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. […]
Commentary: Inspector General office will benefit citizens, state
Delaware State News | Commentary | by Keith Steck Delaware’s legislature has a golden opportunity to take a major step forward in addressing shortcomings in state agency management and a seemingly never-ending string of minor and major scandals involving agency operations. The bipartisan House Bill 405 would create a statewide Office of the Inspector General. For the past three years, the Delaware Coalition for Open Government (DelCOG) — through contact with the Association of Inspectors General at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, presentations to good-government […]
One Democrat. One Republican. Both want an inspector general
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 […]
Bill to lift recruitment boundaries for some charter schools advances in state legislature
Delaware Public Media | by Paul Kiefer A bill seeking to end some charter schools’ use of a five-mile radius admission preference is advancing in Delaware’s state legislature. State Rep. John Kowalko (D-Newark) says the goal of his bill is to expand school choice for more Delawareans, particularly low-income residents who are underrepresented in some charter schools. Kowalko first noticed the issue at Newark Charter School – one of only three charters using the five-mile radius preference. That, he said, creates an obvious problem. “The five-mile radius excluded from consideration […]
Del. Takes Step Toward Creating Inspector General Position & Office
WGMD | by Mark Fowser Legislation to establish the office of an independent inspector general has been introduced in the Delaware General Assembly. Under the bipartisan-sponsored bill (House Bill 405), the IG office would investigate management and operation of state agencies to look for waste, fraud, abuse, mismanagement, corruption or other conduct harmful to the public interest. The position would be non-partisan. The inspector general would be found through a process led by a selection panel. Names would be presented to the governor for nomination. “Recent circumstances highlight the need […]
Creating Inspector General’s Office in Delaware becomes bipartisan effort
Bay to Bay News | by Craig Anderson A push to create a watchdog Inspector General’s Office took a significant step forward as Democratic and Republican lawmakers continued to unite Wednesday. State Rep. Mike Smith, a Newark Republican, signed on to be co-prime sponsor with Rep. John Kowalko, a Newark Democrat, on House Bill 405, ending his own bid to do the same through proposed legislation. Multiple members of both parties support the bill and Rep. Kowalko said he’s heard no opposition to it. “I think (Rep. Smith’s) addition sends […]
Charter school legislation removes Delaware geographic boundaries
Bay to Bay News | by Staff Writer Nearly five years after similar legislation was vetoed, a bill that would bring an end to a discriminatory admissions practice for charter schools passed in the House of Representatives last week. House Bill 238, sponsored by Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, would remove the ability for charter schools to give preference to students who live within five miles of the school when applying for admissions. A similar bill passed in both the House and the Senate in 2017, but Gov. John Carney decided […]
Bill would eliminate Newark Charter’s 5-mile radius enrollment preference
Newark Post | by Josh Shannon The Delaware House last week passed a bill that would prohibit Newark Charter School from giving admission preference to students in the Newark area. If passed by the Senate and signed by the governor, HB 238 would eliminate the ability of NCS and other charter schools to give preference to students who live within 5 miles of the school. Instead, students from across the state would have an equal chance in the lottery that determines acceptance into the school. “This bill has one single […]
Sponsors could combine efforts on bill to create Inspector General’s Office in Delaware
Bay to Bay News | by Craig Anderson A bipartisan effort by lawmakers to craft legislation that creates a watchdog Inspector General’s Office may be coming. Currently, however, state Rep. Mike Smith, R-Pike Creek, has already filed a bill and Rep. John Kowalko, D-Newark, said Tuesday he expects a similar bill to be filed by the end of the week. In Rep. Kowalko’s proposal, according to a synopsis, “The (Inspector General) will protect the health and safety of Delaware residents, assist in the recovery of misspent or inappropriately paid funds, […]
Deadline approaches for party change in Delaware primary
Bay to Bay News | by Joseph Edelen Ahead of September’s state primary election, Delaware voters have just over a month to register for any potential change in their political affiliation. Voters who wish to participate in this fall’s primary election will have until May 27 to file for a change of their political party with the Department of Elections. Delaware’s primary election, which will be held on Sept. 13, will help determine candidates for office in both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate. The election allows […]