General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, May 7, 2025

So. I went online around 2:45 pm yesterday, only to find that the Senate had broken its land-speed record for passing the corporate law package.  Gavelled in at 2, agenda completed by 2:45. After all, it’s not as if any questions were warranted.

The House passed the bill designed to get Our Man In Pakistan off the Red Clay School Board.  One other item of note is that 8, count ’em, 8, members of the House were absent yesterday.  Or 7, if you don’t count Stell Parker Selby, who is a member in name only, likely so that she can continue to collect a pay check.  Maybe there’s a way to deputize her staff person to vote which, you know, is generally considered part of the job.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.

Sorry if my report on today’s committee meetings isn’t posted in time for the earliest of them (10 am).  I selfishly decided to indulge in breakfast.  I’m incapable of starving for my ‘art’.

Today’s Senate Committee highlights (remember, kids, if I’ve already discussed a House bill, I generally won’t discuss it again when it’s being considered in a Senate committee, and I generally won’t generally discuss a Senate bill when it’s being considered in a House committee.  There, of course, are exceptions on major/controversial bills):

SB 83 (Huxtable): ‘…amends the long-term care resident’s bill of rights to provide that residents may not be subject to discrimination based on their membership in a protected class.’ Health & Social Services.

SB 122 (Huxtable): ‘…supports critical health care workforce research and planning efforts by giving the Division of Public Health and the Delaware Health Care Commission the ability to obtain comprehensive workforce-related data from the Division of Professional Regulation…(t)he data collected will be for purpose of health care workforce research and planning and will not include personal information such as personal financial information.’  Health & Social Services.

SB 36 (Brown): ‘…requires dealers to offer car buyers the opportunity to purchase a contract cancellation option agreement. The contract cancellation option agreement must allow buyers to cancel a car purchase no less than 3 business days after the dealer delivers the car to the buyer. The cost of the contract cancellation option is based on the cash sale price of the car. A dealer may also charge a restocking fee, based on the cash sale price.’  Hmmm, I have questions about this.  The purchaser can purchase this option when they’re also buying the car?  So, if they have buyer’s remorse, or if the car sucks,  the only way they can be compensated is if they purchase this option agreement?  Sounds about as worthless as ‘travel insurance’ to me.  Can somebody set me straight? Environment, Energy & Transportation.

SB 87 (Huxtable): ‘…requires local governments to permit the construction of ADUs within their jurisdictions without prohibitive barriers or onerous application or zoning requirements.’ Good bill.  Housing & Land Use.

SB 80 (Mantzavinos): ‘…protects the public’s right to engage in activities protected by the First Amendment without abusive, expensive legal retaliation. Specifically, the Act combats the problem of strategic lawsuits against public participation, also called “SLAPPs.” A SLAPP may come in the form of a defamation, invasion of privacy, nuisance, or other claim, but its real goal is to entangle the defendant of a SLAPP in expensive litigation and stifle the ability to engage in constitutionally protected activities.’  Great bill, glad to see bipartisan support.  Judiciary.

A note on one of the nominees before the Senate Executive Committee today, that of Gerard Spadaccini to serve as a Judge Of The Court Of Common Pleas.  Someone on this blog can answer this:  Did I umpire him in Little League?  I think I did, but, because, yes, I’m that old, I can’t remember.

SB 33 (Brown) ‘…builds on the success of the Downtown Development Districts Act, Chapter 19 of Title 22 of the Delaware Code, by permitting a municipality with a population of 30,000 or more in the 2020 federal census, which includes Wilmington, Dover, and Newark, to designate an area in the municipality as a “Downtown Development Corridor”.’  I have but one question–does this bill encourage further gentrification?  Elections & Government Affairs.

Today’s House Committee highlights:

HB 96 (Lynn):

‘requires the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust of the Department of Justice to submit a quarterly report to the General Assembly, Governor, and Office of Legislative Services detailing any request from a federal agency or entity for assistance from any State law enforcement agency related to any of the following: a. Information about the issuance of any driving privilege card from the Department of Transportation or Division of Motor Vehicles. b. Continuation or discontinuation of the Department of Education’s migrant education program and ensuring funding is set aside by the state in the event federal funding for migrant education is terminated. c. Stopping any individual based purely on suspicion of undocumented status. d. Assisting any federal immigration or law enforcement agency from any activity or operation in any school or church. e. School Resource Officer or constable assistance or participation in any federal law enforcement activity related to immigration. f. Dissemination of information about an undocumented student from the Department of Education and any Delaware school district. g. Release of information about an undocumented resident from the Department of Finance or Division of Revenue.’

Does ‘state law enforcement agency’ include, for example, the Camden Police Department? Judiciary.

HB 44 (Lynn): ‘…requires the State to have a migrant education program to ensure that migrant children’s educational needs are met.’  This bill appears to address possible or imminent cutting of Federal funds. Administration.

HB 119 (Griffith) seeks to forestall any censorship of library books or other library material.  Administration.

Here is today’s Senate Agenda.  You can also look for the Senate to consider nominations, including those for both Marijuana Czar and Public Advocate.