League Testimonies 2017 - 2022
League Lobbyists testify frequently at legislative hearings in Dover. Some of the statements we have made in the 149th, 150th and 151st Sessions appear below. Click on any title to read the entire testimony presented.
151st General Assembly (Nov 2020 to Nov 2022)
SB 15 - Increasing the Minimum Wage (signed into law by Governor Carney on July 19, 2021)
- LWVDE supports this initiative to increase the minimum wage
- A gradual increase to $15 per hour is a fair approach
- All Delawareans need earnings sufficient to meet their basic needs
- Text of SB 15
SB 17 - Constitutional Right to Privacy of Individuals to Make Reproductive Choices (stricken in Senate 3/16/2021)
- LWVDE opposes this mandate
- This measure would require physicians to perform a medically unnecessary procedure
- Women's right to privacy must be protected
- Text of SB 17
SB 21 - Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (signed into law by Governor Carney on Sept 17, 2021)
- Facilitates the use of EV's
- Leads to a cleaner environment
- Text of SB 21
SB 31 - Constitutional Amendment (approved by both houses; becomes part of DE state constitution)
- Equal rights must be guaranteed for all
- Our Constitution should reflect our core values
- Has been adopted and is now in the Constitution of DE
- Text of SB 31
SB 32 - Code Relating to Discrimination (signed into law by Governor Carney on April 13, 2021)
- Discrimination based on hairstyle must be banned
- Racially-linked and cultural practices must be honored
- Text of SB 32
SB 33 - Renewal Energy: Part One (signed into law by Governor Carney on Feb 10, 2021)
- Increased use of renewable energy is crucial
- Delaware is extremely vulnerable to climate change.
- Text of SB 33
- Renewable energy costs are going down
- The cost of non-renewable energy to our state is severe and multi-faceted
SB 56 - Enhanced funding for public schools (signed into law by Governor Carney on June 30, 2021)
- Equity in public school funding must be the goal
- Meeting the needs of all children through equitable funding benefits everyone in the state.
- Text of SB 56
HB 5 - Manufactured Housing (signed into law by Governor Carney on Sept 150, 2021)
- All affected parties should be authorized to attend meetings explaining rent increases for manufactured housing land.
- Elected officials play a key role in ensuring Delaware's laws protect our citizens and thus need to be allowed to be present at such meetings.
- Text for HB 5
HB 16 - Earned Income Tax Credit (signed into law by Governor Carney on August 10, 2021)
- A refundable EITC promotes work and expands economic security
- A refundable EITC strengthens families
- Text of HB 16
HB - 18 Complete Community Enterprise Districts (signed into law by Gov.Carney on June 3, 2021)
- Ideal lifestyle: walkable communities
- Personal choice of League member
- HB 18 provides important criteria for walkable communities.
- Text of HB 18
- Freeing consumers from domination by manufacturers
- Protecting the environment
- Text of HB 22
HB 26 and 27 - Juvenile Reform (HB 26 enacted without signature)
- Support for prisoner relief from Covid 19
- Risk reduction for prison staff and their families
- Text of HB 37
- LWVDE opposes this mandate
- This measure would require physicians to perform a medically unnecessary procedure
- The right to privacy must be protected
- Text of HB 40
HB 48 - House Health and Human Development Committee (signed into law by Governor Carney on August 10, 2021)
- Support for increasing the supply of primary care providers
- Easing the burden of medical school's cost
- Text of HB 48
HB 86 (Support for Basic Special Education) (signed into law by Governor Carney on July 30, 2021)
- Children in K- through Grade 3 with a need for basic special education are currently not being provided support that could help them reach their full potential.
- Intervention in the early years makes good financial sense.
- Text of HB 86
HB 88 - Youth and Training Wage (signed into law by Governor Carney on Sept 30, 2021)
- Wages should be based on job performance, not age or length on the job.
- Earnings below minimum wage create extreme hardship
- Text of HB 88
HB 125 (Ghost Guns) (signed into law by Governor Carney on Oct 20, 2021)
- Ghost Guns are becoming increasingly available at an alarming rate
- These dangerous weapons must be banned.
- Text of HB 125
- Greatly enhances the well-being of children in high needs elementary schools
- Makes sense financially and logistically.
- Text of HB HB 129
HB 200 - Clean Water for Delaware (signed into law by Governor Carney on July 22, 2021)
- Clean drinking water is a basic human right
- Delaware's water is below standard
- HB 200 is needed to fund efforts to clean our water
- Text of HB 200
FY2023 OMB Budget Hearings (held Nov 2021)
LWVDE testimonies given at the Delaware administrative branch's Office of Management and Budget hearings during budget planning for the following fiscal year.
- Protect our vital agricultural industry
- Provide $10 millon for farmland preservation
JFC Hearings on FY 2022 Budget (held Feb/Mar 2021)
LWVDE testimonies given at the Joint Finance Committee hearings on the Governor's recommended Delaware Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
- The Childhood Lead Poisoning Advisory Committee needs adequate staff support
- Additional machines are needed to do lead poisoning testing
- Without adequate funding, Delaware’s children will continue to face the dangers of lead poisoning
- Delaware faces serious pollution of its air and water
- Adequate funding for DNREC is crucial to protect our public health
- Open space is essential to our health
- Preserving open space is money well spent for many reasons
- Farmland preservation is money well spent to enhance our quality of life
- Our agricultural industry adds crucially to Delaware's economy and deserves our support
FY2022 OMB Budget Hearings (held Nov 2020)
LWVDE testimonies given at the Delaware administrative branch's Office of Management and Budget hearings during budget planning for the following fiscal year.
