Governor Vetos Eminent Domain Bill

I guess mama knows best. From the News Journal:

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner announced today she is vetoing legislation that would have redefined “public use” in the eminent domain law and made it harder for government agencies to take private land. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 245 on June 12, after months of negotiations between parities involved in the issue.

This is just crazy.

Members of both chambers of the Legislature have said a new eminent domain law is a priority, and they suspect an 11th hour attempt to ensure a compromise is reached and signed by the governor before they adjourn Monday night.

It would be nice to see them just override her veto, but Delaware Watch reports:

Even though the measure passed both houses by overwhelming margins, it has been reported to Delaware Watch that Senate President Pro Tem Thurman… Adams has the policy that no veto by a Democratic Governor will be overturned while he dominates the state Senate.

And that’s a shame.

Once more from the News Journal:

Although SB 245 came partly as a response to the Riverfront squabble, it also was a reaction to the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Kelo v. City of New London. In that case, the nation’s highest court ruled that the taking of private property as part of a comprehensive redevelopment plan was a permissible use of eminent domain because the public at large benefits from the redevelopment.

Funny thing is that the City of New London tore down the house and the development for which the house was removed has yet to happen:

…not much progress has been made in Fort Trumbull, leaving some wondering whether the homeowners were forced out for nothing.

Hit this link for SB 245. Hat tip to Delaware Liberal for the veto story. Hat tip to Newsbusters for the Kelo update.

Planned Parenthood Funding

I received an email from the Delaware Family Policy Council alerting their mailing list to some funding hidden in the Delaware’s budget for the new fiscal year:

…hidden in the Tobacco funding, is $132,600 of our money being given to Planned Parenthood, Delaware’s largest abortion provider!

They are urging residents opposed to this to “call your legislators and ask them to vote ‘NO’ on the budget, S.B. 300 (page 106 of the budget).”

I do wonder what Planned Parenthood provides in services that would be tobacco related. Maybe someone who knows can email me or comment.

Our representatives in southwestern Sussex County are Bob Venables and Biff Lee. Here is their contact information:

Senate District 21: Robert L. Venables, Sr.:
Office: (302)744-4298/Home:(302)875-9559/Robert.Venables@state.de.us
Representative District 40: Clifford G. “Biff” Lee:
Office:(302)744-4034/Home:(302)875-5119/biff.lee@state.de.us

While I am a technology guy, I would recommend calling as opposed to emailing, although one could choose to do both.

One additional note from this email:

Join us at Legislative Hall June 30th, this Monday at 5:30pm to show your opposition to Planned Parenthood! Please call Jordan Warfel at 302-***-**** when you arrive and he will meet you at the door with a DFPC “Say NO to Planned Parenthood” sticker and provide you with details of what to do next. (Be sure to bring your driver’s license or a form of identification if you do not have a license, no cameras permitted).

You can reach the Delaware Family Policy Council on the web at this link.

UPDATE: SB300 is at this link. Here’s what I found (numbers to the left are line numbers on that page):

1 This Act makes an appropriation to the Division of Community Health for Tobacco Fund Contractual
2 Services. Of that appropriation, funds are allocated as follows:
3 $3,374.2 Tobacco prevention through Community Based organizations
4 $370.4 E-Resources Program - Delaware Academy of Medicine
5 $222.2 Kent County/Sussex County Consumer Health Services - Delaware Academy of
6 Medicine
7 $331.0 Wesley College Nursing Program
8 $122.3 Polytech Adult Education Nursing Program
9 $144.0 Delaware Hospice
10 $132.6 Planned Parenthood of Delaware (emphasis mine)
11 $115.2 St. Francis Hospital
12 $75.0 Hepatitis B Vaccine
13 $60.3 American Lung Association - Asthma Project
14 $231.5 Child and Families First - Resource Mothers Program
15 $43.2 Kelly Heinz - Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation - Awareness Program
16 $27.8 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Family Support Project - March of Dimes
17 $23.1 AIDS Delaware

That still doesn’t tell anyone what service they provide, outside of just saying they have be contracted for some services. If one were to guess that it is some tobacco education service or helping someone kick the habit, what guarantees do they have that the money is not being spent on something else?

Around The Trombone 6/28

Hube tells us about “thought showers“.

Brian talks about his adventures delivering pizzas.

Howard always has interesting posts on local history. This post about the old Benjamin’s Department Store reminds you of the rich treasure of local stores once dominating the our cities and towns.

Oh yeah, Howard found another blogger from his neck of the woods: What A Smell.

Average Girl writes about her gas experiment.

IMAO reports that since this week’s Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment guns have been out shooting people.

Paul provides a link to a site where you, yes you, can create your own Obama poster. Some of my ideas: