What I Want Done (And Not Done) In The Next Two Legislative Days
Everybody has their wish-list. Here’s mine. I’m limiting this to those items that conceivably could be done before the conclusion of this legislative session. So, I’m not including pot legalization or Sen. Lockman’s admirable and ambitious police accountability bill. It’s not that long a list:
I want to see the House pass SB 147 and SB 148 unamended. Personal to one of my fave progressive legislators: Please strike your amendment(s) for SB 147. If you must, introduce another bill to address your concerns. As it is, you are placing passage of this bill in jeopardy with the legalistic gobbledygook of your amendments. Do you really want to be the sole reason that an admirable bill that increases police accountability fails? I know you don’t. Please do the right thing here.
Force a vote on SS1/SB 101 on the House floor. One legislator, Stephanie Bolden, as reported by Dustyn Thompson at Delaware United, voted against releasing a bill from committee that would provide assistance to renters in legal battles with landlords. In a committee with 6 D’s and 4 R’s, that one switch was enough to keep the bill bottled up. I daren’t repeat the reason I have been told as to why she did this. I’ll just use the term ‘narcissistic pique’ to describe the alleged reason. She has once again disgraced her office. At the expense of likely hundreds of her own constituents who can’t afford to stand up to unscrupulous landlords. Meaning, I encourage members of the House to petition the bill out of committee. Yes, this is a partisan issue. I don’t even think the Kop Kabal would oppose a motion to release. In fact, Rep. Longhurst is one of the bill’s sponsors.
Do not, repeat, do not, release HB 30 (Bolden) from the Senate Elections & Government Affairs Committee. It has languished there for over a month. However, it is scheduled for a committee hearing on June 30 at 12 noon, which I suppose provides more notice than holding it at midnight on June 30/July 1 with a floor vote immediately to follow. Might I point out that 2 senators who are pretty damned susceptible to primaries (Darius ‘Show Me The Money’ Brown and Nicole ‘No Longer’ Poore) are on that committee. If Sen. Gay doesn’t have the votes to keep it bottled up, please, Sen. Sokola, please, don’t permit a last-minute vote on this anti-democratic measure. If you didn’t read Chuck Durante’s piece in the Delaware State News, please do so. I see no good reason to pass this bill:
OK, kids, that’s my list. What’s yours?
I’m afraid I think the police accountability bill and the marijuana legalization bill should be priorities even though as you say they are not likely to come up for consideration.
Of course they should be. But, Sen. Lockman’s police accountability bill has not yet advanced in the Senate, so it’s not ready for prime time. And the pot legislation is dead this year.
I only looked at a very few priorities that COULD get done this year. And one that should not get done.
Good to see you, Dana.
Ditto.
No weed bill this year due to a combination of Osienski messing up and the Black Caucus digging their heels in https://baytobaynews.com/stories/up-in-flames-legal-weed-bill-stalls-for-now,51657?
How could the black caucus not support the weed bill in any form? No matter imperfect, isn’t the status quo worse? It’s not like there hasn’t been 2+ years to bring up concerns and ideas. Very disappointing.
If social equity is written out and the bill is passed, the social equity is dead. I think they have a point.
The question is why does it take so many goddam votes to pass this? It is just baked in racism.
Legal weed would increase movement towards equity. Such a rigid stance killed this bill. Sad.