The House of Representatives will consider a bill Thursday to make changes to the district boundaries agreed upon during the redistricting process last year. Redistricting occurs after the national census every ten years and redraws House and Senate districts to reflect population changes. The General Assembly finalized new district maps in late October, just days before a self-imposed deadline of …
Six months from election, most candidates have yet to file
With just six months to go before the first votes are cast in the 2022 General Assembly elections, most incumbent state representatives and senators have yet to file for re-election. The current legislative session comes to an end in November, meaning all 21 Senate seats and 41 House seats will be up for grabs. Candidates must file by July 12 …
Voter registration bill clears Senate committee
A bill to require Delaware cities and towns to use the state’s voter registration system for local elections overcame its first legislative hurdle Wednesday. Under Senate Bill 233, sponsored by Sen. Tizzy Lockman, D-Wilmington, voters who live within town limits could vote in their municipal elections without having to register separately with both the state and the city. The bill …
Cannabis legalization may return for a vote in 2022, sponsor says
Rep. Ed Osienski, D-Newark. It may not be the end of the line for recreational marijuana legalization in Delaware. While Rep. Ed Osienski’s House Bill 305 was defeated in the House of Representatives after a stunning series of events Thursday, the Newark Democrat said he’s still hopeful that cannabis prohibition could come to an end in 2022. “I hope there’s …
Paid leave passes in Senate, heads to House
Photo/Getty Images Paid family and medical leave in Delaware moved one step closer to becoming a reality Tuesday after the Senate passed a bill to create the program along party lines. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North, will now advance to the House of Representatives. The Healthy Delaware Families Act would create a statewide insurance program to …
Bill would remove earnings cap on police, firefighter disability pay
A bipartisan bill released from committee today would allow disabled officers and firefighters to earn more money without being penalized. Photo/Getty Images. On Dec. 10, 2020, Milford Police Cpl. T.J. Webb was shot six times while attempting to arrest a fugitive near Rehoboth Beach. The man who shot Webb was killed by police during the incident, but it was only …
Legislative Hall to reopen to the public
The leaders of the Delaware House of Representatives and Senate plan to open Legislative Hall to the public effective immediately, they said during a committee meeting Thursday. Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf and Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Dave Sokola plan to announce the building’s opening later Thursday or Friday. “My intent is open to building up, get …
Three mental health bills filed in General Assembly
Lawmakers have filed a package of bills in the General Assembly aimed at addressing Delawareans’ mental health issues. House Bill 300, sponsored by House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Delaware City, would create new positions for school counselors, social workers, and school psychologists in all Delaware middle schools. Longhurst said in a press release that the state is in the midst …
Dem. bill would guarantee health insurance for undocumented children
Left: Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax. Right: Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North. Democratic lawmakers plan to file a bill in the General Assembly Friday that would guarantee health insurance for all Delaware children who are not otherwise covered, including undocumented immigrant children. House Bill 317, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington North, would direct the Department …
Republicans tap attorney Ted Kittila to run for Gerald Brady’s seat
The Republican Party of Delaware has selected Wilmington attorney Ted Kittila to serve as their nominee in the upcoming special election to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Gerald Brady. In 2014, Kittila received the nomination of the Delaware GOP to be the Republican candidate for attorney general, ultimately finishing second in the five-way race to Democrat Matt Denn. The …