Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, March 22, 2022

We’re in a legislative holding pattern. ‘Some’ would call it a slog. Passing nothing of any real importance while waiting (in vain) for them to consider something of importance.  Anybody remember police reform?  It likely won’t happen.  This session may well have peaked when Medical And Family Leave passed.

Ho-kay.  I’ll try to make this stuff as interesting as possible.  Today’s Senate Agenda features a bill designed to streamline voter registration requirements in most Delaware municipalities.  While most municipalities are on board, there are a couple of holdouts from downstate troglodytes.  Any ‘no’ votes on this bill will reflect that.

SB 205 (Gay) lowers the age range for students who must have access to feminine hygiene products. From 6th-graders to 4th graders.

HB 145 (Griffith) makes it easier for families to help children save for college.  Students with disabilities would especially benefit.  I would have preferred adding a means-testing component, but why quibble?

HB 271 (Heffernan) provides transition services for those aging out of foster care, specifically for those aged 21-23.  Reps. Ruth Briggs King, Rich Collins and Charles Postles thought this was a bad idea. Nobody else did.

Today’s House Agenda features, well, not much.  I honestly don’t know whether HB 270, which deals narrowly with charter school choice, is a good bill or not. When there are only two sponsors on a bill, I immediately think of the Longhurst/Poore ethical sewer. Looks like special interest legislation to me, but I am prepared to be disabused of that notion.

HB 301, which was appropriated by Val Longhurst for her very own sponsorship, ‘requir(es) the Department of Education, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to establish and implement statewide mental health educational programs for each grade, kindergarten through grade 12, in each school district and charter school in this State.  Good bill. Bad sponsor.

There are a (very few) committee meetings today.  Senate. House.  Most committee meetings are tomorrow.

I support SB 228 (Walsh), which ‘allows licensed veterinary technicians, as well as licensed veterinarians, to administer rabies vaccinations to dogs, cats, and ferrets.’  Ferrets?  Why ferrets and not, say, guinea pigs, hamsters and the like?  Can anyone ferret out the answer?  Senate Agriculture.

HB 311 (Griffith) largely brings Delaware law into conformity with the Americans With Disabilities Act. House Business Lapdog Committee.

HB 210 (M. Smith) ‘permits wine producers holding a valid license within this State or another state to obtain a license and ship wine directly to Delaware consumers so long as it is done through a common carrier with a carrier permit’. In addition to pointing out that the current law makes no sense, there are so many workarounds to this prohibition that the law is ineffective. A joke, really.  Might as well legalize it. Along with pot.  House Business Lapdog Committee.

Well, that’s about it for–WAIT! WHAT? A-oo-ga, a-oo-ga, ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! Just check out what has surfaced on Wednesday’s Housing & Community Affairs Committee Agenda. Yes, legal protection for tenants has risen from the ashes. It’s on the agenda.  With 7 D’s and 4 R’s (did Pete change the composition of the committee? Yes! He added Bud Freel to the committee, didn’t subtract anybody.  Bud was very good at going after absentee landlords with substandard properties.  I feel certain he will vote for the bill.), the bill should be released from committee even if Buccini/Pollin ups its ante to the hopelessly-corrupt Stephanie Bolden.   I don’t see any other no votes among the D’s on that committee.  Here are the committee members.  You know what to do. Do it: