General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Yeah, I know, I’m late again.  That’s because the story about Ciro and his legislative bete noir took on a life of its own.  Anyway, this is designed to cover everything else I deem worthy of covering.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  A solid day of work in both chambers with several quality bills, previously discussed, passing with little opposition.

Today’s Senate Agenda is comprised solely of Senate bills, which makes sense as the sooner Senate bills pass there, the greater the likelihood that they’ll be considered by the House before the end of session.

I particularly like SB 80 (Mantzavinos), which:

… 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. While Delaware has an “anti-SLAPP” law (see §§ 8136 through 8138 of Title 10 of the Delaware Code), the law received a score of “D-” from the Institute for Free Speech due to limited types of speech it protects and lack of basic protections provided by the Act.

These suits have, on occasion, effectively shut down outlets on every side of the political spectrum.

I’m also a fan of SB 83 (Huxtable), which ‘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.’  In this case, we’re extending protections to domestic partners.

Huge committee day today.  (Time for another cuppa…).  Here we go, starting in the Senate:

SB 129 (Hansen):  Looks like this bill is needed due to changes that the US Supreme Court required in the matter of the Sackler family, Purdue Pharma, and the opioid funding derived thereof.  Delaware Department of Justice has recommended this change in order to conform with the ruling, and to maximize Delaware’s share of the proceeds. Health & Social Services.

SB 130 (Paradee):  ‘…prohibits retail stores and wholesalers from selling, distributing, or offering for sale expanded polystyrene foam products, including expanded polystyrene foam food service packaging, expanded polystyrene foam coolers used for cold storage of food, and expanded polystyrene foam loose fill packaging’.  Environment, Energy & Transportation.

SB 125 (Poore):  I’m including this b/c it dates back to my days working with the Sunset Committee.  The bill ‘updates the Board of Dietetics/Nutrition enabling act, requiring applicants to obtain a minimum of a master’s degree to obtain a license.’  This board was created at the urging of, and only at the urging of,  the Dietetics/Nutrition program at the University of Delaware. Legislators were told that licensure was needed to keep unqualified people out of the profession.  However, in order to win enough votes for passage, proponents grandfathered in precisely the same sort of people it claimed were detrimental to the profession and, presumably, public health.  So, I ask this question, what in the profession has changed in the past 25 years to now require a master’s degree?  Other than the advantages that will accrue to the program at the University of Delaware?  Legislative Oversight And Sunset.

SB 106 (Buckson)‘…requires each school district and charter school to adopt a policy, with educator input, about cell phone use by students during school hours.’  They’re not doing this now? Education.

SB 15 (Sokola) is the second leg of a Constitutional Amendment that ‘require(s) each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor’.  Executive.

SB 14 (Hoffner) is the first leg of a Constitutional Amendment to set up a Redistricting Commission.  I have long been an agnostic of this because I’ve never seen a formula that ensures fairness and equity.  This formula introduces chance into the equation.  We’ll see if it goes anywhere. Executive.

Today’s House Committee highlights…but first, Breaking News: The Speaker has removed Rae Moore from the Education Committee.  Moore was the only educator on the committee.

We’ve probably already missed today’s House Judiciary Committee meeting, but the entire agenda is/was noteworthy.  Especially HB 58 (Lynn) and HB 96 (Lynn).  Delaware should stand firmly against the extra-legal reach of the masked armed storm troopers.

HB 115 (Phillips) ‘prohibits discrimination based on weight, height, or body size in transportation, public accommodation, housing, commerce and trade, employment, jury selection, education, and public administration’.  Good bill.  Administration.

HS 1/HB 116 (Heffernan) ‘provides the Public Service Commission with the flexibility to consider and approve a discounted gas or electric residential utility rate for qualified low-income customers, provided the discount is 20% of standard residential distribution rates. This permits low-income customers to receive utility distribution services at a lower cost.’  Natural Resources & Energy.

Whew.  I’m all blogged out.  Time to recharge for tomorrow…