Pete ‘n Val’s utter disdain for the public is on full display this week. They’ve crafted rules that prohibit any discussion by House members of anything that comes before the House Ethics Committee, and then schedule a stealth meeting of the House Ethics Committee on a Friday. This Friday. In the announcement, they provide the public with no notice of what the committee meeting will consider. Here is the notice in its entirety:
151th (sic) GENERAL ASSEMBLY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MEETING NOTICE
HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE
Friday, September 10, 2021
11:00 AM
House Room H104
411 Legislative Ave., Dover DE, 19901
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Chair Valerie Longhurst
Members Peter C. Schwartzkopf, John L. Mitchell, Daniel B. Short, Timothy D. Dukes
______________________________________________________________________________________________
AGENDA
Legislation Sponsor Description
Non-Legislation
Discuss executive business before the committee.
Comments
The House Ethics Committee Meeting is Closed to the Public.
Got that? You are not entitled to know what they will consider. You (including the press) are not entitled to attend the meeting. You will almost certainly not be entitled to even know what went on at the meeting even after the meeting has concluded ( I refer you to this: “They’ve crafted rules that prohibit any discussion by House members of anything that comes before the House Ethics Committee.”)
The matter being considered by the committee is clearly public business. It is a matter of public interest, it is of interest at least to the Asian-American community and to all Delaware women in general, it certainly concerns the constituents of Gerald Brady, it reflects on the entire House of Representatives.
Yet, any House member who would dare to utter a word in public about the proceedings would conceivably be as much at risk of legislative sanction as Brady himself. All because of rules crafted by the House leadership designed to promote secrecy (and to consolidate power).
The conclusion is inescapable. If you are a member of the House, you either countenance such anti-democratic principles, or you support new leadership. Schwartzkopf and Longhurst have used intimidation as their tactic for remaining in leadership for well over a decade now. Stand up to them, or make way for those who will. Oh, and find someone to primary them.