Tag: DE Legislature

Legislative panel begins hearings on proposed capital budget

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Members of a Delaware legislative committee are set to convene this week to consider Democratic Gov. John Carney's proposed capital budget for construction, transportation and economic development. The joint committee will meet Monday to begin four days of hearings on Carney's $1.18 billion proposal for the fiscal year starting July 1. Carney's recommended capital budget includes $315.7 million for transportation and $305 million for school construction […]

03/28/2022 38

Events

DE Lawmaker who made anti-Asian slur is resigning, cites health

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware lawmaker who came under fire last year for using a racist and sexist slur to refer to sex workers is resigning. House Democratic officials said Friday that Rep. Gerald Brady’s resignation will be effective Feb. 4. Brady indicated in the news release that he is not resigning because of the fallout from the slur, but because of his health. Brady said he lost most […]

01/24/2022 40

Events

State lawmaker won’t seek reelection after anti-Asian slur

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Democratic House leaders in Delaware apparently have chosen not to initiate disciplinary proceedings against a fellow Democrat who used a racist and sexist slur to refer to sex workers. Democratic Rep. Gerald Brady of Wilmington made the comments in a June 27 email he inadvertently sent to an advocate for decriminalizing prostitution. House leaders meanwhile claimed in a statement issued Monday that they cannot unilaterally take […]

07/27/2021 16

News

Delaware lawmakers convene for final day of session

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Lawmakers in Delaware are putting the final touches on this year's legislative session. Members of the House and Senate were to convene Wednesday afternoon for the final day of the session and were expected to work past midnight before adjourning. Lawmakers have already approved record-high operating and capital budgets for the new fiscal year starting Thursday. A $65 million package of grants to community organizations, nonprofit […]

06/30/2021 9

Events

Bill opening up Delaware police internal records clears committee

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A Senate committee has voted to advance a bill making police disciplinary records in Delaware accessible to the public. The bill would also mandate that the records be disclosed in civil and criminal court proceedings. The legislation also authorizes local government that operate law-enforcement agencies to establish community review boards with the authority to hear and decide police disciplinary matters. The committee voted Wednesday to release […]

06/17/2021 10

Events

DE Senate gives final approval to 2 gun-control bills

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The Delaware Senate has given final approval to a bill outlawing homemade "ghost guns" that don't have serial numbers. Lawmakers on Tuesday also approved legislation criminalizing the purchase or possession of a gun by people in certain categories. Those include anyone against whom an abuse-protection order has been issued or for whom an arrest warrant has been issued, as well as those indicted of any felony […]

06/16/2021 45

Events

Delaware Senate OKs bill on cash bail, sends it to the House

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware's state Senate has approved a bill requiring more people charged with crimes to pay cash bail in order to be released from custody pending trial. The legislation approved Thursday establishes secured cash bail as the baseline to be used by judges in determining pretrial release conditions for people charged with 38 specific offenses. The Senate also passed legislation revising the standard under which the use […]

06/11/2021 11

Events

Lawmakers eye more exemptions to target “abuse'” of FOIA

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Democratic lawmakers are proposing to give public officials more reasons to deny requests for public records under Delaware's Freedom of Information Act and require people seeking public records to pay new fees. A bill released by a Senate committee following a hearing Wednesday allows government workers to deny FOIA requests they consider to be "unreasonably broad, unduly burdensome, intended to disrupt the essential functions of the […]

06/10/2021 11

Events

Business compliance with plastic bag ban upsets lawmakers

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Democratic legislators in Delaware are complaining that grocery stores and other retailers are exploiting a "loophole" in a law prohibiting the use of certain plastic bags when the businesses are actually doing exactly what the law requires. A law that took effect this year prohibits store owners from providing thin "single-use" plastic bags at the checkout counter. Customers must now use paper bags or thicker, "reusable" […]

06/07/2021 19