The Joint Finance Committee held FY27 budget orientations for the Department of Elections, Insurance Commissioner, State Treasurer, and Auditor of Accounts — with no votes taken. The most substantive debate centered on the administration's decisions not to recommend funding for early voting expansion, a campaign finance reporting system upgrade, and cybersecurity services, with multiple members signaling interest in revisiting those items pending the May revenue picture.
+ 12 more actions
Senator Hansen questioned why nearly $4 million in early voting expansion was not recommended given known capacity issues including long lines at the Hudson State Service Center and New Castle warehouse. Budget staff stated the administration 'didn't favor increasing the voting locations.' Senator Lawson countered that the 2024 election used as the cost basis was a presidential election and midterm turnout is typically lower, suggesting the needs 'aren't as dire as they appear.'
+ 2 more controversies
“So I'm not saying that that's what the intent is here with this request, but , in a few years, if the revenue is changed, there could be a request to the committee to, , add those positions to the general fund. So that. So , these are. I was looking for. So that's the fear factor. Right now there's no fear factor. But potentially there could be down the road. , it's a possibility. Possibility, because otherwise I don't understand why it would get in the way of them making their own decisions. Thank you, Madam Co Chair. So I guess the concern is we took two ASF positions and put them onto GF and now we're adding five more. So if we continue each year to move from ASF to gf, then it becomes a burden”
+ 3 more quotes
Subscribe to see all key actions, controversies, quotes, and what's next.
Sign in to subscribeEveryone, the joint finance committee will come to order. We are going to start off with orientation and then see, later today we'll have elections. The insurance commissioner followed by lunch, then the state treasurer and the auditor of accounts. So if you would, Julie. Pardon me. Oh, roll call would be a good thing. Yes, please call the roll. Representative Bolden. Representative Bolden is walking in now. Senator Brown. Senator Brown. Absent. Senator Buxton. Yes. Present. Senator Buxton. Present. Representative Chuquocha. Represent. Represent Chuquocha. Present. Representative Griffith. Present. Representative Griffith. Present. Senator Hanson. Present. Senator Hanson. Present. Senator Lawson. Senator Lawson. Present. Senator Pardee. Present. Senator Pardee. Present. Representative Postols. Present. Representative Postols. Present. Representative Short. Representative Short. Present. Senator Sturgeon. Senator Sturgeon. Absent. Representative Williams. Present. Representative Williams. Present. Mr. Chair. Ten members. Present. Two absent. All right. Wonderful. Okay, let's. Let's get started with orientation on elections. Good morning. So we are week two, tab 70, Department of Elections. We'll start with the fiscal year 26 base budget. We have 45 general funded positions and 9,289,400 general funds under requests. Information technology. Additional funding for hardware replacement and software renewals. Outdated hardware includes desktop, laptops and servers.…
Subscribe to unlock the full transcript, summary, and search across all Delaware committee hearings.
Sign in to subscribe