A recently circulated General Assembly resolution would designate March 23 as National Atheist Day in Delaware. Sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Glasgow and Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin, the resolution doesn’t yet have a bill number. Efforts were not successful to reach Morrison for comment. Sturgeon said she grew up and remains Catholic, but believes in philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s leap …
Kent, Sussex child care centers may get higher Del. payments
A bill that would force the state to pay Kent and Sussex County child care programs the same fees that it pays New Castle ones seems headed to the Senate floor. No one spoke against Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, when it came up Wednesday in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee. Gay said …
Marijuana legalization bill passes House, sent to Senate
The Delaware House of Representatives on Tuesday once again sent a bill to legalize the use of marijuana in the First State to the Senate, this time on a 28 to 13 vote. House Bill 1 is sponsored yet again by Rep. Edward Osienski, D-Newark, who managed to get a similar bill passed last year, only to see it vetoed …
State bar exam to be twice a year; passing grade dropped
Delaware will begin offering the bar exam for lawyers twice a year and will drop the passing score by two points as well as reduce the number of essays, length of clerkships and number of proceedings a candidate must attend before testing. The changes were adopted after a two-year study by the Delaware Board of Examiners and recommendations for reform …
Public Health to close COVID-19 call centers Tuesday
In another sign that COVID-19 is becoming a part of ordinary life, the Delaware Division of Public Health will close its COVID-19 call center and vaccine call center Tuesday because the number of calls has dwindled. It’s one more indication that the state and the federal government are starting to consider how to handle the ebbing of the pandemic as …
Construction exec: Mini-Bond will hurt non-union, minorities
A Delaware construction executive says that Senate Bill 35, scheduled to be heard today in the House will effectively block non-union contractors from state contracts. Edward J. Capodanno, president of the Associated Builders and Contractors Delaware says a bill to add 17 projects to this year’s Bond and Capital Improvements funding, will hurt the more than 500 members ABC represents. …
Rise in unemployment pay heads to Carney’s desk
A bill that would increase unemployment payments by $50 a week is headed to Gov. John Carney’s desk after essentially skating through the General Assembly. The Delaware Senate passed House Bill 49 Thursday. It also will allow the state to use the Delaware Unemployment Trust Fund to pay employer shares of that raise, but only for 2023. The rise will …
Carney budget cuts income tax, focuses on education, workers
Cutting straight to the “what does it mean to me” point: Gov. John Carney’s $5.5 billion budget proposal for 2024 will let Delawareans keep more of their hard-earned cash. The budget, which the governor detailed in an 11 a.m speech Thursday, will increase the standard deduction on Delaware income tax by 75% to $5,700 ($11,400 filing jointly) from $3,250 ($6,500 …
Once more unto the breach: Osienski refiles marijuana bills
Heeeeeeeeeee’ssss back. Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, filed new versions Friday of his bills to legalize the sale of marijuana and to create a marijuana industry in Delaware. He said during a press conference that he believes the new legislators elected to the General Assembly — which includes many progressives — will help him get the votes he needs to pass …
Bill to stop school boards hiking property tax is tabled
A bill that would ban a local school tax increase after the statewide property reassessment is completed was tabled Wednesday in the House Educaiton Committee after a lengthy discussion. House Bill 42, sponsored by Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would remove the up-to-10% increase in school property taxes that current law would allow schools boards to levy. Rep. Rich Collins, …