"A shotgun approach to curbing violent crimes" By Matt L. Lenzini, CRI Adivsory Council 4/12/2019   Numerous bills were introduced in the Delaware State legislature recently that would limit the sale of certain types of firearms, limit the capacity of magazines and limit how a firearm can be kept and stored.   The bills have the presumed intent of reducing the number of violent crimes and deaths that occur due to firearms.  Laudable intentions but are any of the measures trul

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE STATE EMPLOYEES' PENSION PLAN AND COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.   Having survived a nearly $400 million deficit two years ago and with State employee and retiree healthcare benefits rising 6% to 8% per annum, Senate Bill 62 now proposes that State pensioners receive an annual cost of living adjustment in accord to the National Consumer Price Index.   Looking at the latest data on the Delaware State Employees Pension P

Nuclear Power Far from a Dead Horse By David T. Stevenson, CRI Policy Director 4/8/2019   Dr. Sowers April 8, comparison of nuclear power to a dead horse is dead wrong.  Despite the recent closure of a few nuclear power plants the remaining plants still supply 20 percent of the country’s electric power without emitting air pollution or carbon dioxide.  These plants could continue operating for decades, and new small modular designs show promise in adding to this clean, reliab

THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE IN TRANSITION A common theme among the current candidates for the position of mayor of the City of Newark is the call for improved dialogue with the University of Delaware. The impression is that the University is growing rapidly and having a bigger footprint in the life of the City. Do the facts bear this out? Over the past ten years (2009-19) total enrollment at the University has increased 17.6%, led by an 18.6% jump in undergraduate enrollment.

Change the System not the Standards! By Ron Russo, CRI Executive Director 3/28/2019   In a recent guest column, Atnre Alleyne (Executive Director of DelawareCAN) identified the obstacles faced by many students trying to gain admission to some of the state’s best schools.  Nonpublic schools had high tuitions, high performing charter schools had admission preferences, and successful traditional public schools were located in areas with expensive housing.  Even if the obstacles

3/11/2019 DATA DELAWARE:   Delaware's statewide property tax update Senate Bill 50, the Del Tech carve-out, is dead. State Senator Colin Bonini provided the leadership in defeating it! Today, the State Senator from the 16th District, makes his first of a two part visit addressing the looming court case that might bring property reassessment and a statewide property tax to Delaware. In this interview, Colin begins to explain how he might be able to front-run that decision and

( Originally published on March 1, 2019 by Delaware Business Now.  See link below to be directed to the originally article or to contact the publisher, Doug Rainey. ) Good afternoon, Constituents spoke out and a plan to provide a reliable source of funds for maintenance and related expenses at Delaware Technical and Community wasdropped like a hot rock. In the past few years, opposition to property and gas tax proposals have ended efforts to deal with polluted waterways and i

Delaware’s Misguided Lawsuits against the EPA By David T. Stevenson, CRI Policyb Director 2/28/2019   Delaware has joined another multi-state lawsuit against a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation.   The Obama era EPA wrote the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule to limit power plants in upwind states, such as Pennsylvania, from polluting downwind states, such as Delaware.  The DC Appeals Court overturned the regulation as it required states to reduce emissions by m

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION:  SB 50 By David T. Stevenson, CRI Policy Director  2/13/2019   SB50 adds the ability of Delaware Technical & Community College to assess a property tax in each county to repay tax free bonds for capital improvement projects at the college in each county.  Property taxes raised in each county can only be spent in each county to avoid a Constitutional conflict.     The problems are: it opens a Pandora’s Box to the state collecting property taxes