Tag: Delaware General Assembly
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up: Week of March 17-19, 2015
That was quite the dust-up between Sen. Karen Peterson and Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf this week. The argument? Why won’t Schwartzkopf allow a floor vote on legislation eliminating the death penalty? Both legislators make legitimate points.
Pete Schwartzkopf by and large does control the fate of the bill. As Speaker, he not only decides what committee receives the bill, he determines the members of the committees. Put the bill in a committee in which the majority does not support death penalty repeal, and the bill isn’t coming out unless petitioned out. Going against the Speaker to petition a bill out has its own set of perils. So Peterson is correct there. Pete has taken steps to stop the bill, his protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.
However, Schwartzkopf has offered a compromise:
Schwartzkopf has said that he would oppose any repeal legislation that did not include exemptions for those inmates convicted of killing members of law enforcement, including correctional officers.
Not including those exemptions would endanger every correctional officer working in the state’s prisons, he said. He added that he offered amendments to repeal legislation last year, but those requests “fell on deaf ears.”
He said that compromise is needed on the bill. Peterson, he said, is not willing to compromise.
“This building is bigger than one bill,” Schwartzkopf said.
This raises two questions: (1) Would Schwartzkopf take steps to ensure the bill’s consideration if this compromise was accepted; and (2) is it worth it to have a repeal bill with these exceptions?
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: January 27-29, 2015
I would first like to thank the meteorologists for making this article necessary. Was this the new ‘faith-based’ meteorology? Rest assured I won’t be watching the insipid smile-meisters on the Weather Channel to find out what went wrong with their model. Don’t have the time. (Personal to Al Roker: Eat something, willya? The human shar pei look is disconcerting.)
I’m now assuming the General Assembly will meet today, so you’re gonna get the Full Monty weekly preview. The last preview before the six-week break for meetings of the Joint Finance Committee meetings. Which reminds me, the Governor will submit his proposed budget later this week, which, of course, plays a central role in the work of the JFC.
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015
The 148th General Assembly convenes today for its first regular session. Six new legislators, R Rep. Richard Collins (41st), R Rep. Kevin Hensley (9th), D Rep. Sean Lynn (31st), D Rep. Sean Matthews (10th), R Rep. Lyndon Yearick, and R Senator Bryant Richardson, respectively replace D Rep. John Atkins (defeated in general election), D Rep. Rebecca Walker (retired), D Rep. Darryl Scott (retired), D Rep. Dennis E. Williams (defeated in primary), R Rep. Don Blakey (defeated in primary), and Sen. Bob Venables (defeated in general election). The Senate goes from 13 D’s and 8 R’s to 12 D’s and 9 R’s. The House goes from 27 D’s and 14 R’s to 25 D’s and 16 R’s.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FOR NEWBIES
The Delaware State Senate has 21 members. The President Pro-Tempore leads the Senate, although the Lieutenant Governor often, but not always, presides over the senate sessions as a non-voting member (That, of course, will not happen this session as there is no Lieutenant Governor now that Matt Denn has become the State’s Attorney General). Here is a list of the Senate members. Here is a list of Senate committee assignments.
The House of Representatives has 41 members, currently 25 D’s, 16 R’s. The Speaker of the House presides over the body. You can find the House membership here. Here is a list of House committee assignments.
The General Assembly is in session from the second Tuesday in January through June 30 each year. Three days a week–Tuesday through Thursday. The Senate often returns for a special session in the fall to consider nominations.
The General Assembly breaks for six weeks at the end of January for Joint Finance Committee (budget) hearings and meetings. There is another 2-week break around Easter, and an additional week’s break around Memorial Day. The Memorial Day break often enables the ‘money’ committees to finish work on marking up the budget.The typical General Assembly meets in session about 50 days a year.
Come inside for so much more….
The 62 Project: Not Better Late Than Never. But It’s Finished. Just In Time To Change It.
I was planning to finish this in time for…well, some time before now. However, sloth and other events intervened. So here we have it, 1-62, for each and every member of the 147th Delaware General Assembly, based on their careers, not just the past session. For those I previously profiled, you can click on the links. For the rest, the floor is open for questions and vitriol.
1. Sen. Karen Peterson: A fierce negotiator/advocate who successfully leverages her bargaining power to pass progressive legislation. Imagine that. Accruing power not for personal ambition, but to pass a progressive agenda. An easy choice for #1.
2. Rep. Mike Barbieri: Quietly does outstanding work on kids’ issues, and has helped turn back the neanderthal mandatory sentencing excesses of the Sharp/Smith/Vaughn/Brady years. He’s impressed me from Day 1. A thinker and a doer. We need more social workers in the General Assembly.
3. Sen. Bob Marshall: Has gotten better and more effective as he’s gotten older. He serves as perhaps the leading Democrat from the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party in challenging Jack Markell’s DINO-ism. He’s got at least one more minimum wage increase in him.
4. Rep. Melanie George Smith: Her work, along with Barbieri and others, on sentencing reform, was legislating at its best. It wasn’t easy, it required a tremendous attention to detail, plus political smarts. Forget her political roots, focus on her legislative skills.
5. Sen. Dave Sokola: Anyone who thinks it was easy for a legislator from the Pike Creek/Hockessin area to support progressive reform wasn’t around when he got elected. That’s what he did and that’s what he does. And, while he gets criticism from some of our education people, he stood up to the ‘forced busing’ bashers, including his own Pro-Tem, Tom Sharp. His sponsorship of civil unions reflects the kind of person he is.
How The GA Passed Energy Efficiency w/o Passing HB 179
This is awesome, just the kind of stuff I love. You will no doubt recall, through the writings of Cassandra and others, that Delaware utilities currently cannot offer their customers consumer conservation programs that would save the consumer money and reduce energy usage.
You also know that a bill designed to permit utilities to offer these programs was buried in the Senate Energy Committee, where it had languished for over a year under the watchful eye of SEU founder and Senator Harris McDowell. Which brings us to last night, and, for that matter, this morning. At 3:21:05 am, to be precise.
No, Sen. McDowell did not relent, nor did he release HB 179 from committee. So, how did this get done?
Delaware To Tackle Human Trafficking
Make no mistake. Delaware needs to tackle human trafficking. According to activists, Delaware ranks near the bottom when it comes to addressing the issue of, let’s not mince words, slavery.
Which, IMHO, is why, as ‘Lazy Reader’ pointed out (major tip of the ‘Bulo sombrero), that Delaware has had this sudden proliferation of Asian massage ‘spas’. Within the past year, New Jersey has enacted perhaps the most comprehensive statute in the country. The Pennsylvania legislature is likely to pass a comprehensive bill by the end of the current legislative session, and already has a stronger statute than Delaware. As to Delaware, while it comes relatively late in the session, there should be no reason why SB 197(Blevins) doesn’t get enacted into law by the end of June. I think that one of the elements driving the increased spa proliferation in Delaware is, in fact, likely the stronger statutes enacted elsewhere. Delaware offers a soft underbelly for those with no conscience.
Just to give you an idea of the extent of the sprouting of these spas, My Friend At Work (huge sombrero tip to her), who is deeply involved in this issue, suggested a website that pretty much lays it out there. While I will not give the website any undeserving traffic, it promotes, both under ‘escorts’ and ‘body rubs’, many of these spas. Generalized locations include Philly Pike in Claymont, Shoppes of Camelot in Rehoboth, Market Street in Wilmington, Foulk Road in Brandywine Hundred, State Street in Dover, Naamans Road in Brandywine Hundred, N. Broad Street in Middletown, Silverside Road in Brandywine Hundred, N. DuPont Hwy. in Dover, Chestnut Hill Plaza in Newark, S. Maryland Ave. in Wilmington, Pulaski Highway in Bear, and Jenmar Plaza in Newark.
Announcing the 62 Project
I am El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic.
Today I announce The 62 Project, which will ultimately yield my rankings of legislators from 1 to 62.
However, I intend for it to be much more than just a list. I will write a selective bio, some brief, some lengthy, on each state legislator. I want to give people who don’t really know the legislators that well the opportunity to know them better. For better or worse.
I also don’t want this to be just a snarkfest, although, to put it mildly, THERE WILL BE SNARK. Lots of it. Hey, can’t help myself.
So, how have I ranked the legislators?
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 27, 2013
Now the days dwindle down to a precious few two… Today and Sunday, and it’s a wrap for the first session of the 147th Delaware General Assembly. We are not in the denouement phase just yet, but we’re getting there. The Senate will give final approval to the Budget Bill today, the House will likely […]
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 11, 2013
That was quite the eventful Senate session last Thursday. We can count to three, so let us count the ways (even though Legislative Council can only count to two; seriously somebody needs a wake-up call there):
1. The Senate handily passed SS1/SB 33(Ennis), which would require owners/landlords of manufactured homes communities to justify rent increases above the Consumer Price Index. 17 yes, 1 no(Bloviator Bonini), 1 not voting (Pope Pompous I, formerly Monsignor Lavelle). Now don’t get all excited. The Senate vote was viewed as a ‘free vote’ last session because the Forces of Evil had wired the House. It’s getting late in session. Contact your state reps and urge them to move forward and pass this bill. First warning sign will be if this bill doesn’t get placed in Paul Baumbach’s Manufactured Housing Committee.
2. Although Legislative Council, the official ‘information’ arm of the Delaware General Assembly, took no note of it, the Senate passed landmark legislation which prohibits gender identity discrimination in Delaware. SB 97(Henry) passed the Senate by an 11-7 vote. Interesting roll call. Cathy Cloutier was the only R to vote yes, Dems Bob Venables and Bruce Ennis voted no, D Brian Bushweller and R Pope Pompous I went not voting. All 11 yes votes were required for passage. If your senator did the right thing, thank them. And, if anybody’s home at Leg Council, could you please update the session log? I know that there are some exciting new solitaire options on your computers, but perhaps one of you…? Pretty please?
3. The Senate passed ‘redistricting reform’ on a straight party line vote. SB 48 creates an 11-member commission to draw the lines and to make the process more open than it has been. Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf has made it pretty clear that he likes the current ‘behind closed doors’ method of drawing the lines. There are quite a few House D’s signed on as co-sponsors, so we’ll see what happens. My guess? Schwartzkopf prevails, reform doesn’t.
Speaker Pete Burying Port Bill?
Signs point to yes. On Wednesday, January 16, the Senate passed Senate Bills 1, 2, and 3: http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/LAH147.NSF/65d260a8f0fbce13852572360055cafe/f4c55b7e0e893ce785257af600176dee?OpenDocument Senate Bill 1, which pertains to the Bank Franchise tax, was assigned to the House Business Uber Alles Committee, will be considered in committee on Wednesday, and likely voted on by Thursday. Senate Bill 2, which is […]
El Somnambulo Predicts ‘Em (Almost) All For You. Part 2
And now onto the State House of Representatives:
RD 1 (D): While Victoria Kent shows promise as a first-time candidate, I look for Dennis P. Williams protege Charles Potter to win in Williams’ district. Former state rep Rourke Moore has been almost invisible. I’d encourage Kent to work on developing a bit more message discipline should she decide to seek office again. She has potential, but she’s not there yet.
RD 2 (D): Former State Rep. Arthur Scott challenges incumbent Stephanie Bolden. I think that Scott finds himself in something of the same time warp that has trapped Dave Brady. While there may be compelling reasons to defeat the incumbent, Scott hasn’t really made them. Bolden by a fairly comfortable margin.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 26, 2012
They will also leave Dover with yet another revenue source: more dollars via degenerate gamblers thanks to the so-called online gaming bill. This is a particularly odious example of the Delaware Way. Provisions have been put into the bill to ensure that the racinos and the mom-and-pop stores that sell the lottery tickets don’t get screwed, but no such provision for the compulsive gamblers who will help fill the state’s coffers. No fiscal note is even required for this bill, which makes little sense to me. Neither a projection of costs to implement the system, nor a revenues projection? Really?
DIY Post-Game/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 21, 2012
Been a tough couple of days. Unnecessary drama (with more than a touch of farce), next-to-no sleep, and a summer cold. Plus, I’ve got obligations and then work today.
So, I’m gonna give you the raw materials, you can write today’s Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show. Hey one of you could emerge as the next Lou Gehrig to my Wally Pipp. Which is likely the last baseball reference you’ll see here for a long time.
Recent Comments