Legislative Update

Education issues are likely to garnet a fair amount of attention from state lawmakers this year.

And one of the people shaping the legislature’s education agenda is  State Rep. Earl Jaques.

House Education Committee Chairman is passionate about ed. policy and has a long list of priorities – including some more controversial proposals revolving around how to address low-performing schools and the referendum process for school funding.

The Glasgow area Democrat recently sat down with Delaware Public Media’s Sarah Mueller to outline what he’d like to accomplish.

The Joint Finance Committee heard the state Department of Education’s budget recommendations Thursday.

The Delaware Department of Correction presented its Fiscal Year 2020 budget request to the Joint Finance Committee Tuesday, seeking over $344 million.

Legislation protecting insurance coverage based on genetic test results is set for action in March.

Some advocates are cheering Gov. John Carney’s push to raise the age to buy cigarettes and tobacco products from 18 years old to 21 years.

The University of Delaware is seeking state funding to allow some First State students to attend for free.

February’s Joint Finance Committee (JFC) budget hearings give many state lawmakers a break from politics. That might help ease strains already seen in the session’s first 30 days.

The Joint Finance Committee has started budget hearings for the fiscal year 2020 budget.

Delaware Tech is trying again this year to garner support from lawmakers allowing the school to issue debt for capital projects.

Legislation doing away with a youth and training minimum wage is drawing criticism in the Delaware House.