Tag: Steve Tanzer Delaware
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., April 18, 2013
For all intents and purposes, it’s a one-bill day in Dover. This bill. Can Dover legislators do what Washington legislators could or would not do? HB 35 would require criminal background checks for virtually all gun purchases in Delaware. The NRA, embodied and emboldened by its pigeon-killing mouthpiece, have whittled away at the bill, and still oppose it.
Not a single R senator is on the bill as a sponsor. Which raises the question. Will they stand with the overwhelming majority of the people of Delaware, or will they march in lockstep with the leader that they have chosen to lead the Delaware Rethuglican Party?
Exclusive Video: John Sigler Flees Questioner Regarding His Pigeon-Maiming
The Brave Man did this after rousing the faithful today at a Legislative Hall anti-gun control rally:
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., April 17, 2013
A mixed bag on voting rights and, for that matter, bipartisanship during yesterday’s session
Republicans stonewalled ‘No-Excuses’ Absentee Voting. Not a single R voted for HB 20(Jaques), and the bill failed to reach its 2/3 majority requirement by one vote. According to a press release from the House Democrats:
“Several House Republicans have expressed support for the bill. So why won’t they vote for it?” asked Rep. Longhurst, D-Bear. “It’s clear House Republican leadership is playing politics with this bill and withholding votes. Voting is not a partisan issue. Delawareans deserve fair access to voting. Republicans need to either help pass this important bill or explain their uniform opposition to the public.
That seems only fair. What do Rethugs want? Paging Dr. Freud. I mean, besides economic disaster that they can then blame on the D’s? And crippled pigeons to maim (they already have those)? If they’re looking for respect or relevance, sorry, I can’t be of help there.
Logic and comity prevailed across the building in the Senate, as HB 10(Keeley), which would restore voting rights to convicted felons who have paid in full their debt to society, passed by a 15-6 vote. R senators Cathy Cloutier and Greg Lavelle voted for the bill (thank you!) while self-proclaimed ‘moderate’ Ernesto Lopez voted no. Hmmm, sure looks like somebody sold a lot of somebodies a bill of goods. Here’s the roll call. Since this is the second leg of a constitutional amendment, HB 10 will soon be law.
General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Marriage equality is on the fast track.
How fast? HB 75 (Smith) was introduced last week while the General Assembly was out of session, and will be considered in the House (House) Administration Committee this Wednesday, 2:30 pm, House Chamber. It is at least possible that the full House could consider the bill as early as this Thursday. For those of you who have not yet checked, here are the sponsors and co-sponsors of HB 75:
Prime Sponsor: M. Smith; Additional Sponsors: Rep. Schwartzkopf & Rep. Longhurst & Sen. Sokola & Sen. Blevins; Co-Sponsors: Reps. Barbieri, Baumbach, Bolden, Brady, Heffernan, Keeley, Kowalko, Mulrooney, Osienski, B. Short, Viola, D.E. Williams, K. Williams; Sens. Henry, McDowell, Peterson, Poore, Townsend.
Thanks to each and every one of you. By my count, there are sixteen House members as sponsors. 21 votes are needed for passage. I know, or at least suspect, that there are silent commits from some below the Canal. However, there are a few notable absences, and I would encourage you to contact them if you are one of their constituents:
Charles Potter, 1st RD: He has been a strong advocate for civil liberties, there are many marriage equality supporters in his north Wilmington district, but he has not yet taken a position;
Deborah Hudson, 12th RD: She has generally been a moderate on social issues and, again, there are many marriage equality proponents in her Chateau Country district;
John Mitchell, 13th RD: He was ‘almost’ Speaker, and he could wind up there someday…if he does the right thing;
James ‘J. J.’ Johnson, 16th RD: He represents part of the City of Wilmington and has an overwhelmingly D majority district;
Mike Ramone, 21st RD: It’s possible that Ramone has already announced his support, as he has increasingly cast more and more progressive votes;
Joe Miro, 22nd RD: This Pike Creek R has lots of marriage equality proponents in his district.
Keep in mind that each of these representatives could well be ‘gettable’ on this vote. When you contact them, be positive. Encourage them to support HB 75. If they commit to supporting the bill, thank them and let them know that you have their backs. With some of the potential ‘silent’ commits, HB 75 has a great chance to pass the House, perhaps with a strong mandate.
2013 Music I Like: Volume 3
Stuff that breaks through the white noise for me:
Frank Turner- ‘Recovery’
Come inside for more….
Why the Phils Will Suck Until Ruben Amaro Jr. Goes
Let me be clear. It’s possible, just possible, that they might have one year left. I don’t think so, though. Not with the aging and defensively-challenged additions they made this offseason: Michael Young and Delmon Young. Neither of whom are ‘Forever Young’.
