Spotlight Delaware has today’s Big Story–aka Bethany Hall Long proves herself to be a political hack to the very end. I had seen the nominations to the Wilmington Port Corporation Board a couple of days ago, just assumed that Matt Meyer had made them–although I couldn’t believe he’d let Jeff Bullock anywhere near the site of his many screw-ups. Turns out it wasn’t Meyer after all:
On Monday, one day before Meyer’s inauguration, then-Gov. Bethany Hall-Long nominated a slate of five new members to the Port Corporation’s board. The nominees include Bullock, three prominent labor leaders – James Ascione, William Ashe and Curtis Linton – and the former chair of the Board of Pilot Commissioners, Robert Medd.
It was a surprise move that was roundly perceived as a political repudiation of Meyer, who just four months earlier had defeated Hall-Long to become the Democrats’ candidate for governor following a bitter primary election campaign.
Hall-Long was able to serve for two weeks as governor in January after former-Gov. John Carney resigned early to become mayor of Wilmington. As the state’s lieutenant governor at the time of the resignation, Hall-Long succeeded Carney.
Hall-Long, through her staff, did not respond to requests to comment for this story.
When asked about the nominations Tuesday, Meyer said he plans to withdraw the names from consideration. He subsequently sent a letter to Delaware lawmakers asserting that the names had been withdrawn.
I can confirm that none of these nominees ever made it on to a list of those to be considered by the Senate Executive Committee. However, as the article makes clear, it is unsettled as to whether Meyer can legally withdraw the nominations. What is clear is that all this was orchestrated ahead of time and designed to exclude Meyer from the process. Un-fucking-real.
The article also lays out a long-simmering feud between Meyer and Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend:
During the previous week, two Delaware Democrats took steps that appear to limit the new governor’s ability to shape the board of the Diamond State Port Corporation, the state entity responsible for overseeing operations at the publicly owned, privately run port.
The first occurred on Jan. 15 when Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend sponsored a bill that would, in part, strip Meyer of the authority to nominate a chairperson for the Port Corporation’s board.
If lawmakers pass the bill and can override a possible veto, the powerful chairperson position – held for years by former-Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock – will instead be decided by the Port Corporation’s own board members.
Asked last week why he sponsored the bill, Townsend said via text message that the state’s Port Corporation should be governed more like private companies that allow boards of directors to choose their own chairpersons. He also stressed that the bill not only removes Meyer’s ability to nominate a chair, but also the Senate’s ability to confirm the choice.
No way the timing of this was coincidental. Meyer and Townsend are gonna have to reach some sort of rapprochement going forward. I think the perfect intermediary is the new Lt. Governor. (You’re welcome, Kyle.)
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. The two notable bills I discussed yesterday each got the fates I think they deserved. HB 6 (Osienski), which authorizes The State Auditor to issue subpoenas directly, cleared committee and is in fact on today’s House Agenda. HB 32 (Shupe), which would provide a $24 mill sop to in-school cops, failed to clear the House Education Committee. To quote from the record: ‘Motion to Release Failed’. Good.
HB 6 is the only notable bill on today’s House Agenda.
Only one item on today’s Senate Agenda. It is not clear whether any nominations will be considered as the Senate Agenda usually references nominations from the Executive Committee on the Agenda, and there is no such designation as of yet.
Well, less than a week in, and we’ve got a full-blown battle over the Port Of Wilmington on our hands. Not an ideal start for either the new Governor or for the General Assembly. BHL can now skulk back to her golf course enclave, secure in knowing that she’s thrown sand into the works. She didn’t act alone.