Posts Tagged ‘delaware general assembly’
Legislation to Allow Physician-Assisted Suicide in Delaware Moves Out of Committee
Legislation (HB 140) to allow terminally ill individuals living in Delaware to request and self-administer medication to end their life in a humane and dignified manner has been released from the House Health and Human Development Committee. Nearly identical legislation was vetoed last September by Governor Carney who morally opposed physician-assisted suicide. This new bill…
Read MoreLegislation to Create Municipal Election Districts in Millsboro Passes in State House
Legislation that will amend the charter of the Town of Millsboro to authorize the Towns three municipal election districts has passed in the State House with a unanimous vote of 39 to 0 with 2 absent. House Bill 25 is sponsored by 41st District Representative Rich Collins. The 2020 federal census would be used for…
Read MoreLegislation to Establish the Office of Inspector General Re-introduced in DE General Assembly
Legislation that would establish the Office of the Inspector General has been re-introduced in the Delaware General Assembly. Senate Bill 4 was introduced by Senator Laura Sturgeon. The Office of the Inspector General would be independent and nonpartisan – and would be unique in state government as a non-political agency with the sole mission to…
Read MoreUPDATED: Governor Carney Outlines Investments in Delaware’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
UPDATED – 11/01/24 – Governor John Carney Friday outlined his administration’s investments in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure. The program has received $17.5-million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $4-million from the Bond Bill to place charging stations for electric vehicles on major highways in Delaware – as well as additional corridors throughout the state to…
Read More2025 Delaware Teacher of the Year to be Named Next Week
Twenty of the First State’s top teachers will be honored at a celebration on October 15th, when one of them also will be named Delaware’s 2025 Teacher of the Year. The candidates were nominated by their districts or the Delaware Charter Network during the 2024 calendar year because of their superior ability to inspire students…
Read MoreGovernor Carney Vetoes Assisted Suicide Measure
Governor John Carney has vetoed House Bill 140, which would have permitted a terminally ill adult individual who is a resident of the First State the option to request and self-administer medication to end that individual’s live in a humane and dignified manner. Delaware Senate leadership is disappointed in the Governor’s veto of the measure…
Read More152nd Delaware General Assembly Ends
The 152nd Delaware General Assembly is in the books. Governor John Carney has signed the FY 2025 Operating Budget, supplemental appropriations bill, Bond Bill and Grant-in-Aid bill. The new fiscal year began at midnight. The $6.1 billion operating budget (SB 325) includes $132 million for state employee and state retiree health costs, $17 million for…
Read More152nd DE General Assembly Ends Sunday
The State Budget was passed last week along with a supplemental appropriations measure. On Thursday the General Assembly passed the $1.1-billion FY 2025 Bond and Capital Improvements Act. House Bill 475 ensures funding for improvements to Delaware roads, school construction, renovations to state buildings and a variety of other projects across the state. Senate Bill…
Read MoreDE General Assembly Asked to Investigate Embezzlement of Funds from DOL’s Unemployment Insurance Fund
A request has been made to the members of the Delaware General Assembly for an investigation in the embezzlement of funds from the Delaware Department of Labor’s Division of Unemployment Insurance. This request comes from the Delaware Coalition for Open Government (DelCOG) after it was discovered that over $181,000 was embezzled from the UI in…
Read MoreConstitutional Amendment Introduced to DE General Assembly that Would Modernize Bail Provisions
Legislation that would modernize bail provisions within the Delaware Constitution has been introduced to the General Assembly. Senate Bill 11 is the first leg of a constitutional amendment which would clarify the power of the General Assembly to set forth certain felony offenses for which, or circumstances under which, pretrial release on bail may not…
Read MoreDE Senate Committee to Discuss Offshore Wind Wednesday at 1pm – Public Comment Will be Taken
On Wednesday, the Delaware Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee is scheduled to discuss Senate Bill 265. This measure will authorize processes necessary to help meet the net zero goals of the Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023. This will prepare for offshore wind to be a significant element of Delaware’s energy future – if…
Read MoreDelaware Republican & Democratic Caucuses React to the Court finding DE Early Voting & Permanent Absentee Voting Statutes Unconstitutional
Reaction to Friday’s opinion that strikes down the Delaware statutes on early voting and permanent absentee voting has come from both sides of the State House and Senate floors. The Republican Caucus takes no issue with early voting, but the statute that was passed in the General Assembly violates the State Constitution. They plan to…
Read MoreDelaware General Assembly Cancels Tuesday’s Legislative Session Due to Inclement Weather
