1.  Deb Heffernan Announces Retirement.  This is big.  Big big.  I had learned while campaigning for Becca Cotto back in 2022 that Heffernan had a lot of residual goodwill in that district.  Cotto ran a great race, far exceeded her projected ‘win’ number (the number of votes the ‘calculus’ suggested she needed to reach to win), but lost.  Didn’t help that Matt Meyer went out of his way to help Deb.  But that was then, this is now. Rachel ‘Rae’ Krantz has been campaigning for this seat for months now.  A good old-fashioned grassroots campaign.  Meeting voters at the door, attracting volunteers and raising enough money to be competitive.  With Deb Heffernan announcing that she would retire at the end of her term, Rae is in a great position.  She’s also a fantastic progressive candidate.  We don’t yet know if Heffernan had lined up someone to run, or if she just finally decided that it was time. Although word on the street is that the Finnigans and Byrds of the district have someone lined up.  I urge all of you to check out Rae’s website.  The 6th RD is a Brandywine Hundred/Bellefonte/Penny Hill/Mt. Pleasant HS area district.  It’s a solid D district.  With your help, this can become a progressive D district.  I’m psyched!

Update:  Annnd, just like that, another candidate has entered the race.  One Ed Mulvihill. He runs Peco’s Liquor Store. His platform? Drivel:

Ed Mulvihill is a husband, father, and small business owner running to bring practical, community-focused leadership to Dover — focused on open communication, real transparency, and being accessible to the people he represents. Fighting for safer neighborhoods, stronger schools, and an economy that works for everyone.

Check out his issues page. Drivel.  He hasn’t thought about shit.  Check out Rae’s issues page.  Click on the arrows.  That’s what a serious legislative candidate does.

This makes one thing clear–some people were clued in to Heffernan’s retirement ahead of time.

2.  Mike Ramone Refuses To Take No For An Answer.  This year, he’s running for State Treasurer as an R.  Fittingly, he announced on WDEL’s Rick Jensen Show.  All twenty listeners were excited to hear the news.  Why’s he running, you ask?:

“The reality of why I’m running is I like to help, I like to do good things and quite frankly, Delaware is in a moment of financial crisis,” Ramone said. “I know the role of treasurer. I’ve been in Dover for 16 years. I know what you can and can’t do.” He added that he would like to bring “problem-solving ideas and thoughts, and most importantly some experience of working with people in a united bipartisan way.”

“My job as an elected official is not to find the best ways to spend your money or even to create more ways to raise new money. My job is simple: I serve the people, I do what they want and bring in my experience in the legislature and my experience in business to have creative discussions, ideas, throw them on the table and see what we can do to make Delaware the place it used to be, one of the best places to live in the country,” Ramone said.

Translation: ‘I have to scratch my itch to run.  I just can’t help myself.’  Also has to scratch his itch to lose.  This time to one of two Democrats who can barely call Delaware their home.  But lose he will.

3.  Kent County R’s File Sorta A Slate For County Offices.  Their names and office sought:  Norman R. Barlow For Sheriff.  Frank Coleman For Levy Court At-Large.  Robert Scott For Levy Court District 4.  Paul Hertz For Kent County Levy Court 6.  All but Coleman are incumbents.  If their dreams were to be mentioned in the Delaware Political Weekly, their dreams have now been realized.

4.  R Bryan Shupe To Be Primaried? Or is he retiring?  R Patrick Smith has filed for Shupe’s 36th RD seat.  The district cuts Milford in half, goes east to the ocean, west to Ellendale, and south to, well, no place in particular.  Unless the Old Furnace Wildlife Area is a place.  (Why do I have visions of a buncha deer warming their paws around a wood stove?  Hallucinogens, perhaps?) Shupe barely, and I mean barely survived a challenge from Smith in 2024.  We’re talking 12 votes.

5.  D Primary In RD 9.  Both candidates had been running, but Gemma Lowery made it official today.  She will face Michelle Wall for the right to challenge and hopefully defeat Kevin Hensley in this Odessa/Townsend/Port Penn area district.

5.  Lydia York Files For Reelection.  She’s done a great job as State Auditor.  Don’t know if the Rethugs will even bother to run anybody.

6.  Ol’ Lump Files For Reelection:  One of two epic recruiting fails this cycle–the other inexplicably being the failure to find someone to primary Nicole Poore.  Look on the bright side–if you believe that gerbil-brained Delawareans deserve representation, then  RD 28’s State Rep. Bill Carson is just the elected official for them.  Let’s just hope that he becomes more inconsequential in a caucus with increased progressive strength.

That’s all I’ve got this week.  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?

You know what to do.  Here’s where you do it:

https://www.raefordelaware.com/

You just know that the Finnigans and the Byrds will be looking for an easily-malleable insider to try to fill that seat.  Time to really rally around Rae!

It’s more challenging writing an interesting legislative piece on Thursdays.  Little, other than committee hearings, happens on Wednesdays.  And there are no committee meetings on Thursdays.  Basically, the agendas are pretty much the only items worth discussing today.  Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.

