Delaware Dem

The PDD/DL Vote Tracker for the week ending March 22, 2013. Where is the Marriage Equality Bill?

Here is the third update to the PDD-DL Vote Tracker, to reflect the action that has taken place since the General Assembly returned from the Budget hearing recess during February and early March.

One bill you will not see on the chart below is the Marriage Equality Bill. But that is only because it has not been filed yet. It has been reported that Rep. Melanie George Smith will introduce marriage equality legislation during this session. The session ends on June 30, 2013 at midnight. Interestingly, the Supreme Court will likely issue its ruling in two marriage equality cases (Hollingsworth v. Perry is about the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8 and United States v. Windsor argues that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional) on or about the same day, as the Court usually holds its most important or controversial decisions for the very last day of its term, which also ends at the end of June (remember last year with the Obamacare ruling, it was on June 28). One thought I had was that Rep. Smith would wait until the ruling to introduce the legislation as the worst the Court could do is return the issue of marriage equality to the states. But I would think Smith and other advocates would not want to wait until to last minute to introduce and then vote on the bill.

So we are probably looking at April, after the Easter break. Come inside for the full chart.

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The Weekly Addresses

President Obama:

Governor Markell:

Come inside for the West Wing Week and for President Obama’s speech to the people of Israel.

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Friday Open Thread [3.22.13]

It seems that the Israeli left and center is really really pleased, even excited, but President Obama’s speech yesterday. From Haaretz:

Sometimes it takes someone from the outside, like U.S. President Barack Obama, to show up and tell it like it is to the Israelis: You’ve got a wonderful country, you’re wise and just, you suffered and you deserve a state, and as long as the United States exists you’ll never stand alone – but for God’s sake, enough! Stop the settlements, stop the occupation, stop the deportations, stop the ongoing abuse of the Palestinians, and stop the settlers’ violence. Enough.

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Oh, you didn’t think the story of Crazy Boy Christopher was done, did you?

You can read Judge Graves full Summary Judgment opinion here (warning PDF). El Som posted the conclusion yesterday, but I found one particular argument that the “Sheriff” made in his legal brief, and one particular reaction from a supporter of the teabagging-Woody-Toy-Action-figure-come-to-life to be particularlly revealing.

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The Polling Report [3.20.13]

Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) approval rating has plummeted since the November election to 35% approval and 54% disapproval. This is a pretty shocking polling collapse from last August, when his approval rate was 50% to 32%. I guess the public read his budget. I guess the American people don’t want his budget. So perhaps Paul Ryan can stop saying the American people want his budget. Yeah, asking a Republican to stop lying is like asking a bird to stop flying.

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