Legislative recap from the 151st General Assembly

Friends and neighbors,

The 151st General Assembly wrapped up just after midnight on June 30. It was a productive legislative session, with many major accomplishments for the people of the 12th District and for the entire state of Delaware!

Below, I will share with you a little more about what bills were passed down in Dover this session, as well as some important community updates.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, comments, community concerns, or just to say hi. I can be reached by email at nicole.poore@delaware.gov, on Facebook, or by calling my Senate office at (302) 744-4164.

Sincerely,

Nicole Poore
Senator, District 12

Legislative Update

We secured some major wins for working families during the 151st General Assembly:

We focused on infrastructure, mental health, family health and protection of our children. Proudly, we passed SS2 for Senate Bill 1, which creates a 12-week paid family and medical leave insurance program.

Here’s a closer look at some of the legislation I championed during this session:

  • Chaired the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, which allocates over $1B annually to infrastructure and community projects, including over $2M for projects in the 12th District
  • Passed a package of legislation aimed at protecting our children against abuse, grooming, and sexual extortion
  • Increased access to mental health wellness checks and expanded mental health services in our schools
  • Championed the Delaware EARNS bill in the Senate, creating a public retirement savings plan
  • Tackled gun violence by supporting common sense gun laws

One of my biggest legislative priorities was the S.A.F.E. (Safety and Accountability for Everyone) package, which enhances measures to prevent child abuse from happening in schools and during after-school activities:

  • Senate Bill 289 expands the state’s sexual extortion law
  • Senate Bill 290 requires that prevention-focused training for school staff and education for students include discussions about “grooming”
  • Senate Bill 291 requires each school district and charter school to adopt a policy regarding appropriate and inappropriate relationships between students and school employees
  • Senate Bill 307 empowers the State to stop a predator who engages in certain conduct with the intent to entice, persuade, induce, or coerce a child into participating in a sexual act with the perpetrator

As the Chair of the Joint Capital Improvement Committee, I am pleased to report that we passed a record-setting $1.4 billion Capital Budget this June!

Every single project funded through the Capital Budget will help create good-paying jobs that will put Delawareans back work building new schools, new libraries and upgrading our world-class parks, while also providing clean drinking water, preserving farmland and open space, and supporting the towns and non-profits who provide the services our most vulnerable neighbors depend on.

Earlier this year, I was delighted to visit the DelTech campus in Wilmington alongside former State Senator Harris McDowell. The school has made some major renovations and now has a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Wilmington!

College is getting increasingly expensive for Delaware families. That’s why the SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree) Scholarship program was started in 2005 by Sen. McDowell. This free-tuition program for Delaware graduates attending DelTech was expanded last year by my bill, Senate Bill 12, to include Delawareans of all ages who would like to pursue an academic degree or a workforce training certificate.

The SEED scholarship can be applied to an associate degree, diploma, credit certificate, bachelor’s degree, or workforce training program at DelTech. I encourage you to look into this as an option for you or a loved one to go back to school and earn a degree!

Community Updates

Please remember that as of July 1, plastic bags will no longer be provided at Delaware grocery stores. Be sure to remember your reusable bags when you go shopping!

Save the Date!
Dining in the Street
Thursday, September 8, 2022
6:00-9:00 p.m.

Don’t miss the Annual “Dining in the Street” event on Thursday, September 8, 2022 in Old New Castle. This event benefits the New Castle Senior Center, and the rain date is scheduled for Thursday, September 15th.

COVID-19 Update

Despite loosened restrictions, COVID-19 is still prevalent in our communities. Protect yourselves and your families by getting vaccinated and exercising caution.

Children 6 months and older are now eligible to be vaccinated. The Division of Public Health recommends parents contact their child’s pediatrician or family doctor or health care provider to find out if they are administering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 6 months through 5 years. Visit https://coronavirus.delaware.gov/ for more information.