Here s why Delaware just adopted anti-discrimination protections for people of color Sarah Gamard, Delaware News Journal
Headlines February 3, 2021
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Delaware recently officially added anti-discrimination protections for people of color to its founding document.
The legal amendment, which lawmakers passed unanimously via Senate Bill 31 on Jan. 28 , adds the words race, color and national origin to the state constitution’s equal rights clause.
While the equal rights amendment has no immediate legal consequences, it could in theory guarantee protections for people of color in the state if federal courts change their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, according to lawmakers and legal experts.
Giles starts Feb. 1 and will be supervised by Banks. City Manager Sharon Lynn delegated the job to Banks when the pandemic began. It was the first time a Rehoboth Beach Patrol captain had been supervised by anyone other than the city manager in Rehoboth.
Kent Buckson, Rehoboth s beach patrol captain of 21 years, resigned Dec. 18 due to the change. He said it wasn t a good fit and claimed it was a violation of the city charter. He filed an appeal with the city commissioners, but they declined to hear his complaint.
A few weeks later, the city solicitor presented a plan to change the charter to the commissioners. It would clarify the city manager s ability to delegate supervisory powers freely.
Delaware News Journal
Gov. John Carney s proposed spending plan for next fiscal year includes the first steps toward statewide police body cameras, funding the ongoing COVID-19 response and increases in the minimum wage, as well as small raises for state workers.
The measures are a signal that Delaware officials are keeping their promise to hold law enforcement accountable in response to the Black Lives Matter movement while also bracing for an ongoing fight against the virus at least until the latter half of this year.
The taxpayer-funded spending plan, the first of Carney s second term, still adheres to the austere fiscal strategy that he had during his first term by limiting extra revenue toward one-time expenses, such as construction projects and grants.