Thankfully, there are some substantive (if not universally desirable) bills for us to chew over.  Today’s Senate Agenda features Delaware’s rush to get deeper into the crypto game. in the respective forms of SS1/SB 16  and SS2/SB 19, both sponsored by Sen. Mantzavinos.  In classic fashion, the fiscal notes feature the bills’ relatively modest costs.  As to the revenue generated?  “Indeterminable”.  The Delaware Way folks behind the bill clearly believe that it’s gonna be a bleepload.  As in:

This Act provides authorization for the State Bank Commissioner (the “Commissioner”) to establish a schedule of fees for applications, license renewals, examination costs, registrations, and other regulatory functions, as the Commissioner determines appropriate, after the promulgation of regulations in relation to the provisions of the Delaware Code established by this Act.

At the time of issuance of this fee impact statement, the schedule of fees and the number of entities that may apply for service or be impacted by a schedule of fees after the final regulations to implement this Act have been promulgated are unknown. Therefore, the additional revenue is indeterminable.

The key bill on today’s House Agenda is HB 400 (Harris), which ‘alters various fees assessed by the Delaware Secretary of State. The Act provides that most changes to the fees will take effect on August 1, 2026, however changes to the partnership, limited partnership, and limited liability company annual tax and changes to the annual tax on registered series of limited partnerships and limited liability companies will take effect on January 1, 2026.’  Annual revenue to be derived from this bill projects to be around $142 mill.  You may note that no Rethugs are on the bill as co-sponsors.  The D sponsors are either in leadership and/or co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee.  Does that mean that Rethugs don’t want to fund the items that would have to be cut from the budget were these funds not available?  Guess we’ll find out today.

We also have the proposed codification of the DEFAC Committee.  My take?  Pass it as soon as possible so that I never have to hear the phrase ‘DuPont-Cook’ ever again.  You wanna define the term ‘The Delaware Way’?  You can begin and end with the term ‘DuPont-Cook’.

With that, I’ll end right there.

Oops, I missed something yesterday and, for the newbies, this will (very narrowly) expand your knowledge base.  The House ran a Consent Agenda on Tuesday.  A consent agenda consists of non-controversial and often inconsequential legislation.  Several bills, in other words, to be approved by a single roll call.  At the request of any legislator, an item will be removed from the consent agenda.  No discussion required.

You just learned something new today.  I dare you to unlearn it.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.

Oh, man, so many committee meetings today.  I knew I should have started this last night.  But I was mesmerized by the Virginia referendum results as the ‘no’ vote led for a long time before the votes out of Fairfax County and the area around Richmond turned the tidewater.  Deep breath, coffee at the ready, here goes.  Today’s House Committee highlights:

HB 366 (Gorman) ‘ prohibits law-enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings that obscure the identity of the individual wearing them in the course of their duties, with exceptions for undercover operations and exigent circumstances.’

HB 367 (Gorman) ‘requires every law enforcement agency in Delaware to adopt and publicly post a written policy requiring officers to display identification while performing enforcement duties. Identification must include the officer’s agency and a name, a badge number, or both.’

HB 368 (Gorman) ‘prohibits detaining or extending the detention of any person based solely upon an immigration detainer or civil immigration warrant, with exceptions for a person who has been convicted of a violent felony, is a convicted sex offender, has 3 or more convictions for driving under the influence, or is a perpetrator of domestic violence.’  All three bills in Judiciary. 

HJR 10 (Ross Levin) ‘indicates that the reimbursement rates for Purchase of Care providers serving children ages 0-5 should be increased by 10% for FY2027 across all settings.’  Not sure about the word ‘indicates’. Health & Human Development.

HB 360 (Snyder-Hall) ‘requires political committees to submit quarterly campaign finance reports, as opposed to only annual reports.’  I say ‘yesyesyes’.  Expect the General Assembly to say ‘nonono’. Elections & Government Affairs. 

HB 344 (Morrison) ‘clarifies and streamlines the disclosure and enforcement provisions of Delaware’s campaign finance laws.’  I love this bill. Check this out:

(1) Requires a political committee to submit written documentation of all loans provided to the committee and requires that proceeds of a loan are deposited into the committee’s account within 3 business days. (2) Prohibits candidates from charging interest on personal loans to a candidate committee. (3) Requires political committees to retain records for 5 years, rather than 3 years. (4) Requires the State Election Commissioner to provide the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust (within the DOJ) with a monthly list of alleged violations of campaign finance laws and further clarifies that the Division must investigate and prosecute violations of campaign finance laws.

There’s more.  It’s all good stuff.  Elections & Government Affairs.

HS 1/HB 215 increases taxation on certain tobacco products.  Not by much, though.  Should be more, IMO.  But these cigar merchants seem to have a pipe-line to legislators.  Administration.

Today’s Senate Committee highlights:

SB 249 (Pinkney):

“…does all of the following: (1) Establishes a regulatory framework for substance use harm reduction programs that provides immunities for program providers and staff. (2) Modifies the definition of drug paraphernalia. (3) Decriminalizes possession of paraphernalia for individuals who use drugs, while retaining prohibitions for paraphernalia used in the manufacturing or distribution of drugs and the selling of certain drug paraphernalia.”  Health & Social Services.

SB 283 (Pinkney) ‘expands the scope of practice for dental hygienists in this State. Allowing dental hygienists to use the full range of their education and expertise when providing oral health services will help alleviate provider shortages that make it challenging for Delawareans to obtain dental care. In particular, this Act will help fill gaps in access to preventative oral health care.’  A great bill that could have happened years ago had it not been for the opposition from the Delaware Dental Society.  Hopefully, exigent circumstances have altered the calculus.  Health & Social Services. 

