Prologue: On Monday, June 13, 2022, Delaware’s foremost corporate fixer/lobbyist Bobby Byrd joins the 6th RD Democratic Committee. His daughter, Rebecca Byrd, is already a member of the committee. Byrd, who heads up Byrd & Associates (which includes his daughter, and lobbyist Kim Gomes), has publicly pledged to raise as much money as it will take to reelect 6th RD Rep. Deb Heffernan. File this away for a few paragraphs.
Our Story: On June 2, 2022, Sen. Stephanie Hansen introduces SB 305, which ‘establishes a statutory requirement of greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the medium and long term to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on the State, establishing a mandatory and regularly updated plan to achieve those emissions reductions and develop resilience strategies for the State, and requires State agencies to address climate change in decision-making and rulemaking.’
It is a far-reaching and important bill. It has 25 co-sponsors. The first listed representative on the bill is Deb Heffernan. She is, after all, the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. On June 9, 2022, SB 135 passes the Senate, 13 Y, 6 N, 1 NV (Ennis), and 1 absent.
On June 10, 2022, it is correctly assigned to the House Natural Resources Committee. A bill co-sponsored by Rep. Heffernan assigned to the committee she chairs. What could go wrong?
Here’s what went wrong: Heffernan delayed scheduling it for committee consideration until Thursday, June 25, the last committee day for the House this year. It was the only bill on the committee agenda.
And then, Heffernan canceled the committee meeting, thus killing the bill. She also failed to schedule a committee hearing for this bill as well. Are we seeing a pattern here yet?
But, you ask, what does any of this have to do with corporate fixer and 6th RD committee member Bobby Byrd? Here’s what: Byrd and his minions lobbied against the bill on behalf of Calpine Corporation, Chesapeake Utilities Corporation, Delaware Business Roundtable, Delaware State Chamber of Commerce, and the DuPont Company. You can read all about it right here.
Byrd and his mercenaries also lobbied against HB 466, This time on behalf of Allen Myers Inc., Calpine, Delaware Business Roundtable, and the DuPont Company.
This is the Delaware Way: Corporate fixer Bobby Byrd gets his money’s worth as Deb Heffernan kills two excellent environmental bills, Deb Heffernan gets her money’s worth from Byrd as he provides her gobs of campaign lucre in exchange for her selling out.
There may have been a time when Heffernan intended to represent her constituents. If so, she has forgotten them and/or just dismissed their concerns. She is now solely an instrument, and beneficiary, of the Delaware Way. Hand over millions to the ‘self-sufficient’ company running the Port of Wilmington (and remain unavailable for comment)? Check. Hand over millions to Our PAL Val’s corrupt Ft. DuPont scheme? Check. Quoting myself:
(Heffernan) has enabled the Kop Kabal with her support for them in leadership, and even helped Longhurst’s scheme to fund the Ft. DuPont boondoggle. Heffernan now holds the distinction of holding the purse-strings for the project while serving on the Ft. DuPont board that will ask her for the money. Totally unethical. She is also one of Buccini/Pollin’s beneficiaries. Leg Hall fixer Bobby Byrd has publicly promised to raise Heffernan all the money she will need.
Sell out Delawareans’ clean air, water and land in exchange for corporate cash? Check. Deny environmental protections for under-served communities? Check. Checks in the mail. All she cares about.
Her opponent, Becca Cotto, has pledged not to take one thin dime of corporate PAC money. She is the antidote to corporate malevolence that Delaware, and the residents of the 6th RD, need. Donate here, unless you’re a corporate PAC. She’ll just send your check back. Oh, and she’ll vote for bills like SB 305 and HB 466 after she’s elected, not bury them.