General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., January 26, 2023
Today’s all about ‘pass the stuff we’ve gotta pass, then get outta town’. For six weeks of JFC hearings.
Here’s yesterday’s Session Activity Report. Law-abiding Laurel residents can breathe easier now that nominations for Town Alderman and Assistant Town Alderman have been confirmed by the Senate.
Today’s Senate Agenda features one ‘must pass before the break’ bill: HB 49 (Osienski), which:
“provides post-pandemic related relief to both claimants receiving unemployment benefits and employers who are assessed unemployment taxes. This bill 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.”
The bill has already passed the House unanimously.
SB 27 (Sturgeon) is the other featured bill. It:
“increases the statute of limitations for filing an action for recovery upon a claim for unpaid wages from 1 year to 2 years, making it consistent with the statute of limitations under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 201, et seq. Many employees who are terminated spend the first period of unemployment attempting to secure other employment. After this focus on finding employment ends, 1 year may have passed or be about to pass, preventing employees who are owed wages from a previous employer from seeking legal redress.”
Good bill. How many Rethugs will vote against it? All six? BTW, this Eric Buckson is trying to affect the manner of Jimmy Stewart in “Mr. Smith Goes To Washington”. You should’ve heard his ‘aw, shucks, I’m just the new guy here, just askin’ common sense questions’ demeanor he adopted for the Senate debate on SB 35. Not sure how long it’ll be until the eye-rolling begins. If it hasn’t already.
The two key ‘must pass’ bills on the House Agenda are SB 29 and SB 35. SB 35 is the Mini-Bond Bill that includes unwarranted giveaways and exemptions from state laws. It also includes the Community Workforce Agreements that ran into R opposition in the Senate. It remains to be seen if we’ll see an encore in the House. Gotta say, it’s more than a bad look for D’s when a significant number of Latino employers and workers show up in Leg Hall to oppose the bill. I halfheartedly support SB 29, which tries to gives voice to state retirees and public employee unions when it comes to state retiree benefits. At least we’ll maybe see some results fairly quickly.
Gov. Carney will release his proposed budget today, which will be the starting point for JFC deliberations starting next week.
With that, I’m back into legislative hibernation for the next six weeks. Don’t wake me up.
Not just Hispanic small business owners and workers.
The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce was also down in Leg Hall yesterday lobbying against the CWA and the Union mandates that make up SB 35.
They issued a public statement that went out to all legislators.
The statement referenced above:
The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC) and its membership supports Senate Amendment No. 1 to Senate Bill No. 35 for the following reasons:
1. The project labor requirements proposed in SB 35 limit black and minority owned contractors’ ability to participate and compete for state projects.
2. All Community Workforce Projects should be inclusive of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) requirements not just select projects.
3. A unified approach, incorporating all enterprises (DBE and otherwise), ensures that a level playing field exists for all Delaware businesses and their employees.
On the following page is a letter from our membership which further explains our concerns and kindly requests your support for Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 35
The Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce (DEBCC) and its membership opposes the project labor requirements from the Office of Management and Budget and Department of Transportation pilot projects proposed in sections 15 and 16 of Senate Bill 35.
Amending Senate Bill 35 as proposed by Senate Amendment 1, will create a level playing field for all Delawareans, especially black and minority owned businesses. Statements like those on lines 144 through 145 such as “There will be two different approaches: 1) Community Workforce projects and 2) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)” does NOT create a level playing field for all. It divides DBEs and organized labor, in which many black and minority owned contractors do not participate. In fact, approximately 80% of the construction in Delaware is completed by non-organized labor. So, why does this bill prioritize CWAs, limit the number of DBEs to certain projects, and grant state contracts to out of state workers while Delaware blacks and minorities are left on the sidelines?
There should be one unified approach whereas ALL Community Workforce Projects should be inclusive of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) requirements. A unified approach, incorporating all enterprises (DBE and otherwise), ensures that a level playing field exists for all businesses and their employees.
The DEBCC advocates for a level playing field for all businesses and their employees, while recognizing that racial disparities need to be addressed, and equitable economic opportunities for minority businesses need to be enhanced.
When equal opportunities for ALL Delaware contractors exist, we will truly realize a Delaware business economy that is equitable, improved, and works for all Delawareans.
Yes, in fact, there are conservative blacks and hispanics who are just as willing to fuck over their workers as their white counterparts. who would have thought??
Shh. Don’t bring up class solidarity when they’re trying to separate us by race.
Why must Laurel residents receive Senate permission to move forward with alderman and assistant alderman positions?
Good question. But I think the nominations come from the Governor.
That’s all I’ve got.
Laurel? I thought it was pronounced “Yanny.”
The Alderman positions are the equivalent of Justice of the Peace judges and they are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, the same as all other Judges. I think they are limited to the towns of Laurel, Newark, Bethany Beach and possibly Rehoboth.