Delaware

Government transparency in Delaware is far from perfect. Here are three fixes

Published

4 months ago

March 7, 2024

Press Room

Government transparency in Delaware is far from perfect. Here are three fixes

3-minute read

Eric Morrison
| Special to the USA TODAY Network

Recently, I introduced three bills not just because they are important on their own but also because I believe strongly in good government and transparency. For a number of years, in multiple surveys and studies, Delaware’s grades for good government and transparency have consistently been a D or an F. Also, according to multiple polls, Americans’ faith in government and electoral politics is at an all-time low. We cannot just talk the talk. We must walk the walk and institute laws in these areas to work towards better government and electoral processes.

Once per year in non-election years and several times per year in election years, candidates for public office — including elected officials — submit campaign finance reports detailing contributions and expenditures. I’ve introduced House Bill 292 requires that all such reports be reviewed by the Department of Elections, or DOE, for any violations of campaign finance rules. Currently, a candidate submits a campaign finance report and it immediately appears on the DOE public website after undergoing only a few high-level system checks. Per HB 292, reports would appear on the website immediately but the would show in “Submitted But Not Reviewed” status.

Then, the report would be reviewed by DOE employees. If no violations or suspicious patterns of contributions or expenditures are found, the report status is updated to “Reviewed and Final.” If issues are found, the DOE works with the candidate to rectify the situation and submit an amended report. If violations are found that are not simply mistakes, the DOE refers the case to the Attorney General’s office. It is unfathomable to me that candidates’ reports currently undergo no “eyes-on” scrutiny.

I’ve also introduced HB 291 which does three things. First, it requires that candidates’ campaign finance reports include the names of donors’ employers and the donors’ job titles. This is already required in 38 other states and at the federal level. These two pieces of information will be retained by the DOE “behind the scenes.” The information will not appear on campaign finance reports or be subject to FOIA requests. Donors’ employers and job titles raise a flag for the DOE regarding possible campaign finance violations. (See the information below about the infamous Tigani case.)

Second, HB 291 requires that when a candidate unintentionally accepts more money from an individual or entity than they are allowed, they must return that surplus money to the donor. It prohibits such candidates from donating the surplus money to a charitable organization (which they may currently do) so they cannot make such those donations public and gain “political mileage” from them. Third, HB 291 requires the DOE to maintain a specific telephone number and area on their website through which individuals may report suspected campaign finance violations.

These three parts of HB 291 came from a 2013 report written by E. Normal Veasey. At the time, he was a Special Deputy Attorney General. Later, he served as the Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. Veasy served as Independent Council in a case in which the owner of NKS Distributors, Christopher J. Tigani, plead guilty to violating federal and state campaign finance and tax laws and was sentenced to two years in prison. Tigani had been giving money to his employees to donate to certain candidates for public office — known as “pass-through donations.”

In the 107-page report, Veasy included various recommendations on how to improve campaign finance laws in Delaware. Unfortunately, hardly any of those recommendations have been instituted since the report was issued eleven years ago. It is not just me — and other legislators including Republicans who have signed onto my bill — who know we need HB 291. It is also a former Special Deputy Attorney General and former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court who served as Independent Council for the most notorious case of campaign finance rules in Delaware history.

Finally, I’ve introduced HB 319 to address nepotism in state government, having worked with the Delaware Department of Human Resources, or DHR, on this effort. DHR recently instituted a much more restrictive nepotism policy than their previous one, but it does not apply to all state employees including the judiciary, executive, and legislative branches. HB 319 mandates that these branches of governments and other state agencies must draft and implement nepotism policies that are at least as restrictive as the new DHR policy. Otherwise, the DHR policy applies to those governmental branches and state agencies.

I hope that my colleagues in Dover will support all three of these important bills.

Eric Morrison is state representative for the 27th District which includes parts of Newark, Bear and Middletown.

