In Praise Of State Rep. David Bentz

You may have missed it, but in typical low-key fashion, Rep. Bentz announced he would not seek reelection in 2022.  During his relatively short legislative career, Bentz has passed a lot of significant bills, and he has been a consistent supporter of progressive initiatives in Dover.

Bentz earned his MPA from the University Of Delaware, served as a Legislative Fellow for both the House and the Senate, and worked as a legislative aide to the House Majority Caucus for four years. He was elected to the House in 2015 to fill out the remaining portion of the term of Mike Barbieri, who had been appointed by Gov. Jack Markell to an administrative position.  He defeated Eileen O’Shaughnessy Coleman in that special election with 56.7% of the vote.

He has faced no R opposition in his three subsequent reelection campaigns.

He has been especially effective in passing improvements to Delaware’s healthcare system and increasing access to those who need it.  Here’s a list of bills that he sponsored and that have become law during his time in Dover:

This Session:

HB 184: Reduces the time frame to obtain a blood specimen from newborn infants from 72 hours to 24 to 48 hours after birth for screening for metabolic, hematologic, endocrinologic, immunologic and certain structural disorders.

HB 160: Continues and enhances Delawareans’ access to telehealth and telemedicine services and, through the adoption of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, ensures that telehealth services can be provided through qualified medical practitioners in a streamlined and efficient pathway to licensure that meets the health care delivery system needs of the 21st century.

HB 91: ‘…amends Delaware’s Consumer Fraud Act (Subchapter II, Chapter 25, Title 6 of the Code), to give Delaware consumers and businesses the protection against unfair acts or practices in commerce that the General Assembly intended to give them when it enacted the Consumer Fraud Act…However, § 2513(a) of the Consumer Fraud Act, as enacted, prohibits only deceptive practices, and does not protect consumers and businesses from unfair practices as the General Assembly intended. To address this, the Act amends § 2513(a) of the Consumer Fraud Act to include the term “unfair practice” among the activities explicitly prohibited by the Consumer Fraud Act. This aligns Delaware with the 7 states in the Top 10 of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform’s 2017 Lawsuit Climate Survey, and the 44 states overall (plus the District of Columbia), which prohibit the use of unfair or unconscionable acts or practices in commerce.”

Previous Sessions:

HS1/HB 440:  “…establishes an overdose system of care to improve care, treatment, and survival of the overdose patient in State of Delaware. This Act allows the Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services to establish stabilization centers that can receive overdose patients from Emergency Medical Services and designate acute health care facilities, freestanding emergency departments, and hospitals that meet established requirements as an overdose system of care centers.”

He is also the Prime Sponsor of HB 75, which permits the use of ‘no-excuse’ absentee voting for elections.  Rethuglicans are holding up passage of this bill in the House.  This is the second leg of this constitutional amendment.  It will need to pass during this legislative session, or the clock will start all over again.

You can view all the legislation he’s co-sponsored here.

When I look at roll calls, I often check to see how Rep. Bentz has voted.  To me, he’s such a dependable progressive vote that, on bills that I don’t know much about, his vote tells me what the ‘right’ vote is.

He announced his decision not to seek reelection over a year before the primary, giving prospective candidates plenty of time to build their campaigns. A classy move.

I think Bentz may become somewhat of a trendsetter.  Far too many elected officials become lifers, and they get too comfortable, especially with Delaware Way denizens.  Bentz joins Darryl Scott and Diana McWilliams among the select few who decided there’s more to life (and community service) than serving in the General Assembly.  With an influx of younger, better-educated, and less cynical legislators, I doubt that David will be the last.

Suffice it to say that he has my deepest respect.  I wish him and his young family nothing but the best.  Oh, and I hope that he can somehow get HB 75 through.  That would be a fitting and crowning achievement to an outstanding legislative career.