SB 263 (Sokola) ‘adds minor league baseball players to the existing exemptions from state minimum wage and recordkeeping standards. After minor league players formed a union in 2022, minor league players represented by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) signed their first collective bargaining agreement with Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2023. This exemption actualizes that existing collective bargaining agreement between the players union and MLB’.  Hmmm, that reads to me like minor league baseball players aren’t required to receive minimum wage. Am I wrong? Labor.

SB 18 (Mantzavinos) is the ‘crypto-enablement’ bill.  It ‘modernizes the State’s regulatory framework for money transmission and addresses the emergence of virtual currency’.  Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology.

SB 65 (Hocker) ‘removes Delaware from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (“RGGI”) as the state has already exceeded its CO2 reduction goals, cutting emissions by 45%.’  File under ‘Why Rethugs Suck’. Environment, Energy & Transportation.

SB 277 (Hoffner) ‘establishes comprehensive protections and reasonable accommodations for pregnant and parenting students in all Delaware schools receiving state approval and financial assistance.’ Education.

There’s only one item on today’s Senate Agenda, and it’s a bill that passed the House unanimously.

Before I close, I encourage you to read this WHYY report on a proposed bill of rights for Delaware’s homeless.  Sponsor Rep. Sophie Phillips explains the reason for the bill:

“Federal, state and private funding for homelessness services is disjointed and difficult to access for service providers,” Phillips said during the hearing. “Rather than addressing this, we are relying on arrests and fines. HB 135 will not allow arrests and fines simply for being homeless, specifically, if they have nowhere else to go.”

Longtime advocate Becca Cotto says it better than I ever could:

“This legislation recognizes that simple but powerful truth, housing instability should never be met with punishment,” Cotto said. “Criminalizing survival, sleeping, resting, protecting oneself or storing one’s belongings only deepens trauma and pushes people further from stability.”

There’s little doubt that this bill will be a tough lift, and it might well be rewritten several times along the way.  However, a humane society would work together to address this.  How humanely Delaware’s governmental entities respond to this remains to be seen.  But at least Sophie Phillips has.

One of this session’s key bills highlights today’s House Agenda.  HB 400 (Harris) increases business licensing fees assessed by the Department of State.  In other words, modest increases for LLC’s and corporations who choose to make Delaware their official home.  We’re not talking about mom-and-pop businesses, and we’re mostly not talking about business entities who conduct much, if any, business in Delaware.  This bill, to a great degree, came about after the Joint Finance Committee heard from state agencies and programs that were at risk of cuts due to Delaware’s weakened revenue forecasts.  I look for, at worst, a straight party line vote in favor.  The bill has a 3/5ths passage requirement.  However, when you consider that the individual fee increases are minor (volume of transactions is where the State will make their money) and when you consider that some of these programs in jeopardy are also supported by some R’s, I would hope the vote would be closer to unanimous.

I expect the votes on the so-called ‘corporate law’ package to probably be close to unanimous as well.  Some of these bills are on today’s House Agenda, and they will be floor-managed by Richards, Layton & Finger’s Legislator Of The Year Krista Griffith.  I know that the Senate has at least, in recent years, brought attorneys in to answer questions.  I don’t know if the House is doing the same.  Suffice it to say that these bills are unintelligible to lay persons.  That is not accidental.

Finally, I want to put my two cents in on, of all things, a Charter Change.  It has been requested by the Village of Arden, of which I am a resident.  I know that several legislators read these pieces, and I want to let them know why I fully support this bill.  I did not agree with all of the elements in this proposal.  However, the process that got us here was fair and democratic in the best possible way.  Arden’s form of government is town meeting.  We have a minimum of four every year, more if necessary, and we’ve had more than four out of necessity in the past few years. The Town Assembly voted to have all the proposed changes voted on by all of the town residents, and a separate timeline was established to enable all residents to vote on each of the proposed changes.  I think there were something like 20 or so changes, many of them of the getting rid of outdated language variety, but some substantive.  I think all but one or two of the changes were approved by the residents, and that is what the General Assembly is considering.

A small, but exceedingly vocal, minority has gone to Dover claiming that what the town did was undemocratic.  Here’s the real story–for the better part of the last decade, this small group has functioned as Human Rain Delays, and has made it very difficult for the Town to conduct even routine business.  No matter what is before the Town Assembly, this group of no more than about ten residents has conspired to drag out proceedings to the point where the Assembly eventually loses its quorum, after which no votes can be taken.  This is a deliberate strategy. I’ve stopped going to town meeting because of this, as have many other residents of the village.

While it is understandable that legislators unfamiliar with what happened may well give the complaints of these few some weight, I am here to tell you that this was an open and fair process.  If you are a legislator reading this, please support the Charter Change.

Today’s Senate Agenda features SB 266 (Cruce), which updates state election law.  It is a minor bill that blows its own horn too mightily:

This Act safeguards elections in this State by strengthening fairness and impartiality in both the conduct of elections and the enforcement of election laws. Election protections are strengthened because this Act updates Title 15 so that the terms and procedures reflect modern vocabulary, technology, and best practices. Most of the revisions in this Act are technical, clarifications, or conform existing law to current practices in regard to determining an individual’s place of residence, requirements for electronic voting system software, performing audits of election results, and adjudicating or curing deficient absentee ballots.