Source link

Click to comment

Delaware

Sussex County's James Farm Ecological Preserve adding educational campus

Published

4 hours ago

June 23, 2024

Press Room

Sussex County's James Farm Ecological Preserve adding educational campus

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

One of the 28 nationally recognized estuaries, the James Farm Ecological Preserve sits in the coastal region of Delaware’s Sussex County, where freshwater meets saltwater in a dynamic estuarine environment. The preserve provides a wild oasis with seven diverse habitats, ranging from sandy beaches at low tide to salty marshes, shady forests and sunny meadows. It’s a favorite spot for schools, young children and environmentalists.

Last year, the preserve welcomed over 30,000 visitors for educational programs. The number of visitors looking to learn about the area continues to grow, highlighting the need for an educational facility.

One of the beaches along the trails of the James Farm Ecological Preserve. (Courtesy of the Delaware Center of Inland Bays)

“We’ve done education at the whim of mother nature for 30 years now,” explained Christophe Tulou, executive director of the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. Even without a dedicated center, the group has been committed to hosting educational programs, research and other activities despite challenging weather conditions.

This is why the park created a master plan in 2014, including the $2.5 million initiative that began construction in May.

“This will provide us with a three-season sheltered space for educating children as well as adults through our education programming,” he said. “So when the thunderstorm strikes we are not in the middle of it, we’ll have shelter overhead and lab space and video capabilities.”

“[It will] allow us to provide the education and do the outreach that we do there in a way that people these days can relate to with all the technological bells and whistles that are so important to get information across,” he added.

Source link

Delaware

Multiple sightings of bear reported, Newark police say

Published

11 hours ago

June 23, 2024

Press Room

Multiple sightings of bear reported, Newark police say

Multiple sightings of a bear have been reported in the area of Julie Lane in west Newark, city police said in a press release Saturday night.

No further information was provided by police, but they urged caution.

Black bear sightings in Delaware

May 2016: Bear sightings spark alarm in northern New Castle County

May 2016: Residents ignore warnings, try to find black bear in Newark area

June 2017: Bear believed spotted in Newark, police say; sighting unconfirmed

December 2019: Police get calls about black bear visiting North Wilmington

December 2019: Bear eludes capture, causes uproar in Wilmington neighborhood

December 2019: How a bear made its way to a Wilmington backyard

December 2019: Wilmington’s celebrity bear has vanished, perhaps bothered by the uproar

June 2020: Pike Creek, Mill Creek residents report bear sightings

More about black bears

Are black bears dangerous? Here’s what to do if you see one in the wild

The number of black bears in South Jersey is on the rise. Will they come to Delaware next?

How to bear-proof your property

These tips are from the New Castle County Police and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control:

Lock garbage in a secure trash container, or keep it inside until the day of pickup. (If you keep it in your garage, close your garage door – bears are not afraid to wander into garages in search of treats.)
Store cooking grills inside or keep them clean of food residue.
Rinse trash containers with ammonia to eliminate food odor.
Temporarily discontinue using backyard compost piles.
Temporarily remove birdfeeders.
If you have animals: a. Keep pet food indoors, and pets close to buildings and outdoor lighting. b. If you have electric fencing, make sure it’s turned on to protect chicken coops, livestock nursery pens, etc.

What to do if you encounter a black bear

Make it aware of your presence by speaking loudly, singing, clapping your hands or making other noise.
Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
If a bear stands on its hind legs or moves closer, it may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air. It is usually not a threatening behavior.
But if the bear utters a series of huffs, makes popping jaw sounds by snapping its jaws and swats the ground, these are warning signs that you are too close. Black bears will sometimes “bluff charge” when cornered, threatened or attempting to steal food. Stand your ground, avoid direct eye contact, then slowly back away – do not run.
Black bear attacks are extremely rare. If a black bear does attack, fight back.
Contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife to report the sighting at 800-523-3336.

This story includes previous News Journal reporting.

Source link