Delaware State News | by Matt Bittle A House panel approved a bill Wednesday that would strike from state law outdated language criminalizing abortion. Although abortion has been legal at the federal level since a landmark 1973 Supreme Court case, the Delaware state code still contains provisions restricting it. The General Assembly codified abortion protections in 2017, and legislators are seeking to do something similar with House Bill 31. The proposal, which cleared the House Health & Human Development Committee and now goes to the full chamber, would make the […]
House bill 94 would increase minimum wage for tipped workers
WMDT | by Anissa Lopez A bill in Delaware’s General Assembly right now is turning some heads. “While I think the legislation is well intended, I think it really fails to meet any sort of meaningful help to individuals that work in our restaurant community,” said Senator Ernesto Lopez. If passed, House Bill 94 would ensure that employees who receive tips, also receive a minimum wage increase. “This actually is just a very targeted bill to increase the amount that we are taxed on our hourly wage, not our tips […]
Could paying restaurant workers more end up costing them more?
The News Journal | by Shannon Marvel McNaught A minimum wage hike for Delaware’s tipped employees might sound like something servers and bartenders would support, but some think it will do them more harm than good. Rep. Kim Williams’ (D-Newport) House Bill 94 proposes to change the tipped minimum wage from a flat $2.23 per hour to 65% of the regular minimum wage. It’s waiting to be heard in committee. Rep. John Kowalko (D-Newark) is a co-sponsor of the bill. “Historically, waitstaff has been burdened with a lesser (pay) rate, […]
Minimum wage hike a priority for Delaware’s Poor People’s Campaign
The Philadelphia Tribune | by Cris Barrish Kathleen Sturgis loved her job linking people with social services and charitable agencies in Delaware. Then she came down with diverticulitis last fall and lost her job. Now her modest savings are gone. “At this time, I’m the one that needs help,’’ Sturgis said. “So I’ve had to reach out to organizations to help pay my electric bill. Now I’m looking at how I’m going to pay my rent. It’s a struggle from one day to the next.” Sturgis is among more than […]
Some Bartenders & Servers Don’t Want HB 94 to Raise Their Base Wage Rate
WRDE | by Mallory Metzner House Bill 94 aims to raise the $2.23 base wage rate for tipped employees to 65 percent of the state’s minimum wage per hour. With a $9.25 minimum wage in Delaware, these employees would start with $6 an hour before tips. However, some bartenders and servers worry this proposed law would cause customers to think they’re making more money and tip them less. Under HB 94 servers and bartenders would see their base wage rate increase every time the minimum wage increases in Delaware so […]
Del. Poor People’s Campaign pushes $15 minimum wage
WHYY | by Cris Barrish Kathleen Sturgis loved her job linking people with social services and charitable agencies in Delaware. Then she came down with diverticulitis last fall and lost her job. Now her modest savings are gone. “At this time, I’m the one that needs help,’’ Sturgis said. “So I’ve had to reach out to organizations to help pay my electric bill. Now I’m looking at how I’m going to pay my rent. It’s a struggle from one day to the next.” Sturgis is among more than 400,000 Delawareans […]
Bill to increase taxes for higher wage earners in DE
WMDT | by Jordie Clark State lawmakers are considering a bill that would create new tax bracket, which would raise taxes for the state’s highest earners. House Bill 64 proposes creating new tax brackets for those at $125,000, with a rate of 7.10%; at $250,000, with a rate of 7.85%; and at $500,000, with a rate of 8.6%. We are told, those in favor of this say it couldn’t come at a better time, but those against it, feel the exact opposite. “Those that are making, or earning quite a […]
Delaware’s Corporate Blockade
Delaware Call | by Jordan Howell What do we really know about the Delaware Division of Corporations, other than it is a one billion dollar revenue machine that manages the incorporation process in a state that is commonly referred to as the most secretive tax haven in the world? As it turns out, not very much. The Delaware Call’s months-long investigation has revealed that the Division of Corporations, a public agency within the Delaware Department of State, operates as a fortress designed to shield from scrutiny both its internal operations […]
Will Delaware Dissolve Trump Corporations?
Delaware Call | by Jordan Howell For the band of Trumpian misfits and goons who threatened and stormed the Capitol on January 6, resulting in the deaths of 5 people, the fallout unfolds by the hour. Following the insurrection at the Capitol, social media companies suspended the accounts of President Trump and his associates. Twitter deleted over 70,000 accounts that spread QAnon propaganda. Police identified rioters and arrested them. Many who took selfies and videos of their attack on democracy have lost their jobs. New York City canceled all contracts […]
Some Delaware lawmakers want to raise taxes for those earning $125K or more. What to know.
The News Journal | by Sarah Gamard Progressive Democratic lawmakers want to raise taxes for people making six figures, hailing it as a step toward a fairer, more stable tax structure despite Gov. John Carney’s resistance to tax increases. House Bill 64 by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, would raise personal income taxes for people who make more than $125,000 a year. Tax brackets in Delaware currently stop after $60,000, and anyone making over that amount is taxed at 6.6% of their income regardless of whether they make just above […]