In other words, it really doesn’t do anything, just puts them all in the same Title of the Delaware Code.

Welp, that’s pretty much all that floats my boat Agenda-wise.  There are just a few House committee meetings today.  Highlights include:

House Bill 135 (Phillips):

This Act seeks to incentivize localities to coordinate or create adequate emergency housing, permanent housing, and wrap-around services for individuals experiencing homelessness, which will ease the financial burden placed on emergency services, hospitals, and the criminal justice system, while providing unhoused individuals stability and dignity. To that end, this Act does the following: 1. Permits an individual experiencing homelessness to conduct life sustaining activities in public, so long as such activities do not obstruct the normal movement of pedestrian or vehicular traffic in such a manner that creates a hazard to others, unless adequate alternative indoor space is available to the individual in a given jurisdiction and has been offered to the individual, including transportation for the individual and their belongings. 2. Mandates that an individual experiencing homelessness receive the same degree of protection for personal property stored in public places as personal property stored in a private dwelling, which includes protections against unreasonable search and seizure. 3. Prohibits the State or local jurisdiction from requiring an individual experiencing homelessness to move a motor vehicle or a recreational vehicle provided that the vehicle is parked on public property and the vehicle is not parked in a position to obstruct the normal movement of traffic or create a hazard to other traffic upon the highway. 4. Provides that, if a motor vehicle or recreational vehicle must be moved because the vehicle is obstructing normal movement of traffic or creates a hazard to other traffic on the roadway, the individual experiencing homelessness must be permitted to relocate the vehicle before a parking ticket is issued or the vehicle is towed. Housing.

You will note that Senate leaders Sokola and Lockman are on the bill as co-sponsors, but no member of the House Democratic ‘leadership’ is on the bill.  Not even faux-empath Kerri Evelyn Harris. This is but one example of how the so-called House leaders express their disdain for progressive legislators.  This is but one reason why Phil Shawe has g(r)ifted Speaker Mimi Minor-Brown with a fully-funded PAC to stop progressive progress.  I predict it won’t work.  Rep. Phillips is one of our best young legislators.  I hope this bill passes.

HB 338 (Gorman) ‘clarifies that individual, group, and blanket health insurance carriers must provide for and pay for services (including immunizations) that were recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the comprehensive guidelines supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that were in effect as of January 1, 2025. They must also cover immunizations that were supported by national clinical guidelines or national standards of care in effect on January 1, 2025.’

Kids, the bolded portion is why this bill has been introduced.  It’s designed to require continued insurance coverage for immunizations that RFK Jr. has decided are the work of the Devil.  Another ‘Delaware Fights Back’ bill. Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce.

Hoo-boy–lots of committee meetings tomorrow.  See you then.

1.  Rep. Ronald Gray Announces Retirement, Suggests Successor:

State Rep. Ron Gray (R-38^th) is not running for an eighth two-year term, but is instead supporting Fenwick Island businesswoman Carlie Carey — former owner of One Coastal restaurant — to succeed him.

“We talked to some different people, and someone suggested her name. We asked her, and she pretty much said no. And then she thought about it. I really wanted to have someone that had business experience, because a lot of legislators in Dover don’t have any business experience. They are retired police officers or they had insurance jobs. We have had environmental attorneys.

“They are all good people,” Gray added, “but having business sense is really important. The government should be run efficiently and as well as you can. And having that business experience enables you to make good decisions.

“One of the things about Carlie — she said she has lived the life of a constituent. She grew up here, and she wants to support the people in the district. She doesn’t have political experience, but she has run a business, and she will do a really good job if she’s elected. And I wanted to try to get somebody younger who can be in there for years and make a difference,” he said, adding that he decided to retire to spend more time with his family.

So.  You know I like Maureen ‘Mo’ Madden, who is the Democratic candidate in the race.  I decided to do a deep dive on Carlie Carey, and, I apologize in advance, I really liked her and her family.  She has a self-deprecating sense of humor, and even has a background in the arts–a genuine rarity in the General Assembly.  A couple of links for you:

In My Kitchen.

One Coastal Kitchen During COVID.

Podcast Interview.  It’s clear that, when this interview took place in January, she had no idea that she’d be running for office four months later.

I’m sorry, she’s impossible to dislike.  Plus, did I mention that they raise Great Pyrenees pups?  I love that breed! Someday, I’ll explain why.  That family would be right at home in Arden (except, possibly, for that farm thing).  And the numbers in that Suxco district are daunting:  7444 D; 11,510 R; 8112 I.  I’m rooting for Mo, but, if the R wins, we at least aren’t likely to have a MAGA Me-Too-er in the R Caucus.

2. Soldier Of God Vs. Soldier?  Yep, we’re talking the RD 41 Republican Primary.  John Atkins, who claims he’s found Jesus and a Good Woman, has officially filed.  I didn’t know much about primary opponent Doug Conaway until I saw this:

https://www.facebook.com/votedougconaway/videos/vote-doug-conaway-for-state-rep-of-delawares-41st-district/1718298872485256/

Ho-kay. Hey, this is truly Lower Slower.  There’s a third R in the race, Jacki Slonin.   She ‘wants to do’ a lot of things, according to the website.  Not at all clear what she’s done.

