General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., May 7, 2013

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Damn! I feel like Cathy Cloutier circa 2011. Gotta miss today's vote. Off the radar screen, although I'll be checking in from the road. This time, I think that Cathy Cloutier will be in the building, and that she will vote yes. In fact, I predict that both she and Bethany Hall-Long will do the right thing, which means that HB 75 will get 12 votes, and that marriage equality will become reality in Delaware. It should be a great day in Dover. Chamber and the gallery packed. Matt Denn presiding over the Senate in case he might have to cast the deciding vote. A lot of pent-up emotion. Hopefully to be followed by a joyful catharsis. Sen. Blevins has cleared the decks by scheduling HB 75, and only HB 75, on today's Senate agenda.  You all know that Delaware Liberal is the place to go for continuing coverage of this historic debate. Maybe I'll even chime in from someplace in Bumf-ck, Indiana, assuming that the internets have reached there. [Delaware Dem note: I will be setting up a Debate and Vote thread this afternoon].

QOTD — What to Do About Syria?

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This morning, I listened as NPR gave John McCain more air time to call for some type of intervention in the Syrian mess. Lindsay Graham has been screeching for more capability for someone over there to have better capacity to kill one another. Even Mitt Romney has gotten into the act to call President Obama weak over his handling of Syria. In the meantime, we have a press running all over the place certain that chemical weapons have been used in Syria, when that is far from certain:

The NRA’s Declaration Of War

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When I was growing up the NRA was all about guns.  Oh, they were political, but more along geographical lines (red state/blue state, urban/rural) than political parties.  And while we still see this today there's change in the air - and that change is being driven by the NRA. There was a time when being a gun owner was the only ideology one needed to be an NRA member.  Republican/Democrat/Independent/Liberal/Conservative didn't matter.  If you liked guns, the NRA was the group for you. But liking guns isn't enough anymore.  Today, the NRA has dropped any attempt at being a nonpartisan group of gun owners.  They have gone full Tea Party.  If you're a gun owning Dem or liberal the NRA has made it clear you're not welcome.  Of course, any sane person is no longer welcome because the NRA has finally revealed their crazy in stunning, splendid glory. Many of us have always known the crazy was there, but the NRA use to be somewhat politically savvy.  They spoke about the 2nd Amendment, protecting yourself, hunting and responsible gun ownership - they wore a mask of reasonableness.  That mask has been ripped off.

Friday Open Thread [5.3.13]

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The U.S. economy added 165,000 jobs in April, which is a good not great number, but the better news is the revisions for February (a great month that is now Clintonian Great) and March (a Bushian bad month of low job growth that has now become Obamian Good).
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised from +268,000 to +332,000, and the change for March was revised from +88,000 to +138,000. With these revisions, employment gains in February and March combined were 114,000 higher than previously reported.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., May 2, 2013

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The question of the day: 'Why Tuesday, Why Not Today?' Why is HB 75 (Marriage Equality), which cleared the Senate Executive Committee yesterday, not being worked today? The questions, and my highly-speculative answer are herein reprinted in their entirety:
Dale: Does anyone have any insight as to why the Senate vote on HB 75 was scheduled for next Tuesday, a full week (not actually) after the committee vote?
El Somnambulo thought that it might be scheduled for the very next day. And I read on the site of the conservative DE Family Policy Council that they thought the same thing. Why put it off a week? Could this mean that the 2 “undecided” senators are not simply keeping their intentions under wraps, but instead might genuinely be undecided and need more time? Is Hall Long requesting the extra time so that she can “poll” her district, as the News Journal reported?
El Somnambulo: Good questions, Dale. Blevins knows what she’s doing here, and your speculation could well be accurate. If she thinks that they need a little room to come to grips with their decisions, then I think that’s the right thing to do. There might, repeat, MIGHT, even be an Alphonse/Gaston situation here. What if two senators are reluctant to be the ‘deciding’ vote on an issue, but would each conceivably be ‘yes’ votes if theirs was the 12th rather than the 11th vote? That way, they’d have cover that their vote in essence made no difference. Seems crazy, I know, but stranger things have happened. I know that this issue is a ‘no-brainer’ for a lot of us, but there’s lots more at play than meets the eye with some legislators. I DO know that HB 75 has a superb grassroots lobbying effort behind it, so I don’t think we’ll lose ground between now and next Tuesday. Might just gain some.
Anyone have anything to add? Keep in mind that the goal of supporters should be to help these senators get to 'yes'.

