Boondoggle | by Pat Garofalo Wilmington, Delaware, is home to the U.S. consumer banking division of the British bank Barclays. Last year, Barclays moved 500 jobs from that location to a new “hub” in Whippany, New Jersey, receiving about $40 million in tax breaks over 10 years from the Garden State. Now, Delaware is giving the bank new funds to create 300 jobs at its Wilmington location — only they’re worse gigs. This churn is a great illustration of how corporations are the only ones who win the subsidy competition […]

Newark Post | by Josh Shannon A group of Newark Charter School students and alumni are petitioning the administration for changes, alleging that minority students are subjected to racism that goes unpunished by teachers and administrators. Approximately 150 students, alumni, parents and community members gathered via Zoom on Sunday night for a virtual town hall meeting to discuss their concerns and their list of requests for the administration. Many of the students who spoke gave examples of other students using racial slurs, making offensive comments or committing other “microaggressions” that […]

Independent Tribune | by Randall Chase Delaware lawmakers have given final approval to spending bills for the fiscal year starting Wednesday. The state House on Monday approved a $708 million capital budget for construction and transportation projects, and a $55 million package of grants for nonprofit groups, community organizations and volunteer fire companies. Both bills cleared the Senate last week and now go to Democratic Gov. John Carney for his signature. A $4.5 billion operating budget for fiscal 2021 is already on Carney’s desk after being approved by both chambers […]

WBOC | by Tom Lehman Delaware lawmakers have given final approval to spending bills for the fiscal year starting Wednesday. The state House on Monday approved a $708 million capital budget for construction and transportation projects, and a $55 million package of grants for nonprofit groups, community organizations and volunteer fire companies. Both bills cleared the Senate last week and now go to Democratic Gov. John Carney for his signature. A $4.5 billion operating budget for fiscal 2021 is already on Carney’s desk after being approved by both chambers last […]

Delaware State News | by Matt Bittle The state House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the capital bond bill and a nonprofit funding measure Monday, setting the General Assembly up for what will hopefully be a quick and easy conclusion to its session today. The chamber passed the grant-in-aid measure 41-0 and the bond bill 40-1, with Rep. John Kowalko, a Newark Democrat, as the only holdout. Both measures were approved by the Senate last week. The two chambers previously passed the operating budget. Legislators will wrap up their session tonight, […]

The News Journal | by Jeanne Kuang Delaware officials are giving Barclays $2.5 million in taxpayer grants to create more than 300 jobs at its Wilmington consumer banking headquarters, a year after the bank moved 500 jobs from the same site to New Jersey. The company also plans to spend close to $7 million renovating the space to accommodate the new positions, which “include a range of customer support and operations management roles,” according to a news release. Gov. John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Barclays U.S. Consumer Bank […]

WDEL | by Amy Cherry Just one day before the end of the legislative session, the Delaware House passed two key spending bills that are now heading to Governor John Carney’s desk for his signature. The $54 million grants-in-aid bill that gives state funding to senior centers, non-profits, and volunteer fire companies, passed unanimously in both the state House and state Senate in virtual sessions. The $708 million capital bond bill, of which funding goes towards school and road construction, had just one “no” vote in the House Monday from […]

The News Journal | by Kevin Tresolini Four years after new president Dennis Assanis and athletic director Chrissi Rawak pledged to make University of Delaware sports teams bigger winners, UD’s financial investment in athletics is among the national front-runners while Blue Hen teams often remain Colonial Athletic Association also-rans. Delaware’s expenditures on athletics are second-highest among schools in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, data analysis reveals. Only conference rival James Madison spends more, according to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ financial information database. James Madison has won […]

Dover Post | by Delaware News Desk Nine members of the Delaware State Legislature released a letter June 17 denouncing systemic racism and pledging full commitment for all legislative reforms necessary to secure equal justice and equal treatment for Delaware’s Black community. “The reality of black disenfranchisement and systemic racism in our society today demands that legislators acknowledge their past failures and face their responsibilities to repair the damage,” said a release from the lawmakers. “To begin healing the wounds suffered by black people we must first acknowledge and accept […]

UD Review | by Wyatt Patterson On May 22, Delaware Representative John A. Kowalko introduced a bill that would remove an exemption in Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for both the University of Delaware and Delaware State University (DSU). The Delaware Freedom of Information Act, first established in 1977, is a series of laws guaranteeing that the public has access to the records of public bodies. Public bodies are any entity or body that is supported in whole or in part by any public funds. Since 2008, the state […]