The Budgets Pass the House

The House passed a $5.6 billion operating budget for fiscal 2024 on Thursday, approving a spending plan that provides a meaningful raise for state workers, and invests in families throughout the state, schools, healthcare workers, firefighters, educators and people with disabilities. House Bill 195, the FY24 Budget, passed 32-8-1, with seven Republicans joining with all the Democrats (sans Heffernan, who was absent) in voting yes. House Bill 196, the one time supplemental budget bill, passed 33-7-1. Republican Jeff Spiegelman voted yes this time. I guess something interested him in the one time supplemental.

The budget, along with a $194.5 million supplemental spending plan consisting of one-time expenditures and contingency funds, now head to the Senate for consideration.

“The Joint Finance Committee had a difficult task of balancing numerous, worthwhile funding requests against the need to be responsible. We’ve been able to work together to provide – for the second consecutive year – a real raise for state employees and fund various programs that provide necessary services to residents up and down our state,” said Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Rep. William Carson. “I’m proud of this budget and what it represents to Delawareans – that we value our workers, teachers, seniors, healthcare workers, parents and children. I hope that our investments make a real difference in people’s lives. I’m also proud of how legislators from both parties worked together to assemble this budget.”

The operating budget, House Bill 195, is the result of months of public hearings and meetings to review Governor Carney’s spending plan, which he proposed in January, and to solicit input from state officials, lawmakers and the public about how to best invest revenues. The fiscal 2024 budget represents a 9.9% increase from the current budget.

“The FY 2024 operating budget is fiscally responsible spending plan that will make critical investments in our state workforce, the education of our children and the long-term health of of our neighbors, while also positioning Delaware to weather any economic turmoil coming our way in the next few years,” said Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Sen. Trey Paradee. “I want to thank my colleagues on JFC for remaining steadfast in their commitment to balance these investments in Delaware’s future against our need to hold the line on spending from one year to the next. I’m grateful to the House for passing this budget, and I look forward to the Senate passing it in the coming days.”

HB 195 would add $10.2 million to Delaware’s Purchase of Care program, a subsidy that provides support for early childhood and after-school education for children from birth through age 12 living within 185% of the Federal Poverty Limit. The funds help low-income families pay for their childcare so that parents or guardians can work or receive workforce training.

The budget also includes an additional $30 million to increase mental health supports in elementary and middle schools as spelled out in bills passed during the previous legislative session.

As part of the budget, full-time state workers would receive a raise ranging from 3% to 9% depending on their pay grade, with the lowest grades receiving higher-percentage raises. Collective bargaining units would receive raises according to whatever they have negotiated. Education employees would receive a 3% raise and applicable step increases, while teachers would receive an additional 6%. The budget also establishes a $15 minimum wage for merit full-time state employees.

Other notable highlights in HB 195 include:

HOUSE BILL 195 – FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET	Currrent Status – House Passed 32-8-1. Sent to the Senate
House Sponsors – Carson, Bolden, Griffith, Williams // Briggs King, Hensley	Senate Sponsors – Paradee, Brown, Hansen, Sturgeon // Buckson, Lawson
House Yes Votes – Baumbach Bolden Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Harris Johnson Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Moore Morrison Neal Osienski Parker-Selby Phillips Romer Schwartzkopf Williams Wilson-Anton // Briggs King Dukes Gray Hensley Ramone Short Smith	Senate Yes Votes –
House No Votes – Collins, Hilovsky, Morris, Postles, Shupe, Spiegelman, Vanderwende, Yearick	Senate No Votes –
House Absents or Not Voting – Heffernan	Senate Absent or Not Voting –

The one-time supplemental budget, House Bill 196, includes funding for various initiatives and statewide needs, including:

• $69 million in one-time contingency funds for Medicaid to ensure funding is available as statewide enrollment/unwinding efforts complete.
• $50.9 million to be deposited to the Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust Fund to address the outstanding long-term liability costs associated with retiree health benefits.
• $30 million for housing investments statewide to address Delaware’s housing crisis.
• Over $13 million in technology needs throughout state agencies.
• $3.8 million for the filter first initiative to address lead remediation efforts in schools.
• $2.7 million for the 2024 Presidential primary election, including an increase in pay for poll workers.
• $2 million for residential lead remediation efforts outlined in Senate Bill 9.
• $1.9 million in one-time funds to implement House Bill 2, the Marijuana Control Act.

HOUSE BILL 196 – ONE TIME SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET BILL	Currrent Status – House Passes 33-7-1. Sent to the Senate
House Sponsors – Carson, Bolden, Griffith, Williams // Briggs King, Hensley	Senate Sponsors – Paradee, Brown, Hansen, Sturgeon // Buckson, Lawson
House Yes Votes – Baumbach Bolden Bush Carson Chukwuocha Cooke Dorsey-Walker Griffith Harris Johnson Lambert Longhurst Lynn Matthews Minor-Brown Moore Morrison Neal Osienski Parker-Selby Phillips Romer Schwartzkopf Williams Wilson-Anton // Briggs King Dukes Gray Hensley Ramone Short Smith Spiegelman	Senate Yes Votes –
House No Votes – Collins, Hilovsky, Morris, Postles, Shupe, Spiegelman, Vanderwende, Yearick	Senate No Votes –
House Absents or Not Voting – Heffernan	Senate Absent or Not Voting –