A source tells us that the House is going suspend the rules and take up HB16, the Republican sponsored Repeal of the Estate Tax. The bill is already on the Ready List in the House, so I am not sure how much rules suspending needs to take place for this bill to get a vote, and I don’t care if the bill gets a vote, so long as every single Democrat who wishes to continue calling themselves a Democrat votes against it.
Any Democrat voting for it will be primaried and defeated. Representatives Mike Ramone, Joe Miro and Jeff Spiegelman should also give some thought to blatantly fellating the wealthy and how it will look in 2018 in their swing districts.
I think we start using the DINO label now for anyone claiming to be a “Democrat” who supports this repeal.
These Democrats-In-Name-Only just voted for another giveaway to the wealthy:
Brady
Q. Johnson
Longhurst
Paradee
B. Short
Smith
Viola
Schwartzkopf
So I wonder how this Estate Tax repeal fits in with the “shared sacrifice” austerity the Governor has been preaching? Because it looks from here that there are people trying to get out of their sacrifice and specifically make sure that vital services like Education shortchange our young people.
A vote FOR this right now should make for some pointed communications at Republicans in 2018.
I’m not sure what you mean. Havings Dems on board, especially the speaker, immunizes the GOP on this one, doesn’t it? Or do you think he’s allowing it forward to let them walk into a trap? My read is that this helps a few of his beach-millionaire constituents, though I can’t imagine there are many rich people left who’ve never heard of estate planning.
Here is what I think the deal is: A vote on HB16 was promised in exchange for a vote on HB109 (which would add two tax brackets above 100k). If Schwartzkopf however votes for this bill, or whips votes from his conference in support of it, he must be removed as Speaker.
Delaware taxes only very large estates, worth more than $5.49 million. So this is nothing but a gift to millionaires if it passes.
Why are the Democrats even allowing a vote on this? It’s so absurd to allow the obscenely wealthy to have huge passive income sources while you cut services to working people. How about we close that budget gap with a 100% estate tax instead?
My speculation is that there is a deal to allow votes on both this Repeal Bill (HB16) and Kowalko’s HB109. The deal is not that both would pass, just allowing votes on the bills. I only think that because both of these bills never advanced beyond committee during the last session.
Makes sense, though. Delaware political critters won’t do anything without bipartisan cover. The problem is that it won’t take a supermajority to pass the estate tax repeal, will it? Because it will take one to pass an increase.