The General Assembly on Wednesday passed the largest bond bill in state history, with $1.4 billion going toward construction projects and infrastructure improvements in Delaware.
The bond bill is one of the most important priorities for lawmakers during the session, which ends Thursday. The Legislature last week passed the state’s operating budget, which included raises for state employees and increased funding for health care workers and bus drivers.
See how $1.4 billion will be spentREAD IT: See how $1.4 billion will be spent
Unlike the budget, the bond bill needed bipartisan support because it requires a voting threshold of 75%. It received nearly unanimous support in both chambers this week. It now heads to the governor’s desk.
Nearly a quarter of this funding, about $331.4 million, will go toward completing road projects across the state, with funding also going toward fixing roads in the worst shape.
More than $285 million will be designated for school construction projects in school districts in all three counties. The School Safety and Security Fund received $10 million, which is expected to allow districts to hire school resource officers or constables, in the wake of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas.
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A number of Wilmington projects received funding, including the Riverfront Development Corp. and Frawley stadium. This money, $24.5 million in total, will also go to improvements for South Market Street and Fort Christina, among other things.
“With those numbers, that’s jobs,” Sen. Jack Walsh, D-Stanton, said of the bond bill. “That’s good-paying, prevailing wage jobs back out into the community for all of us.”
Many of the Senate Republicans on Wednesday praised the bond bill and the work of the committee. Sen. David Wilson, R-Cedar Creek Hundred, expressed frustration on how he wished the Food Bank of Delaware received more funding. Wilson overall praised the contents of the bill, though he abstained from voting.
“Obviously, nobody ever gets all they want in the bond bill or the budget,” said Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover. “We got more resources to more folks who affect the quality of life of Delawareans than we ever have. And I’ve been downstairs for 20-plus years in that committee.”
Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 256-2466 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MereNewman.