But, that’s it. Why? Because Amaro insists on ignoring one of the most important tools in the GM’s toolbox: statistical analysis, aka ‘sabermetrics’.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., March 28, 2013
Seven, count ’em, seven amendments have already been prefiled for HB 35(Longhurst), the criminal background checks bill. And these are only the so-called friendly amendments. In the immortal words of Casey Stengel while managing the inept New York Mets in their inaugural season:
“Can’t anybody here play this game?”
This bill should be the easy one. They’ve got the votes, no fuss, no muss. But, by paying undue deference to the NRA, they have become the Senate (United States version) Democrats, turning what should be defining statement victories into, at best, marginal progress and, at worst, defeat. The issue is larger than HB 35. The House dithering has emboldened the NRA b/c they’ve learned that they can run circles around the house managers of this legislation. That will make passage of other key elements of the gun control package far more difficult than it needed to be.
Need I remind these Profiles In Courage that a massacre of school children in Connecticut was the catalyzing event for this package? After several other massacres all over this country? This kind of appeasement will only help to ensure that such a massacre occurs here. Maybe then they’ll stop listening to these uncompromising zealots. Until then, we have HB 35, on today’s House Agenda. Do us all a favor, and at least pass this one?
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., March 27, 2013
And to think that I was gonna cut back on covering the legislative beat. Whatever was I thinking? Every day, huge stories, two of ’em yesterday: 1. State Senate votes to repeal Delaware’s death penalty statute, and 2. The Obama-ization of the House Democratic Caucus appears complete. At least with respect to preemptively compromising with an enemy that will not compromise with you.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., March 26, 2013
Jack Markell: From clammed-up to happy-as-a-clam. The Governor who was unwilling to take a public position on a minimum wage increase effusively praised it after it had passed the Senate:
“I commend Senator Marshall for the changes he made to the bill. I assured Senator Marshall I would sign the bill as passed by the Senate because of the help it will provide to many struggling families,” Markell said in a statement.
Jack Markell has proven time and time again that he cares not for struggling families. But Markell was able to (a) get a cost-of-living provision struck from the bill, (b) get the effective date for the bill pushed back, and (c) lower the amount of the minimum wage to $7.75 an hour in 2014 and $8.25 in 2015. All this in exchange for dropping his threat to veto the bill. Ladies and gentlemen, your Democratic governor. Still, kudos to the 12 D’s who voted yes. It’s better than nothing, which is all you’re gonna get from this governor. For the record, self-professed ‘friend of labor’ Cathy Cloutier voted no. This will not be the last time that she proves to be a phony during this, or any session, of the Delaware General Assembly.
2013 Music I Like: Volume I
Home from work with a s-s-s-serious sinus infection. What better time to trot out some tunes you all might wanna hear? Everything is new 2013 music, with one exception.
Has Jack Markell Lost the Trust of the Delaware General Assembly?
I think he indeed is trending in that direction. Which is not good for Jack, the General Assembly, or the people of Delaware. I think I know why, and I have some ideas as to how he can reverse that trend.
Governor Markell has, at least twice in recent months, blindsided legislators by either changing or muddying his position on key issues…..
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thursday, January 24, 2013
Big doin’s, today. BIG doin’s.
Senate Bill 3 is on today’s House Agenda. I’d first like to thank everybody who made this vote possible. From sponsor Sen. Marshall; to Sen. Blevins, who assigned the bill to a favorable committee; to the 11 yes voters in the Senate, to the Speaker, to committee chair Bryon Short, and to everyone who has made consideration of this bill a priority. I’m not sure that this gets done without the blogs, the media, and some damn good public servants.
This bill also demonstrates that elections matter. Think about it. The Senate vote was 11 yes, 9 no, 1 not voting. Had Tony DeLuca been reelected instead of Bryan Townsend (a yes vote), it would have been due in large part to the extraordinary intervention of Governor Markell in that election. Meaning that SB 3 could well have been buried in DeLuca’s Executive Committee, never to see the light of day. If it had somehow made its way to the floor, DeLuca quite possibly would have sided with the Governor, leaving the bill one vote short of passage. Perhaps two, had Nicole Poore not defeated Dori Connor, since not a single R voted for the bill.
Now onto today’s doins…
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Lotsa fascinating (and otherwise) bills introduced last week. Let’s take a look, shall we? You can follow along here, here, and here. For those with limited time, the first here here has the most there there. There there now, it’ll be alright.
First, and least, we have parts of the Rethuglican legislative agenda, courtesy of Rep. Ruth Briggs King. It’s what you’d expect. Opposition to strong automobile emission standards, and two more shots at prevailing wage, HB 6 and HB 7. Thanks for playing. King also tackles the rampant problem of ticket-scalping at the Delaware State Fair. Ticket scalping elsewhere would presumably still be OK. As far as I’m concerned, anybody willing to pay excessive prices for whatever big empty hat country performer the Fair brings in has a right to pay excessive prices. Although it might not leave enough $$’s to pay for a few rounds of ammo, which would be a shame.
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