The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that will put Sen. Nicole Poore on the board of directors of the Fort DuPont Redevelopment and Preservation Corp. Poore – who represents Delaware City, where Fort DuPont is located – also serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Capital Improvements, commonly referred to as the Bond Committee. The Bond …
Two lawmakers on opposite sides of the political spectrum have found common ground in their desire to increase transparency and accountability in state government. A bill filed by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, and Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would establish an independent and nonpartisan inspector general office in Delaware. The proposed office would investigate state agencies to identify and …
A bipartisan bill to put state law enforcement officials in charge of background checks for gun purchases has been filed in the Delaware General Assembly. House Bill 423, sponsored by Rep. Larry Mitchell, D-Elsmere, would reinstitute Delaware’s Firearm Transaction Approval Program, known as FTAP. Federal law allows states to conduct background checks through a state agency instead of directly through …
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Contol on Monday began restoring beaches after a powerful nor’easter caused widespread erosion and damage. The Mother’s Day weekend storm brought tropical-storm-force winds that affected communities along Delaware’s bayshore and Atlantic coast. “Our shoreline team will be hard at [work] for the foreseeable future on beach restoration priorities that this storm handed …
The Delaware House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously passed a measure aimed at ending the tradition of extending legislative business beyond midnight on June 30 of each year. Under House Bill 411, the General Assembly would only be constitutionally mandated to stay until 5 p.m. on the last day of June. “Five o’clock becomes the new twelve o’clock, basically,” said …
Dr. Karryl Rattay will leave her post as director of the Delaware Division of Public Health on June 30. Rattay took the job in 2009 during the swine flu pandemic. She is currently the nation’s longest-serving public health director. “It has been the greatest honor of my lifetime to serve Delawareans in this role,” Rattay said Friday. “I am grateful …
The Delaware State Senate on Thursday passed a bill to legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. House Bill 371, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, passed along party lines and now heads to Gov. John Carney. Under the bill, it would be totally legal to possess one ounce or less of marijuana in Delaware, except for …
A bill to recognize certain rights of Delawareans facing homelessness failed in the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday after municipalities and landlords expressed concerns about potential unintended consequences. House Bill 235’s stated purpose is to ensure all individuals, regardless of housing status, have equal opportunity to live in decent, safe, sanitary, and healthful accommodations and enjoy equality of opportunities. The bill, …
A bill released from the House Administration Committee Wednesday would create a committee to review grants for nonprofit organizations and make recommendations to the Joint Finance Committee. Grant-In-Aid is an annual appropriation made by the General Assembly to support the activities of non-profit organizations in the state. The funds are intended to provide supplemental resources to service agencies. Applications for …
Delaware’s state fruit is the strawberry. The state tree is the American holly. The state flower is the peach blossom and the state beverage is milk. Soon, Delaware may add a state dinosaur and reptile to the list. The House Administration Committee released two bills Wednesday to designate the dryptosaurus as the state dinosaur and the green turtle as the …
