Hello friends and neighbors,
I hope you are enjoying your summer.
June is the busiest time of the year for us in the Legislature, as we close out the session with a flurry of activity. Now that we've wrapped up the first half of the 150th General Assembly and have had a few weeks to recover, I'd like to share a few updates about some of the bills I'm especially proud to have sponsored this year.
Please take a moment to read through these highlights and be sure to stop by the inaugural Multicultural Festival we're planning in Middletown on Sept. 14
– more details are below!
As always, feel free to reach out anytime, or follow me on
Facebook.
Sincerely,
|
|
Stephanie Hansen
State Senator, District 10
|
|
Battling the opioid crisis, illegal dumping and more
This was a successful year for us in the Delaware General Assembly.
We marked some major victories in our effort to make state government fairer and more equitable for all residents, including
passage of an Equal Rights Amendment to the Delaware Constitution and nearly a dozen bills aimed at refocusing our criminal justice system on rehabilitation rather than retribution.
Perhaps my proudest accomplishment this session was our passage of a bill I told you about back in May. Signed by Gov. John Carney last month,
Senate Bill 34
will force some of the nation's largest drug makers to help cover the cost of the opioid crisis they helped to create. Thanks to your support and the help of my colleagues, we will now have additional funding to help those suffering from substance abuse disorder get the treatment they need.
I'm also thrilled to announce that Gov. Carney this week signed
Senate Substitute 1 for Senate Bill 5
, legislation that will address the widespread issue of people dumping trash on public and private property by increasing the penalties and using those revenues for the newly created Litter Investigation and Enforcement Fund. We cannot stand by and allow our streams, parks and woodlands to be polluted any longer and this measure will go a long way toward changing that culture.
Two bills I sponsored were signed into law just this week.
Senate Bill 61
will help promote job creation through a special Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund that can be used to support road improvements and other projects that will attract new businesses to Delaware.
Senate Bill 81
will honor one of our former industries by making the Bellanca Cruisair
–
an airplane once built here in the First State
–
recognized as the official historical aircraft of Delaware.
Other bills of mine are still working their way through the legislative process, but are no less important.
Senate Bill 144
seeks to limit the ability of insurance companies to use genetic testing data to deny coverage or otherwise unfairly discriminate against Delawareans. Federal law currently prohibits insurers from using that information to deny health insurance, but leaves a loophole for disability, long-term care and life insurance. Patients simply looking to learn more about their own genes, disease risk, and best treatment options deserve more privacy and protection than that.
A bill I sponsored with my colleague Sen. Jack Walsh to protect our four-legged friends passed the Senate but is still awaiting action in the House.
Senate Bill 139
would set reasonable rules for sheltering, tethering and leashing dogs to prevent these animals from suffering when left outside during extreme weather.
The bill's clear language will not only
help enforcement agencies do their job, it will help owners pursue best practices and keep pets and people safe.
I hope I can count on your support to get these measures passed by the Legislature in 2020!
|
|
 |
Elder Abuse Awareness
This past session, my colleagues in the General Assembly and I passed a resolution to recognize June 15 as Delaware Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
It is estimated that about 4 to 6 percent of our world’s senior population suffers from some kind of physical, verbal, sexual or financial abuse. Too often that abuse goes unreported because the victims feel ashamed or do not know who to turn to for help.
I joined Reps. Valerie Longhurst and Kim Williams to sponsor this resolution in the hopes of raising community awareness and spur action against the abuse and neglect of seniors living in our state.
We hope that Delawareans will take time to
learn more about elder abuse
and join us in finding ways to help protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
|
|
|
|
ALS Awareness
Earlier this year, I introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 52, which designated May as ALS Awareness Month in Delaware.
This was an important and personal moment for me because my father passed away after battling
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is sometimes referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.
ALS is a progressive disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, robbing its victims of the ability to walk, speak, move, and eventually breathe. There is no cure for ALS and there are only two drugs available to treat the disease.
Thank you to Jerod Bolline and his mom Julie for joining us in Dover to testify on the impact ALS has had on their lives.
For more information about ALS, please click
here
.
|
|
|
|
Appoquinimink High School Baseball Tribute
|
It was my pleasure to present a Senate tribute to members of
Appoquinimink High School
's State Championship Baseball team, along with their first-year head coach Mike Torres.
The Jaguar squad finished the season with a perfect 22-0 record and closed out their flawless season with a 3-0 win over Caravel Academy on June 2.
Appoquinimink’s accomplishment marks only the second time in DIAA history that a public high school baseball team has gone undefeated, and the first undefeated high school baseball season in Delaware since St. Mark’s perfect record in 1999.
My colleague
Sen. Bruce Ennis
and I, who both represent areas within the
Appoquinimink School District
, are particularly proud of this team's success and delighted to see them get the credit they deserve.
Go Jaguars!
|
|
|
|
Rep. Earl Jaques
, Councilman David Tackett and I hosted our constituent coffee at the Food Bank of Delaware for the first time on June 4.
On top of providing underserved communities with healthy food, the Food Bank offers job training programs for the unemployed and under-employed. We were so impressed with the facility, their café, and friendly volunteers and staff that we decided to host our next constituent coffee at the Food Bank in September.
Thank you to everyone who joined in on our conversation!
|
|
Jon was a wonderful young man, member of the Delaware Army National Guard, proud Amtrak employee, and chair of the local chapter of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way, a division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
Always thinking of his fellow railway employees, Jon was the driving force behind
Senate Bill 233
, legislation he championed to protect his fellow railway workers on the tracks. He was on hand to testify in the Senate committee hearing and on the Senate floor as the expert. I was proud to be the prime sponsor of his bill. It passed with no opposition and was signed into law last summer.
His smile, his compassion, and his kindness towards everyone he met will be missed. Rest in peace, my young friend.
|
|
|
|
|
HOA Community Leaders Meeting
|
The July HOA Community Leaders meeting was very well attended.
New Castle County's Janice Catherman gave a presentation about how to properly manage your stormwater management system. Attendees learned the differences between different types of stormwater ponds and how to properly care for each type.
Thank you to all the dedicated HOA board members for their active participation in our bi-monthly meetings.
|
|
Shortly after taking office in 2017, I established the 10th Senate District Multicultural Coalition made up of representatives from the many diverse cultures within the Bear, Glasgow, Newark, and Middletown areas.
O
ur coalition, in partnership with Charity Crossing, is now planning to hold its first Multicultural Festival
and you are invited.
The goal of this event is to celebrate our ethnic and religious differences and foster a mutual respect for different backgrounds and viewpoints. Please join us and help to foster an appreciation and understanding of the many beautiful and distinct cultures that make up the fabric of our great state.
When
:
Saturday, Sept. 14, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Where
:
Silver Lake Park, 200 E. Cochran St. in Middletown
We are currently seeking vendors, community and social organizations, and anyone interested in celebrating our diverse cultures through food, arts, music, clothing, jewelry, cultural demonstrations, and educational material. We have 10-by-10-foot sites available in the park. If you're interested in being a vendor or preforming a cultural dance or demonstration, please reach out to my aide Jennifer Parrish at Jennifer.parrish@delaware.gov or by calling (302) 744-4039.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
