Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Dog Bites Man:  Today’s Senate Agenda was made public on Friday morning, the House Agenda didn’t go up until around 3 pm yesterday.  Less than 24 hours before session.  This has been Standard Operating Procedure for this Speaker.  You’d have to ask her why.  I think the public deserves more public notice.  Even former speakers Schwartzkopf and Longhurst, for all their myriad faults, agreed.

Today’s lengthy Senate Agenda is highlighted by the following:

SJR 6 (Pinkney):

‘…directs the Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance (DMMA) to explore amending our Delaware Medicaid State Plan to allow for the adoption of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) From-Conception-to-End-of-Pregnancy (FCEP) option and the creation of a Health Services Initiative (HSI) that will allow our State to use federal funding to partially cover prenatal and postpartum care for individuals otherwise ineligible for free or low-cost health-care coverage due to immigration status.’

SB 24 (Townsend) ‘allows an (education) employee organization to file a petition with the Board to become the exclusive representative of an appropriate bargaining unit for the purpose of collective bargaining. In the event an employee organization provides over 50% of the employees’ approval, through their authorized signatures, then the Board may not order an election but must certify the employee organization.

SB 15 (Sokola) ‘is the second leg of a constitutional amendment to require each holdover member of the Governor’s cabinet to be reconfirmed by the Senate at the beginning of each term of the Governor.’  Should this second leg pass in both Houses, it becomes a part of the Delaware Constitution.

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.’

Kids, pay close attention to the House Amendment that was voted onto HS 1/HB 62.  This is a classic Delaware Way amendment that significantly waters down what once was a good bill.  The bill addressed and sought to mitigate the termination of utility services.  The amendment, in every way, weakens the protections for utility customers, and strengthens the hand of the utilities:

‘…1. Requires the utility company to measure the daily temperature from an airport in the same county as the subject dwelling, rather than a location within 50 miles of the subject dwelling; 2. Requires the electric company to make 2, rather than 3, documented attempts to contact the account holder prior to termination of services during the heating season; 3. Changes the term “adult occupant of the dwelling unit” to the “account holder”; 4. Increases the Heat Index (determining when electric utilities may be shut off) from 90 degrees to 95 degrees; 5. Removes the requirement that written notice during the heating or cooling season be sent via First Class mail; 6. Changes the Act’s effective date from 60 to 90 days after its enactment into law; and 7. Authorizes a utility company to shut off utility services on a weekend if the utility company provides facilities for payment and restoration of services on weekends. 

Unnecessary compromises, all instigated by the utility companies.  Bobby Byrd earned his commission.  The bill is on today’s Senate Agenda.  Don’t be looking for any amendment to undo the damage done by the utilities and their lobbyists.

Only bill of note on today’s House Agenda is HS1/HB1 (Carson), which creates a Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs.  Perhaps it’s just me, but when I look at the particulars of this bill, there’s less to it than meets the eye.  It incorporates current state programs for veterans under this new Department, but provides next to no funding for additional services.  Here’s the sentence in the synopsis that gives it away:

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.

Oh, the bill’s fiscal note?  Less than $100 K for each of the next three years.  Might, or might not, pay for the Department Secretary.  I look for a gaudy signing ceremony, signifying nothing.

There are no Senate committee meetings scheduled for today.

Today’s House Committee highlights:

HB 185 (K. Johnson): ‘…allows an applicant who seeks to create affordable housing to apply for Site Readiness Funds so long as the applicant demonstrates that the affordable housing will increase economic development in the State.’  Housing.

HB 94 (Lynn): ‘restricts law enforcement from cooperating with federal agencies conducting immigration enforcement activities at schools or churches without permission from the attorney general.’  Hell, yeah. Public Safety & Homeland Security.  Uh, not the most friendly committee for such a bill.  Looks like the bill makes it out if Franklin Cooke lets it out.  Otherwise, we could be looking at a 4-4 deadlock.

Uh, I know special interest legislation when I see it.  Don’t know who the designated beneficiary of HB 170 is, but I know it’s someone who has personally lobbied for it.  The bill:

…would permit a microbrewery to choose to operate either 2 brewpubs or 1 additional microbrewery and 1 brewpub, under common ownership. The total number of licenses the business could hold remains 3, but it allows the business to choose 2 microbreweries and 1 brewpub, or 1 microbrewery and 2 brewpubs. A microbrewery can also choose to operate just one establishment.’

Not even saying that the legislation is ‘bad’, just that it’s by request by an entity that stands to gain by its passage.  Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce.

HB 164 (Morrison):

…assesses an additional registration fee on owners of electric motor vehicles, plug-in electric motor vehicles, non-plug-in electric motor vehicles, and other fuel motor vehicles to make up for the declining motor fuel tax revenue impacts on the Department, as well as the increased costs associated with these types of vehicles which are generally heavier than traditional passenger motor vehicles with increasing roadway impacts. Transportation.

Back tomorrow with the usual bleepload of committee meetings.