Issue 10.22

June 7, 2024

A NEW THREAT

THE UNSETTLING TREND OF STATES' INCREASING

GRIP ON INTERSTATE COMMERCE

By Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Two-hundred and thirty-six years ago, when Delaware became the First State, a principal concern was the potential for economic conflict between the 13 states of the new union: states erecting tariffs or regulatory barriers to protect their businesses from the competition of businesses located in other states. In response, our Founders granted Congress the authority to regulate interstate commerce and prohibited the states from engaging in certain economically discriminatory practices.

Embracing the diverse natural advantages and industrial specialties across our growing nation, we achieved economic growth and prosperity that would have been impossible for each state to achieve on its own. The Constitutional mandate for states to give “full faith and credit” to each other’s acts made it possible for Delaware to become the home of incorporation to companies physically headquartered across the country. Delaware’s expertise in business law and adjudicating business disputes has not only benefited Delaware but the nation.

Today, interstate commerce faces a profound new threat: the growing desire of individual states to micromanage the conduct of businesses both within their state boundaries and beyond. Read more >

NATIONAL POLL

VOTERS PREFER FREE MARKETS OVER GOVERNMENT MICROMANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS

In a new poll conducted on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a majority of American voters reported they are concerned about state governments micromanaging private business in a way that could hurt taxpayers.

“This poll underscores the growing disconnect between the American electorate’s support for the free market and efforts by government officials to micromanage business decisions,” said U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy Neil Bradley. “The costs of greater political interference in the free market will be borne by taxpayers as these efforts increase the cost of government and reduce wages for workers.” View poll data >

A Healthier Delaware

RISEing TO THE OCCASSION

Healthcare professionals make up a large percent of the workforce in Delaware. As part of Bayhealth's commitment to its team members, they unveiled their BeWell initiative, which focuses on five areas of team member wellbeing: financial, mind/body, social, career, and community. Read more >

PRIORITIZING FOOD SECURITY

The majority of what affects a child’s health are social drivers, such as education, safe environments, housing, and access to nutritious food. Nemours' Care Closets initiative is helping to break down barriers to health through connecting families to the critical resources they need.

MILES, MIND

AND MORE

In 2023, Quality Insights celebrated its

50th anniversary with a strong focus on the wellbeing of the communities they serve and their employees.

Learn how this nonprofit celebrated through

both internal and

external initiatives.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE

A new age of media consumption is upon us, calling for innovative solutions that cater towards alternative news platforms. Although 2024 marks the official start of Spotlight Delaware, CEO and Founder Allison Taylor Levine first began laying the organization’s groundwork in 2019. ... Research revealed a lack of local news directly affects community and civic engagement. Fewer people run for office, join civic groups, contact elected officials, and vote. Moreover, misinformation, political polarization, and bias grow after people are forced to shift their immediate consumption to national news outlets. Read more >

“Journalism is just a mechanism for getting people inspired and empowered with the information they need to effectively participate in our democracy and to build social connections in our community.” - Allison Taylor Levine, Founder & CEO

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

In a move that is described by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) as leveling the playing field, the regulatory body announced that “buy now, pay later (BNPL) customers should have the same protections as users of credit cards.” Banks have long argued, and correctly so, that fintech companies offering credit instruments should be subject to the same regulations credit card issuers must comply with. Almost a quarter of U.S. consumers recently used a “buy now, pay later” product offered by the likes of AfterPay, Klarna, PayPal, and Zip. Read more >