Delaware has long earned its reputation as a stable, business-friendly state. Even when our politics differed, Democrats and Republicans traditionally shared one principle: don’t jeopardize the corporate climate that funds our schools, services and jobs.
House Bill 255 breaks from that legacy, and it should concern all Delawareans, regardless of party.
Democratic leaders claim the bill is needed to prevent a $400 million shortfall. But that number is built on a worst-case scenario that business groups, CPAs and economists across the state say is unrealistic. Companies would still pay the same taxes; the timing simply shifts by a year. That’s exactly what our reserves are designed to handle.
Instead of using those tools, Democratic lawmakers are rushing through a sweeping tax reversal that injects uncertainty into the system Delaware depends on.
The Democratic Party many Delawareans grew up with – pragmatic, steady, business-minded – is fading. HB 255 reflects a new, more ideological approach that risks jobs, investment and the very revenue that keeps our state afloat.
What we really have is a spending problem, not a revenue problem. HB 255 doesn’t solve that problem, it magnifies it.
This isn’t about being Republican or Democrat. It’s about choosing stability over panic, competitiveness over political messaging and fiscal responsibility over short-term thinking.
Delaware’s future is too important to risk on rushed decisions and short-sighted politics like HB 255.
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