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Delaware Senate Passes $4.2 Billion Operating Budget

Don Rush

DOVER, Del. (AP) - The Delaware Senate has approved a $4.27 billion operating budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.

The budget bill passed on a 19-1 vote Wednesday and now goes to the House.

The bill, which represents a 4 percent increase over this year's budget, includes $26 million for pay raises of $1,000 for most state employees and 2 percent for teachers.

It also includes millions more than Democratic Gov. John Carney proposed in areas including disability services, special education and school transportation.

Lawmakers also have filed a supplemental budget bill that would allocate $23 million for $500 employee bonuses, on top of the pay raises, and $11 million for one-time payments of $400 to retirees.

That would bring the spending increase over this year's budget to more than 5 percent.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.