Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus Majority Caucus Caucus E-Newsletter E-Newsletter Spring, Winter, 2014 2014 Volume Volume 1, No. 1, 1 No. 1 Senate unanimously confirms Chancellor Leo E. Strine, Jr. as Delaware s next Chief Justice to replace retiring Chief Justice Myron Steele On Wednesday, Jan. 29, the Senate considered the nomination of Chancellor Leo Strine E. Strine, Jr. to be the next chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court to replace retiring Chief Justice Myron Steele. Following his confirmation hearing, in which Strine answered questions about his background and views and laid out his judicial Leo Strine with Senators Bethany Hall Long philosophy, he and David P. Sokola. was unanimously confirmed by the Senate for a 12-year term as chief justice. Following the vote, Strine was given a standing ovation. As the state s chief justice, he will oversee the operations of all Delaware courts. According to an article by The News Journal s Jonathan Starkey, In his new position, Strine will serve as an ambassador for the Delaware judiciary, which helps protect a prestigious, and lucrative brand in Delaware built on business-friendly corporate law. The state collects roughly $1.4 billion in revenue, more than a third of the annual state budget, from themore than 1 million corporate entities formed here. In his remarks, Strine emphasized Then-Chancellor Leo Strine in conversation with Superior Court President Judge James T. Vaughn, Jr. (back to camera) and Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia M. Blevins before his confirmation hearing. the importance of Delaware s role as a corporate domilice of choice for more than half of America s largest corporations. Before being named to the Chancery Court in 1998, Strine was chief legal counsel to then Governor Tom Carper. He was named Chancellor several years ago. New Delaware State Senate Majority Caucus Website launches on March 18, 2014 The Senate Majority Caucus went online with our own website on Tuesday, March 18. To check it out, go to: desenatedems.com The new site includes separate pages for each member of the caucus, as well as full information about Senate committees, important legislation, photos, news items, press releases and a lot more besides. It will give visitors links to enable them to e-mail senators with questions and comments and will provide links allowing them to track legislation and view committee minutes, etc. The site is a new venture for us. We invite you to send us critiques to let us know how to make it even better.
Minimum Wage Increase Legislation Approved Until recently, Delaware a point higher than Delaware s was one of 23 states and ternew rate, the Delaware miniritories with a state minimum mum wage would be increased wage pegged at the same rate to equal the federal rate. as the federal minimum wage Right now, a Delawarean of $7.25 per hour. Now that has working full-time who earns changed with enactment of Sen. the minimum wage brings in Bob Marshall s legislation to $290 a week, or $15,080 a year, increase Delaware s minimum before taxes, said Marshall, wage, which was signed into D-Wilmington West. Just let law by Governor Jack Markell those numbers sink in for a on Jan. 31. Under the bill s prominute and you can get some visions, the minimum wage will Wilmington Senator Bob Marshall, prime sponsor of the idea of how harsh life is for increase in two steps. On June 1, Minimum Wage Increase legislation, stands with Gov. folks at the lowest rungs of our 2014, it will go up to $7.75 per Jack Markell in his office on Jan. 30, 2014, just before the economic ladder. hour, with an additional increase governor signed the bill into law. In times like today we must u to $8.25 per hour on June 1, do everything we can to help 2015. If the federal minimum wage should be increased to hourly wage workers and their families. Minimum Wage Update: Sen. Marshall has introduced new legislation, Sen. Bill 176, as of March, 2014, to increase the state s minimum wage an additional step to $10.10 per hour as of June 1, 2016. One of the more pleasant parts of being a Delaware State Senator is getting to spend time with younger constituents (not to mention Girl Scout cookies) Above left: Senator Nicole Poore tells a class at Southern Elementary School how a bill becomes a law; Above right: Senator Bryan Townsend reads to a group of students at Marshall Elementary School. Right & Far Right: Senator Dave McBride is seen at the Wilmington Manor Fire Hall helping adult leaders of Girl Scout Troop 312 load cookies for the troop s annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale. Thin mints, which the senator is carrying in this photo, are the most popular kind of Girl Scout cookies nationally.
A Light Moment First Lady Carla Markell and Senator Karen Peterson share a light moment in the Senate Chamber after a State of the State Address by the Governor. Dedication of the Michael Castle Trail along the north bank of the C & D Canal Several members of the Senate Majority Caucus took part in dedication ceremonies in October for the first leg of the Michael Castle Trail, named for the former Delaware Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Congressman, who worked hard while in Washington to get federal funding for the multi-use trail. Congressman and Mrs. Castle are seen at center, above. Among those at right are Senators Bethany Hall-Long and Bruce C. Ennis. McDowell checks out solar array Honoring Delaware s World War II Veterans Senator Harris McDowell, chair of the Senate Energy &Transit Committee, checks out a new solar array at the Dover Sun Park, a project of Apex Clean Energy, Inc. Bushweller receives tourism award Senate President Pro Tempore Patti Blevins is shown speaking, above, during dedication ceremonies at Legislative Hall on Veterans Day Weekend in November for a memorial honoring the more than 30,000 Delawareans who fought in World War II, a considerable number of whom were present for the event. The memorial may be seen in the photo below left, with its sponsors, Sen. Bruce Ennis and Rep. Earl Jaques. Below right is the Dover Air Force Base Honor Guard. Senator Brian Bushweller of Dover, shown speaking, was among the recipients of an annual Kent County Tourism Award in November.
