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General Assembly wrap-up for Libertarians: good news & bad from the midnight session

Good news:  the badly flawed HB 88 did not come back for reconsideration.  Word had it that Beau Biden was working Senator Marshall really hard for a reconsideration, but he didn't get it.

The AG did get his bail bond constitutional amendment, however.  That's not good news for a lot of poor people in Delaware.

Unfortunately, the very last thing that the Senate did at about 12.40 AM was to pass HB 194 that creates stiffer penalties for what one bureaucrat witness called "rogue" non-nurse midwives.

She and Senator Hall-Long had to lie to get the bill passed, however.  After Senator Dave Lawson stood up and shared that he and his ten siblings were born at home under the management of a midwife, Senator Karen Petersen made a brave effort to bring some science into the room.

I had written Senator Petersen and clued her in about the Canadian study that showed the risk of birth by midwife was no more dangerous than birth in a hospital, and led to few complications, statistically.

Senator Petersen made good use of that study, and seemed to be changing some minds, but unfortunately I did not specify for her that the Canadian midwives in the study were registered non-nurse midwives, and so when the bureaucrat flat out lied and claimed they weren't, Karen didn't have the ammunition she needed.  She then abstained from the vote, which the natural birth movement and Libertarians should appreciate.

Both I and Jennifer of Momma Trauma followed up with Petersen and Lawson immediately after the passage of this ridiculous bill.  We will be lobbying them to write a new bill that exempts non-nurse midwives from the onerous requirement for a formal agreement with a OB/gyn that nobody will sign because it skyrockets their malpractice insurance.

I'm tired now:  more details tomorrow morning.

Comments

Scott Gesty said…
Thank you Steve. We are all tired. The fight goes on.
tom said…
They did pass two more anti-gun bills increasing penalties, which the News Journal described as "non-controversial".

"Useless and counterproductive" would be a better description--if criminals were not deterred by the already lengthy sentences, why would anyone believe that adding 2 more years will make them stop and think. The now laws will only impact law-abiding gun owners who accidentally run afoul of the state's numerous anti-gun law & regulations.

and Rep. Jacques' bill to prohibit people from running for more than one office passed the House but was not considered by the Senate. Third Parties (as well as the GOP) can hope this dies quietly in a Senate committee next year.
Anonymous said…
Thanks for fighting for us rogue midwives! I can't believe I will now be considered a felon! My heart is broken!

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