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Bill to raise unemployment payments blows through committee

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

  A bill to permanently raise unemployment payments by $50 a week, but use state money for one year only to make sure employers don’t get hit by the rise, sailed through the House Labor Committee Tuesday. House Bill 49, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, received yes votes from all nine attending committee members and had little comment from …

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A tale of two bills: Paid leave and pot

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

One became the law of the land. The other went up in smoke.  Both involved years of planning, hundreds of meetings, thousands of stakeholder discussions and countless compromises.  The difference? One bill had the support of Gov. John Carney — the other didn’t.  With his signature, the Healthy Delaware Families Act became the 151st General Assembly’s big winner, while his …

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House votes against overriding Carney’s marijuana veto

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

An attempt to override Gov. John Carney’s veto of a bill to legalize marijuana possession failed in the Delaware House of Representatives Tuesday. With the vote, this year’s endeavor to end marijuana prohibition in Delaware is all but certainly dead.  Numerous lawmakers who previously voted to pass House Bill 371 voted against the veto override Tuesday out of an apparent …

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Carney vetoes marijuana legalization

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Delaware Gov. John Carney on Tuesday vetoed House Bill 371, legislation that would have made it legal for Delawareans 21 years of age or older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana. In a statement to the House of Representatives, Carney said while he continues to support medical marijuana, he does not believe promoting or expanding the use of …

NoWeed

Marijuana legalization fails in Del. General Assembly — again

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

The Delaware House of Representatives on Thursday voted down a bill to legalize, tax and regulate the cultivation and sale of marijuana in the First State. The bill fell just one vote short. House Bill 372, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, represents the second half of a two-pronged approach to marijuana legalization. The first half of the effort, HB …

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Delaware House votes to legalize marijuana possession

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

The Delaware House of Representatives has passed a bill to legalize marijuana in the First State.  Well, sort of.  What the bill does House Bill 371, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, would make it totally legal to possess one ounce or less of marijuana, except for those who are under the age of 21.  Under the bill, possession of …

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Bentz, Dems refuse to allow public comment on marijuana bill

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Multiple lawmakers walked out of the House health committee Wednesday in protest of a vote to release a marijuana legalization bill without hearing public comment.  After facing backlash from Republicans, House Democrats announced the bill will be reassigned to the committee and members of the public will be permitted to provide comments after the legislature returns from recess in May. …

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Osienski’s joint bills make another run at legalizing pot  

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark Some thought this year’s fight to legalize marijuana in Delaware was over after House Bill 305 failed in the General Assembly last month.  It’s not.  Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark, has since developed new legislation – and a new strategy – that could result in a different outcome. Newly introduced House Bills 371 and 372 would have …

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Recreational marijuana moves one step closer to becoming legal in DE

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A bill to legalize the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana in Delaware was released from the House Health and Human Development Committee Wednesday by a margin of 10 to four. All 10 Democrats on the committee voted in favor of the bill’s release. Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, was the lone Republican to support the bill. The bill will …

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Dems won’t need GOP votes to pass recreational marijuana bill

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

House Bill 305, also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act, seeks to legalize the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana. (Getty Images) A new bill to legalize the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana in Delaware is likely to make its way before the General Assembly this year. House Bill 305 — also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control …