Delaware House Democrats

Today, Rep. Larry Lambert and Sen. Marie Pinkney were joined by Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, other members of the General Assembly, the NAACP, LDF, and the ACLU of Delaware as they formally announced the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

In April, the Supreme Court reversed some of the most critical protections against voting discrimination within the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Without state-level interventions, this has the potential to cause major changes in voting districts across the country.

That is why Delaware is leading the charge as the first state in the nation since that decision was made to clearly say, through legislative action, that every vote matters.

You can find the full bill text here: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail/143415

Happy Pride Month, Delaware!🏳️‍🌈

We are proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ community here in Delaware, in their continued fight for equality under the law.

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember and honor the heroes who gave their lives in service to our nation. Their sacrifice is not forgotten. 🇺🇸

In response to the passing of Charlotte Miller-Lacy, founder of the MSK Community Center and I Am My Sister’s Keeper, Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, and House Majority Whip Ed Osienski issued the following statement:

“Wilmington and the State of Delaware lost a true community giant with the passing of Charlotte Miller-Lacy.

For so many people, Charlotte was more than an advocate or community leader. She was a mentor, a protector, a source of encouragement, and someone who made people feel seen, valued, and loved. Through the MSK Community Center and I Am My Sister’s Keeper, she created spaces where young people, women, and families could find support, healing, opportunity, and hope.

Charlotte dedicated her life to uplifting others. Her work was rooted in compassion, service, and empowerment, and she poured that love into every person and every community she touched. There are countless Delawareans whose lives are better because Charlotte believed in them when they needed it most.

Community centers are often the heartbeat of neighborhoods, and Charlotte understood that deeply. She knew the importance of creating safe spaces where people could gather, grow, and feel supported. The legacy she leaves behind is not only found in the organizations she built, but in the generations of people she inspired through her kindness, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to others.

Charlotte had a gift for bringing people together and reminding them of their worth. Her impact reached far beyond the walls of any building or program. It lives on in the people she mentored, the families she supported, and the community she helped strengthen.

Charlotte Miller-Lacy’s legacy will continue to shape Wilmington for years to come, and she will never be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Mr. Lacy, her children, loved ones, the entire MSK family, and everyone grieving this tremendous loss.”

Earlier this evening the House passed two measures, both sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith and Sen. Marie Pinkney, that aim to strengthen Delaware’s existing Personal Data Privacy Act and require greater transparency and accountability around data breaches.

With the goal of creating stronger protection around residents’ personal online data, HB 380 amends the Delaware Personal Data Privacy Act to keep up with evolving national standards and best practices.

Delaware law currently requires companies to disclose any computer security breaches that may contain sensitive data and provide notice to its customers through written, electronic, or other means as soon as possible, but no later than 60 days after the determination of a security breach.

Under HB 381, businesses would also be required to provide notice to the Attorney General’s office within 60 days of the determination of a breach to better inform the Department of Justice’s Fraud & Consumer Protection Division, the entity responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws in Delaware.

Read more here: https://f.mtr.cool/lgflbujmtf

In an effort to strengthen digital privacy protections and protect civil liberties, the House passed legislation Tuesday that would prohibit the use of reverse keyword warrants in Delaware.

House Substitute 1 for House Bill 145, sponsored by Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, would prohibit law enforcement agencies and courts from requesting, issuing, or enforcing reverse-keyword court orders and reverse-keyword requests. These types of warrants allow law enforcement to obtain information from search engine providers and other applications about individuals based solely on internet searches or digital activity.

“In our modern world where community conversations, relationship building, and access to important resources predominantly occur online, people may become hesitant to seek information and support that they need. Passing HS 1 for HB 145 will help to alleviate these concerns for Delawareans and ensure that their constitutional right to privacy remains protected,” said Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton.

Read more here: https://f.mtr.cool/petlxtzldd

In response to the news of former Wilmington Mayor Michael S. Purzycki’s passing, Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown, House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris, and House Majority Whip Ed Osienski issued the following statement:

“The City of Wilmington would not be what it is now without Mike Purzycki’s decades of dedication to making it safer, fairer, and more accessible.

