Posts Tagged ‘DE General Assembly’
HB 357 Would Redefine “Firearms” in Delaware
Legislation has been introduced to the Delaware General Assembly that would legally define a firearm in the First State. House Bill 357 will go before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday at 11am. Representative Jeff Spiegelman is one of the sponsors of the measure and says this could potentially reform multiple aspects of state law…
Read MoreLegislation for Workforce & Affordable Housing Introduced to DE General Assembly
Delaware State Senator Rex Huxtable (D-6) has introduced several bills to the General Assembly that deal with workforce and affordable housing. Senate Bill 22 establishes the “Delaware Workforce Housing Program” which would allow a qualified workforce housing investor to be reimbursed through a grant up to 20 percent of the capital costs associated with workforce…
Read MoreUPDATED: SB 241 Passed & Signed into Law – to Cancel DE Presidential Primary
HB 344 Would Eliminate Ballot Bias in Delaware
Legislation introduced in the Delaware General Assembly would eliminate ballot bias in Delaware elections. Numerous study’s show that the order in which candidates’ names appear on the ballot may impact election outcomes. By law in Delaware one political party always appears in the first column on machine ballots or the first line of absentee ballots.…
Read MoreBill to Impose Filing Deadline for Legislation before End of DE General Assembly Session
State Senator Eric Buckson(R-16) has introduced the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would impose a filing deadline for the introduction of new bills during a legislative session. SB 242 would prevent the last minute introduction of legislation that is apt to circumvent the deliberative process and prohibit a bill from being introduced after…
Read MoreHouse Bill Would Increase Penalties for Drivers Who Fail to Yield Right-of-Way for Emergency Vehicles with Lights & Sirens Activated
Legislation sponsored by 4th District State Representative Jeff Hilovsky focuses on protecting police, paramedics and firefighters and facilitating prompt emergency response. House Bill 329 would increase the penalties for motorists who fail to yield the right of way to an emergency vehicle with its lights and sirens operating. The fine for a first offense would…
Read MoreBill Introduced to Protect 1st Responders & Emergency Equipment
A measure pending action in the General Assembly would increase the consequences for those whose actions endanger first responders or damage emergency equipment. House Bill 323 is sponsored by 35th District State Representative Jesse Vanderwende after an incident in his district last November. Fire trucks from several companies responding to a fire at the New…
Read MoreUPDATED: Amended ‘Permit to Purchase’ Bill Passes DE State Senate
Legislation has Been Filed to Create the Office of the Inspector General in Delaware
Legislation that would create the Office of the Inspector General, Senate Bill 21, has been filed in the Delaware General Assembly. Sponsored by Senator Laura Sturgeon(D), this would create a new, independent watchdog agency empowered to investigate waste, fraud and abuse in the executive and legislative branches of the state government. If passed by the…
Read MoreLegislation to Provide EMS Care to K9s Signed by Gov Carney
Another bill to provide better care to law enforcement K9s is Senate Bill 117 which is sponsored by Senator Brian Pettyjohn and Representative Lyndon Yearick. This measure allows paramedics and other EMS providers to care for an injured police dog at the scene of an emergency – and allows for transport of an injured K9…
Read MoreOwners of Retired Law Enforcement K9s to be Reimbursed for Some Vet Expenses
A bill that will reimburse the owner of a retired law enforcement canine for some veterinary care expenses has been signed by Governor John Carney. Senate Bill 176 have the Department of Safety and Homeland Security issue veterinary care reimbursements up to $1500 annually for retired K9s from the State Police and Capitol Police. Similar…
Read MoreGov Carney Signs Legislation to Require Reassessment of Real Property Every 5 Years
Legislation that requires each county to reassess the value of real property at least once every 5 years has been signed into law by Governor John Carney. House Bill 62 also requires that real property be assessed at its “present fair market value” instead of at its “true value in money.” The bill was signed…
Read MoreConstitutional Amendment to Restore Voting Rights to Former Felons Introduced in General Assembly
A constitutional amendment that would restore voting rights to Delawareans who have completed a prison sentence on felony charges has been introduced in the General Assembly. Senate Bill 180 would also remove the 5 year waiting period between release from prison and restoration of voting rights. This amendment would also remove the literacy test requirement…
Read MoreLegislation Introduced in DE State Senate for DNREC & PJM Interconnection to Study Transmission Impacts of Offshore Wind Development
