House Bill 16 will get a vote today. This bill would repeal the estate tax in Delaware. State Rep. John Kowalko issued the following statement last evening concerning this bill:
Today 5/18/17, a bill to repeal the “estate tax”, has been placed on the House Agenda by Speaker Schwartzkopf. It will require a suspension of rules due to notification inadequacies but more importantly it will guarantee less revenue for the state and amounts to a giveaway to the Republicans and the wealthy. This tax garnered $9.3 million in revenue in 2016 and to date there have been no suggestions from leadership of either party or the JFC as to how that revenue loss will be replaced. I have asked this question of all of my Democratic colleagues and have not received one suggestion. This bill should not receive one Democrat vote but it will as deals have been cut to the detriment of Delaware’s taxpayers to ensure passage. This is irresponsible and abhorrent behavior that contradicts true Democratic party principles and ideals and all Democrat legislators should reject this or be held accountable. -Representative John Kowalko
I fully expect Kowalko to make his voice heard when he opposes this bill. I’m not sure what the notification inadequacies are. The bill came out of committee on 5/3/17 and is on the ready list. Perhaps it is the timing of when it was put on the ready list.
Delaware Liberal is reporting the deals are flying left and right down in Dover. This isn’t a new phenomenon. It happens ALL the time. It is how politics works (or doesn’t work in many cases, but I digress). Del Lib believes Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf is letting this bill up for a vote if the House Republicans will at least do a roll call on House Bill 175, which would raise corporate taxes. Expect more of this in the next 43 days folks! And watch for the sneaky-snake charter lobbyists getting their hooks into the Joint Finance Committee and the Bond Committee.
Speaking of Legislative Hall, State Rep. Mike Ramone smacked me in the face with a folder yesterday! I was at the House Education Committee meeting talking with one of the Superintendents. Ramone came over and the Super asked him an education question. Ramone didn’t know the answer so he asked me. I told him “I’m just a blogger, find out for yourself!” Ramone took his House Education Committee folder and smacked me in the face with it. It didn’t hurt. He laughed. I told him I was going to blog about it and I am a man of my word! Just a playful moment down in Dover folks, no scandal here. He usually gives me a lollipop, not a physical assault!
Full details of House Bill 16 can be found here.
The Season Of Myths 