Caesar Rodney High School senior Sage Sawhney has always had a passion for service and promoting student well-being, and he hopes to carry that into a new position at the state level. Sawhney thought he had no shot being selected among a pool of nearly 50 applicants to be the lone student representative on the Delaware State Board of Education. …
With Senate vote, Carney veto overridden; 1st time in 47 years
It’s official – the Delaware General Assembly has overridden a veto by Gov. John Carney. And House Bill 282, sponsored by Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, has become state law. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, altering the membership, leadership, structure and procedures of the State Employee Benefits Committee, which controls health insurance and more for employees and retirees. Carney …
Affordable housing group seeks school tax exemptions
The Delaware legislature pushed through a bill that would exempt an affordable housing organization from paying certain taxes. Senate Bill 78, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, D-Wilmington, exempts people from paying school property taxes on real estate owned by Todmorden Foundation and used for the purposes of affordable housing. That organization is a non-profit that provides affordable …
House committee rejects bill to open primary voting
A Delaware House panel on Wednesday voted down a bill to open voting in Delaware’s primary elections to unaffiliated voters. State Rep. Michael Smith, R-Newark, introduced the legislation with Reps. Bill Bush, D-Cheswold, and Sean Matthews, D-Middletown. But despite House Bill 43’s bipartisan sponsorship, the House Administration committee rejected it three-to-two along party lines with committee Democrats opposed. Currently, a …
EDGE reaches milestone with 100 small business grants
A Delaware Division of Small Business program that gives small business grants to start or grow has awarded cash to 100 businesses in its first five years. The EDGE competition — short for Encouraging Development, Growth and Expansion competition — reached that milestone Thursday, when it gave money to 10 small businesses in the first of its biannual awards. In …
State, port operator to build new $635M port terminal in Edgemoor
The state of Delaware and Enstructure, the current private operator of the Port of Wilmington, will build a $635 million new terminal in Edgemoor that will quadruple its capacity for container cargo ships and serve larger ships. The Edgemoor industrial site was purchased in 2017 by the taxpayer-owned Diamond State Port Corp., which subsequently secured the necessary permits to construct …
Jones-Potter expects to face status quo in Wilmington mayor race
This story was originally published on Spotlight Delaware. In 2017, then-newly elected Mayor Mike Purzycki sat on a stage close by to Velda Jones-Potter as she gave her inaugural speech as Wilmington City Treasurer. The two held an amicable relationship at the time, Jones Potter said – with both of them new to being elected politicians and facing a city that …
Carney launches unprecedented Wilmington mayoral campaign
This story was originally published on Spotlight Delaware. Gov. John Carney filed Monday to run in the September Democratic primary, but instead of seeking federal office like some of his predecessors, he’s running to be mayor of his hometown, Wilmington. With Mayor Michael Purzycki declining to run for re-election after two terms, citing a desire to spend more time with family …
Governor’s race is seeing big money – from the candidates
This story was originally published on Spotlight Delaware. The three-way race to become Delaware’s Democratic candidate for governor is gearing up to be among the most expensive and competitive in recent history – and much of the money is flowing from the candidates’ own personal bank accounts. In December, Collin O’Mara, Delaware’s former chief environmental regulator, loaned his fledgling campaign $750,000 – …
Chamber dinner celebrates jobs, involvement, Incyte’s growth
A night to celebrate all things business and jobs started Monday with a call for Delaware to ready itself to become a manufacturing hub. China long has been a magnet for manufacturing, but its decision to limit couples to one child soon will mean there’s not a big enough workforce to man factories, said Mike Quaranta, president of the Delaware …