Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, January 17, 2023
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.
BTW, took me about two minutes. The cops can ticket excessively loud motorcycles. Why don’t they?:
https://noisefree.org/sources-of-noise/motorcycles/
The cops can ticker anything with this one simple word: Excessive, excessive noise is one of them. Is my 1991 Corvette excessively loud, I don’t think so, but some old bag just might. If the do come up with a noise reg. expect that it will be yet another disaster aimed at reelection.
I suspect the bill is intended to mollify some constituents w/o really doing anything.
My thought is that this is Williams’ response to the annual kirkwood highway cruise night that can be heard in hockessin. Every year it happens and every year the local legislators gets calls about it, so maybe this is a way to ticket those who they dont catch actually speeding?
I hope its at least the ZR-1 engine in the 91 vette
Excessive noise goes hand in hand with speeding. Put a lid on speeding and you will reduce the noise.
Every road that is somewhat straight for a few miles is now a Fast and Furious stage set, with plenty of fatal wrecks at the cross-streets. I used to be opposed to speed enforcement cameras but now I want them.
Sad to see Stell Parker-Selby voted with the Republicans not to release HB 37. Let’s hope this isn’t a pattern. She was a Republican previously so it doesn’t surprise me.
There COULD be more to the story here. As I wrote, housing advocates were pushing for an amendment to close a possible loophole that landlords could have exploited, but I don’t know for sure.
I’ll try to find out what happened.
Of course, the more likely scenario is that Pete put her on that committee to be Stephanie Bolden’s successor. He did, after all, contribute to her campaign.
Any hints of a bill to close the gap on spending for the state medical benefits for retired state workers. Without legislation, my entire retired cohort is condemned to reduced benefits under the banner of increasing frugality…
More on that tomorrow. There’s a bill that–sorta addresses it.
But, jury’s still out, to put it mildly.
Press Advisory:
For immediate release
Tuesday1/16/23
Contact John Kowalko
302 547 9351
Kowalkoforthe25th@gmail.com
RISE Delaware MEMBERS SET TO ATTEND WEDNESDAY SENATE
COMMITTEE HEARING TO VOICE OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL 29
RISE Delaware members are being urged to attend the Senate Executive Committee meeting scheduled for 3PM this Wednesday 1/18/23 in Legislative Hall to voice their opposition to Senate Bill 29 relating to the State Employee Benefits Act.
Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Senator Townsend, purports to be a response to the concerns of State pensioners who have been united in opposing the State’s attempt to privatize their Medicare and deny them the funded Medicare supplement plan that they currently enjoy.
Former State Representative John Kowalko said, “We are urging all of our state retirees to attend this meeting in person or via livestream to demonstrate their opposition to this legislation”. Kowalko added, “Senate Bill 29 appears to support the flawed process and previous decisions of the SEBC while condoning the behavior of Administration appointees who consistently and persistently misled and misinformed the public and the retirees.”
“What happened this past summer to state retirees was unfortunate and frightening. We need strong legislation from our leaders in Dover to prevent this happening again,” added RISE Delaware Board Member Connie Merlet. “Senate Bill 29 does not accomplish this in any way.”
“It is most important that all retirees and their families and friends join us this Wednesday to express their anger and frustration at this attempt to further erode their health care benefits. This is your chance, as retirees, to express your objections and outrage, with a united voice, against this government abuse,” said Kowalko (co-director of RISE).
OK, John, what DO you and your wife support?
Continuing the State funded option of a Medicare supplemental plan available to all state pensioners as it is now. No move to Medicare Advantage scams as the only recourse. If the state wants to offer both so be it.