Spotlight Delaware | by Brianna Hill Newark’s controversial proposal to lease a public park to a local charter school has been withdrawn. On Monday, the Newark City Council voted in favor of a motion – which wasn’t listed on the council meeting’s agenda – that directed its officials to end negotiations around the proposal to turn over Folk Memorial Park to Newark Charter School. The school had intended to build a $3 million sports complex there that would have included baseball and softball fields. The development brings relief to opponents […]

The News Journal | by Shane Brennan A group of Newark residents, led by a former state representative, filed a petition on Feb. 1 to the Attorney General’s Office claiming the city violated the Freedom of Information Act while planning baseball and softball fields at Folk Memorial Park. The petition is headlined by John Kawalko, who represented Newark in Dover from 2006-2022. He is one of 11 people who signed the petition, which claimed discussions of the sale of that portion of public land should have been held publicly. “Normally, […]

Spotlight Delaware | by Brianna Hill & Jacob Owens In a room filled with hundreds of Delaware’s top CEOs and corporate leaders Monday, Governor-elect Matt Meyer laid bare his plans to give fewer taxpayer-backed grants to for-profit companies and instead focus on creating economic growth through small businesses and workforce development. “In my administration, you’re going to see the use of this cash assistance de-emphasized. Let’s focus our resources on things that matter the most to the companies and employees of today and tomorrow,” Meyer said as he spoke at […]

Spotlight Delaware | by Karl Baker With Matt Meyer ascending to Delaware’s top elected post this month, the state will be getting a governor who has professed support for a string of transparency reforms, including many that would force lawmakers to disclose more information to the public than they do today. They include calls for expanding the state’s open records laws to the legislature; requiring politicians to publicly disclose business relationships with lobbyists; and mandating that departing elected officials wait two years before taking jobs as lobbyists or in state […]

Delaware State News | by Joseph Edelen Since the General Assembly was expanded to 62 members in 1965, the “Delaware Way” thrived as Democrats and Republicans traded party control of the First State. During the years since, the state House of Representatives has flipped control seven times and the Senate three, though Democrats have maintained their majority status in the upper chamber since 1973. The Delaware Way’s core tenants — its clublike, bipartisanship rooted in compromise and cooperation — appear much different now than it did in those days, however, […]

Delaware Live | by Jarek Rutz It’s official – the Delaware General Assembly has overridden a veto by Gov. John Carney. And House Bill 282, sponsored by Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, has become state law. It will go into effect Jan. 1, 2025, altering the membership, leadership, structure and procedures of the State Employee Benefits Committee, which controls health insurance and more for employees and retirees. Carney on Tuesday vetoed the bill, which unanimously had passed both chambers of the legislature. On Wednesday, the House again voted unanimously to pass the […]

Delaware State News | by Joseph Edelen Lawmakers in the state’s House of Representatives voted unanimously to take Medicare Advantage off the table for current state employees and retirees and to modify the membership of State Employee Benefits Committee on Tuesday. The proposals, House Bills 281 and 282, were introduced by Rep. Paul Baumbach, D-Newark, following 10 months of work from the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee, of which he served as a co-vice chair. The legislation was released from committee March 6, though amendments to both bills were not […]

Delaware State News | by Joseph Edelen Members of Retirees Investing in Social Equity Delaware urged lawmakers to devote 2% of the annual budget to pensioners’ health care and continued pleas for their existing coverage to remain intact during a rally Tuesday on The Green. The group’s co-founder, former state Rep. John Kowalko, told the more than 150 individuals in attendance not to rely on ongoing litigation for their benefits to be honored, instead insisting that retirees reach out to their elected officials to take legislative action. “The battle is […]

Delaware Live | by Sam Haut With some state expenses, such as Medicaid, higher than expected for 2024, legislators who want to create a state office of inspector general plan to wait until next year to introduce a bill to do that. “[I]t does come with a fiscal note, to create a new agency does cost some money,” said Sen. Laura Sturgeon, D-Hockessin. “It’s not astronomical. I think it’s going to be maybe in the vicinity of perhaps around $2 million or so.” Because the state budget is tighter than […]

Delaware State News | by Joseph Edelen In a letter released to the public Thursday, 27 former Delaware lawmakers urged Gov. John Carney not to adopt a Medicare Advantage plan for state pensioner health care coverage. The communication advises the governor and his administration that the state’s $8.8 billion underfunded liability for retiree health care “should not be the only consideration in your decision-making.” Gov. Carney’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2024 features a one-time appropriation of $51 million to address that liability. The former legislators who signed the letter […]