inspector

Bipartisan bill would see Inspector General at work by 2025

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A much-debated Office of Inspector General would be up and running by early 2025, if a new bill passes the Delaware Assembly by the end of June. Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin, would create the  Office of Inspector General, an independent watchdog agency empowered to investigate waste, fraud,and abuse in the executive and legislative branches of state government with Senate Bill …

amtrak spotlight

Amtrak to invest millions in controversial Wilmington site

Karl BakerBusiness, Headlines

In 2022, a government watchdog said a Wilmington office building Amtrak bought for a lofty $41 million was structurally unfit for its intended use, and that the rail company’s goal of saving money by moving hundreds of workers to the site rested on unrealistic assumptions. In spite of the critique from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, rail company executives persisted …

inspector general

DE Inspector general bill likely to wait ’til next year

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

With some state expenses, such as Medicaid, higher than expected for 2024, legislators who want to create a state office of inspector general plan to wait until next year to introduce a bill to do that. “[I]t does come with a fiscal note, to create a new agency does cost some money,” said Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin. “It’s not astronomical. …

TSD Review April 27

TownSquareLIVE Weekly Review – April 27, 2023

Sonja FreyTown Square Live, Weekly Review

Click on the image below to view the PDF This Week’s Top Headlines Include: Community Bellevue State Park announces summer concerts Delaware ranked worst for savings rate State campaign to encourage use of library privacy kiosks Business Retail theft continues to plague Delaware businesses Avelo Airlines to add 9 routes, 4 states in June Fisher’s Popcorn picks Frankford site to …

Kowalko Schwartzkopf

2022 Rewind: Kowalko says House Speaker killed IG bill

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

This story was originally published in July 2022. An outgoing Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives says House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf blocked his bill to create an office of the inspector general.  Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, said the move was typical of Schwartzkopf’s leadership style. That leadership style can be characterized by “coercion, intimidation, incentivizing and reward,” Kowalko …

Kowalko Schwartzkopf

Kowalko: House Speaker killed inspector general bill

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

An outgoing Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives says House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf blocked his bill to create an office of the inspector general.  Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, said the move was typical of Schwartzkopf’s leadership style. That leadership style can be characterized by “coercion, intimidation, incentivizing and reward,” Kowalko said, and the inspector general bill is just …

House Administration Committee meeting

Bill to create Delaware inspector general moves forward

Ken MammarellaGovernment & Politics, Headlines

A bill to establish an “independent and nonpartisan” inspector general’s office moved forward Wednesday in a Delaware House committee. The House Administration Committee also moved along a bill to encourage filming in the state by offering tax credits. The committee started discussion to create a constitutional right of a clean environment, but, citing time, continued discussion to Thursday’s committee meeting, …

SmithKowalko

One Democrat. One Republican. Both want an inspector general

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Two lawmakers on opposite sides of the political spectrum have found common ground in their desire to increase transparency and accountability in state government. A bill filed by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, and Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would establish an independent and nonpartisan inspector general office in Delaware. The proposed office would investigate state agencies to identify and …

a small clock tower in front of a building

Weed, taxes, police reform likely to dominate end of GA session

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

With the year-long campaign to pass paid family and medical leave in the rearview mirror, the General Assembly returns to work Tuesday with two months left to focus on the rest of its progressive agenda. When the House of Representatives and Senate reconvene, they will be kicking off a two-month stretch to the end of the 151st General Assembly on …

Inspector General 1

Smith, Kowalko both draft bills to create inspector general

Charles MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Two bills set to be filed in the General Assembly would create an inspector general’s office in Delaware to investigate claims of waste, fraud, abuse and corruption within state government.  Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, said while Delaware already has a state auditor and attorney general, the inspector general’s office would “fill a gap in their coverage.”   “The inspector general …