2014 Update—February 16th to March 2nd

On Monday February 17th I met with the UD College Democrats in the evening.  On Tuesday the 18th I met with a midwife with many years experience in multiple states.  I also met with a representative of manufactured housing communities, and that evening I attended a board meeting of the Newark Charter School.  On the 19th I attended a meeting of manufactured housing homeowner advocates, and then a Joint Finance Committee (JFC) meeting.

I was on vacation from the 20th to the 2nd.

By email I have kept up on discussions regarding designing good policy for midwifery law and regulation in Delaware.  I have been asking about how insurance can be used to improve situations with land surveyors liabilities when they retire (HB 115).  I have been investigating whether improvements are warranted in the e-cigarette bill (HB 241, which I am co-prime sponsoring).  I was quoted in the paper about Delaware’s open-carry firearm laws, as it relates to citizens bringing weapons to city council meetings.  I have inquired about improvements to the assumptions made by our state pension board.  I joined in signing a letter to the editor written by Representatives Kim Williams and John Kowalko, calling for more common sense in our education policies.  I have asked for clarification from the Department of Education for their report to the JFC regarding a jump in new Delaware students coming from other countries.  I am working on campaign finance legislation to address shortcomings revealed by the independent study led by Justice Veasey.  I am studying whether the bill for direct shipment of wine (HB 60) would be improved with an amendment.  I have had both emails and phone calls regarding current and imminent manufactured housing legislation.

I have fielded MANY emails from constituent parents of students in parochial schools, who would lose a modest transportation reimbursement (less than $200) as proposed by the Governor, and described at the JFC meeting I attended.

I am preparing to help shepherd my bills through both the House and Senate by June 30th, including one on conditional drivers licenses (HB 229), pension payout choice expansion (HB 137), many manufactured housing bills (HBs 106, 107, 233, 234).  I hope to have a good midwifery bill prepared this month, and the campaign finance bill(s) by early April.