Senator Robert L. Venables, Sr. receives the first Delaware Defender of Freedom Award from Delaware State Sportsmen s Association Senator Robert L. Venables, Sr., of Laurel was awarded the first-ever John J. Thompson Memorial Delaware Defender of Freedom Award by the Delaware State Sportsmen s Association (DSSA) during its annual Second Amendment Freedom Banquet on Feb. 25, 2014. Mr. Thompson, for whom the award is named, was a lawyer and wellknown constitutional scholar who passed away in 2013. He was a friend to many in Legislative Hall, where he had visited frequently over the years in support of Second Amendment rights. His widow and his two sons, participated in the award ceremony (above right) as did John Sigler, former National Rifle Association president and current president of the DSSA, and Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) a Fox News personality and NRA board member. Lt. Col. North is seen with Senator Venables at right, below. Senator Venables has a well-deserved reputation in the General Assembly and within his 21st Senatorial District as a staunch supporter of America s heritage of constitutional freedoms, and, in particular, the Second Amendment, guaranteeing the right of Delaware s law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms for lawful purposes. Marshall Elementary School students visit Delaware Supreme Court In March, Senator Bryan Townsend hosted a group of students from Newark s Marshall Elementary School in Dover, where, after a visit to Legislative Hall, the senator took them to the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware. They are shown in the photo at left with their tour guide, Justice Henry du Pont Ridgely, who gave the students a personal tour of the facilities where Delaware s highest court meets, and described the work of the court. Ending the use of the R word In March, Senator Bethany Hall-Long (right) joined the Best Buddies of Delaware at Appoquinimink High School in Middletown to take a pledge as part of their Spread the Word to End the Word campaign to end the use of the R word to describe those with developmental disabilities. Senator Hall-Long encourages everyone to learn more about the campaign and to consider taking the pledge!
Senator Margaret Rose Henry receives a U.S. flag flown at Camp Cowpens, Afghanistan, from 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion In March, Senator Margaret Rose Henry was presented with a special American flag by Lt. Colonel James Benson and Command Sergeant Major Reginald Powers of the Delaware Army National Guard s 198th Expeditionary Signal Battalion. The unit served in Afghanistan from June, 2013, through February, 2014. The last members of the unit returned home on March 1. The framed flag flew over Camp Cowpens at the Kandahar Air Base, where units from the states of Delaware and South Carolina served. The camp was named for the 1781 Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina, during the American Revolution, in which Delaware troops, known as The Delaware Continentals, fought against the British side-by-side with South Carolina soldiers. The citation notes that in Afghanistan, the State of Delaware and the State of South Carolina fought shoulder to shoulder against tyranny. Wilmington Library Reopening In January, Senator Henry also attended the Grand Reopening of the Wilmington Public Library, which had been under renovation for several years. Senators sponsor resolution on Dwarfism Awareness Month in Delaware In January, Senators Patti Blevins, Nicole Poore and Bethany Hall-Long were the Senate co-sponsors, on behalf of the entire Senate, of House Concurrent Resolution No. 37, naming October, 2014 as Dwarfism Awareness Month in the State of Delaware. Among the very special guests who visited the Senate chamber to see Senate action on the resolution was Paul Paul Johnson, a third grader at Caravel Academy and the son of Paul and Raina Johnson. Paul Paul is seen at right with Senator Poore. General Assembly recognizes March 25, 2014 as Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day in Delaware Senator Poore, seen here with Ms. Brigitte Hancharick, was a prime sponsor of Senate Concurrent Resolutions 41 and 42, which honored United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware for its efforts and recognized March 25, 2014 as Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day in Delaware. Senator Poore and her husband, Bill, are the parents of a son, Nicholas, who has cerebral palsy.
Would you like to get on our mailing list to receive the Senate Majority Caucus Newsletter directly? If so, please send your name and e-mail address to Dick Carter, Director of Communications, at: dick.carter@state.de.us Senate Majority Communications Staff: The Senate Majority Caucus Newsletter is a publication of the Senate Majority Caucus Communications Office. Please feel free to contact us with your thoughts and ideas for future editions of the newsletter. Dick Carter: dick.carter@state.de.us Patrick Jackson: patrick.jackson@state.de.us Megan Sokola: megan.sokola@state.de.us Alton Irvin: alton.irvin@state.de.us Dick Carter, Director Patrick Jackson, Deputy Director Megan Sokola Alton Irvin In Memoriam The Senate honors the memory of our friend, Ron Tunison, distinguished sculptor of Cairo, New York, who passed away on October 19, 2013 at the age of 66. Ron created two wonderful works of art for the citizens of Delaware, our Delaware State Memorial at Gettysburg Battlefield, and the Delaware Revolutionary War Monument at Legislative Hall, featuring the beloved Delaware Continentals. Ron is shown at left outside his New York studio with the fullsized clay renderings of the Delaware Continentals before they were cast in bronze.