The News Journal
Thursday, June 4, 2009

It has been a good week for champions of the public's right to know in the General Assembly.


It has taken Democratic Sen. Karen Peterson nearly eight years to get a bill passed that puts the Delaware Legislature under the same open-government regulations required by virtually every other government in the state. 


The Legislature exempted itself nearly 20 years ago after some lawmakers were agitated over having to vet their frustrations in public.


It's been a tough battle for Sen. Peterson because several of the legislators who voted to exempt the Legislature are still serving. The Senate president pro tem alone has stifled passage of the legislation three times by refusing to schedule a committee hearing on it.


This time around, however, Sen. Peterson risked the wrath of her caucus leadership by petitioning the bill out of committee and suspending the rules to vote on House Bill 1.


But she knew what she was doing because the petition motion garnered the necessary 11 votes. While Sen. Peterson has rightfully been applauded as the leader behind this bill, we also want to recognize others without whom this legislation wouldn't have passed.


Dover Post
Friday, June 12, 2009

Drug stores that choose not to take part in the state's Medicaid program would pay higher taxes to help cover the cost of prescriptions and other medical aid for Medicaid patients under a bill introduced Thursday in the Senate.

Sen. Michael Katz, D-Centerville, said he came up with idea of adding on a special 2 percent gross receipts tax on drug stores that opt out of the federal-state low-income health insurance program after Walgreens announced last week that it would drop out of the program rather than accept a 2 percent reduction in state prescription payments for Medicaid clients.

Allowing public access to General Assembly records spurred by technology

Delaware State News
Sunday, July 5, 2009

DOVER - As the arduous 2009 legislative session came to a close on Tuesday night, or Wednesday morning, relief and exhaustion were palpable alongside notions of accomplishment and completion. With the tax bills out of the way and the budget finished, legislators had time to exhale and relish in their victories.

One of the most eminent pieces of legislation this session was House Bill 1 - the open government act that was approved after decades of history.

"This was a big victory," John Flaherty, open government lobbyist for the past 12 years, said.

HB 1 allows the public access to Delaware General Assembly meetings, records and committees, including Joint Finance, Bond Bill, Sunset committees and those created by legislative resolution. Party caucuses and e-mails written by or to legislators and legislative staff are still exempt.

The News Journal
Friday, May 15, 2009

DOVER -- In a bold parliamentary move, Sen. Karen Peterson forced her colleagues' collective hand Thursday and won a promise that, for the first time in years, legislation to subject the Legislature to the open-meetings law will be heard on the Senate floor.

House Bill 1 will be considered June 2, under the deal Peterson brokered Thursday with Senate Majority Leader Anthony DeLuca, D-Newark East. Peterson said she is confident she has the votes to pass the bill, which would subject the General Assembly to the Freedom of Information Act that it exempted itself from decades ago.