ARTICLES IN THIS EDITION

• NEWS: Debate Over State’s Money Bills Becomes Confrontational as the End Nears
• NEWS: State Rep. Stell Parker Selby Resigns
• NEWS: Financial Literacy Education Expected to Become a Graduation Requirement
• NEWS: House Approves Constitutional Amendment Seeking to Ban the Death Penalty

NEWS:

Debate Over State’s Money Bills Becomes Confrontational as the End Nears

As the current fiscal year draws to a close on Monday, tensions are rising over the passage of the state’s two largest annual appropriations bills.

General Fund Operating Budget

The legislature passed the General Fund Operating Budget (House Bill 225) for Fiscal Year 2026 this week. The $6.58 billion plan represents a $451.6 million, or a 7.36%, increase over the current budget.

The new budget allocates funding for several newly created state agencies, including the Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Office of Suicide Prevention. Senate Bill 4, which establishes the Office of the Inspector General, has passed the Senate and is currently on the House Ready List. Bills to create the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Office of Suicide Prevention have been approved by the legislature but are awaiting the governor’s signature.

Budget-writers identified 300 state positions that had been vacant for at least three years. Of these, 46 were related to the COVID response and removed; another 82 were eliminated altogether, returning $4 million to the General Fund. In the future, the Joint Finance Committee will examine persistently vacant positions annually during the budgeting process.

The budget preserves two reserve funds: $469 million in the Budget Stabilization Fund, intended for short-term revenue gaps; and $365 million in the Rainy Day Fund, reserved for emergency needs.

However, concerns are mounting over the pace of state spending. Over the past three years, the operating budget has grown by more than $1.48 billion, a 29% increase. Compared to a decade ago, the new budget is up by $2.672 billion, or approximately 68.4%.

“Our budget growth is still at a level that is really unsustainable,” said State House Republican Whip Jeff Spiegelman (R-Townsend, Smyrna, Clayton). “Last year, we passed a bill, House Bill 350, to put constraints on hospitals that they have to stay within their budget growth benchmarks, yet we still don’t stay within ours.”

State Rep. Lyndon Yearick (R-Camden, Wyoming, Woodside) acknowledged the Joint Finance Committee had grappled with complex challenges and praised many of the budget’s allocations. “That being said, it’s hard for me to justify a ‘yes’ vote on the budget…Judgment Day is coming soon, whether that means increasing taxes or cutting spending growth.”

Five House Republicans, Reps. Ron Gray (R-Selbyville), Rich Collins (R-Millsboro), Lyndon Yearick (R-Camden, Wyoming, Woodside), Jesse Vanderwende (R-Bridgeville, Greenwood), and Bryan Shupe (R-Milford South) voted against the bill, which passed 35 to 5.

Governor Matt Meyer is reportedly dissatisfied that more of his priorities were not included in the budget. If it is not enacted by Monday night, all but essential state services would be suspended.

Bond Bill (Capital Budget)

Earlier this week, House Republicans blocked an attempt in the Senate to pass the $977.3 million state capital budget (Senate Bill 200), commonly called the Bond Bill.

Because the Bond Bill relies partially on borrowed money (bond sales) to finance state construction and infrastructure projects, it requires approval from at least 75% of each legislative chamber. In the 21-member Senate, where Democrats hold 15 seats, 16 votes are needed for passage.

With a 15–to-6 split, Senate Republicans are using their marginal leverage to contest a bill expected to reach the House floor on Monday.

Senate Bill 159 would reverse a Sussex County Council decision denying a conditional-use permit for an electrical substation in Dagsboro. The facility would connect a proposed offshore wind farm and the regional power grid.

Four of the six Senate Republicans represent Sussex County districts. In a statement released today, the caucus again voiced its opposition to “stripping local communities of their voice to satisfy a narrow, and notably ineffective, environmental agenda.”

The proposed wind project—expected to include more than 120 turbines—has sparked concern over its impact on southeastern Delaware's tourism economy and potential harm to marine and bird life. The county council denied the permit, in part, on the basis that the energy produced would benefit Maryland residents, not Delawareans.

Because many Bond Bill projects are already underway and previously received funding, the measure does not face the same urgency as the operating budget. Its enactment can be delayed beyond the start of the new fiscal year with fewer consequences.

NEWS:

State Rep. Stell Parker Selby Resigns

Months of debate over the ongoing absence of State Rep. "Stell" Parker Selby (D-Milton, Lewes) came to an end on Tuesday when she resigned.

After suffering a stroke in December, Rep. Parker Selby has been unable to attend any of the 2025 legislative session, which ends on Monday. She was sworn into office in her home on March 24 by Speaker of the House Melissa Minor-Brown (D-New Castle), more than two months after all other state lawmakers were administered their oaths at Legislative Hall.

The controversy grew after Rep. Parker Selby's absence from the State Capitol Building continued through April and May, with no disclosure about her health status, her level of impairment, or her prognosis.

Numerous residents of the 20th District began to object to their lack of representation at Legislative Hall, with some calling for Rep. Parker Selby to resign if she was physically unable to resume her duties.

In a statement issued with her resignation, Rep. Parker Selby said: “I have fought every day toward recovery. And while I am proud of the strides I’ve made, I must acknowledge... that I can no longer serve this district with the full energy, presence, and focus it rightfully deserves.”

