The Big Story: Can Matt Meyer And Bryan Townsend Smoke A Peace Pipe (preferably filled with homegrown Delaware herb)?
They’re gonna have to. Looks like Meyer will have a pretty significant agenda, including items that he and Townsend have in common. Including the fact that both of them hate the Carney pension giveaway to retired legislators. At least, I think they do. I also have to think that cooler heads (than Townsend’s) will prevail over BHL’s attempt to stack the Diamond State Port Board with her cronies.
Would’ve been nice if we’d had more legislative push-back against Delaware’s Worst Governor instead of some legislators immediately setting land mines for his successor.
Which reminds me–we’ll probably get Gov. Meyer’s budget proposal this week, which renders the one submitted by Carney obsolete. Joint Finance hearings on that proposal will begin next week.
Here is today’s House Agenda. You will note that HB 6 (Osienski), which was scheduled but which wasn’t worked on last Thursday’s Agenda, is the lead item. It’s a good bill, and, no, I don’t know why it wasn’t worked on Thursday. Perhaps it needs an amendment.
The Senate Agenda features what is known as the ‘Mini Bond Bill’ (Walsh). This generally doesn’t allocate new money for projects, but rather moves money in the current Bond Bill to address items that might have become priorities, with money being transferred from projects that perhaps aren’t ready to be done. A mini Bond Bill is generally introduced and acted upon each January. Yes, that’s an over-simplification, but simple is as simple does. It will pass both Houses before Thursday’s recess for the JFC.
Here’s a look at Tuesday’s House committee meetings. A particularly notable–and questionable–bill will be considered in the House Veterans Affairs Committee. HB 1 (Carson):
…establishes a new state-level Department of Veterans Affairs led by a cabinet-level Secretary to advocate for and administer programs relating to veterans in the State of Delaware. It is the intent of this legislation that current staff of the Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs and the Office of Veterans Affairs will continue their work, but as part of the new Department of Veterans Affairs, with the potential for expanded staff and duties in accordance with annual appropriations. Employees of the Department in supervisory positions are required to be veterans.
The question I have is whether creating this new bureaucracy will improve services to Delaware’s veterans, or will it just be adding a few more deck chairs onto the Titanic. The projected added costs for the new Department aren’t prohibitive. When fully implemented, we’re looking at between an additional $850K and $900K annually. I also question whether the requirement that all supervisory personnel must be veterans violates state hiring policy. I’m willing to give the bill a hearing, but my default, per usual, is skeptical.
The Corrections Committee will also meet. Worth noting due to the odd couple chair and vice-chair: Larry Lambert (Chair)/Franklin Cooke (Vice Chair). AKA Sublime/Ridiculous.
The Senate Executive Committee meets today to consider its third group of gubernatorial nominees. The Executive Committee has scheduled two more hearing dates for Wednesday and Thursday. The Wednesday hearing will also consider nominations along with one bill. The Thursday meeting is listed as a ‘placeholder’ for any other nominations that might come down the pike. Hopefully not for BHL’s Diamond State Port nominations.
Lotsa committee meetings tomorrow. Hopefully, with a soupcon of controversy mixed in.