3. Rematch in RD 14.  laire Snyder-Hall vs. Mike Simpler, Part Deux.  Snyder-Hall defeated Simpler by a 55-45 margin in 2024. The numbers were 9630 to 7995. Yes, I know that Claire has pissed some people off. But, she was coming off of a bruising primary in which retiring Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf tried to use his influence to defeat her. So, at least for now, I look for a similar result.

4. D Justine Cuccia Challenges Incumbent Douglas Hudson In Sussex County Council District 4:

Justine Cuccia has filed as a Democratic candidate for Sussex County Council District 4 in the 2026 election, challenging the seat currently held by Douglas B. Hudson of Ocean View, who is serving his second consecutive term.

Cuccia, a lawyer and educator, said she brings more than 20 years of grassroots leadership to the race. She has co-organized three “No Kings” rallies in Bethany Beach, including the March 28 event that drew more than 1,600 participants and works alongside Indivisible Southern Delaware.

Cuccia said she has also worked as a substitute teacher in schools throughout Sussex County for several years. Cuccia previously served on the Community Board 1 for lower Manhattan, one of New York’s 59 community boards, since 2010. She said she often discussed land use, zoning, and budget priorities on the advisory-like body.

Her campaign is centered on managing growth and addressing infrastructure challenges in Sussex County.

“If we don’t prioritize people who work here also being able to live here, then every small business in Sussex will be endangered by having to pay employees extra to commute hours each day, and those businesses will have no choice but pass those costs on to all of us,” said Cuccia. “We need to guide land use to include more clinical facilities, because if we don’t, Sussex’s rising population will turn our communities into healthcare deserts.”

I, of course, like her politics. Don’t know enough about this councilmanic district to know about her prospects in November.

5. Filing(s): Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos (D-SD 7). 

That’s all I’ve got this week.  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.  Pretty much the only thing I noticed was that a lot of bills with lengthy synopses (enough to fry my synapses) cleared committee.  YMMV.  Oh, and ‘Christian’ Sen. Richardson has introduced yet another ‘pro-life’ bill called ‘The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act’.   Well, actually, it’s a Senate Substitute, but I just wanted to keep you apprised of what the Rethugs are up to.

Here is today’s Senate Agenda.  You will note that consideration of nominations that were previously scheduled for Wednesday are on today’s Agenda.

Today’s House Agenda is much more noteworthy:

HS 2/HB 94 (Lynn) ‘restricts State and local law-enforcement from cooperating with federal agencies conducting civil immigration enforcement activities at child-serving entities, institutions of higher education, places of worship, or health-care facilities except in exigent circumstances.’

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.’  In other words, no private (aka ‘for-profit’) prisons in Delaware.

HB 291 (Morrison) ‘prohibits the Department of Corrections from entering into contracts with any for-profit entity for the use of inmate labor. This Act does not apply to § 6533 of Title 11 relating to outside employment and work release.”

A pretty pro-forma session yesterday.  I listened to the Senate Corrections Committee hearing on the Plummer Center and the residents and programs that have now been transferred to a facility in Smyrna.  The main takeaway?  The Plummer Center ain’t coming back, at least not in its previous capacity.  Here is an article about the hearing.

Here is yesterday’s Session Activity Report.   All the bills on both agendas passed.

Huge Committee Day today.  Starting with the Senate highlights:

Two bills dealing with ‘virtual currency’:

SB 16 (Mantzavinos) ‘addresses digital assets, expands the State Bank Commissioner’s authority, modernizes corporate governance and organizational requirements for state-chartered banks and trust companies, facilitates interstate trust company operations and conversions, and expands the authority of out-of-state financial institutions to act as fiduciaries in Delaware’.  The bill is called ‘The Bank Modernization Act Of 2026’.  In Delaware-Speak, that means we’re making Delaware ‘more attractive’ for the purveyors of these services regardless of whether it’s in the public interest.

A companion bill, SB 19 (Mantzavinos), ‘establishes the Delaware Payment Stablecoin Act under Title 5 of the Delaware Code. It creates a licensing framework for payment stablecoin issuers and digital asset service providers operating with or on behalf of Delaware residents.’  Longtime students of the Delaware legislative process know that these are the kinds of bills that make it to the Governor’s desk within weeks.  No use fighting it.  Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology.

SB 269 (Sturgeon) ‘requires individual health insurance policies under Chapter 33 of Title 18, group and blanket health insurance policies under Chapter 35 of Title 18, and the state employee health plan under Chapter 52 of Title 29 to cover’ hearing aids under several circumstances. Banking, Business, Insurance & Technology.

Two bad ‘pro-life’ bills from ‘Christian’ Sen. Richardson.  Neither is getting out of committee, so I’m not linking.  Health & Social Services. 

SB 9 (Hansen) ‘institutes a State nontidal wetlands program to include additional wetlands that are no longer regulated at the federal level. The State wetlands program will cover both tidal and nontidal wetlands, and in that manner fill in gaps in federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act and mitigate the uncertainty surrounding the limits to federal jurisdiction and improve efficiencies in the wetland permitting processes.’  That synopsis reads like ‘We’re doing this because the Trump Administration no longer is’.  Environment, Energy & Transportation.

