General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Looks like a ‘Just the facts, Ma’am’ edition today.  But I’ll try to toss in a little snark to make it, if not interesting, at least readable.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  Other than a stray ‘Not Voting’ by Sen. Lockman, with which I agree, not much else caught my eye–unless you count Rethugs voting against good legislation, which is as ‘dog-bite-man’ as it gets.

There are two notable bills on today’s Senate Agenda (meaning I like them).

There is more than a little irony, to me at least, concerning SB 283 (Pinkney), which expands the practice of dental hygiene to enable hygienists to fully realize the scope of their expertise.

Way back in 1983 or so, when I was the Research Analyst for the Joint Sunset Committee, the committee had passed some expansion of what dental hygienists could do.  However, the lobbyist for the dentists, one Ned Davis, who doubled as Delaware’s National Democratic Committeeman, skulked (he was a Skilled Skulker) into President Pro-Tem Cordrey’s office, and the next thing we knew, the hacks on the committee who had almost never bothered to show up had mustered up enough support to call an emergency committee meeting at which point the reforms were reversed.  Some things you never forget.  That episode still informs my thoughts on the Delaware Way.  The dentists now need to avail themselves of the skills the hygienists have long had, so I’m glad to see this bill finally make its way to the floor.

HS2/HB 151 (Gorman):

‘…prohibits the State, a unit of local government, or any agency, officer, employee, or agent thereof, from doing the following with respect to a detention facility owned, managed, or operated by a private entity: (1) Enter into an agreement of any kind for the detention of an individual with; (2) Pay, reimburse, subsidize, or defray in any way any cost related to the sale, purchase, construction, development, ownership, management, or operation of; (3) Receive per diem, per detainee, or any other payment related to the detention of an individual in; (4) Give any financial incentive or benefit to any private entity or person in connection with the sale, purchase, construction, development, ownership, management, or operation of.

Y’see, privatized prisons are just like privatized nursing homes.  They provide as little service as they can get away with in order to maximize profits.  Who cares about the human toll?  Great bill.

Let’s see what’s cooking in committee this week.  Starting with the House:

HS1/HB 145 (Wilson-Anton) ‘ prohibits law enforcement and courts from requesting, issuing, or enforcing reverse-keyword court orders and reverse-keyword requests, with the exception that reverse-keyword court orders and requests may be utilized to investigate suspected Class A Felonies so long as the search query returns 5 or fewer search hits. It also requires the suppression of evidence derived from an unlawful reverse-keyword search.’ Judiciary.

HB 375 (Morrison) ‘…updates and modernizes Delaware law regarding birth certificates, death certificates, driver’s licenses, identification cards, and marriage license applications, licenses, and certificates (government documents) as follows: • Establishes uniform gender designations. • Provides uniform requirements when an individual seeks to change their gender designation. • Protects the privacy of records related to a change of an individual’s gender designation. • Revises existing law regarding marriage licenses and certificates to reflect current practices and to clarify current procedures.’  Health & Human Development.

HB 364 (Harris) ‘creates a film production tax credit.’ Revenue & Finance.

HS1/HB 216 (K. Williams) ‘expands Delaware’s campaign finance disclosure requirements to provide more transparency regarding the source of funding for contributions to and expenditures made from political committees in the State.’  On the surface, a good bill.  However, there’s already a lot of requirements on the books that the Department of Elections is not doing.  If there is an agency that requires a Sunset review, an Audit, and/or an investigation from the Inspector General, it’s the Department of Elections.  Also, bear in mind, if the General Assembly really wanted a fully-operational effective Department of Elections, it would provide the funding and mandate that the Department does its job.  Elections & Government Affairs.

Wait, What? Check out this bill in the Senate Elections & Government Affairs Committee.  It’s a constitutional amendment establishing the procedure for replacing the Lieutenant Governor should a vacancy occur.  Here’s what catches my eye:

“This Act is modeled after the process of holding a special election for a vacancy for a member of the General Assembly.”

We’re gonna have caucuses where insiders select the nominee?  Because that’s the current process for filling a vacancy for a member of the General Assembly.

It could and would change if Speaker Mimi placed HS1/HB 183 on an agenda, and it passed.  Her steadfast refusal to do so is an exercise in anti-democracy.  Next Speaker, please.