WHYY | by Cris Barrish When legislative leaders and Delaware Gov. John Carney joined forces in May following the deadly Uvalde mass shooting, they decided to enact a package of six gun control measures. But they left one significant bill behind. That’s the legislation that would require handgun buyers to first obtain a permit and pass a firearms training and safety course. The bill’s omission was a curious one given it sailed through the state Senate 14 months earlier and cleared the House Judiciary Committee a few weeks later. Since […]

WMDT | by Rob Flaks Delaware is one step closer to having an inspector general’s office, following a bipartisan effort in the legislature to increase accountability and make sure fraud and abuse are caught. A measure to create an independent office to investigate wrongdoing in state agencies as well as in civil cases passed from the Delaware House administrative committee. Lawmakers say the office will be free from political influence and help to protect whistleblowers who come forward to keep public officials accountable. “What we need is a central focal […]

Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen The bipartisan effort to implement an Inspector General’s Office continued to progress Wednesday, passing in the House of Representatives’ Administration Committee. House Bill 405, sponsored by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, and Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would promote transparency by establishing an entity to oversee state agencies. Under the legislation, the office would be tasked with responsibilities like investigating the firms to determine if they have engaged in conduct that is harmful to public interest, as well as providing reports to the […]

Delaware Public Media | by Paul Kiefer Delaware House lawmakers passed a ban on the purchase and sale of assault weapons, advancing a key pillar of state Democratic leadership’s gun safety package. Thursday’s vote fell along party lines after a half-dozen amendments drafted by House Republicans were floated, but never introduced. An amendment from State Rep. Mike Smith (R-Pike Creek) did reach the floor. It sought to exempt concealed carry permit-holders from the ban. Smith argued it would strike a balance between the public’s desire for tighter restrictions on gun […]

Bay to Bay News | by Craig Anderson Lawmakers are one step closer to providing increased rent protection for residents of manufactured-housing communities after legislation passed in the Delaware Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 317 — recently known as Senate Substitution 1 for SB 9 — would regulate rent increases for residents of these communities, reduce the number of resident disputes, set clear limits on payment increases, strengthen the enforcement of health and safety standards, and expand eligibility for rent-assistance programs. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, is […]

The News Journal | by Meredith Newman The Delaware House on Thursday passed the first bill of lawmakers’ sweeping gun reform package, which would ban the sale of assault weapons. Though lawmakers have struggled to pass similar legislation in recent years, a renewed effort came following the onslaught of recent mass shootings in America, most notably in Uvalde, Texas, in which a gunman shot and killed 19 elementary schoolchildren and two teachers. Democratic lawmakers announced last week a number of bills they plan to pass before the session ends this […]

Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen and Matt McDonald After Tuesday’s school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, took the lives of 19 students and two teachers, Delaware lawmakers are pondering the best course of action regarding gun control. Efforts to thwart gun violence and prevent mass shootings will likely come to the forefront during the General Assembly’s final 12 session days, beginning June 7, according to Rep. Tim Dukes, R-Laurel. He said it will be a priority to address all the factors that contribute to mass shootings, both now […]

Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen Following seven-plus months of motions, rulings, arguments and more, it’s almost time to determine the fate of Delaware’s state auditor. When Kathy McGuiness enters a courtroom in the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center on Tuesday, her criminal corruption case will have reached the trial phase. The auditor has pleaded not guilty to three misdemeanors and two felonies resulting from an indictment initially returned Oct. 11, 2021. A defense bid to have a misdemeanor charge of structuring as noncompliance with procurement law and […]

Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen Just days removed from the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school massacre that left 21 dead, some state lawmakers are calling for immediate action to address mental health, gun control and school safety in the First State. In the span of two weeks, two mass shooting events have accounted for 31 deaths. Ten days prior to the elementary school massacre, an armed shooter took the lives of 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, an attack that has since been deemed as racially motivated. […]

Delaware Live | by Charlie Megginson Two lawmakers on opposite sides of the political spectrum have found common ground in their desire to increase transparency and accountability in state government. A bill filed by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark South, and Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, would establish an independent and nonpartisan inspector general office in Delaware. The proposed office would investigate state agencies to identify and root out waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement, corruption and other conduct contrary to the public interest. The inspector general would serve a term of five […]