School safety, and competing resolutions that would create task forces to improve it, sparked debate in the Senate Tuesday.

2 senators battle over dueling school safety resolutions

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

On the day Gov. John Carney preached the impact of working together in his State of the State address, the Senate watched a tense interaction divided by party lines that one legislator called “childish behavior.” The interaction between Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, and Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark/Glasgow, and their similar education task force resolutions were enough to cause comment from …

Housing and homelessness

Hearing on housing, homeless leads to promise of attention

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A joint legislative hearing held by Delaware Senate and Housing committees Wednesday started picking threads out of the tangled wad of factors affecting affordable housing and homelessness in Delaware. The convening of the joint session was clearly a shot across the bow of the state political ship and a forerunner to more state, local and community action on the topics. …

8 bills are ready to be signed into law after passing through the Senate Thursday.

8 bills pass Senate, ready to become Delaware law

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

Eight bills were discussed and passed through the Senate Thursday and are heading to Gov. John Carney’s desk for signature in what is the last week of the legislative session. Here’s what is set to become law: House Bill 65, also sponsored by  Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Brandywine Hundred South, provides state employees who suffer a miscarriage, stillbirth or other loss, …

Doctor in healthcare

Benefits subcommittees examine rising costs of health care

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

Two state health subcommittees focused Monday on the rising cost and utilization of health care. Those costs are the basis of predictions about how many healthcare services employees and retirees will use and are used to determine insurance premiums and more. At a joint SEBC Financial and Health Policy & Planning Subcommittee meeting Monday,  Chris Giovannello of Willis Towers Watson …

The Senate voted unanimously on almost every bill Thursday. (Pexels)

Senators unanimously agree on 14 of 15 bills Thursday

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

It was a day of unanimous votes for the Delaware Senate Thursday, with 14 of the 15 items  passed without any ‘no’ votes. Sen. Darius Brown, D-Wilmington, was the only legislator to vote against House Substitute 1 for House Bill 34, a law that would require school boards from district and charter schools to hold public comment on each agenda …

The Senate voted to lower the workload for Division of Family Services caseworkers.

Senate votes to ease workload of Family Service workers

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

Case workers for the Division of Family Services could soon be getting a reduced workload. The Delaware Senate voted Tuesday to approve a recommendation made by the Child Protection Accountability Commission to drop the number of families that case workers follow from 18 to 12. Senate Bill 33, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, would act on the commission’s …

A mini-Bond bill Delaware Senate Labor changes

Mini-Bond bill gets mired in Senate debate over labor changes

Shannon C. KeithGovernment, Headlines

A typically commonplace measure that would have added 17 projects to this year’s Bond and Capital Improvements funding got mired in controversy Tuesday over wording that required union and minority participation in four bids. That requirement in a four-project pilot program would mean that some minorities, including Hispanics, would be left out, Senate Republicans maintained. Rep. Jack Walsh, D-Newport/Stanton, sponsor …

retiree healthcare

Adding retirees to health panels passes Senate

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Despite vehement opposition from a state retirees’ group, a bill that would add retirees to committees that help determine health care options overwhelmingly passed the Senate Wednesday, just moments after it had cleared a committee hearing. Voting against it were three Republican senators. Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would give retirees a voice by …

Leg Hall

Senate Dems pick up committee seats with larger majority

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Leaders in the Delaware Senate have revealed the body’s committee assignments for the 152nd General Assembly which begins in January. Senate President Pro Tempore-Elect Dave Sokola announced the assignments Monday. “Legislative committees are an essential part of the legislative process where senators gather public input and determine which bills should move forward,” Sokola said in a news release. “The assignments …