House and Senate Democrats have made one thing clear: they don’t trust local communities to govern themselves. Over the past year, they’ve sponsored legislation that seeks to strip authority away from county governments, school boards and even local librarians, placing the responsibility for key decisions in the hands of unelected state boards and bureaucrats.
Whether it’s about energy infrastructure, public libraries or economic development, the message from Dover is simple: “We know better than your town officials, your school board, your county council, and you.”
Here are three recent bills illustrating the point:
Senate Bill 159
SB 159 is a direct response to Sussex County Council’s decision to deny a permit for an electric substation tied to a proposed offshore wind project. The substation would have linked turbines off Delaware’s coast to the power grid, but the electricity would go to Maryland, not Delaware.
Sussex residents made their voices heard. County council listened and voted accordingly.
Rather than respecting the expressed will of local residents, the state stepped in. SB 159 would not only strip all Delaware counties of their ability to reject similar projects, but would also retroactively overturn the Sussex decision.
Of the 28 Democratic legislators sponsoring or co-sponsoring the bill, only one represents Sussex County.
In a column defending her sponsorship of the bill, Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, D-Rehoboth Beach, doubled down on the need for the state to usurp authority and override local determination, noting that “Southern communities claimed ‘local control’ in defense of Jim Crow segregation.” That is an offensive and historically inaccurate comparison that reveals just how far legislators with this mentality will go to discredit opposing views.
This measure is not about green energy; it’s about political control, imposed from the top down.
House Bill 119
This bill claims to provide clarity in the book review process, but its real effect is to shift decision-making power away from local public and school libraries and into the hands of a few individuals at the state level.
I’ve spoken directly with Delaware’s head librarians, and many oppose this bill. They question why the state needs to create a new, centralized review board to oversee what they already manage effectively.
HB 119 would hand final authority over appeals on public library material to the state librarian, an appointed position. In the case of school libraries, decisions would ultimately lie with a seven-member School Library Review Committee, comprising groups with no accountability to the communities impacted by their actions.
Our local libraries already have review processes in place – review boards made up of community members who understand local values, needs and concerns. They work with care and transparency. They deserve our trust.
This bill opens the door to a broader, more dangerous form of censorship – the kind that comes from the top down.
Senate Bill 75
After Delaware legalized recreational marijuana, county officials listened to the concerns of constituents and enacted local rules to limit or regulate cultivation and sales.
State lawmakers responded with SB 75 to limit the authority of county governments to regulate marijuana businesses. The bill passed the Senate on party lines – every vote in favor was a Democrat.
It’s another example of local voices being silenced by state lawmakers who think they know better.
A pattern of overreach
What unites these three bills is a deep distrust of the people and leaders closest to the issues. Instead of respecting school boards, county councils or librarians, the majority party in Dover insists on centralized control, removing accountability and local nuance.
These actions ignore the most basic principle of representative democracy: that decisions should be made at the level closest to the people. It’s a principle rooted in common sense and one that has served our country well.
Even if you agree with the outcomes of these specific bills, consider the dangerous precedent they set. When the state government can override your county, town or school district at will, your voice no longer matters.
Delaware deserves better. We need leaders who trust our communities, not those seeking to silence them.
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Cape Gazette commentaries are written by readers whose occupations, education, community positions or demonstrated focus in particular areas offer an opportunity to expand our readership's understanding or awareness of issues of interest.
