General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, June 15, 2023
In a rare crossover with the Open Thread, we can report that the Green Amendment cleared the House Administration Committee yesterday, and was immediately opposed by Delaware’s Secretary Of Agriculture Michael Scuse. When a Cabinet official opposes a bill, especially one from Carney’s select Band Of Team Players, it is not much of a reach to assume that the Governor wants the bill killed. Of course, that wouldn’t be fair. Someone, perhaps a reporter if one still exists down there, should ask him. Scuse’s opposition is chickenshit. Literally and figuratively:
He has received the Medal of Achievement from the Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
I want a roll call.
Here’s yesterday’s Session Activity Report. The Renters’ Right To Counsel bill as amended received final approval in the Senate and heads to the Governor for his signature.
Today’s Senate Agenda features these bills that we have previously discussed favorably: SB 173 (Paradee), SB 152 (Mantzavinos), SB 167 (Pinkney), and SB 175 (Townsend). For some strange reason, I feel that the preceding sentence requires an Oxford Comma, but I don’t really no why. Can someone help me out of my commatose state? But, I digress. My Wife The Pharmacist tells me that SB 165 (Poore) is a good bill. As long as she plies me with drugs, I have to agree.
Which leaves me with SB 154 (Pettyjohn). For the first time that I can recall, this bill ‘unsunsets’ an agency or, perhaps more accurately, a program that the General Assembly had abolished. Abolished recently, in this case. The agency, or program, in question is the Focus On Alternative Skills Training Program. The program purportedly ‘provides tuition for an eligible individual to attend an approved non-degree credit certificate program that provides industry-accepted skill training and certification.’ Like plumbing or electrical work. Up to $9K a year. Sounds fine to me. So, why was the program terminated? There had to be a reason. The Fiscal Note is, well, weird:
Fiscal Year 2024: $78,354 – $1,000,000 (Maximum)
Fiscal Year 2025: $79,801 – $1,000,000 (Maximum)
Fiscal Year 2026: $81,277 – $1,000,000 (Maximum)
Well, that’s quite the range, said Captain Obvious. Can someone tell me what’s going on here?
Here’s today’s House Agenda. I’ll be looking to see who votes against HS 2/HB 142 (Morrison), which:
…precludes the so-called LGBTQ+ “panic” defense that seeks to partially or completely excuse or justify a defendant from full accountability for the commission of a crime on the grounds that the actual or perceived sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, or sex assigned at birth of the victim is sufficient to explain, excuse, or justify the defendant’s conduct, or contributes to or causes the defendant’s mental state, or that the defendant’s reaction thereto constitutes a mental illness, mental defect, or mental disorder sufficient to excuse or justify the defendant’s conduct (including under circumstances in which the victim made a nonviolent romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant or in which the defendant and the victim dated or had a romantic or sexual relationship)…
There is one absolutely terrible bill on the Agenda, and I urge you to contact your State Reps to ask them to vote no. It’s HB 215 (Bolden), which ‘moves the date of primary elections for statewide office, county office, and municipal office to the fourth Tuesday in April, which is the date of the presidential primary (in presidential election years)’. Pro-incumbency, anti-insurgency, and anti-democratic. Unless global warming gets so bad that the ideal time to knock doors will be from December to March. Why Dave Sokola and Bryan Townsend are on this bill is beyond me, but it doesn’t reflect well on them.
Oh, the Maypole Dance? It’s on the Consent Agenda. Couldn’t they, you know, just make it the official dance for Hockessin octogenarians or something?
Years ago, Maypole Dance was a big deal at Tatnall School. When I first heard of the legislation I thought not of Claire DeMatteis’s mom but of whether this was somehow the result of a civics project for Tatnall fourth graders.
Anyhow, I’d vote for the Maypole Dance bill in exchange for killing Shupe’s more cops in schools bill.
Ramone’s children did go to Tatnall…the Maypole community reach is endless..
It’s still a big deal at Tatnall. The tradition goes back to the 1930s. It always struck me as being a bit “Wicker Man.”
Nothing sums up the Carney Administration’s philosophy more than it making protecting chicken shit a higher priority than protecting people’s lives and our environment. I almost wish he could run again just so he could be primaried on this issue alone. Unfortunatley protecting polluters at either end of the state has gone on far too long. I am not saying anything new there. But, this amendment does show the importance of electing younger, progressive Democrats who aren’t afraid of challening the status quo. Of course, prioritizing people over pollution (and poop) shouldn’t be controversial, but we’re way past that.
Chapter 211, Volume 83 of the Laws of Delaware is an act that established the Focus on Alternative Skills Training Program (FAST) in 2021. The act had a sunset clause that would expire the program two years after its enactment, unless terminated or extended by the General Assembly2. However, the sunset clause was repealed by Senate Bill 154 in 2023, which made the program permanent31. The bill was introduced on June 1, 2023 and reported out of committee on June 14, 20231. The bill is currently on the ready list for consideration by the Senate1.
Got it. So the program would sunset unless it gets continued b/c the original bill has a sunset date. Seems like a decent program. It’s actually on today’s Senate Agenda.
