Delaware
Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up & Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 16, 2015
Miracle of miracles. The Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council DEFAC), which provides the official estimate of state revenues, has upped its revenue projection by $33 mill, which makes balancing the FY ’16 budget easier. Funny how often that happens. Some claim that it’s BS, or DEFACating. But, it’s OFFICIAL BS. This comes as some of Delaware’s most progressive legislators propose higher income brackets for Delaware’s wealthiest. Now, here’s the problem. The budget deficit for the following fiscal year is projected to be steep. Next year also just happens to be an election year. If the General Assembly is going to pass a more equitable income tax bill and create more revenue, it will have to be this year, not next year. Will the General Assembly finally restore some equity to the tax code, or will it wait and find itself in an almost impossible fiscal position next year? As usual, what I think will happen and what I hope will happen are the diametric opposites of each other. An increase in taxes on the wealthy provides a sustainable stream of revenue. Using one-times and combining them with rosy DEFAC projections simply kicks the can down the road. In this case, the road does not go on forever. Act now. Because it ain’t happenin’ in an Election Year.
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 10, 2015
I’ve got limited time to write about a whole lotta bills in committee for today. Most importantly, in the Senate Education Committee, HB 50(Kowalko) is again on the schedule. Remember Mike Matthew’s order from last week: Either it gets considered or RIOT.
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 9, 2015
The Biden viewing in Legislative Hall resulted in the cancellation of Thursday’s legislation session. In fact, it’s likely that legislative leaders spent much of Wednesday recalibrating scheduling plans for the rest of the month, due to the imminent loss of that Thursday session. This has thrown off the normal cicadian rhythms of session. And played with my head. Come inside to see what’s on the agenda for today in the General Assembly, and you can catch me on today’s Al Show from 10-12, where we’ll no doubt toss around Delaware Dem’s 2016 scenarios, and lots more.
Monday Daily Delawhere [6.8.15]
This Wilmington scene is from the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich’s work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
Sunday Daily Delawhere [6.7.15]
This Wilmington scene is from the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich’s work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
The Weekly Addresses
In this week’s address, the President recognized Immigrant Heritage Month, an occasion that allows us to celebrate our origins as a nation of immigrants.
In his weekly message, Governor Markell remembers and honors the life of Beau Biden.
Saturday Daily Delawhere [6.6.15]
This photo is from the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich’s work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
Friday Daily Delawhere [6.5.15]
The interior of St. Anthony’s of Padua Church, which will be the site of the viewing of former Attorney General Beau Biden today and his funeral mass tomorrow. This photo is from Tim Furlong’s Instagram.
Thursday Daily Delawhere [6.4.15]
This Wilmington scene is from the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich’s work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up & Pre-Game Show: Wednesday, June 3, 2015
The big news: Legislation decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use passed the House Tuesday. Despite an amendment that weakened the bill, not a single ‘small government’ Rethug voted for the bill. BTW, the amendment sucks. I can only guess that it was required to secure a sufficient number of votes to pass the bill. Otherwise, it should not have seen the light of day.
Wednesday Daily Delawhere [6.3.15]
Beginning today and occasionally over the next few weeks, we will be featuring the wonderful photography of Nick McNevich. McNevich’s work was recently featured in the News Journal. McNevich is also part of the CreateInWilm Facebook community, which is a cooperative group of artists, photographers, and craftspeople dedicated to bringing change to the city of Wilmington through art and expression.
Biden Funeral Scheduled for Saturday in Delaware
A private Mass for the Biden family was to be celebrated for the family June 4 at St. Joseph Church on the Brandywine in Greenville, Delaware, where he was a parishioner.
A funeral Mass for Biden was to be said June 6 at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Wilmington, Delaware. Burial will be at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Cemetery, where Beau’s mother and sister, who were killed in the car accident years ago, are buried.
I assume that the President and other “official mourners,” like Governor Markell, former Governor Minner, Senators Carper and Coons, will attend the Saturday mass at St. Anthony’s.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Let’s not mince words. Not since 2009 has the General Assembly entered June with so much uncertainty and so much unfinished business. I’d argue that it will even be a more difficult June than June of 2009.
Back then, everyone recognized that Delaware, like virtually every other state, was suffering from an economic downturn. The newly-minted governor was able to work with the General Assembly to craft a series of ‘revenue-enhancers’ to address the budget shortfall. R’s released just enough yes votes to enable bills to pass, in exchange for provisions sunsetting the revenue enhancers.
Fast-forward six years. This governor has lost a huge amount of political influence. So much so that his press flak has said that he’ll watch what the General Assembly does, and not actively broker any settlements. He has, in particular, lost a lot of leverage with Democrats. Some of this is inevitable. Lame ducks almost never have much political capital to spend by Year 7. Markell has also wasted political capital in ways that have earned him the enmity and distrust of D’s in particular. Whether it’s the disaster of Race To the Top, his attempt to bypass the General Assembly while looking to get rid of the Port of Wilmington, his sabotage of a meaningful minimum wage bill, his inability to rally support for his gas tax increase, his cheerleading for charter schools, his refusal to consider any tax increase on his wealthy pals, and so much more, he is as close to feckless as any governor facing a budget shortfall can be.
Except…he HAS, by Executive Order, created a panel to look at long-term changes to how Delaware funds government. Unfortunately, Markell has chosen to place a vast majority of DINO’s and Rethugs on the panel, ensuring that any recommendations it might make would not in any way address inequities in who pays what. The good news: the ideas that are being put forward by this group are likely to be DOA. I mean, eliminate the estate tax? Really? These are not serious proposals except in a world where ALEC is king.
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