Improving education in Delaware

I pushed the Department of Education to release data that showed that 60% of Delaware public school students were NOT proficient in English at grade level and over 70% of Delaware public school students were NOT proficient in Math at grade level. Even more shocking was the fact that 17 schools had over 90% of kids NOT proficient in either English or Math. As a member of the House Education Committee, my focus has been on Transparency, Accountability and Safety. Below are several Bills I created and that have passed the House of Representatives this year:

HB 66 – Education Transparency

Places data points including proficiency rates, discipline information, and curriculum of all public schools on a single web page on DOE website. The bill passed the full House floor.

HB 192 – Single-digit proficiency bill

Requires schools with these rates to create a local improvement plan with annual reporting. The bill passed full House floor.

Expanding Childhood Literacy

Working alongside the international company Tonie Box, I created the opportunity to place three early learner reading systems in every library throughout the State of Delaware. A follow up partnership with Read-A-Loud Delaware, placed the reading tools directly into the homes and childcare centers of early learners that need additional help with learning to read.

_{HB 167 – SRO & Constables bill}

Creates funding for the positions in each public school. The bill passed the House Education Committee and is awaiting appropriations.

HB 296 –The School Construction Choice Bill

Allows school districts to use either free market or prevailing wage formulas for school construction. This bill will save school construction 15-20% on each school rehabilitation and new construction project throughout the state.  It is currently in committee.

HB 120 – School Bus Safety

This Act created a pilot program for the Red Clay School District to use external camera systems on their school buses to catch motorists that fail to stop when a school bus is stopped and displaying flashing lamps to take on or discharge school children and assess a civil penalty as punishment.

Improving Quality of Life for families

Created Downtown Playground  

Working alongside the City of Milford Parks & Recreation and their community committee, I developed a plan and funded a new park in Downtown Milford that now includes pickle ball courts, children’s playground, and picnic area.

Created Downtown Development District (DDD)

Working alongside the City of Milford and State Housing Authority, we developed the DDD district in our historic business district. The program has brought in over $24.2 million in private investments, with the assistance of $2.62 million in grants.

Rehabilitated local infrastructure

Since 2019 I have committed over $50 million through the Community Transportation Fund (CTF) to local road and infrastructure rehabilitation across our district including the town of Milford, Lincoln, Ellendale, Slaughter Beach and Prime Hook. 

Supporting our Veterans and First Responders  

We must strive to live a life the is worthy of the sacrifice that our veterans and first responders have given through their service. These men and women deserve our attention, honor, and respect as we make decisions for our communities.

Revived Milford Memorial Day Service

 I formed a committee of neighbors, including partners with the local VFW and American Legion, to bring back Milford’s Memorial Day service for 2024. Thanks to the commitment of the volunteer committee, the ceremony will once again be held this year, at the Milford High School on Monday, May 27 at 10:30am.

HB 308 - Protecting our officers injured on duty

This bill treats officers and firefighters who have not reached normal retirement date the same as those who have by removing the provision that requires a deduction in disability benefits if the officer or firefighter earns more than what the officer’s or firefighter’s base pay was at the time of disability.

HB 249 – Tuition Reimbursement for Volunteer Firefighters

This Act creates a tuition reimbursement program for volunteer firefighters, similar to already existing programs for law enforcement officers and National Guard members.

Paved of Ponder Rd –

Ellendale Fire Company worked hand in hand with Sen Wilson and me to ensure that this access road to a large portion of their Fire District was paved, despite the road not meeting the normal traffic metrics for replacing.

Equipment Needs –

Working alongside Carlisle Fire Co we have been able to help with infrastructure needs such as the much-needed ambulance garages, Opticoms and the new engine.

Preserving Our Agricultural Heritage

Standing Against Commercial Development in Preservation Areas –

I am privileged to stand alongside our neighbors, on the record, during several City Council Meetings to speak out against commercial development east of Route 1 between Cedar Neck Rd and Cedar Beach Rd. We stood together to stress the importance of our farmland, natural resources, and open space and held the line on paving over paradise. Council decided 6-1 to not approve commercial development of this beautiful, pristine area and to keep our heritage of agriculture alive. On April 24 at 3pm we will defend natural preservation again during a Sussex County Meeting at 3pm.

HB 69 – Water Filtration Grants for Low-Income Families.

This Act establishes a 2-year residential drinking water purification system pilot program that creates grants for low-income Delawareans that currently have unclean drinking water to receive residential water filtration systems within weeks.

HB 200 – Clean Water Infrastructure Fund 

The Clean Water for Delaware Act establishes a framework for assessing needs and planning and implementing projects that support Delaware’s efforts to improve the quality of the State’s water supply and waterways. A Delaware Clean Water Trust account is created as a funding source for executing projects highlighted by this framework.

HB 8 – Defining Contaminate Levels  

This Act mandates that the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Division of Public Health establish maximum contaminant levels for specific contaminants found in drinking water in this state. Such contaminants include PFOA and PFOS, which are man-made chemicals. The establishment of maximum contaminant levels is essential in order to protect the health and safety of all Delawareans from contaminants in drinking water.

HB 222 – Testing for Lead Contamination in Children 

This Act simplifies the requirements and process for health-care providers and eliminates confusion that may be causing the low compliance rate for screening or testing. Specifically, this Act does the following: (1) Defines “screening” and “testing” for clarity. (2) Mandates screening, defined as a capillary blood test, at or around 12 and 24 months of age. (3) Clarifies insurance coverage for the costs of compliance with the Act. (4) Directs the Division of Public Health to report on elevated blood lead levels to the General Assembly annually and to develop regulations to implement and enforce the Act within 12 months of being enacted. 

