Speak Up: Response to McGuiness inspector general Point/Counterpoint

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“As your State Auditor, my staff and I are steadfast supporters of any initiatives that would increase the transparency and accountability of our state. Delawareans have a right to good governance that is free of fraud, waste, or abuse, and I applaud this bipartisan effort. HB405 underlines a fundamental truth in our state; Delawareans deserve better.”

  • This is a very interesting letter. While it makes mention of the state auditor conducting investigations of waste, fraud, abuse, and by inference mismanagement, under what authority is this happening? The state law creating the office of state auditor Title 29 Chapter 29 explicitly discusses doing audits, there's no authority to conduct broad investigations. That seems like mission creep. In fact, one of the key points in the bill creating the office of inspector general is to provide the Office of the Inspector General with this authority so there is a clear delineation of responsibilities between these agencies and so the state auditor sticks to its mission which is auditing. Keith Steck

Response to Kowalko inspector general Point/Counterpoint

“HB 405 provides for an independent and, importantly, nonpartisan inspector general, who is selected by an independent blue-ribbon panel of various community stakeholders. The claims by the auditor of accounts that “potential auditees or subjects of investigations” and “members of the political class” would “hand select the individual responsible for their oversight” is simply false and patently ignores the members of the public who represent the majority of the positions on the Selection Panel. There are other significant differences between the Delaware auditor of accounts and the proposed inspector general under HB 405.

  • Exactly what we need! Connie Merlet

Editor’s note: House Bill 405 was introduced April 28, reported out of the House Administration Committee and assigned to the House Appropriations Committee on June 16. House Amendment HA 1 to HB 405 was introduced and placed with the bill June 27.

Delaware House OKs more parts of gun-safety package

House Bill 451, which raises the age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21, and HB 423, which reinstitutes state background checks for those purchasing firearms, both passed in the House chamber and will now head to the Senate for consideration.

  • I just read that about 200 people were at Legislative Mall yesterday for the rally. I was there and I say over 500 were at the event. Please state the facts correctly! Charlie

Editor’s note: House Bill 423 was passed June 16 and sent to the governor for action. House Bill 451 was passed June 28 and sent to the governor for action.

Response to assault weapons letter

“We are in deep discussions concerning the public safety of our nation and the illegal use of firearms. We have not been unified, and we have not moved toward a common goal. We have made up our minds that we are right, and we do not listen to possible agreeable solutions. We love our guns and have a long history of hugging and hanging on to them. One major issue that sparks fire in our discussion of gun control and safety is the ability that nonmilitary or non-law enforcement people are able to obtain assault weapons.”

  • Will you want the cops go after the criminals with those assault weapons, too, or just legal owners? Oh wait, illegal weapons outnumber legal ones right now, so I think it has to be going after legal ones. Alex Fowler

Editor’s note: House Bill 450 was passed by the House June 9 and the Senate June 16 and has been sent to the governor for action.

Abortion access bill advances to Delaware Senate

Lawmakers in a Delaware Senate committee forwarded a bill recently that would expand abortion access in the state and shield providers of reproductive health care from laws targeting them in other states. House Bill 455 would allow physicians assistants, certified nurse midwife and certified nurse practitioners to perform abortions.

  • Abortion up until birth? Sending the decisions back to the states will show just how much Democrats don’t care about the unborn. — Ryan Fenimore
  • Now that ruling by the supreme Court on abortion has been released do you think that the person or persons that released the leak will ever be identified or charged or covered up? Andy Andrew
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