Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, March 25, 2024

Today’s Big Story is the introduction of a package of bills seeking to make affordable housing more available to those who need it.  The prime sponsor of all seven bills is Sen. Russ Huxtable, who…:

…is a leader in affordable housing and community development in Delaware and in the coastal community. For the last 18+ years he has worked for a nonprofit that is dedicated to developing affordable housing in Sussex County, and the entire state of Delaware. His organization helps families achieve their American Dream of homeownership, develops and preserves affordable rental opportunities, and provides home repairs to lower income families. He is a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing who is called upon to serve on boards and advisory committees and to speak at local and national housing conferences. He is a past member on the Governors Council on Housing and has recently completed his third term with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council.

Huxtable is one of several relative newcomers to the General Assembly who bring with them genuine expertise in important public policy areas, and are crafting legislation reflecting their expertise.  This is not only exceedingly valuable to the public policy direction of the state and the well-being of the citizenry, but it also fills a vacuum of leadership that used to be the purview of the Governor prior to Carney’s Administration About Nothing. 

I’m pretty sure that Jack Markell lamented to one of our blog stalwarts that there were too few legislative initiatives that stemmed from the legislators themselves during his term as governor.  It was a ‘governor proposes, legislature disposes’ mentality back then. There has been a sea change in recent years, and I think we’re all the better for it.  Legislators legislating–who’d a-thunk it?

Here are the bills in the package: SB 22; SB 23; SB 25; SB 244; SB 245; SB 246; and SB 247. All of them are scheduled to be considered in a Wednesday meeting of the Senate Housing & Land Use Committee.

Today’s Senate Agenda features SB 223 (Walsh), which seeks ‘to integrate mobile-integrated healthcare and community paramedicine into existing regulatory structures in this State’.  A lot of work went into this bill.  I may listen to the floor discussion if I get the chance.  There’s also a bill to restore javelin to high school track and field.  Apropos of nothing, you might want to surf for some of those American Motors’ commercials for its Javelin brand from the late ’60’s.  OK, I’ll spot you one:

You don’t get these kinds of detours in any other Delaware General Assembly roundup.  But, I digress.

All of this week’s Senate committee meetings take place tomorrow, at which point I’ll provide excruciating analysis.

I suppose that HB 299 (Romer) is the highlight on an otherwise nondescript House Agenda.  The bill ‘ adds “public libraries” to the definition of “place of public accommodation” for purposes of Delaware’s Equal Accommodations Law.’  Good, and like some library books, overdue.

We have some House committee meetings today (yay!).  Let’s see what interests me:

HS2/HB 13 (Phillips):

..requires the Director of the Sustainable Energy Utility to administer a program to provide financial assistance to Delaware residents for the cost of purchase and installation of electric vehicle supply equipment. For a low-income applicant (meaning up to 300% of the federal poverty level for household income), financial assistance covering up to 90% of the purchase and installation costs may be covered. For all other applicants the program may offer assistance to cover up to 50% of the costs.

We got a two-fer here–a bill dealing with EV’s that helps low-income people.  I love it because of the people who will hate it.  Natural Resources & Energy.

HS1/HB 253 (K. Williams) ‘requires health insurance companies, including State employee/retiree health plans and Medicaid, to cover annual mammograms for the purpose of early detection for a woman 40 years of age or older, with or without referral from the woman’s health care provider.’  House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce.

HB 355 (Osienski):

…provides legal protections for financial institutions and other entities that provide financial or accounting services to cannabis-related businesses that are licensed or registered under Delaware law. Specifically, it clarifies that banks, credit unions, armored car services, and providers of accounting services are not subject to prosecution under Delaware law merely by providing lawful services to licensed businesses engaged in the production, distribution and sale of cannabis in Delaware. This Act aims to facilitate the operation of cannabis-related businesses by helping to ensure that such businesses have access to necessary financial and accounting services.  House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce.

HB 313 (Neal) ‘ensures that all female inmates in DDOC custody, at level IV or V, receive annual or biennial screening mammograms as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force.’ Corrections.

Not a bad start to the legislative work week.