A bill sponsored by Democrat Senator Stephanie Hansen would direct DNREC to work with PJM Interconnection, LLC to study the transmission impacts of offshore wind development. Senate Bill 170 would also have DNREC work with neighboring states on offshore wind transmission. DNREC would then report back to the Governor and Delaware General Assembly on a…
Read MoreRevisions Proposed for DE Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights
Two bills were filed Friday that would bring revisions to the Delaware Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights. House Bill 205 and House Bill 206 would revamp how officer disciplinary cases are handled and publicly disclosed, give members of the public a role in setting standards for police officers and increase transparency. According to the…
Read MoreSB 96 Would Prohibit DNREC’s EV Sales Mandate to be Heard in Committee Wednesday Afternoon
Legislation sponsored by State Senator Brian Pettyjohn and Representative Michael Ramone is now expected to be heard in the Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee next Wednesday. Senate Bill 96 would prohibit DNREC from enacting its electric vehicle sales mandate. The bill would not restrict the sale of fuel-powered cars, trucks and SUVs in Delaware…
Read MoreJoint Finance Committee Approves Raises for State Workers & Retirees and More…
The Joint Finance Committee, which is charged with crafting Delaware’s operating budget, has approved raises for state workers and retirees. This is the first day of mark-up – when the committee takes the Governor’s recommended budget and begins to vote on specific funding requests – essentially writing the budget. The plan approved by the committee…
Read MoreRescue Dog a Signature Away From DE Official State Dog
Through the years, the Delaware General Assembly has approved short-lived bills for the official state dog. For some time Delaware’s State Dog has been the Golden Retriever. However state lawmakers are making a change – and have approved Senate Bill 37, which designates rescue dogs as the official state dog. A rescue dog is one…
Read MoreLegislation to Extend Time for Temporary Tags Passes State House
Legislation that will increase the length of time for a valid temporary tag has been passed in the State House. House Amendment 1 to HB 111 would increase the length of time from 60 days to 90 days – or until the issuance of a permanent registration. The measure also keeps a temporary registration plate…
Read MoreDE State Lawmakers Urge Congressional Delegation to Deschedule Marijuana
In March, the Delaware State Senate approved Senate Resolution 11, which urges the Delaware Congressional Delegation to deschedule marijuana. Currently marijuana is still a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, which is intended for exceptionally dangerous substances with high potential for abuse and no medical use. However marijuana currently has many accepted medical uses in the US…
Read MoreDE Tenants Rights Bill Advances to State House
Legislation that will give tenants a right to representation in eviction proceedings and other landlord-tenant issues has been advanced by the Delaware State Senate. Senate Substitute 1 to SB 1 would help level the playing field between landlords and Delaware’s 100,000-plus renters, 1 in 5 of whom face eviction each year, by connecting tenants experiencing…
Read MoreDE State Senate Approves Tenants Rights Measure
The Delaware State Senate has approved legislation that will give tenants a right to representation in eviction proceedings and other landlord-tenant actions. Senate Substitute 1 to Senate Bill 1 also creates a pre-trial diversion program aimed at resolving landlord-tenant disputes before they reach a courtroom. The measure was approved by a 19 to 0 vote…
Read MoreBill Introduced to Provide Middle Class Tax Relief for Working Delawareans
A measure that would increase the standard deduction for personal income taxes by 75% in tax year 2024 – and increase the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 7.5% of the federal credit for Tax Year 2023 has been introduced in the Delaware State House. House Bill 89 is sponsored by Representative Paul Baumbach…
Read MoreHB 1 the Marijuana Bill Passes in the DE House
House Bill 1, which would legalize a personal use quantity of 1 ounce or less of marijuana was voted today in the Delaware House. There was quite a lot of discussion with the bill’s sponsor, Edward Osienski, as well as some Q&A with the past president of the Medical Society of Delaware, Dr David Henderson,…
Read MoreDE Senate Working to Make Public Participation in Legislative Process Easier
The Delaware State Senate is making it easier for Delawareans to take part in the legislative process. All formal legislative proceedings – from the legislative session to committee hearings will be held in a hybrid format that will allow for in-person or virtual participation. Additional information from the Delaware Senate Majority Caucus: Here’s what the…
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