The Senate on Thursday passed the bill banning the use of single-use foam take containers and plastic items in restaurants, but it will allow customers to request a straw. Senate Bill 51, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, would ban the use of beverage, cocktail picks and sandwich picks made of plastic, but exempts straws attached to an item such …
A bill that passed the Senate Thursday would allow the state’s sterile needle exchange to give away clean needles, without the client trading in a used one. Senate Bill 52, sponsored by Sen. Marie Pinkney, D-Bear, would change the Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Program into the Sterile Needle and Syringe Service Program and allow people to receive needles on …
Playing follow the leader, Gov. John Carney announced Tuesday he will end the State of Delaware’s COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Order on May 11. That will coincide with the plans of President Joe Biden, who announced months ago that he would end the national public health emergency May 11. “Consistent with the ending of the federal public health emergency, and …
Leaders of private christian schools clashed with legislators Wednesday in the Senate Education Committee over a bill that would require licenses and certifications for religious early education centers. Senate Bill 69, sponsored by Sen. David Wilson, R-Lincoln, would exempt sectarian or religious institutions from the Delaware Child Care Act. In 2021, the General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 169, to update …
The president of a state contractors group says a proposed bill that would allow union members to claim a tax credit for their union dues is unfair. Senate Bill 72, introduced by Sen. Nicole Poore, D-Delaware City, would let people in unions claim up to a $500 tax credit for union dues. Edward Capodanno, president of the Associated Builders and …
A bill that would require Medicaid and other health insurance plans to cover abortion services passed the House Health & Human Development Committee with all Democrats and one Republican voting for it. House Bill 110, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-Newcastle, would make sure that Medicaid and state insurers don’t require deductibles, coinsurances, copayments or any other cost-sharing requirement for …
A bill that would add legislators to the state commission that oversees public health emergencies left one senator confused in the Senate Health and Social Services Committee meeting Wednesday. Senate Bill 66, sponsored by Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, adds the Senate minority leader and the House minority leader as members of the Public Health Emergency Planning Commission. It works with …
The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that would lower licensing fees for casinos that make capital investments. Senate Bill 64, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, would allow the casinos, which under a 2018 bill were required to pay a $3 million license fee to operate table games, to forgo portions of that fee if they pay for …
The first bill in Gov. John Carney’s Roadway Safety Initiative has made its way through the House Public Safety & Homeland Security committee. House Bill 92, sponsored by Rep. Bill Carson, D-Smyrna, would add stopped cars with their hazard lights to the list of vehicles for which drivers would need to either change lanes and slow down or just slow …
The SEBC subcommittee continued Monday to dive into the minutiae of Medicare plans for state retirees. The subcommittee gave a lot of time to the costs to the average retiree for the state’s special group health insurance plan Medicfill versus Medigap K, G and N supplement plans and two Medicare Advantage plus prescription drug plans. They focused on costs for …
