A buy-one-get-two deal is a bargain at a grocery store, but not so ideal for teachers looking to exchange days off. A new law could even the scales. Senate Bill 20, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, removes the requirement that a public school district employee who donates leave to another employee must donate two days of leave …
Victims’ rights task force given dozens of updating ideas
Making sure crime victims have access to police body camera footage is one of the recommendations made Monday for revising Delaware’s Victims’ Bill of Rights. Other recommendations include an amendment to allow people to submit an impact statement during sentencing whether or not they make a statement during an investigation; eliminating the current $6 million rollover cap on compensation fund; …
Victims’ Rights task force to hear updating, funding ideas
A task evaluating the Delaware’s Victims’ Bill of Rights for the first time since it was established in 1992 will hear recommendations about how to improve it Monday, Feb. 12. The current document is an unwieldy, jumbled mess because of all the hands that have been in the code since then, said Scott Goss, communications director for the Senate Democrats. …
Student loan borrowers could get Bill of Rights
Laws that would establish a Bill of Rights for student loan borrowers and adjust the transfer of leave days for educators garnered support in a Senate Education Committee hearing Wednesday. Senate Bill 132, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would make Delaware the 19th state to have a Bill of Rights for student loan burrowers. Of the 18 states who …
Republicans push bill to allow Delawareans to file ethics complaints
A proposed law that intends to hold state legislators accountable for unethical behavior was showcased in the second of a series of press conferences each Wednesday by the Republican Party. House Bill 261, sponsored by Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would establish the Office of Legislative Ethics for the General Assembly to ensure that valid allegations of wrongdoing by state …
Educator pay raise proposals to get joint hearing Jan. 11
Delaware’s General Assembly will have its first public look and discussion about proposed educator pay raise recommendations next week. At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, the House and Senate education committees will come together to listen to a presentation on the final report from the Public Education Compensation Committee. Watch the meeting here. The 15-person compensation committee – made of …
Senate Republicans ask Carney to oust Ag Sec. Michael Scuse
Six Delaware State Senate Republicans on Thursday asked Gov. John Carney to immediately remove Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse following an ethics report that said he violated state bidding processes. The Public Integrity Commission released a report saying Scuse improperly used $100,000 in taxpayer money to employees of the department to house seized farm animals without public notice or a public …
State rep’s comments about Israel draw attention, comment
As Delaware Republicans release statements of adamant support for Israel after the deadly Hamas attack there, one Democrat is drawing a lot of attention for her refusal to do so. State Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, D-Newark, said in an email circulated among members of the Delaware General Assembly that she was shocked by what she saw when she visited the Delaware …
School test scores dismal again despite new math, reading plans
There was little cheering news Tuesday when Delaware released its 2023 state assessment results. The numbers are still grim, with the majority of students across the board failing to reach proficiency in math and reading. “I can’t imagine anyone looking at these test results and saying they are good enough,” said Julia Keleher, the new executive director of First State …
Senate passes offshore wind energy collaboration bill
The Senate passed seven bills Thursday, but two of them – one about offshore wind energy and one about tenant protections – received some resistance. Senate Bill 170, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown, requires the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to work with the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection to look into the viability of generating offshore wind …