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 …

Port of Wilmington Delaware 2011 07 09

State OKs Enstructure to operate Port of Wilmington

Betsy PriceBusiness, Headlines

The Diamond State Port Corp. announced Wednesday that Enstructure LLC has been approved as the new operator at the Port of Wilmington and that it will invest as much as $65 million in the facility. Enstructure is a U.S. marine terminal and logistics company with a network of 21 marine terminals. The company will take over in a matter of …

A few Republicans are speculating that Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, plans to step down.

Democrats may elect a new speaker, GOP reps believe

Sam HautGovernment, Headlines

A few Republicans have heard there’s a possibility that Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, plans on stepping down by the end of the week. Rep. Kevin Hensley, R-Odessa, said during a Zoom meeting with the Delaware GOP that there is speculation that a new speaker will be elected by Friday. “So the speculation, just keep in …

A few Republicans have heard there’s a possibility that the Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, plans on stepping down.

Democrats may elect new speaker, GOP reps have heard

Sam HautGovernment

A few Republicans have heard there’s a possibility that Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, plans on stepping down by the end of the week. Rep. Kevin Hensley, R-Odessa, said during a Zoom meeting with the Delaware GOP that there is speculation that a new speaker will be elected by Friday. “So the speculation, just keep in …

Mental health was a theme of three bills in the House Education Committee.

Student ‘mental health days’ bill among 5 on way to House 

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Education

A busy day in the House Education Committee Wednesday – headlined by a law that would give students mental health days – ended with five bills sent to the full House.  House Bill 3, sponsored by House Majority Leader Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, provides for excused absences for the mental or behavioral health of a student. It requires any student …

HB 96 would lower the voting age in school board elections to 16.

Bipartisan attacks kill bill lowering school board voting age

Jarek RutzHeadlines, Government

A bill that would lower the voting age to vote in school board elections from 18 to 16 drew heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle in the House Education Committee Wednesday. After an hour-and-a-half conversation filled with both Democrats and Republicans opposing the legislation, House Bill 96 was tabled Wednesday. That means the committee will take no further …

Tax rebate Delaware General Assembly

House moves to block federal taxes on $300 rebate checks

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

If a bill approved Thursday by the Delaware House of Representatives succeeds, residents won’t have to pay state or federal taxes on the $300 rebates issued last year. House Bill 25 would designate that money as qualified disaster payments and therefore untaxable. The 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program was a one-time direct payment of $300 per Delaware resident taxpayer who …

Delaware House of Representatives Valerie Longhurst apologizes to Melissa Minor-Brown

Longhurst starts House Day 2 by apologizing to Minor-Brown

Betsy PriceGovernment, Headlines

  The Delaware House of Representatives majority leader started the second day of the 152nd General Assembly Wednesday by apologizing to the new minority leader for the way she phrased a description of her. On Tuesday, Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, had introduced Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown as “the first colored woman in leadership in the House of Representatives.” They hugged after …

Caucus votes for new leadership

Democrats pick (not so) new caucus leaders

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

Delaware House and Senate Democrats are sticking with the status quo in the next General Assembly. Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, was re-elected Speaker of the House during a caucus meeting Saturday after serving in that position since 2013. Schwartzkopf faced a challenge from Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark. House Democrats would not release a roll call vote to Delaware LIVE …

Realty transfer tax

Delaware’s realty transfer tax to remain highest in nation

Charlie MegginsonHeadlines, Government

Delaware will remain the state with the highest realty transfer tax in the nation after a bill to decrease the tax died in the General Assembly.  Introduced by Rep. Bill Bush, D-Dover, House Bill 358 would have cut the tax from 4% of a property’s sale price to 3% — the level it was at prior to 2017 when the …