School safety, and competing resolutions that would create task forces to improve it, sparked debate in the Senate Tuesday.

2 senators battle over dueling school safety resolutions

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

On the day Gov. John Carney preached the impact of working together in his State of the State address, the Senate watched a tense interaction divided by party lines that one legislator called “childish behavior.” The interaction between Sen. Eric Buckson, R-Dover, and Sen. Bryan Townsend, D-Newark/Glasgow, and their similar education task force resolutions were enough to cause comment from …

prevailing wage

Contractors: Prevailing wages bill will raise state costs

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

A bill that would increase the prevailing wage for contractors making products offsite is unlikely to be heard in the House after the legislature passed the 2024 fiscal year’s budget on Wednesday. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would require laborers making products away from a building site to be paid …

Bills passed Tuesday would offer rebates for electric vehicles and require some school buses to be electric, too. (Unsplash photo by Cchuttersnap)

Senate passes 5 environment bills, budget

Sam HautHeadlines, Government

On Tuesday, the Senate passed with five bills that relate to the environment, with Republicans offering some resistance, and a budget that had less opposition. House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Brandywine Hundred South, would require that Delaware meet certain emission reduction requirements, getting to zero net emissions by 2050, and create climate change officers within all nine …

Boxes used for eviction tenant

Tenant right to lawyers bill held for changes by committee

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

The Senate Housing & Land Use committee on Wednesday heard from dozens of people supporting a bill to provide tenants who lose their leases the right to a lawyer to help.  Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would set up a system for tenants below 200% of the federal poverty line a right to an …

The Senate voted to lower the workload for Division of Family Services caseworkers.

Senate votes to ease workload of Family Service workers

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

Case workers for the Division of Family Services could soon be getting a reduced workload. The Delaware Senate voted Tuesday to approve a recommendation made by the Child Protection Accountability Commission to drop the number of families that case workers follow from 18 to 12. Senate Bill 33, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, D-Arden, would act on the commission’s …

retiree healthcare

Adding retirees to health panels passes Senate

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Despite vehement opposition from a state retirees’ group, a bill that would add retirees to committees that help determine health care options overwhelmingly passed the Senate Wednesday, just moments after it had cleared a committee hearing. Voting against it were three Republican senators. Senate Bill 29, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, D-Newark, would give retirees a voice by …

Legislative hall livestreaming

2022 Rewind: Legislative Hall expansion far from a done deal

Charlie MegginsonHeadlines, Government

This story was originally published in August 2022. A committee assembled to draft plans for a potential expansion of Delaware’s state capitol building spent much of its Thursday meeting reiterating the tentative nature of its work.  The committee was established after the General Assembly unanimously voted in 2021 to study and recommend a plan to address Legislative Hall’s technological, security …

Caucus votes for new leadership

Democrats pick (not so) new caucus leaders

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Delaware House and Senate Democrats are sticking with the status quo in the next General Assembly. Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, was re-elected Speaker of the House during a caucus meeting Saturday after serving in that position since 2013. Schwartzkopf faced a challenge from Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark. House Democrats would not release a roll call vote to Delaware LIVE …

Legislative hall livestreaming

Legislative Hall expansion far from a done deal

Charlie MegginsonHeadlines, Government

A committee assembled to draft plans for a potential expansion of Delaware’s state capitol building spent much of its Thursday meeting reiterating the tentative nature of its work.  The committee was established after the General Assembly unanimously voted in 2021 to study and recommend a plan to address Legislative Hall’s technological, security and space needs. The group appears to have …

STATE AUDITOR KATHLEEN MCGUINESS (LEFT) AND HER ATTORNEY, STEVE WOOD, ENTER THE KENT COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN DOVER ON JUNE 24, 2022. (CHARLIE MEGGINSON/DELAWARE LIVE)

Calls mount for McGuiness to resign, be impeached

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

  Calls continued to mount Tuesday for Delaware’s auditor, who was convicted Friday of three misdemeanors, including official misconduct, to leave her office by resigning or being impeached. Kathleen McGuiness said after the trial that she planned to stay in the job and run for re-election this year. Gov. John Carney on Friday said McGuiness needs to resign, but that …