Delaware

Gov.-elect Matt Meyer taps U.S. Dep. Sec. of Ed. to lead Delaware Dept. of Education

Published

12 months ago

January 16, 2025

Gov.-elect Matt Meyer taps U.S. Dep. Sec. of Ed. to lead Delaware Dept. of Education

Governor-elect Matt Meyer nominates the current U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten for Delaware’s next Secretary of Education.

Marten was nominated by President Joe Biden to be the U.S. Department of Education’s second-in-command in 2021 after serving as the superintendent of San Diego’s Unified School District for eight years, the state’s second largest school district.

“I am honored to join Governor-elect Meyer’s team and help lead Delaware’s public schools into a new era,” Marten said in a statement. “I believe deeply in the power of education to change lives, and I am committed to working with teachers, parents, students, and communities to ensure all of Delaware’s children receive a world-class education.”

She has over 15 years of experience as a classroom teacher in California and is the author of “Word Crafting: Teaching Spelling, Grades K-6,” which highlights literacy as a key to students’ success.

Her nomination comes amid a crucial point in revamping Delaware’s public education system, which is facing record-low math and literacy proficiency rates, a teacher shortage and ongoing efforts to rework the state’s outdated education funding formula, which has not been reworked since the 1940s.

“Cindy Marten is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the challenges that students and educators face. She has spent her career working to ensure every student has the tools and resources they need to thrive,” Meyer said in a statement. “As Delaware’s next Secretary of Education, Cindy will guide our classrooms into a brighter future where equity, opportunity, and excellence are at the heart of everything we do.”

State Sen. Laura Sturgeon (D-Woodbrook), chair of the Senate Education Committee and co-chair of the Public Education Funding Commission (PEFC), is excited to have a new voice in the funding formula conversation.

She feels the looming transition to a new administration may have kept current Education Secretary Mark Holodick from being too proactive in PEFC conversations, which is currently deciding if the funding formula should be reworked or scrapped entirely.

“Knowing that this transition was coming, knowing that we were gonna have a new governor and potentially a new secretary of education, I think made it difficult for the [current] secretary of education to feel like he wanted to be too proactive and put his finger on the scale too much of what was going to happen because he didn’t know what his future held,” Sturgeon said. “But now, having someone who knows they’re gonna be in this position for the foreseeable future, gives us an opportunity to really hear her thoughts, and she can bring all her experience to bear on her opinions and comments during these these meetings, so I actually think it’s a great thing. I think her coming along might spark some new life and energy into the commission that we could use.”

Sturgeon is equally optimistic about Marten’s background and experience, feeling that their values align on many levels.

“I love that she spent so many years as an educator at the building level, whether it was in the classroom or as a principal. I think that experience makes her exactly the kind of person we need to lead education policy,” Sturgeon added. “The fact that she comes from a big state, and then [Washington D.C.] and then tiny Delaware — I just hope that she finds working in such a small state gratifying because we all do know each other, and we can get things done because of our proximity to all the various stakeholders and all the various levels of power.”

State Rep. Kim Williams (D-Stanton), chair of the House Education Committee and co-chair of PEFC with Sturgeon, believes Delaware will be an adjustment for Marten, but she’s confident in her ability to adapt.

“It’s a challenge. It’s gonna be a challenge for anyone new, especially coming from out of state. She’s going to have to meet all the superintendents, all the charter [schools], all the stakeholders, get to know the ins and outs of government in Delaware, but if she can do that in [Washington D.C.], Delaware should probably be a little simpler to manage,” Williams said.

House Republican Leader Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) says he is impressed with Marten’s resume and is looking forward to working with her, but questions remain about how she will work within a small state like Delaware.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the new secretary brings in new ideas and how she she functions and gets along with our superintendents and our leaders of schools, and then also the General Assembly. So we’re open and we welcome her here and look forward to working with her, but we have a lot of questions just because of the unknown.”

Stephanie Ingram, President of the Delaware State Education Association, was able to sit down with Marten and discuss her approach and commended the high marks she earned from the National education Association and other pro-union organizations.

“Based on our conversations, I believe Deputy Secretary Marten will quickly become a strong partner for public educators as we continue working to raise educator pay, improve school climates, reform Delaware’s antiquated and inequitable education funding formula, and ensure all students have an opportunity to succeed,” Ingram said in a statement.

Several other educational stakeholders have released statements in support of Marten’s nomination, including the Delaware Charter Schools Network (DCSN) and non-profit organization First State Educate.

“As we welcome Ms. Marten to Delaware, we hope to see continued support for charter schools as we work together to ensure all children in our state have access to the quality education they deserve. We are confident that her leadership, along with Governor-elect Meyer’s vision, will help drive the changes necessary to make education more equitable, accessible, and effective for all Delaware students. We look forward to working with Secretary Marten as we continue to build a brighter future for Delaware’s students,” a statement from DCSN reads.

Marten must gain final approval from the Delaware Senate in a confirmation hearing later this month.

Meyer nor Marten were available for additional comment.

