General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Thurs., March 21, 2013

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Wow, where to start? Action everywhere. Here is today's session activity report (it's all here). We'll start with gun control. HB 35 (Longhurst) cleared the House Judiciary Committee by a 7-4 margin. Democrat Trey Paradee(!) voted against it. Why? It's the slippery slope to gun registration and Big Brother argument. From today's News-Journal:
Many opponents of the background check proposal at Wednesday's hearing said the private-sale-record-keeping provision is a precursor to government gun registration, which could lead to firearms confiscations.
Damn! Where were these folks when what remained of our civil liberties were flushed down the drain in the name of 'homeland security'? Anyway, it looks like an amendment will address this issue, and I hope and expect that Paradee will vote 'yes' when the bill comes to a vote. There no doubt will be other amendments, and some will likely be 'killer' (pardon the expression) amendments. Stay vigilant, my friends.

General Assembly Post-Game Wrap-Up/Pre-Game Show: Wed., March 20, 2013

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Doesn't look like anything got done on Tuesday. Here is the session activity report. Until further notice, consider it a misnomer. Two huge committee hearings today. We've already talked about the continuation of the hearing on HB 35, which would mandate criminal background checks for almost all gun purchases in Delaware. Starts at 11:30 am in the House Chamber. The Senate is wasting no time in taking up the death penalty repeal legislation. The Senate Executive Committee will consider SB 19 in the Senate Chamber beginning at 1 pm. And here's something that's pretty cool: Sen. Bryan Townsend, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, will be live tweeting during the hearing. His twitter handle is @BryanTownsendDE, and he will be tweeting with the hashtag #DErepeal. I don't know what any of that means, but I'm sure virtually everyone else reading this does. (Update from DD: I added the links to Senator Townsend's twitter page and the DERepeal hashtag for those of us who use Twitter. El Som, your training begins this Saturday. ;) )

UPDATED WITH LIST OF EXECUTIVE ACTIONS: Today The White House Will Put Forth Their Proposals To Reduce Gun Violence

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I know, I know... another gun post. Today, around noon, President Obama and Vice President Biden will announce their proposals to reduce gun violence. I will attempt to blog this event in the comment section - help from our commenters would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Meanwhile, the NRA finds new lows. Josh Marshall sums it up:
It takes a lot for the NRA to shock. But this is just beyond disgusting. The NRA has launched a new ad campaign calling President Obama a ‘hypocrite’ for allowing armed Secret Service agents to protect his school aged daughters. There are so many vile things about this ad. But one thing to note is the ad is really only designed to appeal to people who have a deep – really deep – animosity toward the President. The sort of people who don’t think he and his daughters should be in the White House and wish him the sort of ill citizens should never wish upon a freely elected head of state.
Vile is the perfect word for the NRA's behavior.

What If Buying A Gun Required The Same Restrictions As Getting An Abortion?

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Why don't gun buyers have to follow the same rules women are forced to follow? Wait 48 hours after applying. View on ultrasound of a body with a bullet in it. Listen to the heartbeat of someone as they die of a gunshot wound. Get a lecture from a surgeon on what it is like to operate on a gunshot wound. After all that, if a person still wants a gun, he or she can buy one. Why should buying a gun be any easier than having an abortion?"