Medical marijuana has been legal in Delaware since 2011.

Should those 65-plus get marijuana card without doc consent?

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

A bill that would allow Delawareans 65 or older to obtain a medical marijuana card without their doctor’s approval got some pushback Wednesday in a legislative hearing. House Bill 285, sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark would allow the state’s elders to self-certify for the card without a certification from a health-care provider, circumventing the doctor-patient relationship. Oseinski said those …

There's several alcohol-related bills circulating through the General Assembly this year. (Photo by Andreas M./Unsplash)

Another alcohol bill kicks off this year’s General Assembly

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

It’s 8 o’clock somewhere! That’s what state senator Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin, said with exuberance after a law expanding the hours of alcohol sales in Delaware garnered approval from her fellow legislators. House Bill 235, sponsored by Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, allows any individual or business with an alcoholic liquor license to sell at 8 a.m., an hour earlier than …

retiree health care

Retiree health committee suggestion No. 1: No Medicare Advantage

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

After nearly facing a revolt of retirees angered by the state’s move to substantially alter their health care, a committee has issued more than a dozen recommendations designed to keep them — and the state’s coffers — healthy. One of the recommendations made by the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee — which met 20 times over nine months — was …

Ammunition appropriations

GOP reps: Dems never told us about Appropriations bill releases

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee say they were not notified that Democrats planned to release bills from the House Appropriations Committee they sit on. The bills were signed by the Democrat members Wednesday, maybe during a caucus meeting, and then press releases were sent out saying they had been released by the committee, which never met. Among them …

Valerie Jones Giltner GOP candidate District 37

Retired nurse Valerie Jones Giltner to run in House District 37

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A Sussex County retired nurse will run for the Delaware House of Representatives District 37 seat vacated last week by the General Assembly’s only Republican woman. Valerie Jones Giltner, who will run as a Republican, said she plans to continue the work of former Rep. Ruth Briggs King, who resigned because she was moving into a new house that was …

Special election District 37

Special election to replace Ruth Briggs King will be Dec. 21

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

A special election to fill the now-vacant 37th Delaware House of Republicans seat in will take place Dec. 21. The seat represents Georgetown and Millsboro in Sussex County. The former occupant of that seat, former Rep. Ruth Briggs King, resigned last week after receiving a certificate of occupancy for a house she was building just over the district line. Briggs …

Ruth Briggs King

Ruth Briggs King, only Republican woman in General Assembly, resigns

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

The only Republican woman in Delaware’s General Assembly announced her resignation Wednesday morning. Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown/Millsboro, said she was moving out of her district just over the line into another one, after serving for 14 years. “To many, this is no surprise since I have been candid and open about the impending changes,” she said in a statement. …

police dog K-9

Police dogs to receive more state benefits when working, retired

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

  Working and retired police dogs will have extra care and services paid for by the state now that two Republican bills have been signed into law. Both received wide bipartisan support, passing the General Assembly unanimously. One bill signed Thursday by Gov. John Carney allows working police dogs to be transported by paramedics and other emergency medical service providers. …

marijuana

Will Carney let marijuana bills become law without signing?

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

The state representative who has been pushing the legalization of marijuana for years sent out a press release Friday that broadly hints Gov. John Carney will allow that to happen without signing two bills that hit his desk this week. Both House Bill 1 and House Bill 2 passed the General Assembly in March. HB 1 would legalize the possession …

rescue dog

Rescue dog on its way to be named official state animal

Betsy PriceGovernment & Politics, Headlines

The Delaware General Assembly did not go to the dogs Wednesday. The dogs came to them. Four lucky pooches who were up for adoption or had been adopted from shelters sat through part of a Senate hearing and then part of a Senate Session as Senate Bill 37, which would make the rescue dog the official state animal, passed in …