By Bradley Vasoli Liberal politics are on a steady march in the Delaware House of Representatives. The shift reached a milestone in September when progressive Kamela Smith defeated Speaker Valerie Longhurst (D-Bear) in their state House primary. The trend continued with the Democrats boosting their chamber majority by one seat in the general election earlier this month. And the leftward …
A bill aimed at cracking down on predatory practices from towing companies flew through the House Public Safety & Homeland Security Committee meeting Tuesday. House Bill 351, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, creates the following requirements for the towing and storage of vehicles without the consent of the owner or operator: Photographic evidence must be taken to document the …
A bill that would help cannabis-related businesses with financing and accounting was passed unanimously by the state House Thursday. House Bill 355, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, provides legal protections for financial institutions and other entities that provide financial or accounting services to cannabis-related businesses that are licensed or registered under Delaware law. It clarifies that banks, credit unions, …
This story has been updated to correct tax and licensing information. Marijuana – and the implications of its legalization in Delaware on certain state agencies – was part of the discussion in Wednesday’s Joint Finance Committee hearings. The Department of Safety and Homeland Security is set to receive a little over $5 million of the total request is specifically in …
Another marijuana law – sponsored by the apparent champion of cannabis in the state legislature, received some opposition in the House Thursday before ultimately passing. House Bill 285, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, who has been a champion of marijuana in the state legislature, would allow Delawareans 65 or older to obtain a medical marijuana card without their doctor’s …
Extracurriculars ruled the day in Wednesday’s House Education Committee meeting. House Bill 244, sponsored by Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would provide funding for every public high school in the state to have a full-time athletic trainer. The funding would be phased over the next three fiscal years. Both the state and local districts would allocate money for the athletic …
A bill that would allow Delawareans 65 or older to obtain a medical marijuana card without their doctor’s approval got some pushback Wednesday in a legislative hearing. House Bill 285, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark would allow the state’s elders to self-certify for the card without a certification from a health-care provider, circumventing the doctor-patient relationship. Oseinski said those …
Delaware Democrats filed new legislation Thursday that would enhance patient access to medical marijuana and revamp the framework of the Delaware Medical Marijuana Act. House Bill 285, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, would remove the requirement that a patient must have a debilitating medical condition to qualify for a registry identification card. Instead, health-care providers would determine whether a …
During the mark-up of the state’s operating budget Tuesday, the Joint Finance Committee approved $4.1 million to pay for regulation of a new marijuana industry in Delaware, including 28 new state jobs. Of the $4.1 million allocated, $2.2 million is expected to be ongoing funding and $1.9 million is expected to be for one-time costs, as provided by the bills …
Gov. John Carney dodged a question about whether he’ll sign the two marijuana bills now sitting on his desk. “I’m not going to make any news tonight,” he told a woman at the New Castle Airport Tuesday night, where he was holding the first of a series of Town Halls. The presentation in front of 60 people who packed the …
