Gov. Meyer Vetoes Leg Hall Expansion Funding. I’m with him on this one:
Gov. Matt Meyer vetoed a controversial expansion of Dover’s Legislative Hall from the state’s capital spending bill on Tuesday.
In a statement, Meyer cited cost concerns as the reason he employed the little-used line-item veto. He claimed the $35 million project to upgrade security inside the statehouse, among other improvements, could “be addressed at a lower cost.”
The comments follow similar affordability themed rhetoric from Meyer over the past year, including last month when he called on state energy regulators to suspend an electricity-rate increase from Delmarva Power.
Meyer also noted that the $35 million – the third largest appropriation of any kind in the state bond bill – was only an initial allocation toward the larger project anticipated to cost upward of $116 million.
The veto could also reignite tensions between the governor and lawmakers within his own Democratic Party that had largely gone dormant in recent months following a contentious first year in office for Meyer.
In a joint statement, Rep. Debra Heffernan (D-Bellefonte) and Sen. Jack Walsh (D-Stanton), co-chairs of the state’s Joint Capital Improvement Committee, condemned Meyer’s veto.
Heffernan and Walsh said the expansion would have improved safety and accessibility within the statehouse. The current layout presents a variety of challenges for residents seeking to participate in state government, they said.
I call bullshit. In fact, the so-called improvements would likely have made it more difficult for residents seeking to participate.
Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton (D-Bear) said the veto was “the right thing to do for Delaware taxpayers.” She said the $35 million allocated to the expansion could have gone to other, more timely projects, like road repairs across the state.
Wilson-Anton, a member of the progressive flank of the legislature’s Democratic caucus, said she has no appetite to override Meyer’s veto. It is not immediately clear how other progressives feel about an override vote, but enough organized opposition could kill the possibility entirely.
House Minority Whip Jeff Spiegelman (R-Clayton) said Meyer made “some good points” in his veto statement that some Republicans are receptive to.
He also said the $35 million appropriation reflects the most costly of three upgrade proposals that legislative leaders considered. He said the other proposals “still take into account the security needs that we have.”
John Flaherty, a spokesman for the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, said he was pleased with the governor’s decision. Flaherty has been urging lawmakers to reject spending for a Legislative Hall expansion, which he said is too costly and unnecessary.
“A well-deserved veto of a foolish project,” he said. “I’m sure they [state lawmakers] work hard, but there are many, many alternatives that they can utilize. They need to utilize better scheduling, they need to improvise, they need to adapt.”
I, for one, hope that there is a veto override vote. Want to get these Delaware Way insiders on the record. Which, BTW, is why I don’t think it will happen. Not in an election year.
Now, if only Meyer would line-item veto the Jobs For Delaware Graduates funding in the Grants-In-Aid…
Trump’s War On Fair Elections Escalates. Make no mistake, he really is trying to rig the midterms, aided and abetted by the outlaw Department Of Justice:
The Trump administration is requiring states to change the way they conduct elections or risk losing tens of millions of federal terrorism-prevention funds, in its latest move that would make voting harder and undermine trust in results that don’t go President Trump’s way.
The effort would force states to transition to paper ballots, verify citizenship of voters and make other changes to election procedures, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency documents.
FEMA, part of the Homeland Security Department, has told states that it would withhold 20 percent of some terrorism-preparedness grants unless they provide “proof of compliance” with the election security measures, the documents show. The grants, which total $1 billion each year, help pay for physical barriers and other security measures as well as planning and drill exercises and cybersecurity protections.
Courts have already blocked similar efforts by the administration to require changes to voting, saying the Constitution grants power over elections to states and not the executive branch.
Mr. Trump and his allies have made false claims of voter fraud for years, which have been investigated and debunked. But since he returned to power last year, he has tried to use the levers of the federal government, along with his influence over state and local lawmakers, to reshape American elections, though with little success. Mr. Trump has pushed new policies through cabinet agencies, including the Justice Department and the Homeland Security Department, and drafted two executive orders seeking to make extensive changes to how elections are run. Both of those executive orders have largely been blocked by courts.
Homeland Security officials said in an unsigned statement that election security and integrity were top administration priorities and that grant recipients should face accountability.
Among the infinite lies tossed out there every day by this administration, that one may well top the list.
Put That Nobel Peace Prize On Hold. Trump declares truce with Iran over:
Speaking at the Nato summit, Trump says the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran is “over” because “I do not want to deal with them any more, they are scum”.
They are sick people, they are vicious, violent people.”
He then adds:
As far as I am concerned, it’s just a waste of time dealing with them. They are liars. … There is something wrong with them. They are cuckoo. As far as I am concerned, it is over.”
The Iranian foreign ministry said earlier that US attacks on Iran, plus other “violations” of the MoU, have rendered it “ineffective”.
ICE Kills Again. Uses the same discredited excuse that is their go-to:
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed a Mexican national Tuesday morning in Houston, according to a spokesperson with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes ICE.
In a statement to Houston Public Media, the spokesperson said the shooting occurred at around 6:50 a.m. Tuesday during a “targeted enforcement operation.” ICE identified the man who died as Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, saying he was from Mexico and did not have legal status in the U.S.
“From information we are receiving (from whom, exactly?), he rammed an ICE law enforcement vehicle, refused to follow multiple verbal commands, and weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer, resulting in our officer firing his weapon in self-defense,” the ICE spokesperson said.
I don’t believe a syllable of it. Legalized murder, ICE being the judge, jury, and executioner.
What do you want to talk about?
Withhold anti-terrorism funds? The funds that are never used to investigate and prosecute real terrorists, the right-wing groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys? What use are they?
The best possible use of anti-terrorism funds would be to protect our residents against ICE and Trump’s DOJ.