hospital

House Dems force end to debate to pass speaker’s hospital bill

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Delaware House of Representatives Democrats on Thursday forced an end to a floor debate so they could pass their speaker’s controversial bill to create a state board to oversee hospital budgets. The move came after three hours of head-scratching gamesmanship in which Republicans essentially filibustered with multiple representatives questioning aspects of the bill and Speaker of the House Valerie Longhurst’s …

HB 311 punishes most people for carrying a firearm in a Delaware college Safe School Zone with a class E felony.

Safe School Zone law moves on days after DSU fatal shooting

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

Just days after a fatal shooting of an 18-year-old woman on Delaware State Universityā€™s campus, the state General Assembly moved on with a bill creating felonies for people with guns in Safe School Zones. House Bill 311, sponsored by Rep. Cyndie Romer, D-Newark, adds post-secondary colleges and universities to the Safe School Zone criminal offense. That means any person who …

Another cannabis-related bill has passed the Delaware House of Representatives.

House calls for state to let banks finance cannabis businesses

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

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, …

The majority of public commenters said they were opposed to the alcohol home delivery bill.

Alcohol delivery bill fails despite data showing support

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

A bill that would allow Delawareans to have alcohol shipped directly to their home had its ā€œpart 2ā€ Tuesday after the discussion ran long in a House committee last week. Even though legislators cited overwhelming support for the idea, the backlash from public stakeholders was too much to overcome and the bill was not released by the House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance …

alcohol

Avalanche of comment delays alcohol shipmentsĀ bill

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

A lengthy discussion in the state legislature Tuesday led to a delay in a bill allowing direct-to-consumer alcohol shipments. House Bill 259, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Spiegelman, R-Townsend-Clayton, would allow farm breweries, microbreweries and craft distilleries to conduct direct-to-consumer sales of wine, beer, spirits, mead and hard cider. Spiegelmanā€™s bill also would allow state liquor stores to conduct home deliveries, …

The House will be the first chamber to consider the task force's bill redefining the term 'firearm.'

New ā€˜firearmā€™ definition bill heads to HouseĀ 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

The Delaware House of Representatives will be the first to take a look at a new bill that will redefine Delawareā€™s legal description of a firearm. The Firearm Definition Task Force, responsible for evaluating the state definition and its ramifications in lawmaking and criminal code, had a quick, 10-minute meeting Tuesday to take one last look at their work. The …

The Delaware definition of "firearm" could soon change.

Task force redefining ā€˜firearmā€™ moves closer to decision

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

A task force charged with updating the stateā€™s definition of ā€œfirearmā€ plans to take one more look next week at the new proposed language. If approved, a bill would be introduced this year proposing the change.Ā  One reason for a new definition is because Delaware has a uniquely general and large definition of a ā€œfirearm,ā€ in which any device that …

genetic

Bill would block insurance companies from using genetic tests

Katie KazimirGovernment, Headlines

For decades, public health officials have fretted about insurance companies having access toĀ  genetic testing and using the results to deny coverage or set higher rates for people likely to get certain diseases. That was true even before people could casually send in a swab to a company like 23andme, AncestryDNA or Family TreeDNA, to be tested.Ā  Those results end …

Madihan Wilson-Anton debates

Passionate House debates focus on Israel, Gaza conflict

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Dueling resolutions about the Hamas attacks in Israel and that nation’s invasion of Gaza drew intense — but civil — reaction on the first day of the 2024 session of the Delaware House of Representatives Tuesday. First up was House Concurrent Resolution No. 80, which noted that the attacks and invasion “resulted in catastrophic and heartbreaking losses of human life. …

There's several alcohol-related bills circulating through the General Assembly this year. (Photo by Andreas M./Unsplash)

Another alcohol bill kicks off this yearā€™s General Assembly

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

Itā€™s 8 oā€™clock somewhere! Thatā€™s what state senator Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin, said with exuberance after a law expanding the hours of alcohol sales in Delaware garnered approval from her fellow legislators. House Bill 235, sponsored by Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, allows any individual or business with an alcoholic liquor license to sell at 8 a.m., an hour earlier than …