Due to the snowfall in Delaware, Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola and House Speaker Valerie Longhurst have announced that today’s session proceedings in both chambers are canceled. The cancellation includes a House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee meeting that was previously scheduled for noon today. The House is scheduled to reconvene at 2 p.m. tomorrow– Wednesday, January 17th.…
Read MoreInitiatives Seek to Give Delaware Citizens a Voice in One-Sided Rulemaking Process
Three bills will come before the Delaware General Assembly this year that seeks to provide safeguards on what is considered an unrestrained rulemaking authority of the executive branch. State Rep. Rich Collins, the lead sponsor of House Bill 245, says during the recent pandemic, when the executive branch was not responsive to citizens’ concerns, opinions,…
Read MoreState Lawmakers Return to Dover & Annapolis this Week
Delaware lawmakers return to Dover Tuesday for the second leg of the 152nd General Assembly session. The State House will convene at 2pm and 37th District Representative-elect Valerie Jones Giltner will take the oath of office. The State Senate will also convene at 2pm. The Senate does have several bills to consider on its first…
Read MoreHB 270 Creates Civil Penalty for Ammunition for Sale or Display that’s Not Secured in Display Case or Behind Counter
A measure that will go before the Delaware General Assembly in the next session would create a civil penalty for any sale or display of ammunition that is accessible to a purchase or transferee without assistance from a vendor or employee of the vendor. Under House Bill 270, ammunition in an enclosed display case or…
Read MoreLegislation Introduced in Dover Would Mean More for Retired First Responders
Legislation introduced Friday in the Delaware General Assembly would boost contributions to working Delaware first responders. House Bill 266 would expand the definition of compensation considered in the calculations of retiree pensions for the County and Municipal Police and Firefighter Pension Plan. The legislation is proposed by Representative Cyndie Romer (D-Newark), who is the daughter…
Read MoreBethany Beach Joins Coastal Communities in Choosing Ban on Commerical Sale and Production of Marijuana Within Municipal Boundaries
The Bethany Beach Town Council is considering legislation prohibiting the sales and production of marijuana within municipal boundaries. The Town Council had a first reading of this proposed legislation at its most recent Town Council meeting on July 21st. There will be a second reading, and a possible vote, on the proposed legislation on August…
Read MoreUPDATED: DE Proposed FY 2024 Budget Passes in Senate – Waits for Governor’s Signature
Delaware is ready to begin the FY 2024 on Saturday now that the State Senate has passed the proposed $5.6-billion budget and a $194.5-million supplemental spending plan of one-time expenditures and contingency funds. The budget provides full-time state workers with raises, increases mental heath support in elementary and middle schools as well as other education…
Read MoreLegislation Still Being Introduced in Dover – 2 Weeks Left of Session
With just two weeks left in this General Assembly session in Dover, new legislation is still being introduced. HOUSE BILL 233 Last week Representative Michael Ramone introduced House Bill 233 which would raise the minimum income to be subject to income tax from $2000 to $2500. The measure would also collapse the current 6 income…
Read MoreLegislation to Reduce Shootings & Gun-related Crimes Introduced in DE State Senate
Legislation to reduce shootings and other gun-related crimes in Delaware communities has been introduced in the State Senate. Senate Bill 2 is sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman and House Majority Whip Melissa Minor-Brown and would add Delaware to a list of states that require residents to complete a firearm training course and obtain…
Read MoreUPDATED: DE Marijuana Bills Will Become Law without Gov Carney’s Signature & Reaction
Delaware’s marijuana bills will become law – without Governor John Carney’s signature. At the end of March, the Delaware State Senate approved by House Bill 1 and House Bill 2. House Bill 1 would remove penalties for use or possession of a personal use quantity of marijuana and marijuana accessories. HB 2 created the Delaware…
Read MoreHB 2 – Marijuana Control Act Passes in the House – Awaiting Action in the DE Senate
House Bill 2 is the companion bill to HB 1 – the marijuana bill – which passed in the State House on Tuesday. HB 2 is the Marijuana Control Act, which regulates and taxes marijuana for recreational use – it would create a legal framework to regulate the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana, and…
Read MoreUPDATED: HB 25 Would Remove Relief Payment from Federal Tax in DE & Signed by Gov Carney
UPDATED – 02/10/23 – If you’re waiting to send in your taxes because you received a 2022 Relief Rebate payment from Delaware, Governor John Carney has signed House Bill 25 which would essentially absolve residents from paying federal taxes on Delaware relief rebate checks. While the rebate was not subject to Delaware income taxes –…
Read MoreProposed Grant Program Would Help Make DE Roads & Communities Safer
A measure pending action in the Delaware House of Representatives proposes a $20-million one-time grant program to curtail the state’s rising traffic deaths, address crime concerns, and fully staff Delaware’s law enforcement agencies. Rep. Mike Smith says his proposal, House Bill 39, is not a solution but rather a way to help police agencies start…
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