A VERY SPECIAL General Assembly Pre-Pre-Game Show: Monday, March 4, 2024

Plenty has happened and will happen since the General Assembly broke for the Joint Finance Committee hearings.  Which is only fitting since they did virtually nothing in January.

This piece will likely be as disjointed as my thoughts, but I’ll hopefully cover everything that deserves mention.  Here goes:

1.  Look for the state retiree bills to be worked and passed.  BHL knows that she needs to be on board after having initially refused to publicly support the bills, she has already positioned herself as the self-styled heroine of the package.  Our PAL Val is figuratively tied to the hip with BHL.  Which is why both key bills are scheduled for the House Administration Committee on Wednesday.  Yes, the Rethugs are plotting to weaken the bill, but I don’t see it happening.  Now, whether Carney will sign them…

2.  Will Our PAL Val force Ramone and Smith to take stands on D bills?  We’re talking permit-to-purchase, Medicaid abortion, Constitutional amendment on early/no excuse voting.  Well, actually, the constitutional amendment is easy.  They can vote for it since it’s the first leg.  Ramone previously voted for it when it was the first leg.  However, he, Smith, and all Rethugs voted against it when it came time to pass the second leg, which would have ratified it.  Which brings me to the lie the Rethugs are now pushing:  They aren’t really against early voting, they just want to make sure it comports with the Delaware Constitution.  Hello?  Is this mic on?  If that’s truly what they wanted, they wouldn’t have voted against the second leg of the constitutional amendment.  We straight, now?  Problem is, Val knows that any chance she has of retaining leadership means that Frank Burns and Nick Beard can’t defeat Ramone and Smith.  (Of course, I think that Kam Smith has a great chance to defeat Longhurst, but that’s another story for another day.)

3.  Great legislation that was introduced during the break.  Big shout-out to Spiros Mantzavinos and Kendra Johnson for introducing a strong comprehensive package addressing issues with nursing facilities.  You can tell it’s a good package b/c State Rep.  Danny Short has already written an op-ed against it in the Delaware State News.  Paul Baumbach has introduced a bill that ‘increases the exemption in bankruptcy and other debt proceedings for a debtor’s personal residence from $125,000 to $200,000. The exemption has been limited to $125,000 since 2012 while home prices have increased dramatically in the intervening years. It also increases the exemption for tools of the trade and for a vehicle to $25,000 from $15,000’.  Eric Morrison has introduced a bill seeking to address nepotism in government–can’t wait to hear that debate.  The R’s announced, but haven’t yet introduced, a bill that would prohibit the practice of legislators who have jobs with not-for-profits from getting funding for their bullshit agencies from the General Assembly.  I fully support it should it see the light of day.  Yes, Val will bury it in committee.  I say make her bury it in committee.

4.  Shitty legislation that was introduced during the break.  A few years back, I ranked the legislators from 1-62.  Never doing that again.  But if I went back on that promise, I’d be hard-pressed to select anyone other than Sen. David Lawson as #62.  Check out these bills he introduced during the break:  SB 228; SB 219;  last, and least: SB 218.  There are more Rethug-sponsored bills that are brochure talking points masquerading as legislation.

OK.  Just thought we needed to set the stage for some of the stuff that’s coming up.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a Not-So-Special daily legislative preview featuring the long-awaited (by nobody) State Of The State Address by John Carney.