A small business voice in Dover will be missed

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Good afternoon,

State Rep. Quinn Johnson, D-Middletown did not make a lot of waves, but the 12-year veteran of the Delaware House will be missed.

The General Assembly will hold a virtual end of the session tonight.

“We’ve come to rely on Quinn for his quiet thoughtfulness – he rarely was the first person to speak about issues, but if he had a point to make, he would not hesitate to passionately advocate for his position,” House Majority leaders stated upon learning of his plans. “His leadership was especially evident during the past two years as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee, where his forward-thinking and prudent decisions have helped our state weather this year’s economic storm much better than could be expected. ”

The statement refers to Johnson, Gov. John Carney, and others insisting on setting aside funds when times were good. The stance was not popular with a  progressive wing of the party that pushed for income tax increases for those with six-figure incomes.

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Johnson, the owner of daycare centers (not the easiest business to run these days)  was also an advocate for small businesses. 

His occupation is becoming more of a  rarity within the majority party.  Earlier, Democrat Byron Short, also a small business advocate, stepped away from Legislative Hall. He now heads the Delaware Contractors Association.

The website Blue Delaware  was semi-happy about Johnson’s departure, citing what the writer saw as a conservative stance. The blogger did lament the fact that it might be hard to find a progressive to run in the district. Democrats hold a registration edge in Quinn’s district but are not adverse to electing a Republican.

Enjoy some nice deck weather if a storm does not pop up. This newsletter returns tomorrow. – Doug Rainey

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