On Saturday the 21st I attended a portion of the annual meeting of the Medical Society of Delaware, at which there were multiple speakers on end of life issues. On Monday the 23rd I had a phone call on manufactured housing issues, met with a city resident to discuss a proposed prohibition on open carry firearms in city hall, and attended the city council meeting. On Tuesday I attended the meeting of the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness, later met with a member of the Governor’s staff, and attended the evening Newark interfaith Thanksgiving service.
On Monday the 30th I attended a celebration of the Diwali holiday in Dover at the Governor’s residence. On Tuesday I attended the swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected officials of the AFL-CIO. On Wednesday I hosted my monthly coffee at Panera, participated in a conference call with Common Cause regarding 2016 legislative initiatives, drove to Dover to catch a Supreme Court hearing on a manufactured housing case, attended most of the day-long session of the Joint Finance Committee (primarily on policing concerns in Dover and Wilmington, and also on the state Department of Education), and attended a meeting of the House Democratic Caucus in the evening. On Thursday evening I attended the graduation ceremony for the 41st recruit class of the New Castle County Police Academy. On Friday I attended the first meeting of the workgroup to consider end of life issues and perhaps establishing an advisory council on this topic, and I attended a meeting I organized to consider removing barriers to affordable housing to those with a minor conviction in their background check, along with considering changes to the state’s expungement process. That evening I attended Newark’s Winterfest, and participated in the 5K Reindeer Run and Romp.
In the past two weeks I received and send much email.
On city issues I explored and shared my thoughts on the city’s code of ethics, and the proposed increases to salaries for city management. I have helped to explore, with city and DelDOT staff, steps for the city to consider ensuring that new development is required to consider the traffic impact more than current rules dictate. I helped to establish a drop-off site at city hall for winter coats and blankets for a Syrian refugee assistance effort. I have been helping to improve the likelihood that city residents can attend city council meetings without other residents carrying firearms openly.
I worked with DelDOT and my aide to finalize the bulk of our Community Transportation Fund (CTF) allocation, striving to direct the dollars to the roads in the district’s residential communities most in need of repaving.
I have been helping a friend with her appeal of a denial she received from Highmark for a prescription for her daughter. The hearing was this past week and the denial was affirmed. There are additional steps to consider.
I have been working on helping to organize a summit in February on those who provide services for the homeless in the greater Newark area.
I have been helping a district family whose son had gone to the Delaware Met charter school which is recommended to close mid-year in January, and helping his son transfer successfully to Newark High School.
My colleagues have begun sending out proposed legislation, requesting cosponsorship. I have therefore begun reviewing these drafts, and have agreed to cosponsor several. I have also been finalizing several drafts of my own.
I have been striving to help a friend of a friend whose son has been incarcerated longer than the court had ordered, to identify the reason for the delay in his release/transfer.