The 152nd General Assembly has come to an end. Since January, we’ve been working hard on issues like reproductive freedom and justice reform. Here’s a quick snapshot of what we accomplished, and what’s left to be done.
As we continue the fight in the second half of 2024 and prepare for the 2025 legislative session, we want to say thank you. Thank you for sending messages, showing up, and making your voice heard — our work is not possible without civil liberties advocates like you.
With your continued support, we’re more ready than ever to keep pushing forward to protect and expand civil liberties for all.
What We Accomplished
Reproductive Freedom
As our country marked the two-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s shameful decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Delaware took a historic step toward guaranteeing that our state remains a leader in protecting and expanding abortion access for all who need it.
- With just days left in the legislative session, the Delaware General Assembly passed House Substitute 2 for House Bill 110 (HS 2 for HB 110), legislation that ensures abortion access by reducing financial barriers for people covered by Medicaid, private insurance, and state insurance plans. By reducing financial hurdles to accessing care, HS 2 for HB 110 will play a critical role in breaking down socioeconomic barriers and racial disparities in reproductive care across our state. The bill now heads to the Governor's desk to be signed into law.
Justice Reform
The death penalty in America is a broken process from start to finish and is inconsistent with the fundamental values of our democratic system. Delaware now joins 22 other states across the country in rejecting this unconstitutional form of cruel and unusual punishment.
- This year, Delaware took strides toward meaningful reform by passing House Bill 70 (HB 70), which will end our state’s use of the death penalty. This victory against an unconstitutional, ineffective, and inequitable practice is a significant step towards a more just and humane legal system that respects the rights and dignity of all individuals. The bill now awaits the Governor's signature.
Education Equity
In 2020, ACLU-DE negotiated a historic settlement on behalf of education and community advocates. This settlement paved the way for a systemic shift in funding for some of Delaware’s most vulnerable students. Following the settlement, the American Institute of Research (AIR) conducted an independent assessment of Delaware’s school funding, providing recommendations on how to improve the funding formula to make it more equitable to all students. One key recommendation was addressing the critical need for free or reduced lunch programs to support economically disadvantaged students.
- House Substitute 2 for House Bill 125 (HS 2 for HB 125), legislation that extends free lunch to children and families that qualify for reduced-price meals, passed the General Assembly and will now be signed into law. While this bill is a significant step toward ensuring that all Delaware’s students have a learning environment in which they are fed and cared for, the fight to guarantee universal free lunch for all students continues.
What's Still Left to Do
Probation Reform
Delaware still has a long way to go to reform our broken probation system. The state’s current probation system subjects over 10,000 Delawareans to extreme obstacles preventing many people from successfully reentering the community and restarting their lives.
- This year, lawmakers missed a critical opportunity to take steps toward repairing our broken probation system through Senate Substitute 3 for Senate Bill 4 (SB 4). SB 4 would eliminate unnecessarily burdensome reporting requirements, tailor probation conditions to the needs and circumstances of individuals on probation, and limit the use of incarceration for violations when no new crime has been committed. It’s past time to transform our broken probation system from surveillance and punishment to a system that encourages support, guidance, and true rehabilitation. We remain committed to making 2025 the year probation reform becomes a reality in Delaware.
Voting Rights
On June 28, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed a decision of the Delaware Superior Court that had found Delaware's early and permanent absentee voting laws unconstitutional. While this reversal provides certainty and maintains voting access for early in-person voters and permanent absentee voters in 2024, it still allows future challenges to Delaware’s early and permanent absentee voting laws.
- The Delaware House of Representatives failed to pass Senate Bill 3 with House Amendment 2 (SB 3 w/ HA 2), the first leg of an amendment to Delaware’s constitution which would allow for no-excuse absentee voting, protect voters' ability to receive absentee ballots without having to reapply each election cycle, and ensure early in-person voting in future elections.
What's Next
The fight is far from over. Here are a few ways to stay involved in the coming months.
Vote Your Values During the 2024 Election
Is your elected official committed to the continued fight for probation reform? Are they willing to champion pro-democracy reforms to protect and expand access to the ballot? We’re going to be asking all candidates for legislative office their stance on the issues that matter to you and publishing their answers on VoteDelaware.org. Use their answers to be certain you and your network vote for people who represent your values.
Join the Every Vote Counts Campaign
From arbitrary registration deadlines, to a lack of accessible voting options, to the disenfranchisement of incarcerated voters, Delaware's obstacles to the ballot box result in a less equitable and representative society for us all.
We believe that all who wish to vote should be able to do so. That’s why we are pushing back against attacks on voting rights by launching the Every Vote Counts Campaign (EVC), a multi-year effort to amend Delaware's constitution, bring our state into the 21st century, and ensure Delaware becomes a beacon of democracy and strong voter engagement.
DONATE TO help expand voting rights
Sign up for the EVC Campaign Training
Become an Education Equity Ambassador
Are you concerned with violations of students’ rights, underfunding, systemic racism, and harsh disciplinary practices in Delaware public schools? Are you interested in becoming a trained advocate for a safe, equitable, and proficient education for all Delaware students? Become an Education Equity Ambassador (EEA)!
Our EEA program recruits, trains, and empowers Delaware parents and guardians to advocate for our schools and children and enable them with the skills to make changes for the better.
Help Increase Expungement Access
Delaware’s Clean Slate automatic expungement legislation passed in 2021 and is set to begin implementation this August. We need your help ensuring Delawarean’s receive accessible and accurate information about the automated expungement process and advocating for an efficient implementation process to provide second chances to eligible individuals as soon as possible.
Take the Second Chances Pledge
Support Delaware's First Abortion Fund
Abortion rights advocates in Delaware are bracing for an influx of patients traveling from hostile states to receive abortion care. The First State Abortion Fund (FSAF), launched last year, allows Delawareans and patients traveling to Delaware a new avenue of support. Learn more about FSAF on their website.