Delaware

Delaware’s proposal to raise tobacco taxes could hurt low-income residents

Published

4 months ago

February 4, 2026

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Delaware’s proposal to raise tobacco taxes could hurt low-income residents

Excise taxes versus other types of taxes

Adam Hoffer is director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit organization.

He said excise taxes are different from broad funding sources like income taxes, sales taxes and property taxes, because they are specialty charges put on a targeted set of goods.

Tobacco, alcohol and fuel have been historically known as the “big three” excise taxes, but it has widened over recent years to include recreational marijuana products and sports betting.

Hoffer and other tax policy experts say one of the concerns with states relying on excise taxes is that they generate the most amount of money from the people who can least afford it.

“Almost all products that receive an excise tax are more heavily consumed by lower-income Americans,” he said. “So when we tax them, those taxes are regressive.”

Aleks Casper, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association, said they endorse states using tax increases for so-called “sin” products like tobacco, in the hopes it will drive people to change their behavior. She said they are not concerned that the price increase would hit lower-income Delawareans.

“If you look at the history of where tobacco and tobacco companies have historically marketed and targeted, it is many times those low-income communities that already suffered disproportionately from smoking-caused disease, disability and death,” she said.

She said her organization is focused on public health benefits, not on the possible revenue generating aspect of raising tobacco costs. Meyer said on WHYY’s and Delaware Public Media’s “Ask Governor Meyer” call-in show last week that he believes the state would save money if higher prices cause fewer people to smoke.

“The more people that use tobacco, the worse it is for our health care system and it increases the cost of health care,” he said.

But Hoffer said he doesn’t believe using regressive taxation to force behavior change is effective.

“If you’re trying to improve the lives, especially of lower-income households, then regressive taxes, by their definition, make that really hard to accomplish,” he said. “Because you’re going to make a lot of those households worse off because you’re taxing them more heavily.”

Hoffer said tobacco tax revenue can also be unreliable to fund an entire state government because the number of smokers in Delaware and across the U.S. has been dwindling for the past several years.

“Over the past 60 years, we’ve seen fewer people smoke each and every year,” Hoffer said. “This is an overwhelming win for public health and [the] health of American consumers, but as states have become more and more reliant on cigarette tax revenue, then they start facing bigger and bigger challenges, because it’s a shrinking tax base.”

In fiscal year 2025, Delaware collected $87.5 million in cigarette taxes, compared with $92.4 million in fiscal 24.

Last year, Meyer proposed making the state’s income tax brackets more progressive by making people earning more than $600,000 a year pay a higher rate than someone making $60,000. But legislation attempting to do that failed to garner the necessary political support in the General Assembly.

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Delaware

How Delaware fans will get to Philadelphia World Cup matches

Published

8 hours ago

May 30, 2026

Press Room

How Delaware fans will get to Philadelphia World Cup matches

When thousands of soccer fans descend on Philadelphia for the 2026 World Cup, the trip to the game will begin long before kickoff.

For most Delaware residents relying on public transportation, that journey starts on Amtrak or SEPTA platforms – navigating a transit system preparing for global‑scale crowds.

“Capacity is already sufficient for expected demand and we are prepared to scale operations if needed,” John Golden, a SEPTA senior press officer, told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “Travel demand is expected to be distributed, with many matches occurring during off‑peak commuting periods or weekends.”

More than 500,000 visitors are expected to come to Philadelphia for six FIFA World Cup matches at Lincoln Financial Field and the 39‑day FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill in East Fairmount Park, according to Visit Philadelphia. The events run from June 11 to July 19, with matches in Philadelphia scheduled between June 14 and July 4 – coinciding with the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

DART said it plans to operate on normal schedules during the World Cup, meaning SEPTA will be the primary public transit option for most travelers heading from Delaware to Philadelphia for the games.

What to know about SEPTA

SEPTA isn’t planning on any baseline service increases on the Wilmington/Newark line or the Media/Wawa line, as both lines have sufficient existing capacity, Golden said. SEPTA will monitor ridership in real time and will be prepared to add additional resources if necessary.

Golden recommends travelers give themselves two hours of travel time.

