General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, June 28, 2023
The Headline: EVERYTHING FALLS APART IN HOUSE.
We (well, I) first noted the marathon break between the recess for Caucus and the time the House eventually went back into session (3:15 to 7:45) last evening. We (well, I) noted that the House site changed the scheduled hours of session 4 times during the course of the day and evening. Well, guess what? Despite only doing a minimum of work yesterday, the House Of Representatives is taking today off. Leadership has told legislators not even to come to Dover. Joke all you want, but this is a power play by Speaker Pete and his minions. Plus there’s a shitload of stuff that needs to get done.
And, yes, Seaford, of all things, figures into it. Pete really wants this bill, who knows why, except–it can’t be principles b/c Pete is as unprincipled as they come. Has INVISTA, the current owner of what used to be the Seaford nylon plant, offered him their Head Of Security gig? Remember, kids, the Town of Seaford has not requested that corporations be allowed to vote in municipal elections, three people, two Council members and the Mayor (who cast the tie-breaking vote after a 2-2 deadlock on Council), have made that request.
Oh, and now House leadership is floating the possibility (likelihood?) that Rethug legislators will vote en masse against the Bond Bill because they’ve chosen the Seaford Charter Change as the hill they want to die on. Really now? Time for a Senate staffer (since Pete ‘n Val have run off most of the good House staffers) to make a list of all of the projects that won’t get done in Rethug districts because of this.
Did I mention that Democratic House members have good reason to mistrust Speaker Pete? Remember when he cut a deal with then-Sen. Greg Lavelle to bypass his own caucus in fiscal deliberations? It happened. He sold out his own fucking Caucus. He can’t really do it again because the Senate D’s won’t have it. Bottom line: The House is now at a standstill b/c Speaker Pete is having a moment. Oh, and because there are more than a handful of duplicitous D’s willing to back him no matter what. At least Pete can share his down-time with his Beloved Disgraced Auditor. Both are as dirty as they come. That’s right, the Speaker of the House is dirty. Those who enable him have dirt on their hands.
Which brings me to the Senate. I doubt that they’ll sit idly by here. If I’m them, any and every bill that Schwartzkopf and Longhurst want gets tabled until they re-engage.
The Senate, at least, was productive yesterday. Even the House passed a few decent bills, with Rethugs going no or not voting on several of them. Personal to prospective opponents of Mike Ramone and Michael Smith: You can each do hit pieces on these two based on yesterday’s votes alone. Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. The Senate passed several key environmental bills, including HB 99, HB 12, HB 11, and HB 10. Also, the polystyrene ban.
Today’s Big Question: What happens to the Bond Bill in the Senate? It’s first on the Agenda, and it requires a 3/4ths majority. Even though two Senate R’s are on the Bond Committee and are co-sponsors (Wilson and Richardson), they could likely vote no and sink the bill for now. If so, I think it’s up to the Senate D’s to smoke out why they’re voting no. Get them on record as willing to trade their support only for a blatantly undemocratic bill.
What the legislative R’s in both chambers and the House D leadership is doing is nothing short of an absolute disgrace. Time to eliminate all niceties: Call them out on it and demand that they act like reputable elected officials. Who knows? Maybe the Governor can roust himself from his torpor to try to do something.
I think you hit the nail on the head. It has happened before. Our new progressive Dems need to stand strong and call it out.
To paraphrase Henry the second: Will no one rid me of this speaker Pete? Nope, Delaware politics and institutions fail every bit as well as the federal government. So many ways to gum up the works, to play endless games and make a mockery of democracy and the will of the people. Come on everyone! Join me in song!: My Beloved Delaware…. Come on…. This time with feeling!
Pete has made that Caucus dysfunctional on purpose. His machinations have guaranteed that virtually nobody there can trust anybody else there.
It’s how he holds onto power. Yes, we have our progressive bloc. Adding to it is the only way to put an end to this.
