Tag: transgender equality
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., June 20, 2013
Spidey Sense working overtime as we enter the last five days of legislative session. We know that some kind of closed door deal has been cut on HB 165, but no one will let us in on the secret. Governor Open Government has become Governor None of Your Bleeping Business. Loads of ill-conceived Bond Bill […]
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 19, 2013
The Great Grubby Gold Rush of 2013 has begun. Millions for an Archmere mansion(?), $8 mill for racinos w/no strings attached(?), more $$’s down the aglands preservation rabbit hole(?), $2.2 mill to buy a Sussex hunting preserve(?). A disproportionate number of these requests for downstate projects. The News-Journal covers it here. And the racino $8 mill rationalizations here. Enjoy (or despair of) Bloviator Colin Bonini’s contradictions within mere paragraphs of each other. Must be Bond Bill time.
The idea of giving $8 mill to the racinos that were already given legal monopoly status with no licensing fees and slot machines video lotteries subsidized by the state is brain-dead. What other casinos in this country received such a sweetheart deal? As Al Mascitti pointed out on our show yesterday, it’s not our fault that idiots at Dover Downs somehow decided that theirs would be a ‘destination resort’ that required hotels and restaurants. Nothing says destination resort quite like anonymous concrete strip malls and traffic lights every 20 feet. Why in hell should they get even a penny of bailout money? In this case, true to Markell form, this lame cash dump doesn’t even require the racinos to forestall layoffs, which is just what they’re threatening to do if they don’t get relief. Markell is simply doubling-down on someone else’s bad bet. With our money. Let’s see…$8 mill earmarked for racinos, $7.5 mill pissed away on agland preservation, you could more than pay for a 1% increase for state employees with that money. Jack, Jack?
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tues., June 18, 2013
Conspiracy Theory of the Week: DSEA Sells Out Public Schools, Secures Raises for Teachers.
If you were wondering why DSEA agreed to support charter schools’ grubby grab of public cash earmarked for public schools, we may now have the answer. Included in the Governor’s budget is “$8.5 million for ‘step increases’ for school employees, gradual pay raises teachers get as they gain experience and education”, according to Monday’s News-Journal article by Matthew Albright. Considering that the first $2 mill of the charter schools cash grab is also in the same budget bill, we can see how Markell bought off public education officials. Another $2.6 million is for ‘state testing computers’, yet more money down the rabbit hole of standardized testing. Need I remind anyone that we’ve got $8.5 mill for teachers’ increases, $0.00 for state employee increases. While I’m fine with raises for teachers, Strongly supportive in fact, I’m not fine with the Deal with the Devil that enabled them. Ladies and gentlemen, your Democratic governor. And the purported protectors of public education.
BTW, time for, IMHO, an important digression. Is it possible, just possible, that Jack Markell is campaigning…for CIA Chief? I’m (sorta) serious about this. The man who ran on the issue of government transparency has made secrecy the defining touchstone of his second term. First, the Port machinations. Then, the Charter Schools debacle, where his administration literally dared doubters to file a FOIA lawsuit. And, just this Sunday, an incredible piece by Jeff Montgomery in the News-Journal, which effectively lays out a strong case that Gov. Markell deliberately suppressed environmental data casting serious doubt on the environmental safety of the Delaware City oil refinery. Deliberately suppressed. Anybody getting angry yet?
Meanwhile, SB 97(Henry) “adds the term “gender identity” to the already-existing list of prohibited practices of discrimination and hate crimes. As such, this Act would forbid discrimination against a person on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations, and insurance, and it would provide for increased punishment of a person who intentionally selects the victim of a crime because of the victim’s gender identity.” SB 97 received the bare minimum 11 votes required to pass the Senate. I think it will likely have a more comfortable margin in the House.
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.
General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Weds., June 5, 2013
SB 97(Henry), which would add ‘gender identity’ to the “already-existing list of prohibited practices of discrimination and hate crimes. As such, this Act would forbid discrimination against a person on the basis of gender identity in housing, employment, public works contracting, public accommodations, and insurance, and it would provide for increased punishment of a person who intentionally selects the victim of a crime because of the victim’s gender identity.” In Senate Judiciary Committee. The committee will also consider HB 88 As Amended(Barbieri), which attempts to keep weapons away from those who are dangerously mentally-ill. The bill passed the House with only one no vote. You can read a compelling narrative on behalf of SB 97 here.
I can’t hope to top that, and I won’t. Except to say that the Senate has an agenda today. I don’t find much of interest there, but feel free to rummage around.
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