General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, March 24, 2022
Wow, a good day! Much of it memorialized in the press, which always makes my job easier.
SS1/SB 101 (Townsend), which provides legal assistance to renters in landlord-tenant disputes, cleared the House Housing And Community Affairs Committee. Huge shout-outs not only to Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Rep. Bud Freel, and committee chair Kendra Johnson, but also to the legislators and stakeholders who worked to make the bill more workable without sacrificing the bill’s legislative intent. The amendment hasn’t been introduced yet, but look for it soon. Great legislating all around. Here is the WDEL story. Here is by far my favorite line from the story:
Rep. Stephanie Bolden (D-Wilmington) said she was never informed during the bill’s hold of meetings taking place with either side’s stakeholders.
Why should she have been? She single-handedly scuttled consideration of the bill for 9 months. Although, it also speaks to how out-of-touch she is. Didn’t know what was going on behind her back? Primary her. Y’know, I think that Haneef Salaam from Delaware ACLU does live in her district. Hint, hint…
BTW, this Jeff Spiegelman character:
“Let me tell you what’s going to happen with this bill, because I already know, I’ve already seen it. I actually lost constituents to this bill. They moved away,” he said. “I very much feel for the people that you’re trying to help. Representative. I really do. And there are people out there who need help, which is why the advocate idea works. But for the sake of $3.6 million to provide a lawyer to one side of this in order to push out the other side that very practical application. That’s seriously troublesome.”
Hello? Is this mic on? The other side already has lawyers. This bill helps level the playing field. I mean, really. Are heartless landlords fleeing his district? Good. Hope they flee Delaware as well.
The Charter School Moratorium also cleared committee. Looks like a rocky road ahead.
Rethugs’ Attack On Trans Athletes Failed In Committee. Of course, their only intent is/was to build it into another red flag for the intolerant. Mission accomplished. The only time these assholes give two shits about women’s sports is when they’re trying to portray trans athletes as freaks.
Here is yesterday’s Legislative Activity Report.
Today’s Senate Agenda features SB 231 (Gay), which ‘prohibits the use of gender, gender identity, or sex as a rating factor in personal automobile insurance policies.’ I confess, this surprised me:
The Gender Disparities in Auto Insurance Pricing Report issued by the Delaware Department of Insurance and Consumer Federation of America shows that many insured Delaware women are charged more than men even when all other factors, including drivers’ history, are the same.
My admittedly-anecdotal experience has long made me consider women to be safer drivers. Good bill.
Although the unintelligible synopsis doesn’t say it, SB 246 (Mantzavinos) appears to improve FOIA accessibility to Insurance Department documents. I renew my plea to bill drafters: Try to make synopses clear enough so that the average person can understand it. Unless, of course, you’re trying to hide the bill’s true intentions.
Today’s House Agenda features two interesting House bills.
HB 259 (Lambert) ‘requires Delaware to use the Wireless Emergency Alert (“WEA”) system to notify the public of emergency alerts and requires that the emergency alert system be used when a catastrophic release occurs. A catastrophic release is a major uncontrolled emission, fire, or explosion that presents an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health. This Act also requires that emergency alerts be broadcast in Spanish, in addition to English, when possible.’ The bill will be amended to address some logistical concerns raised in committee, but the amendment does not weaken the bill. BTW, whoever wrote the committee report for this bill deserves a shout-out. Legislative staff rarely receive kudos for doing their jobs in exemplary fashion. This report is an example of quality staff work.
HB 320 (Heffernan) permits ‘physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe medication for the termination of pregnancy including Mifeprex, Mifepristone, and Misoprostol.’ Physicians may already prescribe these medications. Wonder if any R’s will vote for the bill…
The General Assembly will be out of session next week for Capital Improvements (Bond Bill) Committee meetings. You might want to keep a close eye on how many $$’s Senate Vice-Chair Nicole Poore tries to funnel to her pet Ft. DuPont project.
“Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” Jesus H Christ. The DEGOP has given up on even pretending that it is anything other than a festering troll farm.
State Senator Bryant Richardson is a perfect example of why one should be careful of wishing to take down an elected Democrat who is bad on many, but not all issues. Robert Venables represented the 21st district for many years. Though he was a good vote on many issues, he, like his neighboring Democratic senator Thurman Adams, had a voting record that was strongly homophobic. In his last race Venables, was opposed by Republican Bryant Richardson. Richardson won a close contest, largely because many Democrats, turned off by Venables’ vitriol, voted for neither. This district is now “blessed” to be represented by a senator who votes “No” or sponsors legislation that is not just anti-lgbtq, but also opposed to all issues that could make life better for Delawareans. One minor vote that shows his lack of concern for his own constituents was a bill I pushed in 2017 to open a Department of Insurance office in Sussex County (Georgetown). Many people living in the 21st senate district and other southern and western Sussex districts, found it difficult to file insurance complaints- they lacked broadband service and had to file in person. Those people had to drive to Dover, or get a ride to Dover, there is no direct bus service). Opening an office in Georgetown was a simple solution, at no cost to taxpayers. Bryant Richardson was the only Sussex senator to vote No on the bill permitting a Sussex office. He never stated a reason. Maybe he was concerned such an office would serve the needs of transgender children or pro-choice women?
