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It looks like the General Assembly has scrounged up enough money for the Bond Bill by finding figurative money under the seat cushions. Complete, of course, with dire warnings from Chamber worry trolls:

"It tells me that they are clearly focused on short-term remedies for something that is a long-term problem," said Robert Perkins, executive director of the Business Roundtable and a former aide to Republican Govs. Pete du Pont and Mike Castle. "This is the equivalent of looking under the cushions of your sofa to find loose change to pay your electric bill."

The Roundtable, which represents various Delaware business owners, released a study late last year that called for legislators to find more stable sources of revenue and stop the continually growing cost of things like education, Medicaid, and employee health care costs. "If people did not recognize last August when we released that study that there was a structural problem then, they must now," Perkins said. "Cobbling together a state budget, which has many, many important programs that must be funded, is not a practice that is sustainable in the long-term."

You remember that 'study', don't you? Paid for by the Business Roundtable to provide pro-business talking points. Cut corporate taxes, do away with the estate tax, raise taxes on seniors.  That's the one.  No mention of raising taxes for Delaware's wealthiest.  And not a peep from the General Assembly this year.

Final three days for this General Assembly. Here’s what HAS to happen: Pass Budget Bill, Pass Bond Bill, Pass Grant-In-Aid Bill. (Actually, they don’t have to pass a grant-in-aid bill, but who wants to tell the local volunteer fire companies and senior centers that they didn’t pass the bill?) The budget is a done deal. The bill has been introduced and has been laid on the table, aka DeLuca’d, in the Senate. It can be lifted any time via a motion. I expect the bill to reach the Governor’s desk before Thursday. The final DEFAC numbers are causing some issues with the Bond and Grant-In-Aid bills, but nothing that some kick-the-can-down-the-road fiscal legerdemain can’t solve. Before we examine today’s agendas, let’s look at a last-minute bill that made me go ‘Hmmm’.

Welcome to a Very Special Primal Scream Edition of the Pre-Game Show. Time to cue my best Howard Beale/Howard Dean.....

aren Peterson Retires.  Who Will Succeed Her? You can't replace her.  She really has been Delaware's Best Legislator for perhaps as long as she's been a legislator.  And let's talk about the term 'legislator'.  To me, she was such an effective legislator because she took on the big issues, and was successful in enacting some of the most progressive legislation in recent memory.  No one has meant more to equal rights for all Delawareans than Karen.  She is truly an historic figure, and deserves to be recognized as such.  Her combination of idealism and legislative smarts simply can't be replaced. Someone, however, will succeed her.  If I had to bet, I'd bet on Tim Sheldon.  Sheldon, you may recall was Tom Sharp's hand-picked choice to replace Sharp, who basically was living at the beach when he left office. You may recall that Peterson had her car tires slashed during that campaign.  It's not fair to place the blame on Sheldon.  But it's pretty clear that the construction trade goons who backed him had no problem employing such intimidating tactics. Having said that, I wouldn't be surprised if he had pretty much a clear field going into the general election.  The only other name that I've heard who might actually run is Val McCartan, who is Patti Blevins' Chief Staffer.  I like Val, but I don't see her as a glad-handler who is going to go door-to-door in a tough campaign.  She is a highly professional and skilled Senate staffer, but I don't think she has the candidate gene. I mean that as a compliment.

Let’s start with (what I think is) the most interesting bill on today’s docket, and see what you think about it. HB 375 (Bolden) changes the date of Delaware’s primaries from September to the ‘fourth Tuesday in April’. I used to strongly support making the primaries earlier, thought September was too late, but now, I’m not so sure. I think that April is too early. The reason the April date has been chosen is because that’s the date of Delaware’s presidential primary. For now. But that date has floated around for years (remember when Delaware wanted to go head-to-head with New Hampshire?), and there is nothing to guarantee that won’t happen again. Especially since the rules of the respective parties at the national level can and generally do change every four years. Here’s what’s even worse, IMHO. With an April primary, the filing deadline would be pushed into late February. Meaning, assuming that an incumbent files and isn’t challenged, then announces that they won’t run after the primary date has passed, the party voters would be shut out of the nomination process. It would be done by the district committee and/or county party. It would circumvent democracy, much like Rebecca Walker did in the 9th RD by delaying her announcement until after the July filing deadline. Only it would be in February. I understand the mantra that campaigns are too long, and they are. However, this bill essentially makes campaign primaries shorter and general election campaigns longer. Except that, in many races, the primary election is the general election. Would we be better off if, say, the primary for US Congress and Mayor of Wilmington were decided in April? I think the advantage would invariably shift to the ‘established’ candidates at the expense of insurgent candidates. While I think that June would be a desirable alternative, legislators are not gonna support that with the current legislative calendar. As written, I think that the bill protects incumbents and the parties at the expense of challengers, so I don’t support it. But, what do YOU think?