2018 Update—November 24th to December 8th

On Monday the 26th I had a meeting in Wilmington to discuss voting policy legislation and qualities sought for the next Elections Commissioner, another meeting at Newark city hall regarding proposed city charter changes. That evening I attended a PTA meeting at Shue-Medill Middle School, On Wednesday the 28th I had a meeting with a community advocate, a meeting at DelTech, and then I co-chaired a meeting of the Medicaid Buy-in Exploration Task Force. On Thursday morning I hosted a meeting at Newark’s new Drip Café with many advocates involved with providing services to the homeless. I later had a lunch meeting to explore the substantial activities of UD’s Public Policy Institute. On Friday night I attended Newark’s Winterfest and the annual Reindeer Run. On Saturday I joined a meeting with Delaware United and allied organizations to explore 2019 legislative priorities.

On Monday the 3rd I had a phone call with DHSS and DVI to discuss a question regarding a contract for food service which has been losing money for a vendor overseen by the Division for the Visually Impaired. That afternoon I attended a legislator briefing by DelDOT, and I had a phone call regarding the Medicaid task force. On Tuesday I attended a holiday open house hosted by GulfTainer. I attended a three-day health policy conference in Kentucky on Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday I attended the ‘investiture’ of Delaware State University’s 11th President, Dr. Wilma Mishoe in Dover.

Emails—Over the past week I have had emails about upcoming meetings. I have had emails about potentially upcoming legislation (independent redistricting, safety standards for plug-to-grid projects, adult use marijuana, direct wine shipment, restricting the use of plastic straws, medical aid-in-dying, prevailing wage, criminal justice reform, adding benzodiazepines to Schedule IV, e-prescriptions, Medicaid reimbursement rates, personal income tax reform, a green amendment to the state constitution, and reducing single-use plastic bags).

I have had emails with DelDOT (potholes, blocked culverts, runoff freezing on roads, East Cleveland Avenue traffic concerns, schedule road closures, and several issues raised at a recent Chapel Hill/Chapel Woods civic meeting).

I have had emails about various policies, including reducing gun violence, preventing suicide, shipping incarcerated citizens out of state and prisoner deaths, higher education for incarcerated persons, service levels in Newark’s post offices, landlord-tenant code, UD tuition level of children of parents working in Delaware for many, many years on green cards, a serious drainage/erosion issue in Covered Bridge Farms, pension rules for UD police, an upcoming meeting on installed Bloom boxes, libraries, a historical marker for New London Road community, public nuisance animal policy, the deadly accident on South College Avenue last week, and panhandling rules in Wilmington