Firearm dealers Delaware gun laws permit

26 amendments later, permit to purchase bill goes to Carney

Jarek RutzGovernment, Headlines

After 26 proposed amendments and about nine hours of discussion, the permit to purchase bill has passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to Gov. John Carney for signature to become law. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, D-Wilmington, would require most Delawareans to obtain a permit …

sexuality

Bill adding asexuality, pansexuality into law moves to House

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A move to add asexuality and pansexuality to the state definition of sexual orientation led to conversations about what those terms mean — and a warning that adding them could one day lead to adding pedophiles, too. Rep. Eric Morrison, D-Newark/Bear, said the idea for House Bill 275 came from a member of Delaware’s LBGTQ+ community who identifies as pansexual. …

inspector

Bipartisan bill would see Inspector General at work by 2025

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A much-debated Office of Inspector General would be up and running by early 2025, if a new bill passes the Delaware Assembly by the end of June. Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin, would create the  Office of Inspector General, an independent watchdog agency empowered to investigate waste, fraud,and abuse in the executive and legislative branches of state government with Senate Bill …

Neal

Neal strikes gender-affirming care bill; will introduce new one

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A Delaware legislator who identifies as nonbinary on Tuesday asked to strike a proposed bill that would protect medical professionals who provide general-affirming medical care. Rep. DeShanna Neal, D-Elsmere/Newport, introduced House Bill 230 in June 2023 and asked on Tuesday for the bill to be dropped from consideration. Neal didn’t give a reason during the session. Efforts were unsuccessful to …

Carney state of the state

Carney’s State of State, despite hecklers, focuses forward

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Gov. John Carney’s last State of the State speech, meant to be a review of his administration’s achievements and a push for the state to tackle thorny issues, was interrupted four times by hecklers who seemed to be referencing the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The first heckler started shortly into the speech and was removed, and a few minutes later …

Retirees

Retirees to health insurance committee: Thank you.

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A joint meeting of the House and Senate health committees only needed half the time it had allotted to listen to a proposal about changing state employee healthcare. Apparently mindful of the deluge of retirees who reacted angrily to news in 2022 that the state was moving retirees to a Medicare Advantage plan, the joint meeting planned to run from …

victims

Victims’ Rights task force to hear updating, funding ideas

Katie KazimirGovernment, Headlines

A task evaluating the Delaware’s Victims’ Bill of Rights for the first time since it was established in 1992 will hear recommendations about how to improve it Monday, Feb. 12. The current document is an unwieldy, jumbled mess because of all the hands that have been in the code since then, said Scott Goss, communications director for the Senate Democrats. …

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 to  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.  Those results end …

Governor John Carney's State of the State Address has been moved to March 5 at 2 p.m.

Carney’s State of the State address rescheduled for March 5

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

The annual State of the State Address has been rescheduled after Gov. John Carney had to cancel last week’s originally planned event due to illness. Carney now will deliver his 2024 address from the House of Representatives Chamber in Legislative Hall on Tuesday, March 5, at 2 p.m. The event will be livestreamed on de.gov/sots and on the governor’s YouTube …

tunnel

State should consider dropping plan for tunnel, designers say

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Designers involved in the construction of a $22 million parking garage across from Legislative Hall have recommended the state cancel plans to build a private underground tunnel  connecting the structures. The tunnel originally was estimated to cost $2 million but will be closer to $3.7 million, partly because its base would lay only 6 feet above sea level in an …