General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 26, 2024
The Big News: BHL Took A Walk.
Why? Because there was a distinct possibility that the vote on Paul Baumbach’s HB 140 would have been a 10-10 tie–said tie then to be broken by the Lieutenant Governor. It’s one of the very few duties of the office, and one that rarely happens. I remember the Senators, back when I worked there, deliberately ginning up a 10-10 vote so that then-Lt. Gov. S. B. Woo would have to break the tie, which he did. Because he showed up.
She’ll almost certainly be back on the podium today, preening, ever chipper, likely telling a Girl Scout troop how she loved talking to them about the evils of drug use before session started. It’s what she does. What she didn’t do?: Her job, in the one rare moment when she might well have been required to do so. Leadership? I report, you decide.
The Other Big News: Rep. Wilson-Anton’s Reverse Keyword Search Bill Wasn’t Worked. With the current composition of the House, and with the Speaker of the House owing her job to the police, police opposition inevitably killed the bill. The Kop Kabal still runs the place. But barely. The bill would have curbed excesses by law enforcement. Oh, did I mention that perhaps the greatest recruiting failure of the cycle was the failure to find an opponent to run against ex-cop Franklin Cooke?
The Other Big News: HB 140 passed, with Sen. Hoffner providing the eleventh vote. Who knows what John Carney, who seems to be under the thrall of the conservative wing of the Catholic Church, will do?
Which reminds me, Carney’s veto message on HB 282 reads like his house of worship is the Church Of The Budget-Smoothers. As in, if the Governor doesn’t get to appoint a majority of green-eyeshade types to the SEBC, appointees supporting retirees will run amok. An instructive excerpt, or two:
During my nearly eight years as Governor, I have focused intently on fiscal responsibility, and on protecting the long-term interests of every Delaware taxpayer. It is in this context that I consider HB 282.
HB 282 would change who sits on the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) and how the committee operates. For example, it would remove two members with relevant expertise and a mandate to control costs and replace them with individuals lacking such expertise and having an acknowledged conflict of interest.
Unlike the State leaders that would be removed from the SEBC under this bill, even a-well-intended appointee under HB 282 would have no obligation to protect and secure the State’s overall fiscal health. In fact, they would have every incentive to oppose any proposal that might negatively impact their personal interests.
Translation: ‘If I can’t have the likes of Claire DeMatteis and Rick Geisenberger there to throw sand in the gears of protecting state retirees, I’ve got to veto the bill.’
And so on. Worst. Governor. Ever. Will the General Assembly attempt to override the veto? They can, if they so choose. Beginning today.
Ho-kay. Other than that, it was a pretty productive day in Dover on Tuesday. Here is the Session Activity Report. Props to Sen. Kyle Evans Gay who, upon having her last nerve frayed, called out the putative ‘Christian’ Rethug bloc in the Senate for using their Stone Age biblical views to justify preventing women from having rights when it comes to bodily autonomy. I’ve known Kyle since her first campaign. I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard her legitimately angry. The bill in question was HS 2/HB 110 (Minor-Brown). It passed in the Senate on a straight party-line vote. Could have passed an hour earlier were it not for phony piety. I mean, if G-d didn’t want this bill to pass, couldn’t he have ordered up a flood or something?
Today’s House Agenda leads off with the Bond Bill. It requires a 3/4ths majority of all members. In other words, there’s enough stuff in the bill to please, or at least mollify, everybody. Barring another Skittles shortage, perhaps even Mike Ramone will vote for it. You will notice that House bills that returned from the Senate with Senate amendments attached are also at the top of the Agenda. That’s standard practice in both Houses as the bills have already been discussed and voted upon. Quick roll calls almost invariably follow.
It’s no big deal, but HS 1/HB 389 (Bush) has caught my eye. I mean, who conducts ‘up to 20 raffle events each year’? Fire companies? Just curious.
Today’s Senate Agenda is comprised almost exclusively of House bills. The lead-off bill is a real good one. HS1/HB 191 (Dorsey Walker):
…provides more clarity on the process by which a tenant may file an action in the Justice of the Peace Court to withhold rent payments in escrow. Specifically, the bill provides what the tenant must file in order to bring such action and how such actions proceed in court. This substitute bill also provides the remedy of termination of lease when the conditions of the rental unit threatens the life, health, or safety of the tenant or a member of the tenant’s household. This substitute bill also clarifies the appeal process for actions to withhold rent payments in escrow. This substitute bill also provides a tenant the right to raise as an affirmative defense to an action for summary possession filed by the landlord that a condition exists that threatens the life, health, or safety of the tenant or a member of the tenant’s household if the tenant satisfies specific requirements. If the Court determines that the tenant has satisfied those requirements, the Court may order that in lieu of summary possession, the tenant pay all base monthly rent owed to the landlord to an escrow account established by the Court. The Court may order the landlord to remedy the conditions alleged by a specific date. If both the landlord and tenant comply with the Court’s order, the amount held in escrow will be paid to the landlord within 30 days, and no judgment for possession shall be entered. Finally, this substitute bill provides that the Act will take effect 180 days after its enactment into law in order to provide the Justice of the Peace Court sufficient time to enact rules to implement the Act.
This bill had perhaps the most unusual roll call in the House: 22Y; 1 No (Carson); 2 Not Voting (Bolden, Parker Selby); oh, and 16 absent. . We know why Bolden was a no (*cough*Buccini Pollin*cough). We can guess why Ol’ Lump was a no–Trey Paradee’s pals the Kidners lobbied against the bill and, perhaps coincidentally, Lumpy was a beneficiary at the Kidners’ recent Bundling Party. Rep. Parker Selby? You’ll have to ask her.
