Although it’s early in the season, 2011 may prove to be an uplifting summer for the coastal economy. Rentals are up from last year. Some recently opened restaurants and established eateries reported a busy June, and commercial vacancies in the downtown districts are rare.

Still, business owners and chamber officials aren’t holding their breaths. “We’re all cautiously optimistic,” said Betsy Reamer, executive director of the Lewes Chamber of Commerce.

Delaware’s 2012 operating budget is ready for Governor Jack Markell’s signature. The State Senate passed the fiscal year 2012 budget bill Wednesday by a 17-4 vote.

Unlike the House, which passed the budget in 15 minutes with limited debate last week, the Senate discussed the budget for more than half an hour. The four “no” votes included one Democrat, State Senator Michael Katz (D-Centerville).
State Senator Harris McDowell (D-Wilmington North) – who co-chaired the budget writing Joint Finance Committee – believes the process produced a responsible budget.

Delaware’s poultry industry is battling higher costs and lower revenue largely beyond its control and this may result in the failure of more processors or growers in the wake of the Allen Family Foods bankruptcy, officials and farmers said.

Allen’s June 9 bankruptcy filing has sent shock waves through the industry where many are facing the same challenges that forced the poultry producer to seek protection from its creditors.

The Delmarva poultry industry is an economic mainstay for the region, a major player in the industry nationally, and the birthplace of the commercial broiler industry. It produces 559 million broilers, roasters and Cornish hens a year, totaling 3.4 billion pounds of meat worth $1.9 billion at the wholesale level, according to Delmarva Poultry Industry, [...]

The higher global corn prices that helped drive Allen Family Foods into bankruptcy aren’t likely to provide relief to Delaware’s other hard-pressed poultry growers any time soon. That’s the message from the federal government and private analysts who point to higher corn demand in China; a weaker dollar encouraging corn exports; weather-related production cuts in [...]

With little discussion in the House of Representatives, a bill combining redistricting plans for both houses of the Delaware General Assembly moved forward.

The measure passed in the House Tuesday, 26-10, with five lawmakers not voting. All of the votes in favor of the bill came from the Democratic majority.
The redistricting bill still need to clear the State Senate before the legislature concludes its business for the year this Thursday, June 30th.

There’s a growing movement across the country to mandate paid sick days for all workers, but a tough economy in Delaware and across the nation is proving a major obstacle for widespread adoption.
Earlier this month, Connecticut became the first state in the country to require that employers provide employees with paid sick days, and that’s given momentum to other states and municipalities looking to do the same. Right up the road from Wilmington, Philadelphia’s city council approved a bill requiring businesses allow workers to earn paid sick days.
In the state of Delaware, however, there is little talk or support for mandating sick days, at least not right now.

While moving ahead with its procedures for revoking the licenses of two charter schools, the Delaware Department of Education faces a major charter school issue of its own: the department is working with an application, monitoring and review system that a national evaluating agency rates as “undeveloped” or “minimally developed” in most aspects.

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