2024 VoteDelaware Questionnaire Responses: Representative William (Bill) Bush

1. A recent independent report commissioned by the State of Delaware found that public schools across the state are underfunded by $600 million dollars and recommended increased per-pupil funding, transparency, and the flexibility to allocate resources. If elected what concrete steps would you propose to take to ensure districts close the funding deficit to provide a constitutionally adequate education?

Delaware has already begun the path to increasing teacher pay to meet a goal of $60,000 base salary for educators. We must continue on that path to ensure that we are competitive with other States in our region. Our funding formula was created in the 1940s and is in desperate need of an update. We have begun the process of supplementing local funding with greater State resources, something which much continue in order to improve the equity between school districts which do not have equal local property tax resources.

2. The Education Equity Ombudsperson program was codified into law last year without guaranteed continuing funding to ensure that the program is sustainable.  Will you support legislation to maintain the current annual funding of $1 million to support students statewide facing inequitable treatment? 

YES
I believe that students need advocates at each level of our education system and the equity ombudsperson is one more way to ensure that we have the needed level of advocacy. We need to do everything we can to level the playing field so every child has the opportunity to gain a quality education.

3. There are currently an estimated 5,000 undocumented children in Delaware living without access to basic healthcare services. This past session, the General Assembly failed to pass the “Cover All Children Act” which would have been a critical first step in developing a medical coverage program for children in Delaware who are not otherwise covered, including kids who are undocumented. Will you support legislation like the “Cover All Children Act” that ensures undocumented children are protected and cared for?  

YES
I believe that every child should have access to quality healthcare regardless of income or immigration status. Enrolling children in health insurance will help them and their families receive proper preventative care and hopefully avoid costly emergency room visits.

4. Over the past few decades, many immigrants have chosen to make Delaware their home and have become vital members of our communities. Will you support increasing translation and interpretation services in government agency buildings and in public schools to help immigrants navigate the systems we all use? 

YES
I supported legislation in 2023 that created more protections and transparent reporting for State agencies to provide translation services for those with limited english proficiency. Every Delawareans regardless of language deserves to feel comfortable navigating their schools and government. As new communities of immigrants enter Delaware we need to be prepared to support them with language they are most comfortable speaking.

5. Currently, agricultural and domestic workers are exempt from state labor protections which means that workers in those fields, many of whom are immigrants and work dangerous jobs, are left with few ways to protect themselves. Will you support the removal of this exemption, so that all workers, regardless of their job, have the same protections? 

YES
All workers deserve safety and labor protections on the job. In competitive work environments these labor laws are often the only protections workers have.

6. In 2017, Delaware codified the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in state law to ensure the right to an abortion remained protected. However, these protections could be removed through a simple majority vote and signature of the Governor. Will you support a state constitutional amendment to explicitly protect peoples’ access to reproductive healthcare?

YES
I have been proud to support legislation expanding access to reproductive healthcare during my time in the General Assembly including last years important legislation that required health insurance and Medicaid to cover access to treatments for termination of pregnancy. While the codification of Roe V. Wade has been important, it could be easily removed in the future. I support adding this critical codification into the State constitution so that these important protections are there for future Delawareans.

7. Black maternal mortality rates continue to increase in Delaware, with the gap in healthcare disparities widening. Will you support the creation of a Reproductive Healthcare Equity Fund that would support the additional costs of accessing reproductive healthcare for uninsured or underinsured people and fund the recruitment and expansion of the number of healthcare providers, including doula providers, in the state? 

YES
I support the creation of any fund that would help those in need access reproductive healthcare. Earlier this year I was proud to support legislation that expanded Medicaid and health insurance plans in Delaware to cover various reproductive healthcare procedures. We need to expand on this act so that no family has to choose between putting food on the table or going to their recommended prenatal appointments.

I have also been proud to support legislation that has expanded doula services including requiring doula coverage by Medicaid and other health insurers throughout our State. These expansions are key to tackling the healthcare disparities in our community and ensuring that the health of you and your baby is not determined by your background.

8. Delaware’s probation system is broken. It does not provide the resources and support needed for successful reentry, while allowing for overly harsh punishment for minor infractions. Will you support legislation tailoring probation conditions to the needs and circumstances of the individual and restricting the use of incarceration when no new crime has been committed?  

YES
As a practicing defense attorney I have seen far too many defendants jailed for simple failures of an extremely complicated probation system. Minor violations, especially attributed to a lack of wealth should not increase the level of probation or lead to incarceration. 

Probation should not be some sort of gotcha. 

9. Access to record expungement should not be determined by an individual’s economic circumstances. Will you support legislation removing fines and fees as a barrier to expungement eligibility? 

YES
I was proud to support legislation this past year that eliminated and forgave many of the old fees that had been burdening people. As a defense attorney I have seen hundreds of clients unable to move on with their lives because of fines and fees that had been tacked on during sentencing that had nothing to do with the crimes for which they were convicted. Our courts obviously need funding but we need to instead pull that from equitable sources that are not unfairly burdening those in our criminal justice system.

I will continue to support eliminating excessive fines and fees in our criminal justice system and will support legislation that removes them as a barrier from receiving expungement.

10. It is well documented that older incarcerated adults are less likely to commit new crimes if released. Will you support legislation that would expand compassionate release for older incarcerated adults? 

YES
I support expanding compassionate release for older incarcerated adults. Research for decades has shown that older adults are extremely unlikely to commit new crimes when released from prison. 

11. The Delaware Supreme Court recently upheld Delaware’s early in-person and permanent absentee voting laws, but the laws remain vulnerable to future legal challenges. Will you support protecting early in-person and permanent absentee voting through a constitutional amendment? 

YES
I was proud to support constitutional amendments enshrining in person, permanent absentee, and no excuse absentee voting in our constitution. Delaware’s constitution was written in a time before these were common voting practices and needs to be updated so that voters are able to exercise their constitutional right to vote in as many ways as possible. Early voting and absentee voting are safe and secure ways to vote. I am hopeful that the election in  November leads to the General Assembly receiving the 2 further votes it needs in order to pass these amendments.

12. As of 2022, felony disenfranchisement affected 7,721 voters in Delaware. 2,965 of these people were disenfranchised while on probation or parole and 1,360 were disenfranchised even though they were not incarcerated or on probation or parole. . Voting allows people to remain connected to their communities and helps facilitate the re-entry process. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing all people to vote as soon as they leave prison? 

YES
Far too many people in Delaware who have served their time are unable to vote. Restoring voting rights is an important step towards reintegrating former inmates into society.

I plan to introduce legislation when the General Assembly returns requiring the Department of Corrections to register those leaving prison to vote. We are able to register most Delawareans when they utilize services at the DMV to vote in a seamless process. I believe that we can and should bring this process to those being released from prison. 

13. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing for same-day voter registration? 

YES
I support a constitutional amendment allowing for same day voter registration. Thousands of the residents of my district are new to Delaware and many move in every month. The voter deadlines that are weeks in advance of our elections lead to many of them being disenfranchised and unable to participate in elections for the new state they call home. We need to right this wrong by adding a constitutional amendment that guarantees same-day voter registration.

14. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing for no-excuse absentee voting?

YES
I support adding no-excuse absentee voting to our constitution. Many of those moving into my district are seniors, some without reliable transportation. By allowing them the use of no excuse absentee ballots we increase the likelihood they are able to vote and have their voices be heard in elections. We need to be doing everything we can to increase access to the ballot box for every Delawarean so that we have the most representative and accountable government possible.