This Is Not An Accident

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BURKESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in southern Kentucky say a 2-year-old girl has been accidentally shot and killed by her 5-year-old brother, who was playing with a .22-caliber rifle he received as a gift. [...] White told the newspaper that the boy received the rifle made for youths last year and is used to shooting it. He said the gun was kept in a corner and the family didn’t realize a shell was left inside it. White said the shooting will be ruled accidental. (Emphasis mine)
Who, in their right mind, gives a 4 year old a gun? Who, after giving (or accepting) a gun to a flippin' 4 year old, keeps it in a flippin' corner? Who, with a functioning brain cell, would ever call this an accident?

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., May 1, 2013

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Yes, SB 19(Peterson) was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee, which disappoints death penalty repeal supporters like myself. However, keep in mind that this is the first of a two-year General Assembly session, so the bill is not dead, just 'sitting in limbo.' House sponsor Rep. Darryl Scott has stated that he may try to petition the bill out of committee. Not sure if that's the best strategy for now, think I'd only do it if I knew that I had the votes for the bill on the floor. Timing is everything, and this might not be the best timing. Sen. Bruce Ennis introduced SB 33 yesterday, which would require owners of manufactured home communities to seek approval for any increase above the average inflation rate.

PDD-DL Vote Tracker for April 30, 2013

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Not to steal any thunder from El Somnanbulo, but tomorrow is a big day for legislation in both the House and Senate. In the Senate, the Senate Executive Committee will consider the Marriage Equality Bill, HB 75. In the House, the Administration Committee will consider HB51, the large capacity magazine ban. To keep up to date on all legislation that is of priority to liberals and progressives, DL has partnered with the Progressive Democrats for Delaware (PDD) to compile this Vote Tracker. Now, this chart does not follow all the legislation that has been filed. We don’t report on perfunctory bills like the ones about the charter of Georgetown or ticket scalping. Nor do we follow the progress of judicial nominations, executive nominations, or Concurrent or Joint Resolutions unless they are a matter of controversy. So the legislation that is listed is a matter of concern and priority for those of us on the liberal / progressive side of the aisle. Come inside to view and download the Vote Tracker charts.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Report: Tues., April 30, 2013

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A HUGE week coming up in Dover. HB 75(Smith) will be considered in the Senate Executive Committee this Wednesday. If you have not yet contacted your senators, especially if your senator is either Cathy Cloutier or Bethany Hall-Long, now is the time to do so. Be friendly and positive, and encourage them to do the right thing. Marriage equality is RIGHT THERE, do everything you can to help push it over the top. Residents in manufactured homes communities are back and they're seeking justice. So are the overlords, who have thrown campaign cash around to legislators in large quantities. Except, of course, in their case, they're paying to ensure a continuation of injustice. Meaning that, this year, legislators will either have to do the right thing or face the electoral consequences for siding with their wealthy (and amoral) contributors. And, yes, we will be naming names, both legislators and contributors. SB 33 will be introduced this week, and, once again, all it asks is that these landlords be required to justify rent increases that are larger than the rate of inflation. There will likely not be a more important legislative battle between Good and Ee-vil to be fought this year. Choose sides. After a disorganized committee meeting last week, the House Judiciary Committee convenes solely to consider a motion to release the death penalty repeal bill from committee:
Due to time constraints at the end of the April 24 Judiciary Committee meeting because the House Chamber needed to be vacated for session, action on a motion on Senate Bill 19 was not completed. This April 30 (Tuesday) meeting on Senate Bill 19 is being held solely for the purpose of taking action on a motion regarding the bill. There will not be an additional public comment period.

The GOP State Convention was this weekend….

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... at the Doubletree in downtown Wilmington. Not much of consequence happened. Except I did hear that the GOP was going to release doves to celebrate Sigler's reelection as State Chair of the Party, but those plans had to be scrapped because they were afraid Sigler would shoot them. ;)