Why Should Delaware Care?
Government works best when its citizens are knowledgeable and engaged. Delaware’s government has scores of commissions, working groups, agencies and legislative committees. All must hold meetings that are open to the public. Below we highlight a few of those meetings that are happening this week.
Below you will find information about the most important or interesting public meetings happening in Delaware this week.
- House and Senate to discuss EVs, bartending age, and Delaware’s budget, among other topics
- Legislative committees to consider more than 40 bills, including gun regulations and hemp laws.
- Dover set for its ‘State of the City’ following a tumultuous year.
- New Castle County to receive updates on the embattled Police Athletic League
Delaware legislature begins to sprint
Get ready for a busy week in Dover.
Delaware lawmakers are set to hold hearings on nearly 50 bills this week, kicking off an eight-week sprint toward the end of the legislative session.
The bills closest to becoming law have already cleared their legislative committees and are now awaiting votes before the full House or Senate.
In the House, lawmakers are expected to consider two pieces of electricity-related legislation, including one that would remove a cap on utilities’ purchases of electricity generated by household solar systems and another that would lay the groundwork for expanded electric vehicle tax credits.
Also on the House agenda is a bill that would lower Delaware’s legal bartending age from 21 to 18.
Among the bills before the full Senate is one that would increase fees paid by hundreds of thousands of companies registered in the state – a measure in line with Gov. Matt Meyer’s proposed budget.
Another measure related to Delaware government revenue also is before the Senate – and it is one that could rekindle tensions between the governor and lawmakers.
Delaware House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn-Harris (D-Dover) introduced House Bill 370 in early April to enshrine into law the existence of the state’s longstanding budget forecasting committee – known by its acronym DEFAC.
Following its introduction, supporters in the House Republican caucus argued the legislation became necessary after actions by Meyer “raised questions about its (DEFAC’s) future.”
The GOP statement noted that the bill followed Meyer’s firing of a longtime budget forecaster after he had criticized the governor’s administration over transparency surrounding the state’s prominent corporate franchise.
WHYY later reported that certain lawmakers said disagreements existed on the bill between the Meyer administration and legislative leadership, but that the Senate’s top member said a discussion between the parties had been productive.
Two weeks ago, the House of Representatives passed an amended version of the bill with no opposition.
📍 The full Senate will meet to consider the DEFAC bill and others at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Legislative Hall, located at 411 Legislative Ave. in Dover. For more details, click here. For information about watching online, click here.
The full House will also meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Legislative Hall. For more details, click here. For information about watching online, click here.
Lawmakers will also hear dozens of additional bills in front of legislative committees this week, including proposals that would:
- Increase regulations on gun shops;
- Require the state to establish rules for reporting deaths in prison;
- Allow the Delaware Electric Cooperative to deny service to data centers;
- Require an audit of Delaware’s automatic voter registration system;
- Reinforce prohibitions on certain nonprofits from engaging in partisan activities; and
- Regulate hemp-derived THC products under Delaware’s marijuana laws.
Delaware residents can attend committee hearings in person or participate virtually through the General Assembly’s online meeting system. To view details of all hearings, scroll through the “What’s Happening” box here.
Dover to hear ‘State of the City’
Also happening in Dover this week will be the annual “State of the City” address given by Mayor Robin Christiansen. The speech will occur during the city’s annual meeting, which also will feature the city council’s vote for a new council president.
Christiansen, who has come under fire in recent weeks for a prolonged, unexplained absence from city duties, will give his annual reflection on the landscape of the city, and what he hopes to accomplish going into his 13th year as mayor.
This past year has been tumultuous for the city. Its police chief faced calls to resign, the city council spent months debating a failed panhandling ordinance, and City Manager Dave Hugg was fired.
Most recently, the capital city revealed it is facing a $7 million budget shortfall heading into the next fiscal year, and will be forced to choose between dipping into its budget balance from previous years, or raising taxes on residents.
📍The Dover City Council is scheduled to meet at 6:30 on Monday inside the Dover City Hall council chambers, located at 15 Loockerman Plaza in Dover. For more details, including information about virtual attendance, click here.
What’s the status of the PAL?
Last summer, former-Delaware House Speaker Valerie Longhurst quietly resigned from the Police Athletic League of Delaware, just as the publicly-funded nonprofit was facing a financial crisis.
In the weeks and months that followed, officials revealed that New Castle County police officers took over management of the cash-strapped organization, even as it faced a criminal investigation and an audit that could force it to pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars it likely did not have.
On Tuesday, the New Castle County Council will receive an update about the county’s oversight of the Police Athletic League, and its plans for the future. The update will occur during the council’s regular meeting of its public safety committee.
The PAL of Delaware, as it’s known, operates athletic, arts and academic programs for children throughout the year. It does so at community center locations in Hockessin, Delaware City and suburban New Castle – settings that put children in contact with law enforcement.
The nonprofit also has been an integral piece of Delaware’s political landscape, with elected officials regularly making public appearances at its locations.
And, up until recently, it also was one of several prominent Delaware organizations led by a state lawmaker.
📍 The New Castle County Council Public Safety Committee will meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Louis L. Redding City County Building, located at 800 N. French St. in Wilmington. For more information, including about virtual attendance, click here.
