BETHEL

8/19/2025 TIM DUKES NEWLETTER

Tim and his colleagues raise concerns over the lack of public process during the legislature’s Special Session last week on property reassessment

The 153rd General Assembly returned for a Special Session last week to address mounting concerns surrounding New Castle County property taxes following reassessment.

House and Senate Democrats unilaterally pushed through several of their own measures, over the objections of Republican legislators who noted the bills lacked due process, were not properly vetted, would cause confusion, and held enormous potential for unintended negative consequences.

During the debate, House Democratic leaders stated that they held closed-door conversations with New Castle County officials and the superintendents of the state’s school districts, and that the bills they cobbled together were the result of those discussions.

House Minority Leader Dukes stated that those deliberations did not include House or Senate Republicans, lacked any genuine consensus or transparency, and excluded many stakeholders who could be affected by the measures passed by Democrats.

“We proposed holding committee meetings to discuss the bills the House Democrats wanted to work” during last Tuesday’s Special Session, Rep. Dukes said.

Tim also said, “We wanted to hold them on Monday or early Tuesday morning (in advance of the Special Session), giving citizens a chance to participate and for lawmakers to get some of their questions answered. Even though it would not have delayed the Special Session, House Democrats rejected even this modest amount of review.”

All the bills passed by the House were done “under a suspension of rules,” allowing lawmakers to circumvent procedures requiring due process, public notification, and input.

A mobile food pantry will be held on Thursday, August 28th in Laurel

The Food Bank of Delaware will host a mobile pantry on Thursday, August 28th in Laurel. Pantry participants will no longer be required to register in advance but, instead, can be registered at the event by volunteers on site. Proof that participants are a Delaware citizen is required.

The event will be held on the following date and location:

Thursday, August 28th at 11:00 a.m.

Laurel Fire Department

205 W. 10th Street

Laurel, DE 19956

Mark your calendar for the Delaware 2025 Veterans’ Stand Down event in Dover on Friday, September 19th

To contact Tim: Timothy.Dukes@delaware.gov