New Castle County council meeting, property tax

New Castle County OKs $331.4M budget, lowers property tax

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

New Castle County’s 2024 budget includes the first property tax reduction in 50 years. The tax reduction comes in the form of an automatic 5% tax credit for those paying property taxes, said New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer. “It’s the first decrease, we’re being told, since this form of government was created in the 1960s,” Meyer said. That decrease …

Erik Mclean, electric vehicles

Car dealers: So far, electric vehicles not popular in Delaware

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

As DNREC is closing the public comment period for its new electric vehicle regulations, car dealerships across the state aren’t seeing an uptick in buyers. Sticker shock plays a role in that, dealers say. Many who are interested finally choose a hybrid vehicle that uses both gasoline and an electric battery. James Ursomarso, the vice president of the Union Park …

Still work to do, say marijuana advocacy groups

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Marijuana advocacy groups who worked to help legalize marijuana in Delaware say there is still work to do. That includes urging Attorney General Kathy Jennings to drop all pending cannabis offenses, making sure that testing positive for pot won’t get someone’s parole or probation revoked, allowing marijuana to be grown at home and bird-dogging the process and progress of regulations …

lead

Advocates criticize proposed changes to lead poisoning act

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Advocates involved in the rulemaking process for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act criticized the Department of Health and Social Services for a proposed regulation at a public hearing on Wednesday. It removes nurses from the process, only focuses on young children and does not define lead poisoning or elevated blood levels, they said.  The proposed changes involve how the …

train

Commuter rail link between Newark and Perryville advances

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Headlines

The long-desired commuter rail service between Newark and Perryville, Maryland, is inching forward. A new agreement between the Delaware Transit Corp. and the Maryland Transit Administration calls for studying the expansion of MARC train service 20 miles to Newark and hence into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority system into Philadelphia and points beyond. “The recently announced agreement by the MTA …

crystal weed marijuana

Marijuana funding approved by finance committee

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

During the mark-up of the state’s operating budget Tuesday, the Joint Finance Committee approved $4.1 million to pay for regulation of a new marijuana industry in Delaware, including 28 new state jobs. Of the $4.1 million allocated, $2.2 million is expected to be ongoing funding and $1.9 million is expected to be for one-time costs, as provided by the bills …

assault

State offers 3 dates for assault weapon registration

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security announced that it will be hosting several opportunities for Delawareans to register their assault weapons. There will be three dates, each from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., for people from each county to get a certificate, including on May 27 at the Delaware State Police Troop 2 building in New Castle County, …

Insurance and prescription costs are going up for state retirees. (National Cancer Institute)

State retirees on Medicare to pay 5% more for Medicfill plan

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

People who have retired from the state of Delaware and are now on Medicare will pay 5% more for the state’s special Medicfill insurance plan, a committee decided on Monday. The change starts Jan. 1. The State Employee Benefits Committee had voted in March to increase premiums 9.4% for those on the group health insurance plan but not on Medicare. …

Tom Carper has announced his retirement.

Carper says he’ll retire at the end of his term

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Tom Carper, a U.S. senator representing Delaware since 2001, announced Monday that he’s retiring when his term ends next year. Carper, 76, at a news conference on the Wilmington Riverfront, signaled his support for Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, the state’s first Black member of Congress, as his successor, The Washington Post reported. “The odds-on favorite to replace the longtime Delaware …

The second phase of work on the Delaware Memorial Bridge is ending. (Delaware River and Bay Authority)

All lanes of Delaware Memorial Bridge to open this weekend

Ken MammarellaGovernment, Headlines

The Jersey barriers that created a bypass lane during construction on the Delaware Memorial Bridge are being removed, with the goal of having all eight lanes open this weekend. The three left lanes will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily, Monday-Wednesday, May 22-24, to remove the concrete barriers. During this process, only the right lane will be …