State House Republican Leader Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) said he was sympathetic to the challenging circumstances and sudden limitations imposed on Rep. Parker Selby by her unforeseen health issue. "I recognize that her decision to resign was not an easy one. I commend her for her honesty in assessing her situation and for prioritizing the needs of her constituents above her desire to continue in public service. I believe she made the right choice and one that aligns with her legacy as a dedicated community leader.”

State House Republican Whip Jeff Spiegelman (R-Townsend, Smyrna, Clayton) noted that Rep. Parker Selby is well-liked in the legislature and served her district with dedication throughout her first term. "While we all thought she would continue her service in the current General Assembly, fate altered those expectations," he said. "I believe she handled a difficult and uncertain situation as best as anyone could. By choosing to step down, she can focus fully on her recovery without the added responsibilities of office, while giving the people of the 20th District an opportunity to select a candidate who will be able to fully represent their interests. I hope Stell continues to improve and, in time, can fully recover.”

The Speaker of the House has 10 days from the creation of the vacancy to issue a Writ of Election. The Department of Elections must schedule a special election 30 to 35 days after receiving the writ. Most observers believe the election will take place sometime during the first week of August. Early voting will apply.

The Sussex County chairs of the Republican and Democratic parties will select candidates for the race.

NEWS:

Financial Literacy Education Expected to Become a Graduation Requirement

-- Bill Heads to Governor for Consideration --

More than two years in the making, a bill requiring that high school students receive instruction on basic finance is heading to Governor Matt Meyer to be signed into law.

“The Equity and Inclusion in Financial Literacy for All High School Students in Delaware Act" will mandate that all public high schools offer a financial literacy course worth at least one-half credit. Beginning with students entering 9th grade in the 2026–27 school year, completing the course will be a graduation requirement.

“Today, the students won and won big,” said the bill’s prime sponsor, State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky (R-Long Neck, Oak Orchard), following the proposal’s unanimous vote in the House. The chamber had previously passed the bill, but a second vote was needed after the Senate approved an amendment that gives schools greater flexibility in implementing the course.

Rep. Hilovsky thanked House members on both sides of the aisle, including Speaker of the House Melissa Minor-Brown (D-New Castle), for their support in “making sure that this bill…didn’t die.”

Rep. Hilovsky has long argued that the absence of structured financial education, covering topics like banking, investing, debt, and interest, puts students at a disadvantage as they begin their lives as independent adults. “Financial considerations influence nearly everything we do,” he said. “Where you choose to go to school, what occupation you select, what you drive, where you live—all these fundamental life choices, and countless others, are heavily informed by financial knowledge.”

According to a 2023 report by Ramsey Education, 88% of U.S. adults said that high school did not leave them fully prepared for how to handle money in the real world, and 72% said they would be in a better financial position today if they had taken a personal finance class during high school.

A separate report by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority found that “66% of U.S. citizens are financially illiterate, regardless of income level.” 

Data also shows that economically disadvantaged minority groups—particularly Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities—are among the least likely to receive financial literacy instruction.

The bill now awaits action from Gov. Meyer, a former teacher, who is expected to sign it into law.

House Approves Constitutional Amendment Seeking to Ban the Death Penalty

A proposed amendment to the Delaware Constitution that would ban the death penalty has passed the House and could come before the Senate as early as Monday.

Delaware has not had an enforceable death penalty statute since mid-2016, when the Supreme Court ruled the state’s capital sentencing procedures unconstitutional. Last year, lawmakers took a further step by repealing the invalid death penalty statute from state law.

House Substitute 1 for House Bill 35 is the first leg of a constitutional amendment that would permanently prohibit capital punishment in Delaware. The measure is sponsored by State Rep. Sean Lynn (D-Dover), a long-time opponent of the death penalty, who introduced a similar, but unsuccessful, proposal in 2024.

Supporters of the amendment say they want to make reinstating the death penalty as hard as possible. Amending the state constitution is a difficult task, requiring a minimum two-thirds majority in both legislative chambers, followed by the passage of an identical bill in the next General Assembly by the same margins.

However, some lawmakers argue that future legislatures should retain the flexibility to reconsider the issue. State Rep. Lyndon Yearick (R-Camden, Wyoming, Woodside), who supported repealing the defunct death penalty law last year, opposed the constitutional amendment.

“I have deep concerns about [this]…I want to keep this option open for our colleagues in future General Assemblies,” he said.

Rep. Yearick also pointed to several examples where the absence of a state-level death penalty prompted federal authorities to step in. In these cases, he said, prosecutors pursued capital punishment in response to particularly egregious crimes.

One such incident involved Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Massachusetts abolished the death penalty in 1984, so state officials were unable to seek capital punishment. Three people were killed in the 2013 bombing, and nearly 300 others were wounded, with many suffering injuries requiring amputations. Tsarnaev was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death in federal court. 

Rep. Yearick noted that the recent shootings involving two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses are following a similar path. The Gopher State abolished capital punishment over a century ago, but the suspect, Vance Boelter, has been federally charged with two counts of murder. If prosecutors secure convictions, he could face the death penalty.

The bill cleared the House with the minimum 28 votes needed for passage. It has already been released from committee in the Senate. If passed by the upper chamber, either on Monday or in 2026, the bill will need to be approved again by the 154th General Assembly.

IN PHOTO: Rep. Lyndon Yearick argues against a constitutional ban on capital punishment.