Voting & Election Integrity

HB 188 - Voter Fraud classified as felony 

This Act makes fraudulent voting a class G felony level crime, with a fine of not less than $1,000 for a first offense or not less than $2,000 for a subsequent offense. Upon conviction, the person shall forfeit their right of suffrage for 5 years. Fraudulent voting includes voting, or attempting to vote, more than once; falsely impersonating another and voting or attempting to vote in the name of such person; or voting or attempting to vote in the name of another person, whether living or dead.

HB 187 - Voter verification 

This Act specifies the duty of election officers to establish the identity of a voter by requesting explicit forms of identification. Any citizen presenting themselves as a voter at a polling place, but who is unable to provide an acceptable form of identification, or whose eligibility to vote cannot be determined, may cast a provisional ballot. Provisional ballots will be processed under existing state law, as modified by this Act, allowing state election officials to determine the validity of the ballot by matching the data provided by the voter against the state’s voter records. This measure will maintain a citizen’s right to vote, while establishing clear procedures for ensuring the integrity of the voting process and facilitating greater public trust in election results.

Consumer Protection & Fiscal Responsibility

HB 297 – Developers Accountability Act

Requires developers to bond inside roads at 100% of the costs so they cannot leave neighborhoods unpaved

HB 359 – Government Data Transparency Act

This Act expands the protections offered to consumers under the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act by applying the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act to the State government.

HR 9 – Eliminating Desk Drawer Veto Powers  

This resolution would make an addition to the Permanent Rules of the House of Representatives, providing a mechanism for bills that have been vetted and released by committee, but have been overlooked on the Ready List, a path for consideration on the House Floor.

HB 203 – Limiting Executive Suspension on FOIA 

This Act proposes to limit the Governor’s abilities during a State of Emergency in regard to the Delaware Freedom of Information Act, exempting it from Title 20, Chapter 31. This Act also ensures that the reasons outlined in Title 29, §10003 for the public body requesting an extension to a FOIA request is an exhaustive list. This Act also adds Title 29, Chapter §10008, which states that the Governor may not suspend FOIA during a state of emergency without a showing that FOIA prevents, hinders, or delays the State’s necessary actions in coping with the crisis at hand.

HB 109 – Creating Budget Stabilization Mechanism 

This Act would build upon the State’s existing appropriation limit methodology by moving the Budget Reserve Account into a newly defined Budget Stabilization Fund, defining rules for deposits to and withdrawals from said Budget Stabilization Fund, and adding a check of the appropriation limit against an index comprised of relevant indicators of growth of the State’s economy.

HB 445 - Cutting Delaware’s hidden sales tax on small businesses

This Act's purpose is to spur economic growth in Delaware and create new jobs by giving a portion of the State's revenue surplus back to the taxpayers. Specifically, this Act cuts the gross receipts tax, Delaware’s hidden sales tax, by 50%. This will reduce the price of consumer goods across Delaware and allow small businesses to have more revenue for hiring, expanding, and costs related to inflation.

HB 71 - Lowering Real Estate Transfer Tax

This Act decreases by 1% the rate of realty transfer tax to be received by the State, thereby returning to the rate that was applicable prior to August 1, 2017.

Strengthening Workforce Development

SB 65 – Vocational Workforce Development 

This Act establishes the Focus on Alternative Skills Training Program (“FAST”). FAST will provide tuition, up to $9,000, to Delaware residents who have obtained a high school diploma, Diploma of Alternate Achievement Standards, or a Delaware secondary credential, which includes earning a GED, and have enrolled in an approved non-degree credit certificate program. The Workforce Development Board will create a list of non-degree credit certificate programs approved for the FAST program.

SB 12 – Education & Training for Adult Students 

The purpose of this act is to open up The Delaware Student Excellence Equals Degree Act (SEED Act) to adult Delaware residents, who are not recent high school graduates. Currently, about 56% of Delawareans age 25-64 lack a post-secondary degree. This expansion of the SEED grant program will encourage adult learners to return to school to enhance their knowledge and skills and increase their job opportunities.

Increasing Access to Quality Healthcare

HB 48 – Expanding Primary Care in the First State  

This Act establishes a Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program for new primary care providers to be administered by the Delaware Health Care Commission. Under the loan repayment program, the Health Care Commission may award education loan repayment grants to new primary care providers of up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years. Grants to hospital sites must be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the applicant hospital and the disbursement of grants from the program is contingent upon an initial, one-time contribution to the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program, in an amount Fiscal Year 21 appropriation of State funds up to a maximum of $1 million, from Delaware health insurers. 

HB 160 – Access to Healthcare & Affordability through Telemedicine

This Act, known as the Telehealth Access Preservation and Modernization Act of 2021, continues and enhances Delawareans’ access to Telehealth and telemedicine services and, through the adoption of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, ensures that Telehealth services can be provided through qualified medical practitioners in a streamlined and efficient pathway to licensure that meets the health care delivery system needs of the 21st century. The Compact creates a voluntary, expedited pathway to state licensure for physicians who want to practice medicine in multiple states. An eligible physician can qualify to practice medicine in multiple states by completing one application within the Compact, and receipt of separate licenses from each state in which the physician is licensed.

HB 95 – Securing Lifesaving Medicine for Children 

This Act requires that individual, group, State employee, and public assistance insurance plans provide coverage for epinephrine autoinjectors for individuals who are 18 years of age or under and must include at least 1 formulation of epinephrine autoinjectors on the lowest tier of the drug formulary developed and maintained by the carrier if the insurance plan has tiers.