Delaware

A requiem for the electric vehicle mandate

Published

1 year ago

August 18, 2023

Republican legislators held five town hall meetings with Secretary Shawn Garvin of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Dave Stevenson of the Caesar Rodney Institute, and me to foster a discussion of the electric vehicle mandate. Subsequently, two bills were proposed to stop Garvin from unilaterally adopting the California standards.

Senate Bill 96 would have prohibited the DNREC secretary from adopting rules to slowly decrease the proportion of gas-powered vehicles delivered to automobile dealers to zero by 2035. Although co-sponsored by every Republican in the House and the Senate, the bill was tabled by the Senate Environment, Energy & Transportation Committee and was never voted upon.

House Resolution 17 would have required DNREC to pause application of the California air-quality regulations in Delaware until a report of the fiscal impacts could be obtained. Although it had bipartisan support from all Republicans and two Democrats, HR 17 was defeated by a vote of 22-17 the same day it was proposed.

However, House Bill 99 was passed with bipartisan support. Better known as the Delaware Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023, HB 99 “establishes a statutory target of greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the medium and long term to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions on the state.” HB 99 creates climate change officers in key cabinet-level departments who will assist DNREC in the implementation of the Climate Action Plan and requires state agencies to consider climate change in decision-making, rule-making and procurement. HB 99 passed the House 27-13 and the Senate 15-5 with one absent.

What does this mean for Delaware and its EV mandate? Delaware’s Climate Action Plan notes that the largest in-state source of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the transportation sector at 61%. Thus, if the state is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in just six-and-a-half years, there must be an EV mandate.

The Climate Change Solutions Act of 2023 authorizes DNREC to implement the state’s Climate Action Plan, and it requires state agencies to take the initiative to consider climate change in all they do. Moreover, it expands the bureaucracy by creating a cadre of climate change officers across the executive branch to assist DNREC in its implementation of the Climate Action Plan.

This transfer of power to the various state agencies was afforded by a vote of the state Legislature, which granted DNREC the power that the opposition to the EV mandate sought to squelch. Expect natural gas appliances and fireplaces, as well as fertilizer, to be under attack in subsequent legislative sessions because, despite objections to the contrary, the Legislature is attempting to save our state from climate change. Thus, Delaware’s legislators make it increasingly expensive for us to heat and cool our homes, cook food and get around. They are foolish if they think the state’s Climate Action Plan will cause anything more than economic hardship for our citizens.

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Delaware

Newark approves recreational weed dispensary, still ways to go before opening

Published

1 hour ago

November 26, 2024

Press Room

Newark approves recreational weed dispensary, still ways to go before opening

Newark remains on track to be a competitive city for recreational marijuana in Delaware.

Two marijuana-related ordinances were approved at the Nov. 25 City Council meeting. The Council updated the city code regarding adult recreational use to match state law, as well as approved a special use permit for the eventual operation of a recreational dispensary in the city.

A special use permit allowing Fresh Delaware to operate in the city as a recreational marijuana business with cultivation, manufacturing and retail was approved with a unanimous vote.

“I think that Newark City Council can take a lot of pride in the fact that there are other towns and counties that are literally lost in the wilderness on this because they didn’t get things done in time,” Mayor Jerry Clifton said.

Fresh Delaware moves to open retail dispensary

Fresh Delaware and the area surrounding it was re-zoned to allow recreational marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and retail in August, but it required a special use permit from the city. Now, Fresh Delaware only has the state’s conversion process left to complete before it can shift from medical-only sales.

City council members uniformly had positive reviews for the representative of Fresh Delaware present at the meeting.

“You were a good neighbor,” Councilmember Corinth Ford said.

Fresh Delaware cultivates and manufactures its own product, and has an additional location in Seaford. It is one of the 13 medical dispensaries in the state. There is another area in Newark zoned to allow recreational marijuana business toward the Maryland border.

Fresh Delaware is on track to open for recreational sales in the spring, according to the state Office of the Marijuana Commissioner. Spring is the statewide goal for retail openings, though the store still has a ways to go on its conversion track.

Where other Delaware cities stand

As Newark approves a recreational business, other cities in the county are behind.

Wilmington has been back-and-forth on bans, buffers and zones while New Castle County government is discussing possible buffers for retail locations in December. Other cities in Delaware, including Rehoboth, Lewes and Bethany, banned retail altogether.

Wilmington recently asked the state to change the law to get a cut of any sales tax, but Mayor Jerry Clifton said he wants to take a wait-and-see approach on how the state government responds to its request.

Newark mirrors state code in recreational usage

The council updated the city code around recreational usage, updating its code to match the state. The city code now reads that people 21 and older can privately use a personal quantity of 12 grams or less of concentrated cannabis, or cannabis products containing 750 milligrams or less of delta-9 THC.

Public use is still a criminal misdemeanor, however, and using while under 21 years old is a civil violation. Smoking marijuana in public also violates state law. City solicitor Paul Bilodeau said private consumption can include someone’s backyard.

Some council members had ideas about how to regulate potential parties where the smell could spread from multiple smokers, but no official action was taken on those ideas.

The ordinance was approved unanimously by City Council.

“We are in a strange world where it is legal to consume marijuana in private, but it is illegal to buy it,” Bilodeau said.

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Delaware

Delaware County man speaks out following 2 crashes within hours outside Ridley Township home

Published

9 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Delaware County man speaks out following 2 crashes within hours outside Ridley Township home – CBS Philadelphia

Watch CBS News

Since 2014, there have been a total of 32 crashes at the intersection of Morton and Swarthmore avenues in Ridley Township, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

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Delaware

Burn Ban lifted in Delaware – 47abc

Published

18 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

DELAWARE – Delaware State Fire Marshals have announced that the statewide Burn Ban has been lifted as of Monday morning.

Residents are encouraged to continue practicing safety when burning fires outside, including keeping a fire at least 50 feet from all structures and never leaving a fire unattended.

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