Issues abound as legislative session kicks off

Cape Region legislators are planning to tackle important issues in 2024, as the new legislative session kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 9.

In his second year, Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes, said he will continue to push for affordable housing options this session, but he is also keeping an eye on the state revenue forecast.

“It’s been flat on the revenues. Not as booming in the past,” Huxtable said. “People are going to be mindful of where we are and what we can do to improve the situation. We’re looking to help the state do better, so we can pass that along.”

Since the last session ended, Huxtable did a listening tour across the state to get ideas. As an affordable housing advocate, Huxtable said he expects to focus on the issues surrounding housing, particularly to increase the supply of affordable housing and different housing types.

“We’ll be building on the theme of housing and illustrating some of the progress we made last year,” he said.

As a member of the majority caucus, Huxtable said he has been talking with his colleagues about other issues that include access to affordable healthcare and long-term care. A long-term care facilities task force will have a few bills coming out, he said. One, Senate Bill 150, has bipartisan support to require all long-term care facilities that offer dementia care services to have sufficient staff to meet the needs of each resident, including an adequate number of dedicated activity staff. This act requires the staff who work with residents receiving dementia care services to complete dementia care services training, and identifies requirements for such training.

Environmental bills pertaining to freshwater wetlands and wind power will also be a point of discussion this session, Huxtable said.

Referring to a recent Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control report on wind power, he said he expects his colleagues will dive into the report and decide on the next steps before the procurement process begins and a contract is awarded.

“It should be interesting to see how things develop, and to process the report that DNREC did combined with the University of Delaware report and other feedback we’ve received to see where it makes sense,” he said.

Huxtable has sponsored Senate Bill 202 that would increase line-of-duty death benefits for police officers, firefighters, paramedics, auxiliary and volunteer ambulance and rescue company members, retroactively from July 1, 2023, and thereafter. Benefits would increase from $200,000 to $375,000, payable in annual installments, with the maximum of $50,000 paid in any one calendar year. 

Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, who stepped down as speaker of the House on the last day of last session after serving in the leadership position for more than a decade, will literally have a different perspective of the chamber with a seat in the back of the room instead of high at the front dais.

The former Delaware State Police trooper and head of Troop 7, however, is staying true to his public safety roots and has already filed legislation related to firearms and school safety. House Bill 276, sponsored by Schwartzkopf, is meant to clean up a bill passed last year in regard to possession of a weapon in a safe school and recreation zone.

“This bill amends the other to allow a retired, qualified law enforcement officer to carry a firearm on school property,” Schwartzkopf said, adding the bill also addresses the definition of firearm.

The longtime legislator who has said this session will be his last is proposing a bill that would make it illegal for vehicles to cruise up and down Route 1 in the bus lane that runs from Rehoboth Beach to Five Points.

“Cops have told me they make arrests and then the judge throws them out because there is no law preventing it,” he said.

Sticking with Route 1, Schwartzkopf said he wants to create a task force to decide what to do with the former Troop 7 building that now sits vacant along the roadway. He said he would like to see it turn into an in-house rehabilitation center for opioid and drug users. “We could also put some state services in it,” he said.

The legislative session runs until June 30 and is the second year of a two-year session, which means any legislation that does not pass this year will die and not be carried over to the following 153rd session.

Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton, did not respond to interview requests about the upcoming legislative session by Cape Gazette deadline.