Uses recycling bill to lambast House leader
Republican candidate for the 14th Representative District Chris Weeks is attacking popular and long-standing Democratic House Majority Leader Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach. Weeks criticized the incumbent lawmaker’s support of recently passed legislation that establishes statewide, curbside recycling.
Chris Weeks
requires trash haulers to offer recycling pickup at single-family homes by 2011, followed by a rollout plan to offer recycling to multi-family developments and commercial businesses in subsequent years. Another provision of the bill establishes a 4-cent recycling fee on bottles. Those funds would be diverted to municipalities and private haulers to help fund the curbside program. The bill passed the Senate 17-3, April 29, and on Tuesday, May 11, the measure passed the House, 26-12.
But any bill that requires new fees and allocates the funds must pass by a three-fifths majority in both chambers.
While SB 234 received that majority in the Senate, it failed in the House. Still, the measure’s on its way to the governor’s desk for his signature.
Pete Schwartzkopf
Republicans, including Weeks, are already questioning the bill’s constitutionality. Weeks, on Thursday, May 13, said he’s concerned about the “fast-track mentality” of passing measures and the constitutionality of the so-called bottle bill. He also said that state officials are slipping down a slippery slope with new ways to create revenue in Delaware.
Weeks also attacked Schwartzkopf for raising taxes because Schwartzkopf supported SB 234.
State officials say the measure would help reduce costs in the long run by reducing materials headed to landfills. Democrats have also come forward insisting the 4-cent allocation is not a new tax. It is diversion of an existing fee to the curbside program, say bill supporters.
Keep in mind, the state already has a 5-cent deposit on bottles already in place.
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Tags: 14th Representative District, Chris Weeks, Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, Senate Bill 234
This entry was posted on May 13, 2010 at 6:59 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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May 13, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Is the new 4 cent allocation in addition to the existing 5 cent deposit? My six back is going to cost more if so!
May 13, 2010 at 8:58 pm
What you fail to mention is that the 5=cent deposit is being abolished and is being replace by a LOWER 4-cent fee. Currently, over 90% of people who pay the 5-cent deposit do not redeem their bottles and the merchant pockets the money; they do not turn it over to the state. HB 234 ends that practice.
Also, 3/5 in the House is 25 – HB 234 received 26 votes.
This is not a tax, no matter how Weeks or Bodenweiser want to paint it.