There are no discount passes, but through a partnership with Airbnb there will be free rides home on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line [B] after all six FIFA World Cup matches in Philadelphia (from NRG Station only), Golden said.

Golden said SEPTA will “maintain a flexible, responsive operating posture to adjust service as needed.”

Additionally, he said they want want locals and visitors to know SEPTA transports about 800,000 riders safely every day throughout the Philadelphia region.

“Planning for FIFA and the other events scheduled for this summer began last year and we are working with other local agencies, including the City of Philadelphia, Amtrak, NJ Transit and others to ensure that everyone’s experience is a positive one, not just during FIFA and America 250 events, but throughout the summer and beyond,” he added. “We encourage riders to visit SEPTA.org, where they will find up-to-date information on schedules, fares, enhanced service, and more.”

Extra police patrols will be added to both the B Line trains and stations to get riders home safely and SEPTA encourages riders to utilize the SEPTA Transit Watch App, where they can report safety and security issues discreetly.

Getting around in Philly

Once you manage to get to Philadelphia, the city’s convention and visitors’ bureau offers some suggestions on how to navigate the City of Brotherly Love.

Take some comfortable shoes and walk in Philadelphia, which has consistently ranked as one of USA TODAY’s Most Walkable City to Visit in the country.

There’s biking. No worries if you didn’t bring yours, Philadelphia has the Indego program – an around-the-clock bike-share program that provides thousands of classic and electric-assist bicycles at more than 250 stations around the city. Riders must be 14 or older to ride classic bikes and older than 15 to ride the electric bikes. Costs vary by the type of bike and the amount of time needed to use them.

Don’t want to sweat? There’s SEPTA, which offers an expansive network of subways, buses and regional trains with one-way fares starting at just $2.90.

Uber and Lyft are the go-to ride share services in Philadelphia, but you want to make sure you have these mobile apps installed with your payment information stored.

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

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Delaware

The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Published

18 hours ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

The best Delaware high schools for athletes? According to one study, these are top 25

Tucked away on the East Coast, one of the smallest states has had a sizeable impact on the national sports scene.

Elena Delle Donne, one of the GOATs of women’s basketball, dominated the hardwood as a high school athlete, breaking Delaware’s points record. Chris Godwin, who has been a Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl, was a top WR recruit and won two championships as a Delaware high schooler. Delino DeShields, a former MLB player, committed to LSU for both baseball and football.

Total number of sports: 16

1. Salesianum School (Wilmington)

Total number of sports: 15

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Delaware

Update – Suspect in Custody State Police Investigating Home Invasion in Georgetown – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Published

1 day ago

May 29, 2026

Press Room

*Update – Suspect in Custody* State Police Investigating Home Invasion in Georgetown – Delaware State Police – State of Delaware

Date Posted: Friday, May 29th, 2026

The Delaware State Police have arrested 44-year-old Robert Berry from Millsboro, Delaware for a home invasion that occurred in Georgetown.

On May 15, 2026, at approximately 10:30 a.m., troopers responded to the 24000 block of Lawson Road in Georgetown for a panic alarm activation reported by a home security vendor. Troopers arrived and learned that the 83-year-old female victim had activated her panic alarm after an unknown male suspect, forced his way into her home as she opened her front door. Once inside, the suspect pointed a handgun at her and demanded to see another unknown person he believed was inside the residence. The victim was able to lock herself in a bedroom and activate her panic alarm while the suspect searched through the residence before leaving in an unknown direction. The victim was not injured.

Through investigative means, detectives identified Robert Berry as the suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest.

On May 28, 2026, Berry was arrested and taken to Troop 4, where he was charged with the crimes listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and committed to Sussex Correctional Institution on a $166,000 cash bond.

Attempt to Commit Robbery 1st Degree (Felony)
Home Invasion Burglary 1st Degree (Felony)
Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony (Felony)
Possess, Purchase, Own, or Control a Firearm/Destructive Weapon if Previously Convicted of Two Violent Felonies on Separate
Occasions (Felony)
Aggravated Menacing (Felony)

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Disclaimer: Any individual charged in this release is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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