What's a special session, and why is it happening today? Which bills will be considered, and which won't, and what is the difference? We'll go over all of that and more for you today. Bonus content: data is beautiful and we can get more of it.

Links

Spotlight Delaware Special Session Live Blog -- the best way to catch up on what is happening or has happened in Aug 12th's special session

State Constitution - Time and frequency of sessions

State Constitution - Governance of revenue

Spotlight article - After property tax outcry, leading lawmakers focus on three bills for special session

Urban3 - Financial assessments for cities, towns, counties, and municipalities

Land value tax links

State Constitution - Land value tax ban

Strong Towns article - Big Box Stores: Core Insights

Strong Towns article - Big box stores are costing our cities far more than we ever imagined

Video - Is a Land Value Tax the Best Option? - Chuck from Strong Towns

We cover a few news items, including a bill to protect medical providers in Delaware from being sued based on other states' laws. We dig a little deeper behind the company that wants to build a data center in New Castle County, as it would impact our electric bills but we wouldn't get any of benefit from the billions of dollars it may generate for its owners. We also look at the process of running for office and being a first-time legislator, and give some tips on how to look into running for office.

Data Center Town Hall

Thursday, July 24th, 5:30pm Delaware City Fire Hall

Form to submit questions to Data Center Town Hall

Links

• Campaign to replace Rep. Parker Selby heats up between two educators

• Proposed Delaware data center’s energy needs would dwarf all state households

• AI Tech CEOs are lying to you - listen to just the first 15 minutes to understand how bad data centers are for all of us

• Why the true water footprint of AI is so elusive

• Latest Delaware City Refinery emissions prompt investigation, ongoing questions

• AI data centers could make your electric bill go up by 70%
• Jack Kemp Foundation Leadership Awards
• Delaware Department of Elections
• Run For Something
• Network Delaware Change Agent Journey
• Delaware Working Families Party contact form to request training
• Day in the Life of a Legislator: State Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton

Where are they now, legislative edition. What happened to the bills we've talked about this year? How are we feeling? There's some extra philosophizing in this episode, because that's the mood of the moment. But also some yelling. And the word "flabbergasted" is used.

Links

2025 Session Legislative Report - DE WFP

End of Session Live Blog - Spotlight Delaware

We get through most of the notable bills being heard on the House and Senate floor on Tuesday June 24th in 15 minutes. Then we get into it with a recap of the lead paint remediation bill's committee hearing, in preparation for it being heard on the House floor on Tuesday as well. After some light philosophizing, we lightly laugh at a Senator's spin of one of his bills.

To submit corrections or questions, email: ask@thisisthedelawareway.com

Note: the sound quality is a bit off, I apologize. This will tighten up! Session is almost over, and then episodes will be more planned out for a while. The rest of the summer into the fall will be a series of deep dives on different processes, legislators, and of course bills we've seen fall short of passing.

This episode comes with a content warning, as it discusses a bill on educating minors about sexual extortion. The timestamp for that section is 8:24.

Enjoy the rapid-fire delivery of most of the bills our state legislature will discuss on Wednesday, June 11th. As we near the end of session, the schedule will become more and more crowded, and there are some big deal bills being heard!

Links

Speed cameras are not a permanent solution to dangerous streets

Well planned street design

We kick off a hectic week by looking at just Tuesday's agendas. You've heard of most of these bills before, but there are a few hot ticket items that might have you wanting to reach out to your legislators. Surprise surprise, we see one of the two school meals bills yet again, and wonder about the timing of how the saga went down. We also look at what's happening with the slate of immigration protection bills.

Disappointment abounds in this week's episode, from opening to close. But we start off giving people more info on how a bill gets written, and what qualifications someone needs to run for office (hint: not many). In the middle, we go over the long list of bills the General Assembly worked on the week of May 20th. The GA is now on a break while the Joint Finance Committee finalizes budget decisions, and will be back in session next week. We round out the episode with a personal story from the host that leaves her with more questions than answers about her House Representative.

Links

Ask questions for the pod! ask@thisisthedelawareway.com

Division of Legislative Services Staff

House Speaker: Income tax reform may be delayed

Babies smacked, slapped, knocked over at Delaware day care, then director lied to parents about state’s investigation

Examples of what a bill looks like

HB 142 - edits that remove permission for citizen's arrest

HB 153 - edits that make citizen's arrest illegal

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro and outline

(4:14) Who actually writes the bills?

(14:14) House Speaker speaks on delay of tax bracket bill

(24:28) House bills

(24:55) Affordable housing through Site Readiness Fund

(26:55) Slate of immigration bills

(29:59) Increasing vehicle fees

(31:43) multi-level marketing schemes

(32:10) Creates new crime charge for discharging a firearm in public

(35:00) Elimination of citizens’ arrests

(36:02) Threshold for automatic election recounts

(36:19) Protecting seniors from property reassessments

(38:23) Constitutional amendments for voting

(39:43) Senate bills

(40:06) right to marry

(41:29) rape kits monitoring

(41:42) Dental usage of general anesthesia & Medicaid dental coverage

(43:11) Bills related to evictions of renters

(44:18) Reducing property taxes for Low Income households

(49:31) Interaction with my House representative

(1:02:20) Closing

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:32 - Dramarama with the House Speaker and shenanigans

12:40 - How to look up district maps

16:23 - How much time do we have to work on bills?