There are many Delawareans who have no idea how much the Wilmington Riverfront has changed over the years, because it’s hard to imagine that the popular area full of entertainment, restaurants, and beautiful views was an industrial wasteland not so long ago. Mike Purzycki helped make that happen in his role in the Riverfront Development Corporation. And when he became Mayor of Wilmington, he continued to transform the city so that Wilmingtonians could thrive in a place where they were proud to live.

In his first year in office, he helped to launch Wilmington’s annual HBCU Week and College Fair, giving thousands of young people the opportunity to learn more about their options, and compete for on-the-spot college acceptances and scholarship awards. His legacy in that work is honored through the $10,000 Michael S. Purzycki Changemaker Scholarship offered by the HBCU Week Foundation.
To be a leader is to make sacrifices, and that’s often all that people see. But Mike’s work on the East Side of Wilmington to increase affordable housing options alongside the Woodlawn Trustees, Habitat for Humanity, the WRK Group, and other community partners earned him the admiration of many who were able to restart thanks to his impact.

Mike loved to build. We see that not just through the many landmarks that we can now look to and remember him, but the community, as well. His work brought people together, and in a city where community has always been the key to success, that was very important.
Former New Castle County Councilman and Mayor of Wilmington Michael S. Purzycki left an indelible mark on the entire state, and we will never forget that. Our thoughts are with his wife, Bette, and his entire family during this time.”

Delaware students are making significant academic recovery gains following the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks in part to actions taken by House Democrats over the last several years.
The new national Education Scorecard report ranked Delaware 4th out of 38 states in math growth, and 14th out of 25 states in reading recovery. Additionally, chronic absenteeism fell from 24.7 percent in 2022 to 16.6 percent in 2025.

These findings represent significant growth for Delaware students and demonstrate the effectiveness of the policy actions taken by the Department of Education and the General Assembly over the past few years. Below are several highlights, all sponsored by House Education chair Kim Williams State Representative, 19th District:

📝 House Bill 86: Provided increased funding for K-3rd-grade students identified as eligible for basic special education services.

📝House Bill 202: Increased the opportunity for Delaware children to undergo developmental screening at an early age in order to identify children who may be eligible for Early Intervention or special education services.

📝 House Bill 91: Made free breakfast available at all schools that participate in the federal School Breakfast Program.

📝 Senate Bill 56: Codified the Opportunity Fund, an additional source of educational funding for public schools to support low-income and English learner students.

We’ve also made significant investments in our educator workforce, helping Delaware rank first in the nation last year for growth in the number of educators from pre- to post-pandemic levels.

Delaware students are our future, and they deserve all of the attention we can give them. That’s why in the last few years, the General Assembly has prioritized passing meaningful education policy, including measures to increase funding, expand access to mental health resources, and increase screening opportunities - all of which have contributed to student success.

While there is still progress to be made, Delaware’s national Education Scorecard rankings show great promise for the state, and reinforce the need for continued pressure to move the needle where it needs to be.

Do you remember the 2022 viral social media trend encouraging car thefts, specifically targeting Kias?

While law enforcement acted swiftly to curb this uptick in crime, car thefts through the use of vehicle security circumvention devices still persist today.

That’s why the House passed Rep. Franklin Cooke's House Bill 351 yesterday - legislation that would make it a crime to knowingly manufacture, sell, offer to sell, transfer, or possess a vehicle security circumvention device, or to aid or permit another to use a vehicle security circumvention device.

These devices are primarily used on keyless entry, push-to-start vehicles, and allow bad actors to gain control over or entry into those vehicles by reprogramming or emulating key fobs, intercepting signals from key fobs, electronically communicating with motor vehicles, or using relay attacks.

HB 351 aims to prevent vehicle break-ins and thefts by making sure that only authorized individuals, such as law enforcement officers and locksmiths, can use these devices for official purposes.

The bipartisan bill passed the House unanimously. You can read more here: bit.ly/48XVhs3