Government & Politics

This category details issues concerning the government and politics within Delaware on the local, county, and state levels. This includes Delaware policies, events, and election coverage.

Delaware officials, lawmakers seek to create statewide cyber-bullying policy

It’s the dark side of social media and cellphone technology: cyber-bullying. A number of well-publicized national cases have highlighted the growing issue of bullying and harassment through social media sites and cellphones. Now, Delaware lawmakers and other elected officials want to lay the groundwork for schools to proceed with confidence in developing a policy to address cyber-bullying. ...More

Delaware presidential primary push begins with Newt Gingrich visit

Delaware got its first taste of the 2012 presidential race Monday. Newt Gingrich became the first of the remaining hopefuls for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination to visit the First State in advance of Delaware's April 24th presidential primary. ...More

Governor Jack Markell Weekly Address: March 23, 2012

Two years after Delaware won $119 million dollars in the first round of Race to the Top funding, Governor Jack Markell discusses the state's efforts to those funds in Delaware's public schools. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited the First State Friday to join Gov. Markell and others in a roundtable discussion about status of Delaware's Race to the Top initiatives. ...More

Clark offers his FY ’13 New Castle County budget plan

No tax increases, no spending of the county’s general fund reserves, no service cuts or layoffs and a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2013. Those were the highlights of the plan New Castle County Executive Paul Clark presented in his budget address to New Castle County Council Tuesday night. Clark’s planned general fund budget of $166.6 million marks a 1.6 percent increase over the current year’s spending. ...More

Latest estimate shows slight drop in Delaware revenue

Delaware’s first official revenue estimate of 2012 reflects an economic recovery that has yet to fully take hold, concern about rising fuel prices, and uncertainty about the impact of new casino gambling in Maryland and its impact on Delaware gaming facilities. However, state budget officials and lawmakers are finding some positive indications as the state prepares for the start of the 2013 fiscal year ...More

Governor Jack Markell Weekly Address: March 16, 2012

Governor Jack Markell discusses new legislation introduced in the General Assembly that would offer tax credits to businesses that hire recent veterans. Markell explains why he feels its important to create incentives to hire those who have served in the military. ...More

Wilmington’s Budget: Plans from current mayor and mayoral candidates

Wilmington Mayor James Baker laid out his final budget as mayor - the city's Fiscal Year 2013 spending plan - Thursday night. DFM News looks at Baker's priorities for the last of his 12 years leading the city - and how some of the 8 candidates seeking to replace him view his plan and the economic issues facing Wilmington. ...More

Another strand in the children’s food “safety net”

A new program to keep thousands of Delaware kids fed when they are out of school during the summer represents the latest effort to provide proper nutrition to a population that is widely dependent on a network of feeding initiatives. State agencies are teaming up with the U.S. Department of Agriculture this summer to feed 5,000 children who currently receive free or reduced-price meals at school and who may be at risk of going hungry when school is not in session. ...More

National sea level rise forecast ‘on the same page’ with Delaware

New projections on rising sea levels around the U.S. coast are consistent with those already produced for Delaware by the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), a DNREC official said Wednesday. The new report, entitled Surging Seas, predicts that ocean levels will rise nationally by one to eight inches by 2030 and by four to 19 inches by 2050. That's in line with DNREC's predicted scenario of a one meter rise by 2100. ...More

Front lines to home front: Transitioning Delaware veterans back into workforce.

As home to the Delaware Army and Air National Guard and Dover Air Force Base, Delaware has seen its share of military deployments over the last decade. Families gather for tearful good-byes as loved ones are sent away for months at a time, then celebrate their return with happy homecomings. But what happens after the welcoming hugs and kisses, as members of the military prepare to either go back to their previous jobs, or search for new employment? ...More