The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill that would lower licensing fees for casinos that make capital investments. Senate Bill 64, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, would allow the casinos, which under a 2018 bill were required to pay a $3 million license fee to operate table games, to forgo portions of that fee if they pay for …
Bills that would legalize marijuana and set up a state-monitored legal sale industry passed the Delaware Senate and are headed to the governor. Only one Republican voted for House Bill 1, which would legalize marijuana use in Delaware. It passed 16 to 4. Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, partially attributed his vote to his libertarian values of letting his neighbor relax …
A typically commonplace measure that would have added 17 projects to this year’s Bond and Capital Improvements funding got mired in controversy Tuesday over wording that required union and minority participation in four bids. That requirement in a four-project pilot program would mean that some minorities, including Hispanics, would be left out, Senate Republicans maintained. Rep. Jack Walsh, D-Newport/Stanton, sponsor …
Leaders in the Delaware Senate have revealed the body’s committee assignments for the 152nd General Assembly which begins in January. Senate President Pro Tempore-Elect Dave Sokola announced the assignments Monday. “Legislative committees are an essential part of the legislative process where senators gather public input and determine which bills should move forward,” Sokola said in a news release. “The assignments …
Delaware House Republicans will be led by a new pair of officers when the General Assembly reconvenes in January, and they’re both promising to move the caucus in a less divisive and more welcoming direction. The caucus on Tuesday elected Rep. Mike Ramone of Hockessin as minority leader and Rep. Lyndon Yearick of Camden as minority whip. “This is an …
A Republican Delaware state Senate candidate has filed reports with the New Castle County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation alleging that she received death threats on Facebook. Brenda Mennella, a U.S. Army veteran and elementary school teacher running for the 9th Senate District, said she was shocked and upset that someone would threaten harm against her. In screenshots …
The Delaware Senate will reconvene in a special session Monday to consider a resolution to initiate the removal of State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness, its Democratic leadership announced Thursday. Senate Republicans indicated a few hours after the announcement that they were opposed to the idea until her trial had run its course. The auditor’s was convicted of three misdemeanors including abuse …
Delaware’s Democrat-majority Senate on Tuesday sent several controversial bills to Gov. John Carney for his signature. Most of the topics seemed ripped from headlines. The gun bill would bar anyone under 21 from buying or owning a gun, as well as controlling a firearm or ammunition. The abortion bill will increase the number of health professionals who can perform an …
The Delaware Senate on Tuesday passed 2023 budget bills including the largest state operating budget in Delaware’s history at $5.1 billion, reflecting a rise in spending of 6.9% in spending over the previous year. It also will increase Delaware’s Rainy Day Fund from $280 million to $316 million and the Budget Stabilization Fund from $287 million to $402 million. Both …
The Delaware Senate on Thursday passed a controversial bill to cement mail-in voting as an option for voters in all future elections. Senate Bill 320, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Ardens, passed 13 to 8 just before midnight with a last-minute amendment from Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover. “While vote by mail is particularly helpful for those who may find …