SB 276 (Hansen) ‘amends Delaware law to provide that electric cooperatives are not required to provide electric supply service to large load electric users with a projected monthly demand of more than 50MW.  Environment, Energy & Transportation.

Rethugs gotta Rethug.  SB 222 (Buckson) ‘is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would create term limits for legislators and the Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Auditor of Accounts, and State Treasurer. Specifically, this Act provides: (1) That an individual may not be elected to be a Senator more than 5 times or a Representative more than 8 times. (2) That an individual may not be appointed or elected to serve more than 2 times each as the Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, Auditor of Accounts, or State Treasurer.  Can we talk? Progressive Democrats have been doing a pretty damn good job of getting rid of legislators who no longer represent their constituents.  There might have been a time when one could argue that this proposal had relevance.  That time is not now.  Executive.

SB 268 (Brown) ‘provides the following support for federal workers during a government shutdown: (1) In Section 1 of this Act, interest free loans to provide financial assistance. (2) In Section 2 of this Act, free transportation on public transit. (3) In Sections 3 through 6 of this Act, deferral of certain State, county, and school tax filings, payments, and collections.’  Good bill. Elections & Government Affairs.

Today’s House Committee highlights:

It’s that time again.  The Corporate Law section of the Delaware Bar is back with their annual package to ‘to keep it current and to maintain its national preeminence’.  There was a time when that was presumed to mean ‘cutting-edge best practices’.  That has changed to ‘giving away as much as we need to keep companies from fleeing to states with Wild West corporate practices’.  Appropriately, the House package is being sponsored by Richards, Layton & Finger’s most-favored and handsomely-remunerated corporate lackey, Rep. Griffith.  Here are the bills.  Nobody really knows what’s in them:  HB 352;  HB 353;  HB 354.  Judiciary.

HB 316 (Morrison) makes clear that statutes making it a felony to attack state employees also applies to attacks on elected officials.  Judiciary.

Here’s one I found interesting.  HB 337 (Ortega) ‘requires that effective amounts of folic acid be added to corn masa flour and corn masa which are staples in many minority diets.’  Here’s why:

Minority communities in the United States face a greater risk of neural tube defects (NTDs), which are serious birth defects that occur during early pregnancy. NTDs include spina bifida, characterized by an opening along the spine that can cause mild to severe nerve damage and disability, and anencephaly, a fatal condition where parts of the brain or skull are missing in newborns. Research has shown that daily intake of folic acid can reduce the risk of NTDs by over half. In response, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated folic acid fortification in enriched cereal grain products in 1998, resulting in a 35% reduction in NTD cases. However, this policy did not include corn masa flour, a staple in many minority diets.

Wow. I did not know that. Good bill. Health & Human Development.

HB 332 (Ross Levin) ‘requires that a person that prepares, distributes, sells, or advertises for sale a food that is represented to be a kratom product to disclose the factual basis on which the representation is made. It establishes prohibitions related to the preparation, distribution, sale, and advertisement of kratom products, including prohibiting the distribution or sale to individuals under the age of 21.’  Here’s an article from the Mayo Clinic on the problems associated with kratom.  I’d heard the term, but didn’t know what it was.  Now I do.  Health & Human Development.

We have two ‘show-horse’ education bills from Republicans. (Kids, when a bill only has Rethug sponsors, you know its sole purpose is to appear on websites and political lit.)  For completists, here are the two bills, both sponsored by the Original Michael Smith:  HB 330;  HB 331.

HB 400 (Harris) reflects the Governor’s proposal to increase certain business licensing fees.  The bill requires a 3/5ths vote in each house to ensure passage.  Meaning, the bills can pass on a straight party vote.  Were it 2/3rds, it would require some R support in the House.  Administration.

HB 370 (Harris) ‘codifies the Delaware Economic & Financial Advisory Council (“DEFAC”) which has existed by Executive Order since 1977. It is known and may be cited as the “DuPont-Cook Financial Responsibility Act.” The purpose of this Act is to preserve DEFAC’s current structure while strengthening continuity, transparency, and clarity. DEFAC consists of at least 25, but no more than 34, members.’  Not gonna lie, legislation that memorializes a ‘DuPont/Cook’ anything is distasteful to me.  But whatchagonna do? Administration.

Today’s Senate Agenda (remember, the House doesn’t run agendas on Wednesdays) is comprised mostly of nominations.  One helpful mnemonic device for those of you who struggle to remember names–Tim Sheldon has been reappointed to serve on the Delaware Solid Waste Authority.  So, whenever you think of Tim Sheldon, if you ever think of Tim Sheldon, just associate him with solid waste.  It’s perfect for him.

Well, they’re not exactly back with a bang.

The most interesting item on today’s docket, at least to me, is a hearing conducted by the Senate Corrections Committee to address the closing of the Plummer Center in Wilmington (started at 10).  I know, it’s already taking place as I write this.  I’ll report on it tomorrow.

The only item on today’s Senate Agenda is SS1/SB 3 (Brown), which ‘ is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to eliminate the limitations on when an individual may vote absentee and provide an absolute right to vote by absentee ballot without an excuse.’  The bill passed both the Senate and the House, but needs to be reconsidered due to a House amendment that was added to the bill.  It should pass as easily as it did during the first Senate vote, which was by a 16-5 vote,  surpassing the 2/3rds vote requirement.

