Ballots Determine Bills

By Tyler Micik
 
You heard me describe 152nd Session of the General Assembly as unprecedented. It was characterized by a high volume of bills, accelerated decision-making, and significant policy shifts.

​The General Assembly introduced 438 bills between January 9 and June 30 (this count includes 84 substitutes). Twenty-four of those bills were pre-filed in December before session began. This high volume of bills, the speed with which they moved through the legislative process, and the number of committee meetings held, made it difficult for both legislators and stakeholders to fully discuss the proposals and understand their potential impacts. Two highly controversial bills were among the 438--HS2 for HB350 and SB313. Both impact two of Delaware’s largest industries—hospitals and corporate law, respectively—and signify extraordinary steps by the General Assembly.
 
These decisions come at a time when we’re entering uncertain and uncharted economic territory. In good economic times, policy decisions can afford to be “roughly right” but with national real GDP growth rates shrinking, policy decisions need to be more accurate now than ever before. This includes decisions like the ones mentioned above as well as the State’s budget, which some claim is growing unsustainably.
 
It is very important for policymakers to understand the implications of individual bills under consideration, and the connected nature those decisions will have on existing laws and regulations. We worry that the hectic pace of the hearings and legislative actions we witnessed this year will create a fertile ground for unintended consequences to emerge. In coming years, we hope the General Assembly will act more deliberately and spend an equal amount of time reviewing existing laws and regulations, while taking measure of their relevance and impact.

The makeup of the General Assembly will be determined this fall, especially in  the primaries this September 10. After the filing deadline in mid-July, only one state senator, David Wilson (R) is facing a primary opponent. In the House, five Democrat incumbents (Bolden, Longhurst, Parker Selby, Morrison, and Bush) and one Republican (Shupe) have primary opponents. Also, there are five open seats in the House due to retirements or decisions to run for another office (Schwartzkopf, Baumbach, Matthews, Ramone, and Dorsey Walker). Of these five, there’s a three-way Democratic primary for three of them, two-way Democratic primary for House District 21 (Ramone’s former seat), and Mara Gorman (D) is running unopposed for House District 23 (Baumbach’s former seat).

​The upcoming political landscape will shape the future direction of the state. No matter the outcome of the elections this fall, it’s our goal to work with those elected to support our members and provide businesses with the predictability they are looking for so that Delaware can thrive.