State House Republicans plan to circulate a bill to require Delaware to issue a one-time $100 million tax rebate that would give each resident $100. Under the plan, a family of four would get $400 from the state’s expected surplus revenue of nearly $1 billion. The rebate would help residents deal with the rise in the cost of gasoline …
DPH will text you if you test positive for COVID-19
The Delaware Division of Public Health now plans to text you if you have COVID-19. The DPH Contact Tracing Team has launched a pre-call text messaging initiative to individuals who test positive for COVID-19. It involves sending a text message to COVID-positive individuals and providing initial isolation guidance and recommendations through a secure web platform before they receive a call …
Cannabis legalization may return for a vote in 2022, sponsor says
Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark. It may not be the end of the line for recreational marijuana legalization in Delaware. While Rep. Ed Osienski’s House Bill 305 was defeated in the House of Representatives after a stunning series of events Thursday, the Newark Democrat said he’s still hopeful that cannabis prohibition could come to an end in 2022. “I hope there’s …
Marijuana legalization fails after stunning series of events, political maneuvering
House Bill 305, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, sought to legalize the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana. (Getty Images) The bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Delaware came to a stunning end in the House of Representatives when it failed after a series of events: A two-hour-long recess was called by Speaker of the House Pete …
Bill to give undocumented kids free health insurance moves forward
Delaware could soon guarantee health insurance for undocumented children if a bill released from committee Wednesday passes in the General Assembly. House Bill 317, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax, would require the Department of Health and Social Services to develop and operate a medical coverage program for children who are not eligible for either Medicaid or CHIP because of …
Proposed law would have car insurers turn a blind eye to gender
A bill filed in the General Assembly would make it illegal for car insurers in Delaware to use gender as a factor when determining customers’ premiums. Senate Bill 231, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Brandywine Hundred, prohibits the use of gender, gender identity, or sex as a rating factor in personal automobile insurance policies. Gay cited a report from …
Paid leave passes in Senate, heads to House
Paid family and medical leave in Delaware moved one step closer to becoming a reality Tuesday after the Senate passed a bill to create the program along party lines. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North, will now advance to the House of Representatives. The Healthy Delaware Families Act would create a statewide insurance program to provide up …
Bill would remove earnings cap on police, firefighter disability pay
A bipartisan bill released from committee today would allow disabled officers and firefighters to earn more money without being penalized. Photo/Getty Images. On Dec. 10, 2020, Milford Police Cpl. T.J. Webb was shot six times while attempting to arrest a fugitive near Rehoboth Beach. The man who shot Webb was killed by police during the incident, but it was only …
Bill would eliminate double-registration for town, city elections
If passed, Delawareans living in 45 out of the state’s 57 municipalities would no longer have to register with the town in order to vote in its elections. Photo/Getty Images. When Maryann Pielmeier went to vote in favor of a referendum to build a new police station in Milford, she was turned away at the polling place and told that …
Democrat Bud Freel wins 4th RD special election
Democrat Charles “Bud” Freel has won the special election to serve the remainder of former-Rep. Gerald Brady’s term in the Delaware House of Representatives. Unofficial results from the Department of Elections show Freel having earned 2,210 votes compared to Republican Ted Kittila’s 1,015. Freel served as an at-large Wilmington City Councilman for 16 years before representing the city’s 8th District …