A bill that would ditch a constitutional requirement that people must live in Delaware for a year before voting, officially change the voting age to 18, remove the literacy requirement for voting and make it easier for ex-felons to vote seems headed to the full Senate. Senate Bill 180, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Gay, D-Elsmere, would do all that. Because …
Republicans led a charge Thursday to derail a bill that requires new homes and multi-family dwellings to be wired for electric vehicles, a move that Democrats say will help ensure the sale of more cars and help the environment. They failed. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 103, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would require all new single family …
The Senate Environment, Energy and Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would require new homes to be built with electric vehicle charging stations. Senate Bill 103, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would require new single-family homes with building permits issued after Jan. 1, 2024 and multi-family homes with final site plans issued after Jan. 1, 2025 to …
Three House bills and one Senate bill are set to be heard Wednesday by the House Natural Resources and Energy committee and the Senate Environment Energy & Transportation committee. All of them are part of an initiative by Gov. John Carney and Democratic legislators to lower harmful emissions in Delaware to improve air quality. The package includes eight bills, seven …
Rep. Debra Heffernan, the bill’s House sponsor, holds SS1 for SB 1 after it was signed by Gov. John Carney Tuesday. (Charlie Megginson/Delaware LIVE News) Delaware has become the 11th state to offer a paid family and medical leave program to new parents, caregivers, and those with serious illnesses. Flanked by lawmakers and activists, Gov. John Carney on Tuesday signed …
A bill that will require the state to provide mental health education in every grade level passed through the Senate Education Committee and will now go to the Senate floor. If it passes there, it will go to Gov. John Carney for his signature. House Bill 301 asks the Department of Education to establish and implement mental health educational programs …
State education officials, legislators are moving to be sure the science of reading is used when teaching public students. Delaware’s once highly ranked reading scores now are worse than those in Mississippi. Much worse. In 2002 Delaware fourth graders outperformed Mississippi’s by 21 points on national scores, with the First State well above the national average. Today, after a …
Paid family and medical leave in Delaware moved one step closer to becoming a reality Tuesday after the Senate passed a bill to create the program along party lines. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North, will now advance to the House of Representatives. The Healthy Delaware Families Act would create a statewide insurance program to provide up …
The state Sunset Committee would like to see the Delaware Motion Picture and Television Commission reorganized and funded. A powerful state committee voted Tuesday to ask for the Delaware Motion Picture & Television Development Commission to be reconstituted, saying it could be an economic and public relations boost. The Joint Legislative Oversight and Sunset Committee also asked its staff …
A bill to allow Delawareans to carry concealed firearms without a permit failed to be released from the five-member Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. The lengthy committee meeting drew dozens of public comments on either side of the issue, with some members of the public taking offense to Wilmington Sen. Sarah McBride’s characterization of permitless concealed carry as a “justice system …
