What Does The Chamber Want?
Don’t worry, the answer is much clearer than Dr. Freud’s query about women.
It would be an oversimplification to say that the Chamber wants the bad stuff, and wants to kill the good stuff. But not by much:
When the General Assembly returns, there will be 13 legislative days remaining, and there are many bills they’re still working through. Here’s an overview of the bills the State Chamber is following and their status:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- HB101 (Expedited Review of Permit Applications) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee. State Chamber Position: Support
- HB102 (Entrance Permits) – Status: Awaiting Governor’s signature. State Chamber Position: Support
- HB103 (Traffic Impacts) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee. State Chamber Position: Support
- HB104 (PLUS) – Status: On Senate Ready List. State Chamber Position: Support
ENVIRONMENTAL
- SB7 (State Energy Office) – Status: Awaiting consideration in Senate Finance Committee. State Chamber Position: Under Review
- SB51 (Polystyrene) – Status: On House Ready List. State Chamber Position: Opposed
- SS1 for SB103 (EV Charging Infrastructure for Residential Dwellings) – Status: Passed the Senate and now moves to House for consideration.State Chamber Position: Under Review
- HB 8 (Clean Construction Preferences) – Status: On House Ready List.State Chamber Position: Under Review
- HB11 (Solar Infrastructure) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Natural Resources & Energy Committee.State Chamber Position: Under Review
- HB98 (Notice Requirements for DNREC Permits) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Natural Resources & Energy Committee. State Chamber Position: Opposed
- HB99(Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act) – Status: On House Ready List.State Chamber Position: Working with stakeholders on a friendly amendment (pending), which is to be introduced by the sponsor.
- HB171 (Title V Fees) – Status: Assigned to House Natural Resources & Energy Committee.State Chamber Position: Support
TAX
- SS2 for SB72 (Tax Deduction based on Membership Status) – Status: Passed the Senate and now moves to House for consideration.State Chamber Position: Oppose
- HB36 (Realty Transfer Tax) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Appropriations. State Chamber Position: Support
- HB89 (Increase in the Standard Deduction) – Status: On Senate Ready List. State Chamber Position: Support
- HB128 (Change in Personal Income Tax Brackets) – Status: On House Ready List.State Chamber Position: Oppose
CHILD CARE
- SB58 (Removal of Copay Requirements for Delaware Families In Need) – Status: Awaiting consideration in Senate Finance Committee.State Chamber Position: Support
- SB59 (Statewide Rate of Purchase of Care for Childcare Providers) – Status: Awaiting consideration in Senate Finance Committee.State Chamber Position: Support
DATA PRIVACY & TECHNOLOGY
- HB41 (Digital Right to Repair) – Status: On House Ready List. State Chamber Position: Under Review
- HB154 (Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Appropriations. State Chamber Position: Opposed and seeking amendments
OTHER BILLS
- SB43 (Display of Human Trafficking Signs) – Status: Awaiting consideration in Senate Finance. State Chamber Position: Opposed
- SB81 (Punitive Damages in Wrongful Death Actions) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Judiciary Committee.State Chamber Position: Under Review
- SS1 to SB102 (Prevailing Wage) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Labor Committee.State Chamber Position: Opposed
- HS1 for HB55 (Homeless Individuals Rights) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Judiciary Committee. State Chamber Position: Under Review
- HB127 (County Fire Protection Fees) – Status: On House Ready List. State Chamber Position: Opposed
- HB175 (Accessible Parking Spaces) – Status: Awaiting consideration in House Health & Human Development Committee. State Chamber Position: Under Review
While most of this surprises nobody, my Spidey Sense was triggered when I saw this one:
- HB99(Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act) – Status: On House Ready List.State Chamber Position: Working with stakeholders on a friendly amendment (pending), which is to be introduced by the sponsor.
We all know that Rep. Heffernan’s commitment to the environmental cause has been malleable at best and, during the previous session, dismissive. We know that Bobby Byrd is her money-man, and that he has more Chamber clients than anybody. I know that I needn’t point out that a ‘friendly amendment’ is, in this case, an amendment that is friendly to the Chamber. We know that the so-called ‘stakeholders’ do not include environmentalists.
So, Rep. Heffernan, if you sell out those who are deeply concerned about environmental justice and climate change, you will be called out on it. Put the bill on the floor, and allow it to be voted up or down on its merits. That way, even were it to fail, everybody would know which legislators place the Chamber’s influence above the rights of Delaware citizens to breathe clean air and to drink clean water. That way, we can hold them accountable.
We’ll be watching.
Also check out HB 154 above, the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act. As you can see, the Chamber is looking to work its malevolent magic on that one as well.
A million blessings for doing this work, El Som.
Now to read it all.
By the way, I recently found a Round the Horn / Delaware news site that aggregates local blog items.
I get it as a FeedSpot listing in my gmail inbox but it is publicly available as a paid subscription service. My meager DE Way blog offerings stand there with you and big Blue.
https://www.feedspot.com
Read the Top 15 Delaware Politics Blogs in one place on FeedSpot.
Thanks, but it was mostly a cut-and-paste, one of the few skills I’ve mastered…
No diminishing the value of organizing this in one place and pointing it out.
Doubt Manchin will attempt a third party run, the same for the numerous other hyper inflated egos. Unless the money is “right”, and it’s not as nobody really wants them. But what do the almighty Delaware State Police want? Other then the recriminalizing of marijuana and a Fascist state that allows for running over protestors. Sad that we live at the mercy of these groups, sadder still that the old Delaware electorate never gets it. Hate to say it but New York and New Jersey transplants to the rescue, they tend to be Dems, real ones and not the pathetic local variety. And no, they will not vote for Coons.
No way! Jersey and NY dems aren’t any more “real” than your typical Delaware dems. You might find them a bit more socially liberal, but by and large they are wealthier and whiter, and are retiring to Delaware to preserve their wealth. Don’t think they will vote against their own interests.
He lives downstate. Everything is relative.
I think a lot of the people moving here from northern states are retirees, and “preserving their wealth” translates to “nursing their nest egg and hoping it holds out.”
Maybe, I don’t see a whole lot of working class people from Long Island and North Jersey buying up those beach homes in Suxco. I’m hesitant to believe that demographic is much different from the pike creek crowd.
Most of the retirees aren’t moving into beach homes in Suxco. There’s lots of them moving into townhouses in Smyrna, too.
Lots of townhouses in Pike Creek, too.
Spot On, Bamboozer!
Look at the 6th Senate seat, more of the real Dems have moved in. And fewer of the Dems who didn’t get the 1965 memo. At least in the 14th RD. The 20th RD still needs a few more New York and New Jersey transplants.
I don’t think it’s the Delaware electorate. We’ve got a progressive Senate, and we’re almost at the tipping point in the House. Just a couple more progressives taking the place of the neanderthals, and we’re there.
I promise you that there will be enough quality candidates to make it happen. Then, it’ll be up to us to get them elected.
They support human trafficking? Wow.
In fairness, the law already requires that signs be posted pretty much everywhere you’d think such signs should be posted.
This one strikes me as overkill.
101 and 103 are written by builders. Gross