2018 Update—December 18th to January 6th

On Monday the 18th I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Chemours research and innovation center on the UD STAR campus. On Tuesday the 19th I taped a segment with Larry Mendte on various legislative matters. On Wednesday night I attended a holiday gathering at a residential location for adults with developmental disabilities managed by CHIMES. On Thursday the 21st I attended one of the Financial Literacy Fairs at the Newark High School, while that night I joined Delaware State Senator Bryan Townsend for our monthly Facebook Town Hall. On Friday morning the 22nd I met with one of my legislative colleagues, to discuss current and proposed legislation. On Wednesday the 27th I met with two of my legislative colleagues to discuss concerns that they had with Delaware’s manufactured housing policies.

On Tuesday January 2nd I had a meeting regarding support the state government offers to companies doing business outside the state, whether it be sales to other areas or sales from other areas, to strengthen Delaware businesses and jobs. Later that morning I had a phone discussion regarding increasing the number of healthy choices in vending machines on state property. On Wednesday morning I hosted my monthly coffee, at the Greene Turtle on South Main Street, with special guest Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro. On Saturday morning I attended a portion of Grassroots Policy Forum: Creating a Movement of Movements. I enjoyed two presentations on prison reform and pre-trial reform, by ACLU’s Executive Director Kathleen MacRae, and by Delaware Chief Magistrate Alan Davis. Afterwards I attended a Celebration of Life for Carl Nelson, a wonderful Newarker.

Emails—Over the past few weeks, I have had emails on many topics.

There were county matters, including the real estate tax exemption available to some swimming pools, helping a local business connect with the county in considering using space at the Boxwood Road site, dumping of yard waste on county land within Chapel Hill, the ‘bump track’ built on county Middle Run park land, the property on Ogletown Road that had been an orphanage, expanding how the county can better prohibit gross property maintenance violations, and limiting the ability of municipalities to annex property from a county and immediately rezone it.

There were city matters, including internet service providers/net neutrality, electricity rates for businesses, and the reappointment of Newark’s Deputy Alderman.

There were school district matters, including helping a local group rent a gymnasium from Christina School District, and the Financial Literacy Fair at Newark High.

There were federal matters, including the contact lens rule (sharing with consumers their right to purchase their contacts from an outside firm).

There were of course many state matters, including DART service to the Newark area, a drained dam at the White Clay Creek State Park, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, DelDOTs plans for the 896/I95 intersection project, youth homelessness in Newark, voting machine replacement, the process to develop the regulations tied to the amended Coastal Zone Act, conservation access passesthe impact of the new federal tax law on Delaware tax revenues, transfer tax levels for first-time homebuyers, early voting (including by mail), lead paint abatement, billing weaknesses at the Delaware Psychiatric Center, the safety record of Thompson Station Road, right-to-work initiatives in Sussex County, plug-to-grid technology, affirming support for the Public Advocate’s proposal that utility rates be lowered to reflect the financial benefit to the utility’s profits due to the recent federal tax law, and DelDOT’s use of personal information.

There were legislative matters, proposed bills on bump stocks, HB160 (the End of Life Options Act), two bills on home health care, HB110 (Delaware Marijuana Control Act), HB185 (addressing firearms in the hands of dangerous people suffering from mental illness), two manufactured housing bills I filed last month (HB276 and HB277), the education bill I filed last month (HB278, which cuts from 5 to 4 years, the term for school board members), National Popular Vote efforts, HB165 (direct shipment of wine), and HB204 (pretrial process reform).