Thankfully, none of the explosive bills we were following appeared on the Floor today. One half of the legislative session is over, leaving 2024 to fight HB 230 (gender transition minors), HB 140 (assisted suicide), and HB 110 (taxpayer funded abortion), among many other bills and a handful of constitutional amendments.
Many legislators will continue to have constituent meetups during the rest of the year, so you may hear some of their legislative priorities as you attend them. The constitutional amendments introduced will have to pass their first leg next year in order to remain viable. Next year is also an election year, which can often help dictate how legislators push issues that they believe voters in their district would appreciate.
Speaker of the house, Rep. Pete Scwartzkopf stepped down this evening, fulfilling a promise he made to his wife after she went ill last year. The new leadership team makes Delaware history as the first all female team, with Rep. Valerie Longhurst as Speaker, Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown as majority leader, and Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris as majority whip. Besides being the first female team altogether, it’s also the first female speaker, first person of color as majority leader, and first LGBTQIA+ person in leadership.
With this historic group of leaders, all of whom have consistently showed very progressive views in the bills they’ve sponsored and the ways they vote, we can expect other historic firsts in terms of policies. Let us continue to be prayerful for our state and to make sure our voices are heard on the issues that matter most.
Nandi Randolph
Policy Analyst