Delaware General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Tuesday, April 27, 2010

First, allow me to apologize for the lack of a ‘Post-Game/Pre-Game’ feature last Thursday. Had a surgical procedure and was out of commission. Pleased to report that I can finally see the light at the end of the carpal tunnel, so all is well.

As expected, the bill enabling the State to rope in captive insurance companies passed the Senate unanimously. A well-intentioned, but toothless, amendment by Sen. Sokola was added to the bill. It requires a finding by the IC that the company is financially stable. No penalty accrues either to the IC nor the company should that prove not to be the case. The IC gets her bill, and the alleged legislative watchdogs throw away perhaps their best chance to exercise some control over that office. Just remember that the next time the inevitable occurs regarding the IC.

The House passed HB 349(Gilligan), which “require(s) 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.” This is already required of in-state entities. Makes sense and probably some $$’s as well.

The entire Session Activity Report from last Thursday is here.

Today’s Senate agenda features both a proposed 10-year extension on the Historic Preservation Tax Credit , and Sen. Simpson’s attempt to make dogs the guilty party in all physical confrontations with cats. Not to nitpick, but the promised fiscal note for the tax credit extension has yet to appear online. Probably for the best, as the Controller General’s staff lists the sponsors of this bill as “Henry & Henry”. Not surprising, however, as CG Russell Larsen doesn’t even take a dump w/o Nancy Cook’s permission, and we all know how she feels about open government. She ‘dumps’ on it each and every day.

The Senate Labor Committee also meets today to rework legislation creating the Job Creation Incentive Fund, which is one of this year’s more important legislative initiatives on the Governor’s agenda.

Probably most notable on the House Agenda is HB 347(Barbieri), which raises from age 9 to age 12 the student age at which school administrators must report certain incidents to the police. This common-sense recommendation by the Legislative Subcommittee of the School Discipline Task Force gives school officials discretion to determine whether a report to the police is required in what clearly are non-dangerous circumstances. In other words, this corrects the Law of Unintended Consequences that legislators should have been able to anticipate would happen when the ‘no discretion’ policy was initially enacted into law.

Word from Dover is that Pete Schwartzkopf does not currently have the votes, with or without Hazel Plant, to pass casino expansion, so it will likely remain just where it is for the time-being.

Like that bill, I’ll remain where I am for the time-being to allow the healing process to continue. Soft cast is scheduled to come off Thursday. But I just might leave it on to elicit sympathy and perhaps a free drink or two at the Drinking Liberally event that night. Come and help with my recovery!