As always, our LWVDE Advocacy Corps has been busy in 2025 evaluating and then supporting, opposing or monitoring specific bills before the Delaware General Assembly based on our League program positions.
In particular, 2025 saw a pair of bills pass into law in Delaware after years of effort: HB 140, the “Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law” to give dying patients more control over their manner of death, and SB 4, establishing an independent and nonpartisan Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in Delaware. Both efforts were championed for many years by legislators who have since retired from the General Assembly: HB 140 was first introduced by former Representative Paul Baumbach in 2019, and former Rep. John Kowalko fought for an OIG in Delaware for about 20 years.
Legislative Recap
Legislative summaries by Advocacy Corps Portfolio area are presented below. For a fuller discussion, please see our the Advocacy Corps Reports in our Summer 2025 Delaware VOTER newsletter.
Climate Change/Energy – Peggy Schultz, chairperson
The below-normal temperatures of the past winter coupled with a shortage of electricity led to spikes in the heating bills of most Delawareans, which in turn led to a plethora of bills designed to relieve public utility ratepayers in hardship cases and to add more control over the use of public utility funds.
Controversy over offshore wind energy proposals caused high drama in the legislature this year, along with much [mis]information being spread on news and online channels.
Read the details in Peggy’s write-up in the newsletter.
Criminal Justice – Chris Asay, chairperson
Among dozens of criminal justice bills introduced this past session, we had six that were top priority: Death penalty abolition, probation reform, compassionate release from prison, and fines & fees elimination (2 bills). These have been developed over many months, or even years, and are supported by multiple advocacy groups. In the Criminal Justice area, the League’s work closely aligns with other organizations such as the ACLU, the Smart Justice Coalition, the Campaign to End Debtors Prison and the Tide Shift Justice Project.
Read Chris’s write-up in the newsletter.
Elections and Voting – Jill Itzkowitz, chairperson
In Delaware, recently-passed laws enabling vote by mail and same-day registration have been struck down by the Delaware Supreme Court because they conflict with provisions in the state constitution. Thus, current efforts in Delaware around voting & elections focus on amending the Delaware Constitution to remove unnecessary restrictions on Delaware voters. Amendments to the state constitution in Delaware must pass in two consecutive sessions of the legislature and require a 2/3rds majority vote of the legislature in each house to pass, so they need bipartisan support and have historically been difficult to pass.
Read Jill’s write-up on the status of the first three related bills (SB 2 early voting, SB 3 no-excuse absentee voting, and HB 88 same-day voter registration) in the newsletter.
Government/Redistricting/Finance/Taxation – Jack Young, chairperson
Delaware has a new independent and nonpartisan office to assist in rooting out fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement --- The Office of the Inspector General (OIG). First introduced in the General Assembly nearly twenty years ago, this time around SB 4 received unanimous bipartisan support in the Senate and only one “no” vote in the House. The League worked with the bill’s chief sponsor, State Senator Laura Sturgeon, to add a provision to the law to assure that the new IG will work in harmony with the State Auditor of Accounts and the Attorney General, ensuring that responsibilities will be shared and distributed among the three agencies without duplication.
A non-partisan selection committee, which will include the LWVDE President, will provide three names to the Governor for his consideration, one of whom will be submitted to the State Senate for confirmation for a five-year term.
This portfolio area also has a strong focus on fair & impartial drawing of voting district maps, and expects another push for independent redistricting commission in Delaware before the next 10-year US Census.
Read Jack’s write-up in the newsletter.
Health Care – Judy Butler, chairperson
We are thrilled to report that a major legislative victory was achieved after a decade of lobbying by the League. The End-of-Life Options Bill, HB 140, has finally been signed into law. This encourages us to recognize that persistence can achieve results.
The Health Care portfolio also followed several bills addressing insurance issues, HB 54 establishing an Office of Suicide Prevention in Delaware, amendments to the long-term care residents’ bill of rights, and constitutional amendments regarding reproductive freedom and right to marry regardless of gender.
Read Judy’s write-up in the newsletter.
Housing – Vicki Sessoms, chairperson
This was a particularly active legislative session for the housing portfolio. Affordable housing and homelessness have been a hot topic, not only in Delaware, but in the country as a whole.
This year saw the creation of the Affordable Rental Housing Program (ARHP) within the Housing Development Fund. This program provides loans to increase affordable housing for families with very low and moderate incomes, individuals who are elderly and individuals with disabilities.
Bills in process include a tax change for allow Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties, Site Readiness Funds for affordable housing creation, and SB 87 allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) such as garage apartments and in-law units in more locations.
Read Vicki’s write-up in the newsletter.
Natural Resources – Mary Douglas, chairperson
We continue our struggle to achieve the goal of protecting our natural resources, although a couple of legislators have been working on bills that would reduce waste in our state’s environment. One legislator, Senator Stephanie Hansen, is continuing to lead a stakeholder workgroup that is negotiating a bill to protect freshwater wetlands.
This portfolio followed bills related to wetlands, CNRES’s water discharge fee schedule, restaurant provision of disposable utensils & condiments with takeout orders only on request, and prohibition of Styrofoam product sales in DE.
Read Mary’s write-up in the newsletter.
Social Policy – Linda Barnett, chairperson
The General Assembly considered several bills within the broad category of discrimination this session. It addressed hiring and rental discrimination against members, veterans or families of the armed service, but declined to enact protection based on physical attributes outside the norm (too tall, too short, or overweight). Also this year HB 105 was passed that requires salary ranges to be posted in all employer job postings.
Read Linda’s write-up in the newsletter.
Summary
This was an active and productive year in Delaware’s General Assembly. Many thanks to the LWVDE Advocacy Corps members for their hard work in advocating for League positions to influence which bills become law in Delaware.
A Bill Signing in Delaware in August 2025
Any bill before the General Assembly can be located by bill number or keyword on the General Assembly website at legis.delaware.gov. On this website, bill summaries, sponsorship, current status, and full text of the bills are available for public view, along with general legislative information, district maps and contact information for all state lawmakers.