When you look at the diametric opposite approaches that the Senate and House take towards running their respective chambers, you quickly see why the House D’s are splintering apart.
What’s funny is HOW MANY PEOPLE in (and out) of Leg Hall blew the whistle on what happened yesterday. We once had a friend who skipped out while owing us money who then reappeared several months later after getting arrested for a jewelry heist. The quote from the arresting officer, which became a title of a mix-tape (it would’ve been hilarious even it we hadn’t been stoned out of our gills while making it) and suits what happened last night?
“Fifty witnesses can’t be wrong.”
Shady Pete is a disgrace to the word honorable. He needs to be let go from leadership.
This is exactly what happens when you are in power too long. A go fund me account should have been established long ago on Pete the Pirate to be primaried. This dude stopped the Inspector General Bill because he hates John Kowalko. Pete has never seen a belt low enough to hit below. Delaware can do better by dumping Pete and his entire gang of political gangsters NOW. Delaware’s PUTIN.
House is in tomorrow. Taking off today still smells like Pete’s trash after a crab feast!
Right. When you’re retired, all the days seem the same…I’ll change it.
This is exactly the same playbook that wannabee dictator Schwartzkopf has used in the past to support his Republican neanderthals down south. You’ll recall that a few years ago he forced a vote on the Ramone evisceration of the minimum wage bill (training wage/underage wage/lifeguard savings) with the same threat that they, the R’s, wouldn’t vote for the Bond bill if we didn’t give them that destroyer of the minimum wage bill. I pointed out in caucus the very real fact that the Bond measure contains about 3x the money earmarked for southern Delaware as opposed to Northern Delaware. But Pete refused to call their bluff and despite some votes against, the Ramone measure passed. This is atypical behavior for this fascist piece of shit who is voted in year after year as leader of the democrat caucus. He deliberately betrays the public interests and deliberately chooses to weaken the electoral process. He is an evil that must be excised from the Democrat party and any progressive who succumbs to this blackmail tactic should be ashamed of themselves. Hopefully they’ll stand tall and deny this extortionist his willingness to harm the public interest.
Former Rep. John Kowalko
P.S. This is exactly why caucuses should be open to the public. No more arm twisting, deal-making, blackmailing and rewards given in secret to betray the public.
The Bond Bill passes unanimously in the Senate. One less card for Pete to play.
And Val is all teed up to continue Pete’s leadership style.
Will anyone stand up to oppose Speaker Val aka Pete 2.0?
Doubt it.
Remember–the Speaker is elected by the entire House. We know that Val didn’t have the votes to be Speaker before. I doubt that she has them now. If Pete steps down as promised, there’s no telling how that battle will shape up.
BTW, Seaford is #1 With A Cop’s Bullet on tomorrow’s House Agenda.
If it passes, we’ll know who kissed Pete’s not insubstantial ass to get it done.
How does a representative from the reddest county in Delaware end up as Speaker. He is the only democrat in the House from Sussex county.
I don’t think most people in the State would know who he was if they saw him on the street.
It is unbelievable!
He formed an alliance with Val Longhurst, and they have governed through fear for 12 years now. They created a poisonous atmosphere and punished anyone who dared to challenge them.
Retribution is close at hand. I think it will ultimately be delicious.
Hawkeye’s cataract is acting up again. There are now two Sussex Dems in the House.
True. But the point still stands. I think the answer is that neither Pete nor Val were strong enough on their own to browbeat the caucus into submission. They needed each other. The synergy of two sociopaths.
Other than Pete and Stell, pretty sure the only other ‘Democrat’ to serve in the House during the current regime was Pete’s personal groupie, John Atkins, who was hardly a Democrat. But he loved himself some cops and some soft-core lingerie models.
Look for more psychobabble from me on Thursday’s legislative wrap-up. Been thinking about this a lot–which is not a healthy thing.
The other thing is that Pete is basically a Republican, so the GOP supports him as Speaker.