By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — The work of the 152nd General Assembly is now complete.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Senate completed their final business Sunday in what was an atypical June 30, with both chambers wrapping up business well before 10 p.m.

The 2024 legislative session was filled with contentious debates over bills to require a permit to purchase a firearm, reign in health care costs with hospital spending, expanded medical coverage, and more.

In the House of Representatives, the final week of this year’s session was as different as night and day compared to 2023, which lawmakers said encapsulated much of this year’s business.

“This was the least confrontational year that I can remember, and the fact that the confrontations were just such at a minimum … I attribute much of that to communication,” House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, R-Newark, told the Daily State News Sunday night.

During the final week of the 2023 session, House lawmakers clashed over legislation to change the city of Seaford’s charter - to allow nonresident artificial entity owners to vote – which appeared to put fiscal year 2024’s $1.4 billion capital budget and $72 million grants-in-aid bills in jeopardy.

But ultimately, they came to a compromise before June 30 that led to the House’s passage of the Seaford charter change, legislation to give the General Assembly a say in zero-emission vehicle regulations, and both fiscal bills which require three-fourths majority support. While the first two bills stalled in the Senate, the fiscal appropriations for Delaware residents and workers were secured.

After business concluded Sunday night, Rep. Ramone and Speaker of the House Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, attributed the efficiency and comparatively nonconfrontational end to the session to “opened channels of communication” that allowed leadership to make their legislative priorities clear.

The House and Senate were clear in what their priorities were, Speaker Longhurst told the Daily State News, which allowed for the typical carry over of legislation on the final day to be held to a minimum. She also noted that, in the House, Democratic and Republican leadership also worked together to ensure each sides wants were being met.

“This is the first time that I’ve been down here in 20 years that everybody’s gotten almost all of their bills, which was a phenomenal way of working together and also in a bipartisan manner. We got a lot of Republican bills done,” the House speaker said. “I think this General Assembly, I would have to say that everything that we set out to accomplish, we’ve accomplished.”

When Speaker Longhurst took over her new leadership position on the final day of the 2023 session - in which she became the first woman House speaker in Delaware history - she said she knew she wanted to open new lines of communication, because “there’s a lot that can break down if you don’t speak to each other.”

The Bear Democrat said House Democratic and Republican leadership met each week to discuss legislative business, and the same was done with House and Senate leadership to ensure the chambers’ priorities were met.

Senate Democrats own a supermajority in their chamber, but House Democrats do not have a three-fourths majority, meaning that at least two Republicans have to vote on fiscal bills — like the capital budget — for the measures to pass.

Rep. Ramone acknowledged that, because of this, holding out for the passage of Republican priorities is some of the only leverage the minority party has in the General Assembly. But after last year’s contentious final week, it was something he wanted to avoid this time around.

“We spoke for a month, (they said) we really don’t want you guys holding out on bond, what do you need? What does it need to look like? How do we need to get there, so we set up the parameters,” