Seaford voting bill, bond bill pass house after some maneuvering
A Seaford voting bill made it through the House on the last legislative day of the session, but not before some procedural maneuvering linked to a $1.4 billion bill for capital improvements across the state.
A substitute bill for House Bill 121, introduced June 1, would allow nonresident business owners, including limited liability corporation partnerships, or trusts, to cast one vote in a municipal election.
“This is not a new thing,” said Rep. Danny Short, R-Seaford, who said Bethel, Dagsboro, Fenwick Island and Henlopen Acres all have similar laws to the Seaford proposal.
Another 14 municipalities allow public entities to vote on matters of annexation, borrowing money and for special elections, he said.
“If you have multiple ownership, you only get to vote one time,” he said.
Under the bill, a power-of-attorney document must be signed and notarized before anyone can vote. Names would be put in a book of registered voters and cross-referenced to make sure no one votes more than once, according to the bill.
Common Cause of Delaware along with the American Civil Liberties Union both oppose the legislation that they say will dilute votes of minority residents.
“We’re horrified and disappointed that this bill passed. Corporations have no place in our elections – full stop,” said Claire Snyder-Hall, executive director of Common Cause Delaware. “In a state with more registered businesses than residents, this bill gives wealthy outsiders the power to override the actual people of Seaford. Hopefully, it will not make it through the Senate.”
Although the bill passed the House June 30 by a 35-6 vote, an attempt a day earlier failed to get the necessary two-thirds vote to pass.
Republicans used their slim voting power to block passage of the capital improvement bill by not voting. Without Republican support, the spending bill failed to get the 31 votes needed for the required three-fourths vote, and it failed on first attempt 24-1 with 15 not voting.
The next day, however, both bills were brought back by procedural moves that allow someone to switch their vote to the prevailing vote, and bring up the item at a later time. Both Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, and Short switched their votes. Short voted no on his Seaford bill so he could bring it up June 30, and Longhurst voted no on the bond bill, which she brought up after passage of the Seaford voting bill. The bond bill unanimously passed the House 41-0 after similar unanimous passage in the Senate. Gov. John Carney signed the bill into law June 30.
The Seaford bill now heads to the Senate for consideration when the General Assembly reconvenes in January.
“This was a win for everyone involved, even if it took more gamesmanship than should have been necessary,” Short said. “We should not be using the state Legislature to retaliate and intimidate any municipal government in Delaware because they do not hold the same political perspectives of those in the majority.”
Short said he is unsure about the fate of the bill in the Senate under sponsorship by Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Seaford.
Also passed and signed into law June 30 was a grant-in-aid bill totaling nearly $72 million. The bill allocates money to fire companies, ambulance services, senior centers, veterans organizations and other community groups that provide services. Funding includes:
- $16 million for ongoing paramedic operations in all three counties, plus an additional $1 million for each county to improve or enhance paramedic options
- $10 million in statewide support for fire and ambulance companies to ensure maintenance and operation of trucks, ambulances and rescue boats, a 20% increase from last year
- $9.9 million for services and programs at senior centers
- $3.9 million for the county seats Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown
- $3.2 million in $50,000 allocations to each fire company and public service ambulance company
- $608,000 for veterans organizations in all three counties, a 20% increase over last year.
