collins.  Kowalko and Ramone went not voting.  The supplemental appropriations bill passed unanimously.

Here is yesterday’s entire Session Activity Report.  I’m sure you can find some additional goodies (and baddies) in there.

Oh, yes, almost forgot.  The Industrial Accident Board is pretty much the final refuge for the politically-connected. A chance to pick up a few shekels while greeting familiar faces in the Carvel State Office Building. Which is why it’s no surprise that Bud Freel was confirmed to a position there by the Senate yesterday.

The Senate will make quick work of the Budget and supplemental appropriations bills today.  Someone will rouse (or is it ‘roust’? I know it’s not ‘arouse’) the Governor, and he perhaps will sign them by day’s end. He will praise the General Assembly for their ‘fiscal restraint’, won’t answer any questions about legalized marijuana or the minimum wage bill, and will then de-materialize into the ether.

The Senate Agenda also features HB 163 (Wilson-Anton), which ‘requires schools to excuse a pupil’s absence for observance of a religious holiday, and further requires districts and charters to have a policy discouraging teachers from scheduling tests, presentations and the like on days where some students may be absent for a religious holiday’; and 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’.

This bill is on a Senate Consent Agenda today.  I see no reason not to let this bill languish. Just to let Pete know that you’re not playin’.

SB 6(Sokola), which would limit the size of magazines on assault weapons, resurfaces in the House today.  This time with a House Amendment to permit the weapons to be deadlier than in the Senate version.  Interesting sponsors on that House Amendment, don’tchathink? Rep. Ruth Briggs King also has a special interest amendment that purportedly benefits a deadly weapons manufacturer in Georgetown.  Mustn’t let stopping the carnage interfere with ‘economic development’, not in Delaware.

I think that Rep. Lynn’s filed amendments to SS1/SB 7  make a marginal bill that impacts bail requirements better.  BTW, I’ve gotten to the point where, if Sen. Pinkney votes no on a bill, as was the case here, the bill is suspect, IMO.

Lots of intrigue still remaining. Especially with the Bond Bill.  Let’s see how it all plays out before July 1.