Welcome to The Press Room, a semi-regular weekly roundup of the major stories and happenings of the 2023 Delaware legislative year.
This week’s edition focuses on a new gun bill, the conclusion of the Fox News trial and a historic state Supreme Court nominee.
As always, send story tips, feedback, ideas or gossip to me at mnewman@delawareonline.com.
Follow me on Twitter at @MereNewman.
Senate Democrats introduce permit to purchase gun legislation
Lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require Delawareans to obtain a permit and complete a firearm training class before purchasing a handgun.
A similar version of this bill was reintroduced last session. But it was noticeably not a part of the sweeping gun package, which increased the purchasing age, banned assault weapons and strengthened background checks.
It passed in the Senate last year, but was not voted on in the House of Representatives.
This bill would require Delawareans to complete a firearm training course in the last five years in order to purchase a handgun. Certain Delawareans would be exempt: Law enforcement officers (including those who are retired) and those allowed to carry a concealed deadly weapon – since they have already been required to take a firearm course.
BACKGROUNDDelaware lawmakers pass historic gun legislation, including ban on sale of assault weapons
Once a course is completed, residents would submit an application to the state. The State Bureau of Identification then has a month to fingerprint the applicant and confirm they are allowed to buy a gun. A permit will be issued and required when the person purchases a handgun.
If a Delawarean is denied, they would have 30 days to request a hearing before the Justice of the Peace Court.
This version of the bill requires the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security to provide vouchers to cover the entire cost of required training for anyone whose household earns less than 200% of the federal poverty guideline.
Gun advocate groups are adamantly against this bill, as they have been with most of the legislation passed by Democrats.
Delaware lawmakers say more than a dozen states have adopted similar legislation, including neighbors Maryland, New Jersey and New York. The bill will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 26.
The Fox News trial that never was
We’ll always have jury selection.
As you probably already know, the defamation lawsuit between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems settled just before lawyers were set to deliver opening statements in Delaware Superior Court.
The magic number was Fox paying $787.5 million, which was almost half of what Dominion originally asked for in its $1.6 billion lawsuit.
HISTORIC SETTLEMENT:Fox News, Dominion reach $787.5M settlement just before defamation trial was set to begin
But Fox’s legal troubles are not over in Delaware. Here are the pending lawsuits:
Abby Grossberg, the former Fox News producer, filed lawsuits in the Southern District of New York and the Superior Court of Delaware against her former employer. She says Fox lawyers pressured her to give false testimony for the Dominion lawsuit.
Robert Schwartz, a Fox Corp. shareholder, filed a lawsuit this month in Delaware Chancery Court against Murdoch and four other board members, accusing them of failing to stop Fox News from reporting lies about the 2020 presidential election.
First Black man poised to become Delaware Supreme Court justice
Gov. John Carney has nominated lawyer Christopher Griffiths to fill one of the two open seats on the Delaware Supreme Court. If confirmed, he would become the first Black man to serve on the state’s highest court.
The governor earlier this month announced this nomination as well as that of Judge Abigail LeGrow, who serves on the Delaware Superior Court. These two would fill the seats of Justice Tamika R. Montgomery-Reeves and Justice James T. Vaughn Jr.
Montgomery-Reeves, who in 2020 was the first Black person to serve on the Delaware Supreme Court, now serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December.
Vaughn is retiring after 25 years as a judge.
Griffiths is a partner at Connolly Gallagher LLP and primarily focuses on government and administrative law. He is a graduate of the University of Delaware and Salesianum School.
LeGrow has served on the Delaware Superior Court since 2016 when she was appointed by then-Gov. Jack Markell. The Delaware Senate will vote on these nominations in the coming weeks.
