From Shortening School Board Term Length to Hazardous Duty Pay

Some pieces of legislation merit their own post, like Bryan Townsend and Valerie Longhurst’s SB139, because they address a complex topic or the legislation requires a lot of explanation.   And some pieces are just pretty straightforward and simple.   Going forward, I will try to clump those pieces of legislation together in a single post.

First, Representative Paul Baumbach has introduced HB278, which changes the term of a school board member from 5 years to 4 years.  In my opinion, it is a minor and pretty insignificant change.  Do you want to really affect school board elections?   Schedule them during the general election so that more people vote in them.

HB278 – School Board Term Shortening.
SPONSORS: Baumbach, Sokola, Townsend, Jaques, Ramone, K.Williams
YES VOTES:
NO VOTES:
ABSENT:
NOT VOTING:
HISTORY: Out of Committee 1/17/18
STATUS: On House Ready List

Rep. Sean Matthews has a bill that will help kids in high poverty schools to afford to be able to go on field trips where the parents have to pay a field trip or activity fee out of their own pocket.  HB282 would require the State to provide $25 per student to high poverty schools to be used for the purpose of educational and enrichment field trips.

HB282 – Funding for Enrichment at High Poverty Schools.
SPONSORS: Matthews, McDowell, Bushweller, Sokola, Baumbach, Bolden, Keeley, Paradee
YES VOTES:
NO VOTES:
ABSENT:
NOT VOTING:
HISTORY: House Education 12/14/17
STATUS: Waiting on consideration in committee

Rep. Dave McBride has introduced a bill that simply restores the Delaware Prescription Drug Payment Assistance Program which was eliminated in the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Appropriations Act.   This bill has wide Democratic support.  To the Republicans supporting it, they should be required to support new revenue raisers.  Some Delaware Republicans love the spending but hate the paying.

SB148 – RESTORING THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PAYMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
SPONSORS: McBride, Poore, Marshall, Heffernan, Osienski, Kowalko, Bushweller,  Ennis, Hansen, Henry, McDowell, Sokola, Townsend, Walsh, Lavelle, Richardson, Baumbach, Bentz, Brady, Briggs King, Jaques, Keeley, Matthews, Paradee, Ramone, K. Williams, Bennett
YES VOTES:
NO VOTES:
ABSENT:
NOT VOTING:
HISTORY: Senate Health, Children & Social Services 1/10/18
STATUS: Waiting on consideration in committee

Senator Townsend has introduced a bill that would provide hazardous duty pay to those DelDOT employees who on interstate, expressway, arterial, and collector roads.

SB141 – HAZARDOUS DUTY PAY FOR DOT EMPLOYEES.
SPONSORS: Townsend, Carson, Lynn, Mitchell, Osienski, Potter,  Cloutier, Ennis, Marshall, Poore, Baumbach, Brady, J. Johnson, Keeley, Kowalko
YES VOTES:
NO VOTES:
ABSENT:
NOT VOTING:
HISTORY: Senate Elections & Government Affairs 1/17/18
STATUS: Waiting on consideration in committee