The Big Story: State Senate Prepares To Disgrace Itself. Man, I was wrong, didn’t think it would come to this:
The Delaware State Senate is going through with hearing Bethany Hall-Long’s appointments to the Diamond State Port Corporation Board despite Gov. Matt Meyer’s request to dismiss them.
During her two-week stint as governor, Hall-Long nominated former Secretary of State Jeff Bullock — who served as the board’s chair for years as a part of his cabinet position — on Jan. 20, one day before Meyer’s inauguration.
She also nominated three local labor leaders, William Ashe, Curtis Linton and Jame Ascione and Robert Medd, a former chair of the Delaware Board of Pilot Commissioners.
The board manages and operates the Port of Wilmington and also heads the development of the Delaware Container Terminal at Edgemoor, a project that has been halted due to legal permitting challenges.
Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola (D-Newark) responded with another letter, saying Meyer is welcome to make his own nominations, but the leadership team feels Hall-Long’s candidates are qualified.
“We believe, based on our own legal research, that these are viable nominees before the Senate. Whether you take issue with process, or with individual nominees on their perceived merits, we invite you to advance your own nominees for Senate consideration — a step that is well within your rights as Governor. As you write in your letter, ‘now is the time for considered collaboration on this important matter.’ We agree that a ‘robust and deliberative process’ is critical,”
The letter did not explicitly state the nominations would be withdrawn, and according to the Senate Executive Committee’s hearing schedule, all five of Hall-Long’s candidates are slated to undergo their confirmation hearings Thursday morning starting at 10 a.m.
Let’s start with the obvious–nobody, other perhaps than Delaware’s Worst Governor Ever, has done more to screw up negotiations at the Port than Jeff Bullock. To borrow a phrase from yesterday’s Open Thread, he is ‘anti-qualified’.
Equally important, the argument as to the nominees’ qualifications are secondary when it comes to the fact that this was an inside deal engineered with the loser of the Democratic primary for Governor and some people in the Senate who appear to just want to stick it to Meyer. Most fair people would conclude that a new Governor should have the right to make these appointments. Instead, we’ve got a dick-measuring competition on our (figurative) hands.
The irony is/was that my initial ‘Big Story’ was gonna be ‘Not With A Bang, But With A Whimper’, because not much was scheduled for today. Instead, we’ll see if these nominations clear committee and, if so, if they come to a vote on the Senate floor today.
Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report. As expected, HB 140 (Morrison) cleared its House committee. It won’t be considered until after the break.
Just a comment: I was pretty impressed with how Speaker Minor-Brown handled yesterday’s House Rules Committee meeting. My sense is that she is doing everything she can to change the tone from the soul-crushing approach taken by her two immediate predecessors. I also wish that Rep. Lynn had listened to her suggestions about HR 8. The intent is good, but it definitely is something that needs to be done in concert with the Senate. In other words, a House Concurrent Resolution. The proposed rule deals with how the House could go about removing a public official from office (think Kathy McGuiness). While the Constitution grants the General Assembly the authority to do so, it is silent on how the process should work. To me, it’s a no-brainer that the process, by necessity, must involve both the House and the Senate. Which is why I don’t understand why Rep. Lynn has chosen this hill to die on.
Only bill of note on either agenda today is SB 50, the ‘mini-Bond Bill’. Don’t take my word for it. Senate Agenda. House Agenda.
The Senate will also likely consider other, presumably less controversial, nominations during session today. Which reminds me, four Rethugs voted against the nomination of Cynthia Marten to be Secretary Of Education: Buckson, Lawson, Richardson, and Wilson. Both Sens. Hocker and Pettyjohn voted for the nomination. Only nomination so far with any no votes.
I don’t know whether Gov. Meyer will have a budget proposal before JFC hearings start. Something to keep an eye on.
Over and out for six weeks. When we return, we will likely have two undistinguished placeholders taking their seats in the State Senate. Can hardly wait.