Legislative Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show-Wed., March 31

Filed in National by on March 31, 2010

“Idle hands are the Devil’s playground.” Prof. Harold Hill- “The Music Man”

No doubt this is a biblical reference as well, a book I’ve been meaning to read for some time now. I use it here b/c we’re starting to see well-meaning, but dangerous, legislation starting to surface, most concerning additional charges for existing crimes. While prosecutors love nothing more than being able to ‘overcharge’ in hopes of getting plea deals, creating new offenses does nothing if the offenses being ‘upgraded’ aren’t being enforced in the first place.

Kids, when legislators have no money to spend, you get bills like Valerie Longhurst’s HB 348, “which imposes enhanced penalties in more than 60 criminal offenses if the victim is a vulnerable or infirm adult.” I reallyreallyreally want to give the Beaudhisattva the benefit of the doubt, but there are plenty of laws specifically protecting elderly and vulnerable residents, but many of them simply are not being enforced.  Enforce the bleeping laws  and there would be no need for overcharging using gimmicks like this.

This bill is typical of legislators trying to appear ‘tough on crime’. Stuff like this always gets through the General Assembly b/c who wants to appear to be a wuss on crime? It’s totally unnecessary. At best, it will prove to be superfluous. At worst, it will simply be more offenses that will not be enforced. Bet your bottom dollar that it’ll pass.

But that’s nowhere near the worst bill introduced yesterday. That dubious distinction once again goes to Greenville’s Greed Gratifier Rep. Deborah Hudson (Capano). Using typical Rethug hyperbole, HB 353 is entitled ‘the Delaware Health Care Freedom Act’. Meaning Delaware insurers would be free to ignore federal healthcare reform unless, wait for it, the General Assembly acts to the contrary. At which point, of course, IC KWS would be the chief enforcement agent. Here’s how the To The Manor Married Capano puts it: This bill “clarifies that only the State of Delaware has the legal authority to regulate private healthcare insurance, systems, plans, and services within its borders”. BTW, I think that Rethugs are walking en masse off a cliff on healthcare, so there’s a bright side to everything.

*Sigh*. OK, let’s check out yesterday’s ‘action’. On second thought, let’s not. Not a single bill of note passed yesterday. Plenty o’ bills introduced. I repeat: Everything that is being done during this three-week session easily could have been done in one week. The General Assembly wasted plenty of money by holding three weeks of session here.

Plenty of huntin’, fishin, and trappin’ on today’s Senate agenda.

Committee meetings are front and center in both Houses today.

Per usual, the Senate has the normal number of meetings with no posted agendas. Seriously, is it not time for someone to hold the Senate to the FOIA standards that it enacted? If not, then the entire exercise was a bleeping joke. There is no excuse for not giving notice as to what will be considered and/or discussed in committee meetings. The culprits this time are the Senate Community/County Affairs Committee; Senate Highways/Transportation Committee; Senate Labor/Industrial Relations Committee; and the Senate Revenue/Taxation Committee.

Here are the few bills of (my) interest:

SB 212 (Ennis)-Senate Finance Committee-Enables New Castle County to impose a surcharge on building permits for Fire Service. Essentially helps underwrite costs for providing such services.

SB 222 (DeLuca)-Senate Judiciary Committee (why, I have no idea)-Establishes pilotage rates through 2013. Kids, it’s nostalgia time. Every non-election year, the Delaware River and Bay Pilots hosted a spectacular cruise on a ferry out in the bay for virtually everybody affiliated with the Delaware General Assembly. Fresh shrimp, steamship round, free booze, and musical entertainment was served up in endless portions to all of us. I admit it, I loved it. I also admit that I shook my head when, the week following the cruise, legislation increasing the pilotage rates sailed through both houses of the General Assembly. Probably makes me a bit of a hypocrite. The cruises are no longer, but the memories linger on.

SB 193 (Bushweller)-Senate Public Safety Committee-Allows school buses to be equipped with LED lighting.

The House exclusively holds committee meetings today.

The House Education Committee will be very busy today. In addition to hearing from Del-Tech President Lonnie George, the committee will also consider Rep. Schooley’s HB 350, which requires schools to seek greater parental involvement in their children’s education. This bill is an outgrowth of Delaware’s receipt of Federal Excellence in Education funding.

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on issues regarding  juvenile sex offenders.

The House Manufactured Housing Committee will consider three bills concerning manufactured housing (what else?). No word yet on whether Rep. Longhurst will throw anybody out of the hearing room this time…

House Revenue & Taxation considers Speaker Gilligan’s HB 349, which “will require nonresident persons, corporations or pass-through entities that sell real estate owned in this State to declare and pay their estimate of the tax due on the gain recognized from the sale before the deed will be recorded.” Resident individuals and corporations are already required to do this. Seems like a reasonable way to raise a few bucks.

That’s it for today. Tomorrow, it’s No-Limit Texas Hold-Em at the Casino Corral, aka HB 194. Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.

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  1. anon says:

    Does anyone know if Gibson is reporting on the lack of Senate notices? Seems right up her alley.