Today’s House Agenda features HB 259 (K. Williams), which ‘requires the Division of Public Health to submit a report to various government officials and post on its website the data it receives from schools regarding the number of kindergartners who meet the requirements under this chapter for screening for lead poisoning.’

The agenda also features SCR 143 (Brown), which ‘establishes the Blockchain and Digital Innovation Task Force, established for the purpose of examining opportunities to maintain and enhance Delaware’s position as a leader in blockchain and digital innovation, and identifying how to attract and retain businesses engaged in digital assets and related technologies, while developing appropriate consumer protections and regulatory clarity’.  As is always the case with similar task forces, you can suss out the purpose of the task force by its appointees.  This is almost exclusively designed to promote these technologies, regardless of whether the promotion of these technologies is in the public interest.  Bottom line–Delaware needs revenue, this task force was formed with the express purpose of enabling Delaware to cut in on the revenues, regardless of potential dangers in rushing this through.  

There are a few committee meetings today in addition to the Senate Corrections Committee hearing.

Of today’s House Committee meetings, this is the one bill that interested me:

HB 273 (Morrison) ‘prohibits employers from asking employees or potential employees about political preferences, including donations the employee makes to candidates for office or political committees. It also prohibits employers from taking any adverse action against an employee based on political affiliation or preference.’  Labor.

BTW, for any newbies, I generally, but not always, highlight bills when they are in their house of origin.  That way, I don’t merely repeat what I had previously written.  As you can see, though, I will double-dip when I have a strong opinion about a bill, as I did above for SCR 143.  Enough housekeeping.

In fact, enough Pre-Game Show.  There are no other Senate committee hearings today.

1. Goodbye, Chris Beardsley.  Hello, Chris Beardsley?

Something tells me that, even as kind-of-a-joke, Beardsley will not have the staying power of other Delaware oddball politicos.  While (I don’t think) that he’s officially dropped out of the primary against Coons, he has already filed a committee for a Democratic Primary in (wait for it) State Senate District 14 against incumbent Kyra Hoffner.  Why?  Well, his daddy apparently has a place in the district, so perhaps he lives there? Oh, you mean, why is he doing this?  I have neither the psychological training nor background to explain that.  Unless his roots in SD 14 are far deeper than I suspect, he’s gonna get whooped by Hofner, leaving him, where, exactly?

Here’s my unsolicited suggestion to Chris–if you have any interest in developing your credibility for future runs for elective office, step back, don’t run for anything this time, and ask yourself–why am I running, what do I hope to accomplish?  If you persist in running for the State Senate seat, ask yourself the same questions.  If you can’t come up with a cogent 30-second explanation that you can share with voters at the door, then, once again, step back and sit this one out.  Whether you consider it such, this is constructive advice.

2. Atkins Finds G-d, The Bosoms Of A Good Woman, Seeks A Return To Dover.  

It’s official.  John Atkins is now a ballot-qualified candidate.  I guess that, in Delaware, having been imprisoned is no impediment to running for office.  And those beatings of wife and girlfriend don’t count because now he”s found the Lord.  He is now in a three-way R primary in RD 41.  The other two R’s are Douglas Conaway and Jacki Slonin.  I know I’m (pardon the expression) preaching to the converted, but Atkins is a complete and total con artist.  He’s good at it.  He lies so effortlessly that people believe him.  If the voters in RD 41 vote for him, they will get just what they deserve.  The only question is “When will he implode this time?”

3.  Two Great Candidates Are Now Officially On The Primary Ballot.

Adriana Leela Bohm, who is challenging Dan Cruce in SD 1 (we’ve talked about her a LOT), and David Redlawsk in RD 23, where he is running against Luann D’Agostino and Dan Seador.  Redlawsk’s candidacy intrigues me because I’m fascinated to see how a distinguished poli sci professor runs his campaign.  Plus, the only real analogy I can recall is the congressional candidacy of Jim Soles.  Will Redlawsk bring a new generation of political activists to the fore as Soles did?

4. Filing(s):  DINO Corporadem Bill Bush has filed for reelection in RD 29.

That’s all I’ve got this week.  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?

Sure looks that way.  We know how both Nicole ‘No Longer’ Poore and Our PAL Val parlayed elective office into jobs for which they were singularly unqualified, and how they made sure that their new employers were generously funded out of the bowels of Leg Hall.

Without passing judgment on her qualifications, it sure looks like Krista Griffith got a job for the specific purpose of ensuring a windfall both for herself and her employer.

Not coincidentally, she took the job as Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center in 2022.  The Children’s Advocacy Center is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit. She got the job after the end of the legislative session that year.  Since the Fiscal Year for 2023 runs until June of 2023, she did not receive full annual compensation, earning around $54, 000.  The key year is FY 2024.  She received annual compensation for that year of $121,641.  Here’s what’s important, though.  During the legislative year, which runs until June 30, 2024, the Joint Finance Committee worked on the FY ’25 proposed budget and grants-in-aid.  A separate Bond Bill Committee, comprised of different legislators, considered the capital budget.  While I don’t know if the Children’s Advocacy Center had previously requested funding from the Grants-In-Aid process, it is a fact that, for the FY 2025 grants-in-aid process, the Children’s Advocacy Project received Grants-In-Aid funding for the very first time.

