We’ve got some really bad bills coming up in committee this week. Unfortunately, for today’s report, most of them are due to be considered on Wednesday. A couple of them are mind-numbingly dumb. I can’t wait. You, however, will have to.
Perhaps the General Assembly does nothing better, or more consistently, than forming some sort of working group/task force to review an issue. And/or making someone else do the work. Such is the case with SCR 3 (Hansen), the only item on today’s Senate Agenda. In fact, the resolution doesn’t create a working group, it asks ‘that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health assess the feasibility of replacing the Delaware Psychiatric Center’s (“DPC”) facilities, including gathering input regarding DPC’s current and future needs, and provide a report detailing the findings of this work by December 31, 2023.’ Meaning, in theory, the Division does not in fact have to do anything, since it is merely a request. And the General Assembly hasn’t done anything, other than pass the buck to the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. The Delaware Psychiatric Center is located on N. DuPont Highway, not too far south of the DMV lanes.
Speaking of passing the buck, we have HB 35 (K. Williams), which takes the bold step of pawning the issue of motor vehicle noise off on ‘the Department of Safety & Homeland Security, in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Department of Transportation’. Presumably because the legion of legislative aides and legislative interns are too busy doing other things, including during the six-week JFC break. I mean, couldn’t one of them maybe access the NCSL database to see what other states are doing? They likely have more time on their hands than people in the agencies who are being given the responsibility to research this and to come up with a comprehensive plan this year. Gotta say (and you’ll see a much clearer example tomorrow), Kim Williams introduces some bills that are passing strange. (Spoiler Alert: We’re talking motorcycles. But rather than address that issue and piss off the ‘Let Those Who Ride, Decide’ mouthbreathers, why not pass it off to some bureaucrats, whose recommendations will never become law should it piss off the ‘Rider Deciders’?)
HB 35 is on today’s House Agenda. Pretty much the only bill of interest.
There are no Senate Committee meetings scheduled for today. There are two bills of interest in House committees today.
HB 37 (Dorsey Walker): ‘This Act allows tenants to bring an action of rent escrow to pay rent into the court because of asserted defects or conditions. Alternatively, the tenant may refuse to pay rent and raise the existence of the asserted defects or conditions as an affirmative defense to an action for summary possession or an action for nonpayment of rent. This Act requires the tenant to give proper notice and allow the landlord the opportunity to effect repairs.’ The intent of the bill is admirable. Housing advocates have some concern about language that could enable landlords to evict tenants rather than to carry out their obligations. Hopefully, an amendment can address those concerns. Housing Committee.
HB 49 (Osienski): ‘will increase the maximum weekly benefit amount payable to claimants seeking unemployment compensation benefits from the Delaware Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance from $400.00 a week to $450.00 a week. The funds necessary to pay the increased weekly benefit amounts will be paid from the Unemployment Trust Fund. Delaware currently pays unemployment claimants less per week in benefits than claimants are paid in each neighboring state.’ Does that last sentence shock you? Didn’t think so. Labor Committee.
Back tomorrow, where we will (at least) discuss a couple of really bad bills, including an early candidate for dumbest bill of the session. From the aforementioned Kim Williams.