The absences? It was during the Great Ramone Seaford/Skittles Walkout of 2023.
I’ll be listening to the Senate debate on this one. I think it will pass relatively easily. But you never know.
Hey, if any of Our Spies hear anything about a veto override, clue us in. Might have to dip into our newly-created Tipline Contingency Fund to pry the information out of you…otherwise, I could well go back to tipping my baristas again.
This is classic leadership in the John Carney mold.
“BHL Took A Walk…because there was a distinct possibility that the vote on Paul Baumbach’s HB 140 would have been a 10-10 tie–said tie then to be broken by the Lieutenant Governor.”
Hearing rumors that sean matthews announced his retirementr yesterday?
Can he start this retirement yesterday?
Happened a couple of months ago.
Those seeking to succeed him have hardly set the world on fire.
Yes, although the floor tributes were nothing compared to the like hour spent on Republican Rep. who cared so little about her district that she moved away, Ruth Briggs King (also running for Lt Gov)
She was building a new house in her district and the new house was redistricted out.
Which doesn’t answer the question:
Why was she granted all that floor time yesterday to engage in what amounted to an unpaid commercial for her run for Lt. Gov?
Only Our PAL Val knows for sure.
If I were Sherry Dorsey Walker, I’d be pissed too.
Saw a Sherry sign for the first time in her neighborhood. Sky blue lettering in a gentle typeface on a white background. Hardly a sign suggesting she’s a candidate who wants to stand out.
I’ve never understood why some candidates come up with color schemes that camouflage their names.
But some do. They rarely get elected, though.
The Governor allowed By 281, the State retirees Medicare supplement bill, to become !as without his signature. Gov. Leg. Advisory 39.
So glad you reported on the BHL absence. Deserves serious attention. Although I will admit, she is an ounce more savvy than I thought because I expected her to waltz into the chamber for the abortion bill after skipping medical aid in dying. Very heated and personal debate, and I must admit I could not see her stopping the GOP from attacking the very faith of every person in the room and offending so many more. (I could however, see Senator Gay up there as Lt Gov, much more firmly ensuring adherence to topic. Can’t say the same for Rep Dorsey Walker who Delaware-Wayed her own potential GOP opponent on the House floor…)
On Keyword, I’ve heard there were at least 5 Dems who would be voting no, I’m assuming two cops, two Seans, maybe Krista because of her AG aspirations? Wonder if that will come back tonight.
Watched back the abortion debate and agree with the assessment of Gay. Well handled and the reminder that the bill doesn’t change that abortion is legal made me chuckle. Other GOP parts made me gag.
Baumbach wants to bring HB 282 for an override — the veto did not seem to harsh his vibe about 140 passing. He is in golden hour to make his last asks of the Speaker, but perhaps he will have to serve her Mara’s vote for Speaker to make it happen. I have not seen joint statements from leadership about the veto though (correct me please) and it’s hard to tell if that indicates they will not act or if simply, they have not been asked by reporters.
Senate is starting late today because of Executive Committee – which (though assigned) is not considering the Bolden Incumbent Protection bill.
Mara Gorman’s vote for Speaker is not his to give, nor would he entertain such an idea.
I assume they’ll discuss this in caucus following the current Pete lovefest, which is why I’m not watching right now.
You all have been warned.
You are exactly right, I more meant that might be HER demand of him. There always is one!
During the Pete lovefest were “Brown Shirts” required garb.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be so sure. I have heard that Mara had a rather tepid response from her RD committee this week. FWIW, she is the former chair of the committee.
Apparently, Paul was answering questions on her behalf. Her knowledge about issues was VERY shallow.
I’m very curious to know what issues specifically Mara struggled with, because knowing her personally, she has very deep knowledge on most of the relevant issues facing our state. RDs are filled with people with very granular knowledge about esoteric topics, so it wouldn’t be surprising to me if Mara got tripped up on something almost any average person wouldn’t know a lot about.
Like all new candidates, I have no doubt that there are still some areas she’ll have to catch up on but she’s also a very quick study. Give her a few weeks to get into the swing of things and I have no doubt that she’ll be on point.
Is that Hansen serving as Senate President?
Think so. She’s not at her seat in the Chamber. And it’s definitely not BHL.
Now that nominations have concluded, Sen. Sokola will likely reassume the position as Pro-Tem.
She probably didn’t want to be on the podium while Anthony Albence was renominated.
She doesn’t want him to ask her to hand over the “audit,” so she fled the building and has been spotted in a white Ford bronco heading for the Maryland border.
Did they just confirm albence like nothing happened? Disgusting.
Yes they did, and yes it is.
Looks like they’ll override. First one since 1977.
What a perfect way to end this governors abysmal two terms. What a repudiation. What a bad sign for those who hope to ride his coattails to victory. Including his own coattails – if only he knew his ass from his elbow.
They didn’t work it today in the House, nor did the Speaker announce it.
Do you have some good info on this?
The website doesn’t update the general status because technically it is still vetoed until the Senate votes.
Wow, I skip some retirement speeches, and the House overrides the Governor’s veto. Unanimously.
MoMo, this position’s yours–if you’ll take it.
I have some interest. But first, let’s watch the Senate’s override. I am thinking there will be more than two comments before THAT vote!
Unanimously, no less!
“Fiscal health” is a bullshit term made up to make it sound like a budget deficit is equal to a disease. It’s a budget deficit, you assholes. Cut some spending – maybe sunset bullshit agencies like Jobs for Delaware Graduates – and grow a set and raise taxes on the rich.