Tag: Vote Tracker
2016 Vote Tracker: Still Waiting on that Minimum Wage Increase
The General Assembly spent a couple of hours, literally, at the start of the year giving corporate Delaware a massive tax break in passing House Bill 235, the Luntzly named Delaware Competes Act. But the state’s minimum wage workers still await their raise.
The Vote Tracker is back after a break. We are tracking bills that have some progressive or anti-progressive import. So, in other words, bills that we want to see passed or do not want to see passed. We don’t track all bills filed in the General Assembly.
Vote Tracker Update — How are they voting?
Bryan Townsend is the busiest legislator in Dover. The man’s name is so omnipresent, as a lead or additional sponsor, on legislation of significance that I have to imagine either that he is running for higher office, or that he is just the best damn legislator period. The cynic and politician in me wants the former. The good government romantic in me wants the latter. Kim Williams is a close runner up too.
So here is the updated Vote Tracker as of today, May 4, 2015. My focus on these vote trackers is to follow legislation of progressive significance, whether they be pro-progressive or anti-progressive. For example, we are following the Right to Work bill and the Estate Tax Repeal bill, not because we want them to pass, rather we want them to fail, and we are going to take note of any Democrat who votes for them so that we can work to replace them in the next election.
I have reorganized the Vote Tracker this month. It’s just one document now, and legislation with actual votes recorded is list at the top, followed by legislation that has been released by their relevant committees and are due for votes in one chamber of the General Assembly or the other. For the specific details of legislation that is being considered in committee, and also the whens, wheres, whys and wherefores, I encourage you to follow El Somnambulo’s Pre-Game Post-Game series.
The Vote Tracker: Review the New Bills Introduced Last Week
Representative John Kowalko pre-filed a couple of bills last week that are worthy of mention. First, House Bill 42 calls for the University of Delaware and Delaware State University to be fully subject to the state Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). House Bill 43 adds appointed members of the Cash Management Policy Board to the definition of “public officers.” This designation would subject the appointed members of the Board to annual financial disclosure requirements. Think of this as former Treasurer Chip Flowers’ legacy.
House Bill 44 seeks to phase out the use of three controversial flame retardants in children’s products or furniture sold in Delaware.
But the granddaddy of them all, the bill that will bring down an Administration’s education agenda, House Bill 50. This bill would give parents or guardians the right to opt their children out of the Smarter Balanced Assessment System.
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