WILMINGTON — The ACLU of Delaware held their 2023 Annual Meeting virtually last Thursday, featuring an interactive presentation by campaign managers, community partners, board members, and program ambassadors. The event highlighted progress on priority bills during the 2023 legislative session, recent community organizing efforts, and upcoming opportunities for the public to get involved.
As the 152nd General Assembly heads into the final month of session, Campaign Manager Helen Salita kicked off last week’s meeting with an update on HB 110, legislation that ensures that people on Medicaid, private, and state insurance plans are able to access abortion care without financial burden. “In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision,our state has became a safe haven for Delawareans as well as individuals from border states in which abortion rights are under heavy attack,” she said, “However, there is still work to be done to remove barriers preventing people from accessing care — one of the largest being the cost of an abortion.”
HB 110 currently awaits a vote on the House floor. “Right now, we have the opportunity to enhance abortion protection and accessibility in Delaware,” Sailta continued, “We need Delawareans to reach out to their Representative asking them to vote yes on HB 110.”
Next up, Racial Justice Organizer HaSini Perkins and Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League’s Shyanne Miller, detailed the progress on the fight for renters’ rights, a multi-year campaign with legislation initially introduced in 2021. This year, SB 1, a bill that ensures the right to representation for low-income renters facing eviction, successfully passed the Senate in a bipartisan vote and is moving towards its final push in the House. “Guaranteeing representation for renters facing eviction helps to keep people in their homes, reduce homelessness, and save taxpayer dollars,” Perkins said, “Everyone deserves a fighting chance at safe, stable housing.”
Since January, RJO organizing efforts have included public advocacy training sessions, letter writing campaigns, targeted email and text outreach, door-to-door canvassing, and statewide educational events. In order for this important legislation to make it to the Governor’s desk this year, ACLU-DE is asking supporters to send a message to their Representative urging them to move swiftly in passing it.
The meeting also spotlighted the current justice reform work. ACLU-DE remains steadfastly committed to reforming Delaware’s broken probation system. Throughout the past few months, Smart Justice Campaign Manager Haneef Salaam hosted a variety of events including town hall meetings, a lived experience panel, and a film screening of Jonathan Fisher’s documentary, “In a Whole New Way,” to spread public awareness, elevate impacted voices, and increase the pressure on elected officials to commit to meaningful reform.
Next week, the Smart Justice Campaign will host a Lobby Day at Legislative Hall to engage in conversations about Delaware's need for legislation like SB 4, a bill that aims to eliminate systemic barriers that prevent those recently released from prison from successful re-entry. These meetings will be largely led by Smart Justice Ambassadors (SJAs) like Timeless Thomas, who spoke about how the SJA program provides a platform for those with lived experience to become effective community advocates on issues like policing, probation, expungement, and more.
Senior Policy Advocate, Shannon Griffin, wrapped up the meeting with an opportunity for supporters to get involved with education equity work. After a successful School Board Elections campaign, ACLU-DE’s Equity in Education Campaign is excited to launch the Education Equity Ambassadors (EEA) program. The EEA program will train parents and guardians to advocate for a safe, equitable, and proficient education for all Delaware students. Interested individuals can visit aclu-de.org/EEA to learn more and apply.
More information about the organization’s initiatives can be found online at aclu-de.org. A recording of the annual meeting is available on the ACLU-DE YouTube channel.
Send a message: Support HB 110