- Protect our air, water, and soil
- Fund DNREC sufficiently to allow it to function proactively
- Open spaces benefit the state's economy as well as the health and well-being of our citizens
- To ensure these benefits, allocate $10 million for open space preservation
- Protect our vulnerable agricultural industry
- Provide $10 million for farmland preservation
2020 Legislative Session
- Public input was thwarted
- Air Pollution levels must be reduced
- Support for HB 350
- Use of Chokeholds by police must be classified as a felony
- Support for SB191
- Constitutional protection without regard to race, color, or national origin
- Support for SB 250
- Clean renewable energy protects both our health and the global ecosystem
- Increased funding is essential to address childhood lead poisoning
- Research demonstrates the severity of the effects of childhood lead poisoning
- JFC Testimony 18 February 2020
- DNREC needs full funding to carry out its mission
- Testimony addressing the DHSS FY2021 Budget
- Increased funding is needed for the Student Loan Repayment Program for Primary Care Providers
- Testimony addressing the DNREC 2021 Budget Request
- Open space preservation benefits the Delaware economy and improves our citizens' quality of life
- Comments addressing the Dept. of Agriculture Hearing
- Support for $10 million for farmland preservation
- Support for SB 208
- The release of balloons leads to dire impacts on the environment
- HS 1 to HB 200 establishes a needed framework
- Funding is crucial
- Support for HB277
- Remove the threat of 'homemade' guns
- Support for HB257
- Presented to House Health & Human Development Committee
2019 Legislative Session
Budget Request of the Auditor of Accounts (11/2019)- Ensure that funds are appropriately accounted for
- Combat fraud, waste, and abuse
- Fulfill the mandate to provide professional auditing services
Budget Request of the Department of Education (11/2019)
- supplemental funding for K-3 basic special education is endorsed
- we applaud increased funding for English learners, which needs to be made permanent
- funding of Wellness Centers in high-need elementary schools needs to continue
- natural resources should be conserved and protected
- pollution should be controlled
- budget reflects support for DIMER and DIDER, which we endorse
- student loan repayment program for Primary Care Physicians is applauded
- kudos for funding dental care for adult Medicaid recipients
- Electric vehicle charging stations on state property
- Support for an environmentally sound future
- support HB 48 (2019)
- see Education for Special Ed above
Concurrent vs. Consecutive Sentencing (2019)
- HB 5 will reduce sentences significantly
- working toward reducing our prison population
- signed by the Governor on June 25, 2019
Early Voting and Same Day Registration
- enacted in 2019
- effective in 2022
- same-day registration - out of the House Committee
- did not receive a vote in 2019
- remains pending
- SB 22 enacted in 2019
Primary Elections - Move to April (2019)- HB 41 passed the House on January 24, 2019
- failed to be released from the Senate Elections, Govt. & Community Affairs Committee
- after a hearing on 3/6/19
- the legislature took no action on property tax reassessment
- counties have opposed
2018 Legislative Session
- signed on 5/1/18
Clean Water (Bond Bill testimony 2018)
- additional money requested
Firearms - Safe Storage (2018)
- HB366 passed by the House on 5/8/18
- not released from the Senate Judiciary Committee
- a similar bill (HB 63) was enacted in 2019
- signed 6/6/2017
LLCs (2018)
- House Substitute 1
- this bill died in the House Judiciary Committee in 2018
Look-Back Provisions in Sentencing Guidelines (2018)
- released by House Committee on 1/24/18
- failed to be considered by the full House
- House Substitute 1 for HB 22
- signed on 6/27/18
2017 Legislative Session
- compromise bill
- signed by the Governor on August 2, 2017
- HB 204 was signed by the Governor on January 25, 2018
- on 3/6/19, court representatives presented a very positive status report on the implementation
- "It's time we deal with the technology that has brought us military-style weapons that have led to mass murder in too many cases. We urge release of SB 163 so that legislators can take a stand."
- HB 242, signed by the Governor on 7/3/17
- increased cigarette taxes by 50 cents a pack
- imposed a new tax of 5 cents per fluid millimeter on vapor products
- failed to be considered in 149th or 150th Session
- piecemeal provisions introduced in 2019
- HB 113 would make Delaware's EITC program refundable
- targets aid to some of the lowest-income workers and provide work incentives
- passed the House with 1 "no" vote and 3 absent
- passed the Senate unanimously on July 1
- Governor vetoed it on 10/26/18
- a new bill (HB 80) now pending in the House
- may be enacted in 2020
- full funding provided in the FY 2020 budget
- funding provided in 2019 based on enactment of SB 92
- HB 35 gives the state authority to regulate massage parlors
- much of the state's human trafficking occurs
- enacted on July 26, 2017
- support for funding
- Senate Substitute 1 for SB 5
- signed by the Governor on June 8, 2017
- House Substitute 1 for this bill
- signed by the Governor on 4/25/17
- no action is taken
- LWVDE opposed bill
- a similar bill introduced in 2019 (HB 165)
- failed to be released from Committee
- support HB 19
- requires school nurse in every public school
- bill was tabled in the House Education Committee
- budget for FY2019 included funds for machines
- met LWVDE criteria
- machines were tested in 2019 school board elections
- will be used in the 2020 primary and general elections
- SB 9 passed Senate on June 30, 2017
- too late for House action
- no similar bill has been introduced since then