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Delaware

How DE delegation is responding to US military action in Venezuela

Published

11 hours ago

January 3, 2026

Press Room

How DE delegation is responding to US military action in Venezuela

Delaware’s congressional delegation condemned the overnight military strikes in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, on Jan. 3.

Following the capture of Venezuela’s president and his wife, President Donald Trump told reporters the U.S. would “run” Venezuela.

Trump didn’t rule out having the military contribute to running the country, but said U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will run the country alongside Venezuelan leaders, USA TODAY reported.

Rubio said the administration did not notify members of Congress about the strike ahead of time.

Trump stated Maduro and his wife will be taken to New York to face charges of drug trafficking in an indictment.

Delaware’s congressional delegation, all Democrats, expressed criticism of the Trump administration’s actions and questioned the legal authority to intervene without congressional approval.

U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, called the military action “incoherent” and an “illegal” operation in a statement on Jan. 3, criticizing the Trump administration for not notifying members of Congress until after the strike had concluded.

“The Trump administration owes our country transparency and a clear strategy,” Coons said in the statement. “The administration must promptly brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in Venezuela and the region, its legal basis for this action, and its plans for any further use of military force. Our Constitution requires the administration to seek congressional approval, in the form of an Authorization for the Use of Military Force, before they take any further action to commit U.S. troops or take military strikes against Venezuela.”

U.S. Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester said in a statement on social media that the president carried out the operation without congressional approval because he knew Congress wouldn’t approve it.

“If this continues, nothing stops him from sending American troops around the world to carry out his own reckless foreign policy decisions, which thus far have already negatively impacted our standing on the global stage and continue to erode further the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution,” Blunt Rochester said in the statement.

“The administration must immediately brief Congress on its legal justification for this decision and its plan going forward,” Blunt Rochester added. “Congress must take action on Senator Kaine’s bipartisan war powers resolution to prevent further escalation.”

In a statement on X, U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride said the Trump administration routinely ignores the Constitution and misleads Congress.

“I have fidelity to our Constitution even if I do not have sympathy for Nicolás Maduro,” McBride stated.

McBride criticized the actions. “At a minimum, these individual actions legally and substantively demand Congressional action and public consultation,” she said on X. “But collectively, the military operations we have seen in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and, now, on land in Venezuela, present a significant escalation of unilateral action that betrays a larger goal by this administration. Beyond arguments for or against any individual action, the Trump Administration is clearly seeking to remake the global order in a way that will, ultimately, benefit authoritarians and adversaries.”

“Our values and principles as a nation matter most when we have seemingly altruistic reasons to violate them. I oppose a ‘might makes right in my neighborhood’ foreign policy. It is amoral, illegal, dangerous, and lays the foundation for bad actors like Russia and China,” she added.

Coons added in his statements that the president lacks a clear plan for what comes next for Venezuela.

“This raid risks creating more instability in the region, putting U.S. service members and civilians in the hemisphere at risk, and dividing us further from our regional partners,” he said.

Sophia Voight is a growth and development reporter. Reach her with feedback and story tips at svoight@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

Health care changes and other new Delaware laws taking effect in 2026

Published

6 days ago

December 29, 2025

Press Room

Health care changes and other new Delaware laws taking effect in 2026

The countdown to 2026 begins.

Several new Delaware laws, including health care initiatives and public utility protections, are slated to go into effect in the new year.

Here’s a look at what goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2026 – alongside other new changes Delawareans should expect in the year ahead.

Medical aid in dying law soon to take effect

This legislation had been long in the making.

Signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer earlier this spring, the Ron Silverio/Heather Block End of Life Options Law will allow terminally ill patients who have six months or fewer to live access to medication that will “end the individual’s life in a humane and dignified manner,” according to the law’s text.

The legislation also has several guardrails in place.

Qualified patients must be “adult” residents of the First State and have at most six months to live – a prognosis that must be confirmed by an attending doctor or an advanced practice registered nurse and a consulting doctor or nurse.

Practitioners must also present eligible patients with the opportunity to rescind their request for medication before writing a prescription and inform them of other end-of-life options available, including hospice and palliative care.

The law is set to go into effect either when regulations are finalized and published or on Jan. 1, 2026, whichever happens first.

As of Dec. 8, a federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of disability and patient advocacy organizations hopes to block the law. Plaintiffs argue that such a change could “single out” individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable communities and put them at risk for untimely death, instead of necessary care.

As written, the law does not allow individuals to qualify for the life-ending medication due to age or disability.

Paid family medical leave coming online

Paid family and medical leave is also making its way to Delaware next year.

First signed into law back in 2022, the Healthy Delaware Families Act provides First State employees 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave through a designated state trust fund.

This initiative specifically applies to life events, like caring for and bonding with a new child; taking care of a parent, child or partner “with a serious health condition”; or addressing one’s own serious injury or illness.

Employees can begin to submit claim applications starting Jan. 1, 2026. More information can be found on the state Labor Department website.

Delaware seeks public utilities payer relief

Delawareans are also set to see some potential accountability from public utilities.

This and other efforts followed sudden spikes in energy bills across Delaware last winter, a topic that became a chief concern among lawmakers last session.

Backed by Sen. Stephanie Hansen, another law coming into effect adjusts the standards for what costs can be included in “a utility’s rate base” and presented to the Public Service Commission.

This means the commission would have the power to reject certain costs or expenses put on ratepayers, which could lead to less impactful or frequent increases.

Special enrollment period for Medicare

Back in health care, one bill that establishes a “special open enrollment period” for residents currently enrolled in a Medicare supplement policy will also take effect at the top of the calendar.

This gives Delawareans the opportunity to cancel their current policy and purchase another “that provides the same or lesser benefits,” according to the law’s description. That window begins roughly a month before an eligible individual’s birthday and will stay open for no less than a month afterward.

This change would only apply to those enrolled in a supplement policy under Medicare.

As written, anyone switching from one plan to another during this period “cannot be denied coverage,” nor can rates or coverage be determined by one’s medical history.

Offshore wind set to fly

Delawareans will also see an effort related to one of last session’s most controversial bills take effect later this month.

Also backed by Hansen, the bill overturns Sussex County Council’s rejection of a permit needed for US Wind to build a substation critical to plans to erect more than 100 wind turbines off the Delmarva coast.

Several Republicans fought against the bill’s passage. Many argued that bringing this decision to the hands of state government would strip local leaders of autonomy over what happens in their county, while some pushed for the courts to make the final decision.

State GOP members even spent the last night of session holding up necessary support for Delaware’s billion-dollar bond bill, which helps fund several projects, renovations and improvements across the state.

However, after a few hours of deliberation, lawmakers were able to reach a compromise. And the offshore wind legislation will go into effect Jan. 31, 2026.

And it didn’t end there. A state Superior Court judge ruled in early December to pause US Winds’ challenge in light of this new effective date.

“This is the result we wanted,” Hansen said in a statement following the decision, adding this marks “a key step in our efforts to increase Delaware’s energy supply and ensure energy reliability for all ratepayers in our state.”

What other bills will go into effect in 2026?

Another once-Senate bill aiming to expand the criteria for those incarcerated to petition for early release based on serious illness or rehabilitation – also known as the Richard “Mouse” Smith Compassionate Release Act – will go into effect on Jan. 10.

Another law providing First State tenants “new protections” by allowing specific eviction records to be restricted from public view will also come online Jan. 29.

Two additional health-centered bills signed by Meyer earlier this year will take effect this coming July. One creates a breastfeeding and lactation program for individuals in custody of the Delaware Department of Correction, while the other helps provide equipment and telecommunications assistance to Delawareans who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Joining them is a law to bar public and charter schools from selling or serving food containing the synthetic food dye Red No. 40, which is set to be implemented same month.

The wait will also soon be over for those longing to have wine shipped right to their doors, as a bill allowing wine producers to obtain a license and ship wine directly to Delawareans will go into effect in August 2026.

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.

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Delaware

State legislators target deals with Delaware’s only commercial airline

Published

6 days ago

December 28, 2025

Press Room

State legislators target deals with Delaware’s only commercial airline

Delaware’s only commercial airline continues to find itself in hot water with elected officials, and not because of any flights from Wilmington.

Members of the state Senate have introduced a resolution calling for more scrutiny over contracts and incentives with companies that work with ICE. Avelo Airlines has a charter agreement with the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement to run deportation flights out of the country. The flights do not leave from Wilmington Airport.

The airport is run by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which also runs the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. DRBA is a two-state operation where the Delaware legislature has limited power, but this resolution sends a message of discontent around Avelo’s continued service and deportation flights.

The Delaware Senate is not the first public body in Delaware to send this message. Wilmington City Council approved a similar resolution urging the city to avoid companies who work with ICE’s elevated deportation campaign under the Trump Administration. The city does not have contracts with Avelo or companies who operate with ICE, but the resolution passed regardless.

Avelo’s agreement with ICE led to multiple protests outside of Wilmington Airport in early 2025. Dozens of people would line up on Dupont Highway with signs to show passing drivers their displeasure with the airline.

“We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic. After significant deliberations, we determined this charter flying will provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 Crewmembers employed for years to come,” Avelo’s founder and CEO, Andrew Levy, said in an April statement.

Despite the rancor from elected officials, Avelo continues to expand its service from Wilmington. It recently announced new routes from Delaware to Atlanta and to Chicago O’Hare starting in 2026. That expansion makes it 14 destinations.

Avelo benefits from a fuel-tax exemption and has a marketing incentive from DRBA. The agency does not receive money from financial support or tax receipts from either the State of Delaware or New Jersey, its website says. Most of its revenue is generated by tickets, fees and tolls. A DRBA spokesperson old the News Journal/Delaware Online in April that they are “disappointed” in the ICE deal.

The resolution simply urges DRBA to prohibit deals with companies who work with ICE deportations “without sufficient due process.” For now, it is “laid on the table,” and will not be considered until the legislature starts up again in 2026. It was introduced by Sen. Raymond Seigfried, a Democrat representing Claymont.

Shane Brennan covers Wilmington and other Delaware issues. Reach out with ideas, tips or feedback about reassessment and property taxes at slbrennan@delawareonline.com.

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