21:22 - Senate bills this week

21:54 - Changing primary election dates

23:10 - Cell phones in school

24:58 - Collective bargaining

25:18 - Prohibition of polystyrene foam for food containers

26:17 - Protections for car owners with regard to towing

27:10 - Summary of additional bills voted out of Senate committees

33:07 - House bills from this week

33:13 - Low income utility rate

35:19 - Remove some fees in the criminal justice system

35:47 - Legalizing low-speed motorized scooters

34:46 - Summary of additional bills voted out of House committees

42:45 - Closing

Links

Elections.Delaware.Gov

State Rep. Sherae'a Moore removed from House Ed. leadership, calls move 'politically motivated'

Breakdown of previous House Speaker Longhurst's redistricting (after she made Delaware City / Fort DuPont community angry)

In this special episode, we focus on two specific pieces of legislation working their way through their respective government bodies. The rent stabilization ordinance in Wilmington City Council has implications for the whole state, and has passed out of committee. The energy assistance bill in the state legislature has passed the House, is out of committee in the Senate, and is currently awaiting a slot on the Senate floor schedule.

(Also note that we recorded much of this the day after the Wilmington City Council committee hearing, which is why we say "last night" a lot.)

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:34 - Rent stabilization in Wilmington City Council

24:07 - HB 50 energy assistance

48:44 - Closing

Links

• Community Development & Urban Planning Committee Meeting | May 8, 2025

• Ordinance for rent stabalization - Introduced by Shané Darby, Wilmington City Council

• 1-pager from Councilwoman Darby on how rent stabilization works

• HB 50 - Energy Assistance

• Justin Adekanbi-Coger, PhD, research - "Rent Stabilization Price Controls" paper under "Public Economics"

• Diabolical Lies podcast - The Rise and Fall of Capitalism

• Energize Delaware

• Strong Towns Housing Ready Checklist

• Delaware Energy Co-op

Timestamps

0:00 - Intro

0:55 - Outline

1:50 - Getting involved in politics and how scared people are

6:59 - Meyer rescinding EV mandate; commentary on freedom of choice

13:31 - footnote on EV mandate rant edited out

14:57 - House Bills

15:47 - Pay transparency

17:13 - Immigration protections

18:09 - Red dye 40

19:22 - Increasing oversight on electrical grid management

19:48 - Book bans counter

20:51 - brief explainer on House Administration committee

21:03 - Recognizing marriages of people who move to Delaware

22:13 - Tax bracket additions and updates

27:30 - Senate bills

27:31 - Energy assistance bill

30:14 - National Day of Mourning government closures

31:17 - ADUs - Needs 2/3 to pass

34:25 - anti-SLAPP law improvement

38:42 - discussion of power dynamics in politics and involvement

43:41 - ending a lease when purchasing a home

44:50 - quick rundown over miscellaneous bills

52:44 - closing

Links

These Stupid Trucks Are Literally Killing Us

With the legislature on spring break, we're taking the time to look at a few bills at different stages -- one that's been introduced but hasn't been voted on yet, one that had a committee hearing, and one that has already passed the Senate and is on its way to the House. Also today, we tell people how to contact their legislators, and what kinds of things they can expect from that relationship.

Timestamps

0:00 - Quick note

1:51 - Intro

6:00 - legislator lookup and absence tracking

15:38 - CASA program funding cuts

19:03 - Lead paint bill

27:00 - School meals bill committee hearing recap

35:40 - Special interview on school meals bills

41:44 - Red 40 ban

55:13 - Closing

Links

Ballotpedia - Comparison of state legislative salaries

2025 Legislative Calendar

Recordings of committee hearings

Rep. Stell Parker Selby still missing from Legislative Hall after months long absence

Announcement of National CASA program's funding termination

Action for Delaware's Children

ADC's Facebook post mentioning Rep Harris

AJC Opinion - Cuts at CDC birth defect center will harm millions

Center for Science in the Public Interest - Synthetic food dyes: Health risks, history, and policy

0:00 - Intro

1:15 - Explanation of the podcast name

6:05 - Info on weekly schedule

7:05 - Hot Topics

7:16 - Consumer protections with home improvement contracts

9:25 - Immigrant and migrant protections

11:52 - Bail bill

17:19 - School meals for all students

23:33 - **How to give public comment

25:20 - Delaware Pre-Authorization Reform Act

26:58 - Legal counsel for relative pursuing adoption of child in DFS custody

33:28 - Early release from prison

34:38 - Repealing Renewable Portfolio Standard

40:00 - Rapid Fire Run Through

41:34 - **Why township charter changes go through the state legislature

44:25 - **What Joint Resolutions are and how they can be used

55:24 - Closing

Links

Legis.Delaware.Gov meeting info for HB125

Legis.Delaware.Gov Zoom signup link to give public comment for HB125

Books

Weapons of Math Destruction

What If We Get It Right?

Looking at the week of April 8th, we've got bills on end of life options for terminally ill patients, school meals, electric vehicle mandates, constitutional amendments for voting, and more. On the topic of providing meals to kids in school, the host gives a potential reason for why there are two competing bills in the House. It's a busy week as the Delaware legislature amps up for spring.