Weekly Report: 3/18/2024
Prepared By: Len Damico
We have another major piece of legislation that is coming up in committee this week, and there are some other opportunities to get involved with WFP or directly on campaigns.
The big news this week is that HB 17, which will require all employers in the State to provide employees with a minimum of 1 hour of earned sick time and safety leave for every 30 hours worked, will be heard in the House Labor Committee Tuesday at 12:45pm. This bill is sponsored by WFP champions Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Marie Pinkney, and is one of our key issues for this year. If you are available Tuesday afternoon to testify in support of this bill (either in person or virtually), sign up here and we’ll get you some talking points!
SB 3, the first leg of a constitutional amendment to clear the way for absentee voting, will be on the House floor Tuesday. Rep. Rae Moore, another WFP champion, is the prime House sponsor of this bill. Constitutional amendments require a ⅔ vote and must be passed by two consecutive General Assemblies.
Two bills that would formally eliminate the death penalty in Delaware will have House committee hearings this week: HB 70 eliminates the death penalty in Delaware law and HB 301 is the first leg of a constitutional amendment to prohibit the death penalty in the Delaware Constitution. Both are sponsored by Rep. Sean Lynn.
Make Your Voice Heard
See below for some of the most notable bills in committee this week and how to give public comment. For length and clarity, we are only putting bills that need the most public input below. Bills in green are bills we generally support, bills in red are bills we generally oppose, and bills in yellow are neutral or unknown.
You can also check here for the full list of committee meetings and click “view” next to each meeting for the full agenda and additional information.
Bills coming up the week of 3/18/24:
| Bill # | Sponsor | Summary/Description | Committee Meeting Info | Give Public Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 17 | Morrison, Pinkney | Requires all employers in the State to provide employees with a minimum of 1 hour of earned sick time and safety leave for every 30 hours worked. For employers with 9 or fewer employees, the time may be unpaid, job-protected time instead of paid time. | House Labor Tuesday 3/19 at 12:45 PM |
In Person: House Majority Caucus Room 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Virtual: Register for Meeting |
| HB 70 | Lynn, Gay | Formally eliminates the death penalty in Delaware. The courts ruled Delaware’s current death penalty statute unconstitutional in 2016, this would eliminate the death penalty by law. | House Judiciary Wednesday 3/20 at 11:00 AM |
In Person: House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Virtual: Register for Meeting |
| HB 301 | Lynn, Gay | First leg of a Constitutional amendment to prohibit the death penalty in Delaware. The courts ruled Delaware’s current death penalty statute unconstitutional in 2016, this would make the death penalty unconstitutional in Delaware and thus make it harder for legislators to pass a law to bring a constitutionally sound version of the death penalty back. Constitutional amendments require a ⅔ vote and must be passed by two consecutive General Assemblies. | House Administration Wednesday 3/20 at 3:00 PM |
In Person: House Chamber 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Virtual: Register for Meeting |
| HS 1 for HB 149 | Collins, Hocker, Richardson | Requires personal income tax brackets to be annually adjusted for cost-of-living increases. This will prevent tax rate increases resulting from cost-of-living pay increases that push lower income taxpayers into higher tax brackets.Sounds good in practice but the bill includes adjustments for everyone, including the very wealthy, so would result in revenue losses and not be equitable. | House Revenue & Finance Wednesday 3/20 at 3:00 PM |
In Person: House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Virtual: Register for Meeting |
| HB 343 | Yearick, Buckson | Reduces the State's rate of realty transfer tax by .25% per year for 4 years, for residential property conveyances having a property value less than $500,000, and for commercial property conveyances having a property value less than $1,000,000, starting January 1, 2025.Huge negative impacts for state revenue. | House Revenue & Finance Wednesday 3/20 at 3:00 PM |
In Person: House Majority Hearing Room (H217) 411 Legislative Avenue Dover, DE 19901 Virtual: Register for Meeting |
Welcome Gathering
Have you been getting these emails but don't know much about what we do at Delaware Working Families Party? Then you should definitely stop by our monthly Welcome Gathering this Wednesday, March 20th, at 6pm.
At this meeting we'll be going over who we are, what we do, and how you can get involved, so we would love to have you there. We also have other events coming up in the next couple weeks as well:
Team Member Coaching - Every Thursday at 6:00pm - If you are already on a campaign or looking to learn more about the nitty-gritty of campaigns, we are holding these coaching sessions every Thursday for anyone to jump on.
Grassroots Campaign Training- Wed, 3/27 at 6:00pm - At this training you'll learn a bit more about what a grassroots campaign looks like, what you need to learn and do in order to help out, and what some of the different roles and responsibilities are at the local level.