Odds and ends number 128
Since I'm using the concept from monoblogue, I'm keeping the numbering system, too. Here are thinner slices of bloggy goodness.
It’s a week late because I forgot February was so short and wanted to make my job posts fall on consecutive Saturdays rather than break up the two parts by an extra week, but as always I have the interesting stuff that stuck around in my inbox and bookmarks.
For abortion in Delaware, dial “5”
If you have any familiarity with the legislative process in the First State, you’ll realize that bill numbers begin anew with each legislative session - otherwise we would probably be on bill number 200,000 or something like that.
Back in 2017, when President Trump first came to office, the Democrats were scared enough of the prospect of overturning Roe v. Wade or some other national abortion ban that they eliminated the former “rape, incest, life of the mother” exceptions that remained in Delaware state law after Roe and allowed for abortion for convenience. That ill-fated bill was Senate Bill 5, as the lowest numbers are generally held for high-priority items.
In a missive from the Conservative Caucus of Delaware, I learned that the SB5 moniker is being used this term by abortion proponents again as a means to enshrine the barbarity into our state Constitution. In the First State, this is a two-plus year process, as a proposed Constitutional amendment must be approved by 2/3 of the members in both the House and Senate in two consecutive legislative sessions - so you can bet that if they get through the “first leg” this term it will remain as SB5 in the 2027-28 term.
The only good news is that if Republicans stay strong and show up, they can defeat the measure in the House because it’s still a 27-14 Democrat majority (one vote short of 2/3.) Unfortunately, 15-6 in the Senate makes that easy and the Sussex County Democrat in the Senate (Russ Huxtable) is one of the sponsors. (More proof elections matter; he could have been defeated last year, meaning we would have only needed to turn one Democrat.) The same goes for Claire Snyder-Hall, who is a Sussex-based Democrat sponsor in the House. On the other hand, Stell Parker Selby is NOT a sponsor, but would presumably be a YES vote like all the other Democrats unless she can be convinced otherwise.
It’s the only chance we have, since Delaware is the one state where the public has no say in the matter - no referenda or petition drives here.
The sky-high electric bills
Delaware, we have a problem: electric bills have been through the roof this winter, thanks in part to polar vortices and a lot of snow keeping winter feeling more like those I was hoping to move away from two decades ago in Ohio. But people are complaining about bills that are double or triple what they are accustomed to. (Our sticker shock will come this fall when they rejigger our budget amount, if they wait that long. I’m betting it goes up at least $50, if not $100 a month.)
But as our friend David Stevenson points out, that’s not the only thing affecting electric bills. Those who have Delmarva Power - which makes up the bulk of ratepayers in the state - also deal with several additional charges placed there at the behest of state government over the years, to wit:
(No blockquote thanks to the bullet points.)
In 2008, legislation was passed that, along with more recent amendments, mandates increasing requirements for wind and solar power, and creates a carbon tax on in-state power plants. Thanks to efforts by the Caesar Rodney Institute, these costs are itemized on your electric bills if you are a Delmarva Power customer, making it easier to see exactly where your money is going. These line items include:
Green Energy Fund
Qualified Fuel Cells
Renewable Power Compliance Charge
Energy Efficiency Charge
Add them up, and they account for about 10 percent of your electric bill, or about $170 a year on the average bill.
(I added the link. Emphasis in original.)
It’s worth noting that each of those charges is on a per-kWh basis, so as your meter keeps spinning those charges add up to more and more. And it’s not going to Delmarva Power, but to the government.
Now we are fortunate enough (and intentionally looked for this when we were house hunting) to be Delaware Electric Co-Op customers. But we’re not exempt: our bill has a charge to their “Renewable Fund” as well. Fortunately, despite heavy usage last month, it was 40 cents. (By comparison, we pay the co-op $7 a month for the security light we inherited. The state should pay us because it lights up their stop sign at the corner.)
To that end, there are a spate of electric-related bills in the DGA now, with Democrats trying to punish utilities even further for daring to pass along mandated charges to their customers and Republicans trying to extricate the government from the whole deal. As the House GOP noted,
Under a state law enacted in 2021, electricity utilities must derive an increasing amount of their power from renewable sources. This mandate is known as the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RFP). At present, 25% of total electricity must be derived from renewables, with the percentage increasing annually, culminating at 40% in 2035.
A bill that eliminates that mandate would be a start. But while we know who should win, we also know who will.
A demotion
At one time, I was going to make an Indivisible post, but since they went oh-fer on the missive I pointed out last time I guess they’re not relevant anymore. So it’s back to odds and ends they go.
I saw our so-called “bipartisan” Senator LBR got a shoutout from them as part of “rising up against the Trump-Musk coup”, but it puts her in a quandry: if she sticks with her vow she’s going to vote against her union buddies and deny Lori Chavez-DeRemer the coveted Secretary of Labor position. (It would be about the first time I agreed with LBR.)
Their next crusade is against the SAVE Act, which simply requires proof of citizenship to register to vote. Big whoop. And they even admit they can’t stop it in the House, and that some smart Democrats will vote for it. Nope, they are resting their hopes on the Senate and the filibuster. (Not to mention the courts, which they have adopted as a line of defense based on their town hall meeting.)
I know better than to think the Three Stooges will vote for it, and they don’t even mention the possibility. We should really ask them what they are afraid of, though.
The life of a minor party
You know, I got this e-mail and immediately started having flashbacks to the good old days when I was more politically active.
In reading the news of the next gathering of the national Constitution Party, the only thing missing was that it was being held in New Hampshire rather than Annapolis, Ocean City, Bethesda, or any of the other places I would schlep to overnight for a Maryland state GOP convention when I was an elected member of the county Central Committee. It just has that same feel to it.
Supposedly someone represents Delaware at a national level, but the state CP leadership I’ve been able to find hasn’t done much to impress me, and I’ve done my time. Nor am I interested in coughing up $1,000 for state dues. So I guess we will be a party in name only here in the First State, which is a shame because they have a platform I agree with.
That’s enough for now. We’ll see what I come up with at the other end of this month.
Until my next edition of odds and ends, you can Buy Me a Coffee since I have a page there.
Ahhh, when rodents run the show! That itemizing thing you showed on your bill is kinda also rubbing it in your face what you have to pay for. Here in WA, they are trying to outlaw voter initiatives, subvert the Constitution by making the people elected position of Sheriff subject to a state certification first. Then they want to add proof of liability insurance when you purchase a gun.