As cities and states across the county have been taking measures in recent years like banning plastic bags and styrofoam to help prevent waste and sustain the environment, Delaware has a new bill to consider that would further that effort. Senate Bill 263, sponsored by Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, would prohibit the sale of beverages packaged in rings or other …
The state Senate voted Friday night to send a $71.9 million grant package to Gov. John Carney to bolster fire companies, ambulance services, senior centers, veterans organizations and other community groups. The Grants-In-Aid bill for fiscal year 2024 includes: $22.7 million for organizations that provide benefits to Delawareans in the areas of health, substance-use disorder treatment, the arts, tourism and …
On Tuesday, the Senate passed with five bills that relate to the environment, with Republicans offering some resistance, and a budget that had less opposition. House Bill 99, sponsored by Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Brandywine Hundred South, would require that Delaware meet certain emission reduction requirements, getting to zero net emissions by 2050, and create climate change officers within all nine …
During the mark-up of the state’s operating budget Tuesday, the Joint Finance Committee approved $4.1 million to pay for regulation of a new marijuana industry in Delaware, including 28 new state jobs. Of the $4.1 million allocated, $2.2 million is expected to be ongoing funding and $1.9 million is expected to be for one-time costs, as provided by the bills …
A bill that would ban restaurant use of foam takeout containers, plastic straws and beverage stirrers, is being shopped around for co-sponsors in Dover. It’s the second time that Sen. Trey Paradee, D-Dover, has moved to ban the containers and straws. A similar bill introduced in 2021 passed the Senate but didn’t make it to the House floor. The bill …
It was a historic day for the Hornets of Delaware State University Wednesday, as the school announced it has received the largest research grant in DSU history. The 5-year, $18.36 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health will help establish an Interdisciplinary Health Equity Research Center on campus. The center will investigate how certain populations, typically underserved communities, …
Lawmakers, activists and citizens gathered in front of Legislative Hall Tuesday to encourage the General Assembly to override Gov. John Carney’s veto of House Bill 371, the bill to legalize marijuana possession. Carney vetoed the bill in May citing questions about the long-term health and economic impacts of recreational marijuana use. “I respect the Legislative Branch’s role in this process, …
The General Assembly’s budget-writing committee on Tuesday approved raises for state workers. Under the governor’s proposed budget, employees on the lower end of the pay scale would get the most significant boost in pay. The Joint Finance Committee approved the increases during its first day of “markup,” a period during which the committee takes the governor’s recommended budget and votes …
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 …
Gov. John Carney, center, and state legislators pose after the governor signed the state budget and bond bills Wednesday. On the heels of the largest bond bill in state history being passed by the General Assembly Wednesday, the State Senate rubberstamped a $63.2 million grant package, closing out a markedly peaceful week of budget discussions. The FY 2022 Grants-in-Aid bill …
