Delaware

Delaware Gov. Meyer says he will eliminate state’s ‘electric vehicle mandate’ – WHYY

Published

10 months ago

May 1, 2025

Delaware Gov. Meyer says he will eliminate state’s ‘electric vehicle mandate’ – WHYY

‘Going to make a weaker Delaware with worse air quality’

Dustyn Thompson, who heads Delaware’s chapter of the Sierra Club, said he’s disappointed by Meyer’s plan to eliminate the mandate.

Thompson predicted the move would both reduce sales of zero-emission vehicles in Delaware and damage air quality. He also said Meyer is assisting Republican President Donald Trump, who pledged during his Jan. 20 inaugural address that he would “revoke the electric vehicle mandate.” A total of 17 states — including New Jersey and Maryland, but not Pennsylvania — have adopted the California zero-emission vehicle standard known as Advanced Clean Cars II.

Dustyn Thompson of the Sierra Club says Meyer’s move would harm Delaware’s air quality. (Courtesy of Dustyn Thompson)

“It’s going to make a weaker Delaware with worse air quality and it’s going to do Trump’s job for him,” Thompson said. “So fundamentally, we don’t support either of those two things and by process of elimination, we don’t support pulling out of the program.”

Thompson said that since Carney enacted the mandate in November 2023, “we’re seeing far more in-state sales being registered in the state of Delaware than out-of-state sales being registered in the state of Delaware for clean cars. If we pull out, you can expect an exact opposite reaction to the market in Delaware.”

While Meyer didn’t specify how he would seek to terminate the mandate, Thompson speculated that the governor would have to go through the same process Carney did to put it in place: Give notice of his intention, hold public hearings and seek comments from the public before making it official in the Delaware Register of Regulations.

“We’re obviously going to advocate against pulling out of the program entirely, and of course targeting Meyer if that’s the route that we’re going to go through,” Thompson said.

Charlie Burton, president of the I.G. Burton chain of dealerships in Delaware, countered that while he sells EVs and owns one himself, he’s delighted that the governor plans to eliminate the mandate.

“I’m tickled to death,” Burton said. “I like the [electric] car. I’m not against the car. What I don’t want, and I don’t think the public wants, is to be told what stocking levels I have to do and what I have to sell and what they have to buy.

Car dealer Charlie Burton shows off two of the electric BMWs at his dealership in Milford. (Courtesy of Charlie Burton)

“I think that was the wrong approach to the car because it’s kind of like, ‘This is what your new thing is and you got to buy it.’ Whereas I think, ‘Hey, here’s an option, man. It’s electric, we got gas [vehicles] here, too.’ So I’m glad he’s getting rid of it, but the market’s not going to go away. There’s been too much investment in electric and battery development and all that. But in addition, it’s just a really great car.”

Burton’s Milford dealerships will be holding an event Saturday to showcase EVs and answer questions from prospective buyers.

Meyer’s assertion that the mandate will be stricken also comes after a legislative effort by Republican state Rep. Lyndon Yearick to eliminate it hit a roadblock in the Democrat-dominated state House.

Yearick’s bill was blocked by Democrats in the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee from advancing to the full House for a vote.

Told by WHYY News of Meyer’s remarks about ending the mandate, the Kent County lawmaker said he hopes the governor follows through and doesn’t backtrack.

“I’ll be cautiously optimistic,” Yearick said. “We want what I would view as the most favorable outcome in regard to our consumer’s choice here in Delaware. Hopefully, he does the right thing and strikes it from the regs.”

This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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Delaware

Elon Musk-Led Overhaul of Delaware Business Law Upheld by State Court

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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Elon Musk-Led Overhaul of Delaware Business Law Upheld by State Court

The Delaware Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of an Elon Musk-inspired overhaul of state law that governs most major US corporations, handing a win to company founders, insiders and private equity owners who sought less restrictive business rules.

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Delaware

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Published

21 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

RADNOR, Pa. – Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend.

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews

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Delaware

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

noon to 2 p.m. Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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