House committee OKs bill to let medical marijuana users own guns

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Under a proposed law unanimously released from the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee Tuesday, Delawareans who are prescribed medical marijuana could own firearms without fear of being prosecuted by the state.  It is currently illegal under federal law for medical marijuana patients to purchase or own firearms. That wouldn’t change under House Bill 276, although the state would …

To-go alcohol, certified nursing assistant bills fly through House

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A bill to permanently allow the sale of to-go alcoholic beverages by restaurants and another to allow the secretary of health to change nursing assistant certification requirements both passed in the state House by wide margins Thursday.  The to-go alcohol bill was amended to change the kind and quantity of alcohol allowed to be sold. House Bill 280, sponsored by …

Dems won’t need GOP votes to pass recreational marijuana bill

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

A new bill to legalize the cultivation, sale and possession of marijuana in Delaware is likely to make its way before the General Assembly this year. House Bill 305 — also known as the Delaware Marijuana Control Act — builds on last year’s House Bill 150, which was released from committee but never heard on the House floor.  The Marijuana …

Permitless concealed carry bill fails in committee

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

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 …

Pre-filed bills offer glimpse into legislature’s plans

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

The General Assembly will meet in person for the first time on Thursday, Jan. 13. (Getty Images) A list of pre-filed House bills released Thursday offers a glimpse into some of the issues the General Assembly plans to tackle when it reconvenes next week. Proposals included on the list range from a measure to make gun ownership legal for medical …

General Assembly committee meetings to stay virtual

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Delaware House and Senate committee meetings will be held virtually throughout the month of January.   Delaware House and Senate leaders announced Friday that all legislative committees will meet virtually throughout the month of January when the General Assembly returns to session Tuesday, Jan. 11.  House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth, and Senate President Dave Sokola, D-Newark, said the decision was …

Dem. leadership stops short of inviting public to in-person hearings

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

House and Senate committee hearings will be held in “hybrid format” in 2022. When the General Assembly reconvenes in January, it will begin to hold all of its committee hearings in a hybrid fashion, with legislators attending in-person and members of the public having the opportunity to watch and provide comments online.  But in a press release announcing the move, …

Judge issues gag order over McGuiness case

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Prosecution and defense attorneys will no longer be able to comment publicly on the McGuiness case. Those involved in State Auditor Kathy McGuiness’s criminal proceedings will no longer be able to comment publicly on the case after Superior Court Judge William Carpenter issued a gag order on Nov. 4.  The order prevents both defense and prosecution from making extrajudicial statements …

Republican Sen. Colin Bonini announces re-election bid

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover, has announced he will seek another term in the Delaware State Senate. Longtime Republican State Senator Colin Bonini has announced he will seek another term in the Delaware Senate. First elected in 1994, Bonini has forged a firebrand image of staunch conservatism and fiscal scrutiny. He is best known for never once voting in favor of …

General Assembly passes redistricting bill; new district lines take effect next election

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Delaware Legislative Hall by Brian K. Leonard. September 2021. When Delawareans vote for their state representatives and senators a year from now, they could find out that they live in a new legislative district.  That’s because during a special session of the General Assembly on Monday, both chambers approved Senate Bill 199, which redraws those district boundaries. The bill passed …