Appreciate the heads-up!
All for the Maypole Dance, and hate the featherbedding game of Cops In School. Like it mattered at Uvalde, like it mattered at Columbine, it’s a jobs bill for fat old cops who have no intention of doing anything dangerous.
hmmm, the fiscal note’s minimum is probably a no show job for a politician getting ready to retire and that is the directors salary
Wonder if it pays more than that Deputy Elections Director position he thought he’d get…
Looks like the General Assembly might well double-down on incumbency protection. The House unanimously approved moving the primary to April.
If the Senate follows, better stock up on winter garb to do your door-to-door.
I guess I’m unclear on why this is bad. Doesn’t it give more people the opportunity to vote? More election dates = fewer overall participants and only the hardcore activists showing up. Or maybe I’m being reductive. I want to be convinced as to why I’m wrong about this.
Insurgent candidates have it difficult enough already.
Were the date to move, they’d have to campaign during the winter. Worse weather, fewer hours of daylight. It would also force insurgent candidates to get in much earlier. I see no advantage, and plenty of disadvantages, for challengers.
At most, you have presidential primaries every four years. And there’s often only one primary when there’s an incumbent. Plus, the turnout in presidential primaries is pitiful.
The only ‘problem’ this change ‘solves’ is to make it more difficult for challengers who primary incumbents.
Presidential primary turnout is usually more than double what turnout is in state/local primaries in Delaware. Maybe if I were king I’d keep the midterm primaries in September, but I think this is a good/democratizing move overall.
How will insurgent campaigns overcome the difficulty in meeting voters? It’s not like we’re a media center where we can (or should) use TV or the web. We’ve always been a state where voters expect to meet the candidates.
Maybe I’m biased as a young guy with too much body hair for a guy so young, but I’d take a 50 degree canvas in March or April over a 95 degrees and humid one in July or August. Did a couple of those in the Middletown part of the 27th in neighborhoods with sparse housing and even sparser tree cover last year and it was pretty miserable.
Memo to self: Grow more body hair.
I asked you b/c I KNOW you walk the walk. I have loads of respect for people who walk the walk.
I see. Okay, yes, that makes sense. I guess I’m being overly optimistic or Pollyanna-ish when I say I want more people voting and fewer days so it’ll be easier to do that, because I’ve never really been involved in the campaigning or fund-raising side that goes on for months before that. It does look like an inherent protection for those already on office now that you explained it a little more.
Winter ain’t what it used to be.
No no no no to an earlier primary. As a long time poll worker voters are confused enough already. First, they are really used to the seasonal rhythm of the way it is. Second, for the few that know there is a primary, they may still not know who is running. We had R’s at Claymont Community Center outraged and astonished b/c they could not vote. (No Republican contests.) Vehemently oppose this idea.
It’s a flat out incumbent protection plan. I’ve opposed and voted against this abuse of privilege every time it came up. Try being a little known person knocking on doors during the day (daylight) to spread your issue message when everybody’s at work. Try going out in 25-30 degree weather to spread your message while that lazy-ass incumbent is sitting in Dover getting his/her picture taken for the newspaper because he/she passed a special license plate bill for Left-Handed Goat-herders. Good luck newbies, the nesting trolls in Leg Hall got your backs. They’ll mark them with those lobbyist issued gift knives. Finally turning me on to term limits.
Former Rep. John Kowalko
2015: Co-sponsor of Senate bill to move primary – https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=24798
2017: Co-sponsor and voted in favor of moving primary – https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=25513
Not questioning where you are on this issue now, but you clearly didn’t feel strongly enough to oppose this idea a few years earlier. The records bear that out.
The 2015 bill was just for same-day registration.
You’re 100% right. My apologies.
The 2015 bill was voter registration (same day) not primary
I had my name removed as a sponsor for the 2017 bill when I realized how it would disaffect challengers and the State site does not always record/reflect that request.
John Kowalko
In all fairness to you, I have been known to occasionally change my opinion on legislation after certain concerns have been raised. Case in point is the Bloom Bill which I have regretted and publicly apologized for on countless occasions. I tried to offer corrective action on that matter as Chair of the House Energy committee but as soon as Pete became aware of that I was removed as Chair. Let me reiterate that I have not always been correct but I try to be inquisitive and open-minded to other views and perspectives.
John Kowalko
John, isn’t this also going to lock incumbents in Dover for at least 3 of 7 days a week?
Not really when you consider that the General Assembly is out for the entire month of Feb. for Joint Finance Committee, plus whenever the Easter break is.
Got it. So the trick is to primary all the JFC members who are forced to sit in the hearings.
Let’s see…Lumpy Carson, Stephanie Bolden, Darius Brown…hadn’t thought about it.
Al-THOUGH, some members don’t bother to show up much of the time. Dennis P. Williams is/was one of those people.
I’d see him in Trader Joe’s, ask him why he wasn’t in Dover for JFC, and he’d tell me, ‘I ain’t got time for that bullshit’.