You would make a good point–IF you could cite any Democrats who were anxious to ‘take down’ Bob Venables.
He just hung around one cycle too long. He was going to lose to a Rethug due to the changing nature of the district and the county.
I won’t name them without their permission. However I will state that there was a well-known Democrat who was planning to run for the seat when it was expected that Venables was retiring. He and others associated with him chose not to vote in that race. I was Democratic County Chair during that election. Even though Venables told me he did not want or need Party help, the state coordinated campaign chose to call Democrats in that district anyway, in an attempt to increase the turnout and save the seat. The reports I saw showed an unusual number of Democrats who stated they did not plan on voting for Senator Venables.
In the other Party, Danny Short was planning to run when Venables retired. Venables’ running again ended that hope that year. Richardson had lost to Venables the election before and the Republicans were surprised when Venables lost.
The district had the bond committee chair but his district
preferred to vote for the culture war pandering party
Too bad that “well-known Democrat” decided not to run against Bryant in 2018, when Bob Wheatley got crushed.
Gee, wonder who it could have possibly been.
Polly Adams?
Don’t think we were. The general sense was that he was just trying to hang on, but that the demographics had turned against him. I was still in the Senate the first time that he beat Richardson. We weren’t all that optimistic about him retaining even then.
I always liked Bob. He was truly a generous and decent man. But you’re peddling revisionist history.
We can disagree on the “history’ and yes, the demographics were changing. However the numbers are the numbers. Venables beat Richardson in 2012- 8955 to 6889. The next election, due to redistricting, was just two years later- 2014. The district’s geographic lines did not change substantially. Venables beat Richardson in the absentee vote 216-186. Yet the Election Day vote resulted a Richardson winning 5210-4510.
Good to hear of Lambert’s effort in HB 259. Attorneys with EarthJustice may have had a hand in shaping HB 159 bill. EJ has been working with the Route 9 community around pollutants since the CRODA leak. EarthJustice penned the response for the Route 9 Corridor Monitoring Committee to Rich Hall’s Ordinance 21-036 (helping the Planning Board come to the unanimous decision to vote it down).
BTW, Read below for what the community is asking NCC DLU to do – NCC has not yet agreed to do this so pressure Matt Meyer at every opportunity to make sure these recommendations are included in the @ 2050 Comprehensive Plan:
• We understand that it is not practicable for all the recommendations in the R9MP to fit into the main text of the County Comprehensive Plan. However, given the huge community effort in crafting the R9MP, we recommend placing the R9MP, or its recommendations (including new suggestions from the R9MC), in the appendix. Crucially, the main body of the Comprehensive Plan should then state that these R9MP recommendations apply for redevelopment within the study area.
• During a meeting on January 6, 2022 to review the draft Plan, we understood from Phil McBride that the “New Castle County Land Use Policy” map shown on page 257 needs to be revised. We ask that an updated version of this map be reviewed with the R9MC at a future meeting before it is finalized.
• In the description of “Community Development Areas” on page 103, we feel the policy language should be more action oriented towards implementation of the respective plans. As it stands, the language reads more “reactionary to” any development. While that is important, policy along Route 9 should also include a commitment to driving recommended redevelopment.
• In Section M, the history of inequitable decision-making should be acknowledged and it should be noted how the County will seek to make amends.
• On page 344, in 1.2.5, and in Appendix F add educational and add informational elements to park space. We would also recommend “enhancing existing infrastructure with modern equipment,” particularly for Route 9 area parks. Moreover, additional open space opportunities could be created from phased-out industrial uses and funding, training, and tools provided to local communities to maintain their local parks.
• We believe the health and environmental impacts from existing industrial uses should also be better monitored and mitigated. Ambient and fence line air monitoring, including of ethylene oxide, is essential to measure and help achieve the Plan’s stated EJ goals, reduce cancer risk, and ensure comprehensive hazard preparedness. In Section M and in Appendix F, for example, add language to support efforts to better monitor air quality in industrial communities, such as the Route 9 corridor and especially around Eden Park which has a high level of dust pollution. Further, proactively phase out through zoning adjustments or amortization those uses that harm communities.
• More detailed actions to understand and mitigate residential truck traffic should be made. In Appendix F, for example, note support for the ongoing Port of Wilmington Access Study which is examining proposals in the R9MP that would make truck movement more efficient and less burdensome in the Route 9 corridor.
The mission of the Route 9 Master Plan Monitoring Committee is to help guide and fulfill the recommendations of the Master Plan, which established a shared vision for the transportation and land use redevelopment of the Route 9 corridor. This work will be accomplished through a collaborative dialogue between its membership, which includes implementing agencies, local civic and community leaders, other key stakeholders, and the communities they represent.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly if you have any questions or concerns! I can be reached at: bswiatek@wilmapco.org, or 302-737-6205 x113.
Sincerely, Bill Swiatek, AICP
Chair, Route 9 Master Plan Monitoring Committee