Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., January 25, 2022

A nothing-burger of a day.  Senate’s not even holding committee meetings.  House has only a few.

The good news? Two of this session’s most important bills will be considered in committee on Wednesday.

Specifically, SS1/SB 1, the paid family leave bill, will be considered in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee tomorrow. 10 am.  All 14 Senate Democrats are on the bill as sponsors or co-sponsors.  We’ll talk more about the specifics of the bill tomorrow. It’s already got the votes in the Senate. I wonder whether the bill will be run on Thursday.

Also, the marijuana legalization bill will be considered in the House Health & Human Development Committee tomorrow. 11 am.  Shake off that buzz, or start working on one, and view.

One good thing about doing virtual committee meetings is you don’t have to wait until everyone’s arrived in Dover to hold them.

Today’s House committee highlights:

HB 262 (Griffith) ‘…seeks to provide consumers with critical information about how their personal information is being used by data brokers. This Act requires data brokers to register with the Consumer Protection Unit of the Department of Justice and answer questions regarding their use of personal information that would be published online to inform consumers.  Registration only applies to data brokers who sell or license information. The Act prohibits acquiring or providing brokered personal information where it will be used for certain unlawful purposes, or where it was obtained through fraudulent means. The Act requires data brokers to protect brokered personal information.  Technology & Telecommunications.

SS1/SB 187 (S. McBride) ‘requir(es) municipalities with a population of 30,000 or more to develop a procedure to obtain permission for the installation of an electric vehicle charging station on real property zoned for residential use that abuts a residential street.  Bill passed the Senate 16-5, the 5 no votes from the following MAGAts: Bonini, Hocker, Lawson, Richardson and Wilson. R’s Lopez and Pettyjohn voted yes.  Energy.

One bad thing about doing virtual committee meetings is that sometimes the meeting has already been held, or is in session, when I get around to writing about them.

Since it’s a slow day, I might as well recount what happened last Thursday.  Here is that Activity Report.

All seven Rethugs voted against Sen. McBride’s digital literacy bill. Didn’t matter, as all 14 Senate D’s voted for it.

The House unanimously passed HB 285 (Osienski), which ‘provides COVID-19 related relief to both claimants receiving unemployment benefits and employers who are assessed unemployment taxes, and extends the end date of the Secretary of Labor’s COVID-19 related rulemaking authority.  Look for the Senate to fast-track that bill this week, and likely vote on it on Thursday.

Family Leave. Marijuana Legalization.  Think we’ll have stuff to talk about tomorrow?