Oh, did I mention that Rep. Griffith was on the JFC Committee that crafted both the Budget Bill and the Grants-In-Aid bill?  I have now.   Here is the Grants-In-Aid Bill for FY 2025.  Please go to page 7 of 31.  There it is:  Children’s Advocacy Center Of Delaware:  $1,136,000.  You will note that the organization’s name is underlined.  That means it was a first-time grant recipient.  So, a not-for profit dating back to May of 1996 receives state grant funding in the very first year that a state legislator becomes its Executive Director.  Not just a one-time grant either.  Here is the FY 2026 Grants-In-Aid bill.  Please go to page 6 of 29.  Another $1,136,000 to the Children’s Advocacy Center.  Please note that, once again, Rep. Griffith is on the bill as a sponsor.

To respond to the rope-a-dope that Sen. Trey Paradee uttered in the Cris Barrish piece this morning, you know about ‘never being pressured’ by the unethical legislator–kids come right up to your screen–come on, closer, YOU DON’T HAVE TO APPLY PRESSURE BECAUSE THIS IS THE DELAWARE WAY IN ITS CASUALLY CORRUPT MANNER.  You think Trey Paradee had to exert pressure to get funding for his bro’s (not yet proven to be) cancer-riddled soccer fields?  This is the way it’s always been done and will continue to be done until we vote in more ethical legislators.

Oh, and before Krista ‘Zuckerberg’ Griffith cries crocodile tears about what a wonderful agency this is, THAT’S NOT THE POINT.  The point is that she got the job because she could deliver the $$’s.  Full stop.

I hear that she’s now left the position b/c she’s running against someone who doesn’t intend to kowtow to the Musks, Zuckerbergs, and the other corporate giants who befoul our laws by throwing money and their weight around.   She knows she has a fight on her hands.  I hope she loses it.  You can help rid the General Assembly of this Corporate Rubber Stamp.. You can start by clicking right here.

I’ve been writing about the blatant conflicts-of-interest of Nicole Poore and ‘Our PAL’ Val Longhurst for, like, forever.  Here, for example (2017).  And here.  And here. And here.  And here. And here (2018).

There has been next-to-no coverage of the exploits of these two ethically-bankrupt public officials.  Or, there had been little coverage until it turned out that Longhurst had vanished from her PAL sinecure along with a whole lot of public money.  Not gonna lie, it’s been frustrating to me since it should have been long clear that they had crossed ethical lines, even for Delaware politicos.  Not to mention the blatant insiderism associated with the entire Delaware City Ft. DuPont debacle, which has similarly been ignored.  Yep, that, too was written in 2017.

Here we are in April of 2026, and look what just surfaced:

When Jobs for Delaware Graduates was seeking a new executive director in 2014, the agency wanted someone with a master’s degree who had worked in public education, had managed at a nonprofit, and could build relationships with state legislators.

Having connections with lawmakers was critical for the nonprofit that relies almost solely on state funding to help students overcome barriers and pursue academic, career, personal and social success.

JDG, as the agency is known, didn’t hire a leader with an advanced degree or experience in K-12 schools, though.

The agency did, however, hire someone with the strongest of connections to the General Assembly.

JDG chose an actual legislator — first-term state Sen. Nicole Poore.

Poore had only a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and had never worked in education. Instead, she’d held managerial jobs in the health care industry and corporate worlds, with six months at a nonprofit children’s health care facility.

But the Democrat checked perhaps the biggest qualification box for JDG — the ability to network with government officials who control the state’s purse strings.

Since joining JDG, Poore has been re-elected three times by voters in her Bear-area district. She’s been Senate majority whip and majority leader, and sat on the two so-called “money committees” that oversee how the state spends its $7 billion operating budget and billions of dollars in major construction projects.

As Poore’s clout and tenure in the Senate have grown, tens of millions of dollars have flowed from the state treasury to her agency.

WHYY News, which reviewed state contracts, bid documents and payment data for more than a decade, found that in fiscal year 2025, JDG’s taxpayer dollars came from:

• An annual payment of exactly $1,395,197 from fellow lawmakers that’s among the top few stipends in the Grant-in-Aid bill to nonprofits and volunteer fire companies. In 2017 and 2018, Poore was on the Joint Finance Committee that allocated Grant-in-Aid money to her agency.
• Contracts worth about $2.7 million with schools and three state departments: Education, Health and Social Services, and Services for Children, Youth & Their Families. Some contracts haven’t required bidding against other vendors. Poore sits on the Senate Education and Health and Social Services committees.

• A contract that paid JDG nearly $500,000 with the Department of Labor and its affiliate, the Delaware Workforce Development Board that has Poore as a member.

Yes she’s unethical.  Yes, I’m glad that Cris Barrish has written this story.  Somebody (other than me, apparently) should have written the story back in 2017.

BTW, if you closely read Chris’ story, you’ll note the name of another legislator soon to appear in a story along similar lines.  A legislator who was on Joint Finance/Grants-In-Aid  Committee when their agency received state funding for the very first time.  Right after they got the job heading that agency.  I’ll say it right now–that was no coincidence, that was Delaware Way corruption.