With three Democrats already announcing a run for statewide offices in 2024, politicians say they expect the electionās main issues to be familiar to most voters. āIt’s the cost of things going up and kind of wages being stagnant,ā said Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, minority leader in the Delaware State Senate. āMore and more I’m hearing from people, especially our …
Senate passes $1.4 billion for capital improvementĀ
The Senate has approved $1.4 billion in capital improvement projects, along with a bill that would ban the LGBTQ panic defense, and a bill that adds more funding for the suicide crisis hotline. Senate Bill 160, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, would allocate $1,409,448,938 to address capital improvement projects across the state through this year’s bond bill.Ā Walsh said …
Gender-affirming bill draws GOP criticism; action postponed
A bill introduced Thursday adding protections for gender-affirming care in Delaware has drawn criticism from Republicans for the impact it would have on parental rights. House Bill 230, sponsored by Rep. Deshanna Neal, D-Elsmere, would protect medical providers in Delaware who provide gender-affirming care from being prosecuted by other states that ban the practice. Neal said in a statement Friday …
Changing ‘woman’ to ‘person’ doesn’t stop maternity bill
Republicans and Democrats went back and forth in arguing about the definition of woman in a maternity health bill, but all agreed on the need to raise awareness about human trafficking. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 106, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Gay, D-Elsmere, would replace the words āwomanā and āwomenā with āpersonā and āpeopleā in the Delaware code on …
Republican bills on EV regulation meet committee opposition
Two Republican bills that would stop DNREC from implementing an unpopular electric vehicle mandate failed in House and Senate committees. Senate Bill 96, sponsored by Sen. Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, would forbid the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control DNREC from making any rules or regulations that would restrict the sale of gas-powered vehicles. House Bill 123, sponsored by …
Republicans point out high costs, chance of fire in EV debate
Republicans led a charge Thursday to derail a bill that requires new homes and multi-family dwellings to be wired for electric vehicles, a move that Democrats say will help ensure the sale of more cars and help the environment. They failed. Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 103, sponsored by Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, would require all new single family …
Senate committee moves along energy office bill
A Senate committee has pushed along a bill that would expand the powers of the State Energy Office, but delayed hearing a bill that would restrict DNRECās powers over electric vehicles. The Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee voted Tuesday to send Senate Bill 7 to the Senate Finance Committee for further vetting. While Senate committees do not take votes …
Republican react to Carney’s State of the State: Where’s the beef, John?
The lawmakers said they wanted Carney to issue an action plan for coping with state woes, and they didn’t hear it.