Isn’t today an official State Holiday? Doesn’t matter. Speaker Pete chose today to release the committee assignments. They are, um, horrible. You’ll need to click on the PDF link in the article to see all of them. Lowlights abound.
Bottom line–only two committees have what could be considered progressive chairs: Rep. Lynn for Judiciary, Rep. Baumbach for Revenue & Finance. Revenue & Finance is a decidedly minor committee. Those are the only two committees that don’t have Pete/Val loyalists chairing them.
Lumpy Carson is JFC Co-chair, and chairs Appropriations. Stephanie Bolden is on both committees. Meaning, along with the R’s, that Delaware Way hacks control what happens there.
Deb Heffernan co-chairs the Bond Committee. With Reps. Bush and Matthews also on the committee, it means that Delaware Way hacks control what happens there.
Nnamdi and Rep. Cooke co-chair Corrections. And just to be safe, Speaker Pete put Bill Bush on the committee. Meaning, you guessed it, Delaware Way hacks control what happens there. Which will not include any police reform.
As if Ol’ Lump doesn’t have enough in his glass on his plate, he now co-chairs the Business Lapdog Committee along with Bill Bush. Meaning (cut and paste). Once House leadership becomes more progressive, this committee, which was the brainchild of Bryon Short, who now sits on the NCC Chamber Board of Directors, should be eliminated. I mean, a committee exclusively devoted to pushing the Chamber agenda? No thank you.
Check out the Gaming & Parimutuels Committee. Stephanie Bolden chairs that one, along with, wait for it, Bill Bush. I don’t need to be redundant, but feel free to add the tagline right here.
Nnamdi and Ol’ Lump co-chair Veterans’ Affairs.
Rep. Heffernan is back to deep-six environmental legislation as Chair of Natural Resources & Energy.
Our PAL Val of course will chair House Administration, Ethics (no, really), and Rules.
By my count, Ol’ Lump has assignments on 7 committees, including 4 where he is either chair or co-chair.
Let’s be clear: These assignments are a ‘Fuck You’ not only to progressive members of the Caucus, but to the Senate Democratic Caucus, and a whole lot of Delawareans who believe in positive change.
To be clear: Speaker Pete’s committee assignments are blatantly anti-progressive. Blatantly anti-progressive legislators as well.
Congrats to all those who voted for this leadership team. You got what you deserve.