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Analysis

Analysis

After court ruling, Dems take aim at GOP efforts to fight no-excuse absentee voting

Democrats running for office this year had harsh words for Republicans who successfully went to court to block legislation and have held up a constitutional amendment that would allow early and no excuse absentee voting. Last week, a Superior Court judge ruled that legislation allowing for no-excuse absentee voting violated the Delaware Constitution. Delaware Republicans have led...

Delaware airline Avelo posts profit in 4th quarter

Avelo Airlines moved into the black in the fourth quarter. The 16-jet privately-held carrier did not provide a specific number but issued the following; In 2023, Avelo flew 2.3 million customers, generating $265 million in revenue – up 74% from 2022. Wilmington (ILG) accounted for about a quarter of a million customers. Avelo ended 2023 with...

Vice Chancellor Glasscock to retire as candidates, activist group call for more diverse court

(See formal announcement below) Delaware Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock will retire from the state's business court, effective at the end of 2024. The pending retirement of Glasscock was disclosed on Thursday during a legislative hearing and made national news. Chancery is the nation's top business state business court. The news led Citizens for Judicial Fairness released the following statement...

My take: The state employee health insurance crisis

The news has come out in dibs and dabs, but it is becoming increasingly clear that rising state employee and retiree healthcare costs have reached the crisis stage. In his recent budget address, Gov. John Carney noted that healthcare costs now account for about one-third of the state's $6 billion budget. One option is increasing state employee healthcare premiums by...

UD, facing a $20 million to $40 million budget gap, freezes hiring, halts pay reviews, curbs capital projects

The University of Delaware has taken steps to reduce costs, including staff hiring, a pay freeze, and curbs on capital spending as it deals with a budget shortfall. "Recently, however, despite meeting our enrollment targets for FY24, further increases in scholarship needs and education delivery costs, especially escalating health care expenditures, have accelerated budget pressures," UD President Dennis Assanis wrote...

My take: Musk’s Texas-sized threat

It came as no surprise when Tesla's celebrity CEO Elon Musk got on his X (formerly Twitter) feed and announced that he would ask the board to move the company's state of incorporation from Delaware to Texas. It touched off a flurry of sometimes sketchy coverage, including one headline claiming that Delaware is a state in New England. Last...

State to spend $25 million in effort to turn around Dover’s struggling downtown

Photo from Dreamstime The State of Delaware plans to spend more than $25 million in three projects aimed at revitalizing downtown Dover. “The State of Delaware has a vested interest in the success of downtown Dover, not only because it is our capital city, but because it is where thousands of state employees work and where many would like to live,”...

Supreme Court overturns Chancery Court ruling on attorney fees in property reassessment suit

In a rare reversal of a Chancery Court decision, The Delaware Supreme Court overturned an award of nearly $1.5 million in attorney's fees for the lawsuit that led to property tax reassessment in Delaware. The award had been appealed by the state's three counties. The decision, written by Justice Karen L. Valihura  said groups that filed the lawsuit leading to the...

Chancellor rules against Musk in shareholder dispute over $55 billion Tesla pay package

Delaware Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick ruled agianst Tesla's celebrity CEO Elon Musk in a shareholder suit claiming that his $55 billion compensation package was excessive. The 200-page ruling came as a surprise to some as Chancery Court typically sides with executives in shareholder suits. Musk's 2018 pay package is believed to be the largest in...

Avelo notes: Passenger traffic stats and more parking as motel and long-vacant restaurant are razed

The Wilmington Airport (ILG) had hinted on social media that more parking is on the way. On Thursday, we learned that next week, demolition will begin on the former Comfort Inn Skyways and the long-vacant Damon's Ribs buildings, both of which are a short walk from the terminal. The Delaware River and Bay Authority forked over $4 million to buy...

Electrics now account for 9.7% of new vehicle sales in Delaware

A report from The Alliance for Automotive Innovation indicates that battery-electric vehicles accounted for 9.7% of new Delaware light-duty vehicles sales 2023's third quarter. The figures came from the  Get Connected Electric Vehicle Report. The quarterly report also pointed to a lack of charging stations in Delaware and nationwide. Delaware's EV sales were in line with the...

Wells Fargo Fairfax employees seek union vote

Wells Fargo employees at a branch in northern Delaware have filed a petition for a union vote. Banking Dive reported workers at the Fairfax branch near the Delaware headquarters made the filing with the National Labor Relations Board. They cited issues with staffing and working conditions as the reason to seek representation through the Communications Workers of America. The CWA...

My take: Avelo not in the black but still faring better than Breeze

As 2023 ended, parking lots at Wilmington Airport remained near capacity as Avelo Airlines drew holiday passengers from Delaware and the Delaware Valley. Hundreds of close-in spaces are available as of today. It was a hopeful sign as the airline pares its schedule over the winter to Florida destinations. It's partly the result of scheduled maintenance that will take...

Our Top 25 stories in 2023

Posts on South American burglary gangs hitting northern Delaware, the new Great Wolf Lodge west of Newark and a Delaware company accused of operating a precious metals scam topped the list of most read stories on the Delaware Business Now site during 2023. The top 10 stories included a look at a failed urban renewal strategy that led to the...

My take: Governor’s race heats up

The Democratic Party's 2024 race for governor is heating up. Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long gained the endorsement of the Delaware House leadership on Tuesday.  Support from the group, led by House Speaker Valerie Longhurst, was good news for Hall-Long, whose campaign was sputtering over finance reporting handled by her spouse in previous campaigns. The group, led by longtime Hall-Long supporter...
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