refunds

Delaware still working on 32,000 tax refunds, new system

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Less than 10% of Delawareans who were due refunds when they filed their taxes are still waiting on them. Since the beginning of 2023, the Delaware Department of Finance has received more than  387,000 requests for a 2022 tax refund. Its completed 355,641 of those requests, which totaled about $230 million. The number of outstanding tax refunds is about the …

issues

Kitchen table issues expected to be focus of 2024 election

Sam HautHeadlines, Government

With three Democrats already announcing a run for statewide offices in 2024, politicians say they expect the election’s main issues to be familiar to most voters. “It’s the cost of things going up and kind of wages being stagnant,” said Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, minority leader in the Delaware State Senate. “More and more I’m hearing from people, especially our …

reinvestment fund

Community reinvestment fund gets half of previous year

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The 2024 fiscal year community reinvestment fund allocates $45 million to 153 different organizations, a big drop from the $90 million allocated for 2023 fiscal year and the $70 million allocated in 2022. The fund is part of this year’s bond bill and comes from Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, which allocates $1,409,448,938 to address capital …

correction

Correction commissioner to join nonprofit prison company

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The commission of the Delaware Department of Correction is stepping down to join a national non-profit that is “expanding to correctional systems across the U.S.” Monroe Hudson, who has been commissioner since 2021, announced Thursday that he will be leaving. Hudson will service until July 14. Jason Miller, chief of communications with the department, declined to say which company Hudson …

bills

Bills, issues that will be back before the General Assembly

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Since this year’s General Assembly session opened in January, hundreds of bills have passed,  from marijuana legalization to climate change regulations. Plenty are still waiting for the second half of the 152nd session of the Assembly, which begins in January. Minority Leader Mike Ramone, R-Pike Creek, said Republicans had several tax bills that they are going to introduce at the …

Schwartzkopf and Longhurst

Worst kept secret: Longhurst is new House Speaker

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

On Friday, speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, choked up several times as he announced that he would be stepping down and that Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, will succeed him as the new speaker. It will be the first time a woman has been elected the speaker of the House in Delaware. With Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long presiding …

Seaford

Seaford, EV bills pass House, so GOP votes to OK bond bill

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Republicans returned to the House Friday to vote in favor of the bond bill after the House passed the change to Seaford’s charter and another bill on electric vehicles. House Substitute 1 for House Bill 121, sponsored by Rep. Daniel Short, R-Seaford, will approve a charter change for the town of Seaford allowing an LLC that owns a business in …

prevailing wage

Contractors: Prevailing wages bill will raise state costs

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

A bill that would increase the prevailing wage for contractors making products offsite is unlikely to be heard in the House after the legislature passed the 2024 fiscal year’s budget on Wednesday. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would require laborers making products away from a building site to be paid …

Ramone

Ramone: Pass the Seaford bill, or GOP won’t vote on bond bill

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Minority Leader Mike Ramone, R-Pike Creek, said Republicans who walked out of the House Thursday night will hold the bond bill hostage until the House Democrats agree to pass a charter change for the town of Seaford. “We’re not going to be voting until you pass reasonable bills,” he said. “They have a lot of young people. I guess they …

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Senate passes $1.4 billion for capital improvement 

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The Senate has approved $1.4 billion in capital improvement projects, along with a bill that would ban the LGBTQ panic defense, and a bill that adds more funding for the suicide crisis hotline. Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, would allocate $1,409,448,938 to address capital improvement projects across the state through this year’s bond bill.  Walsh said …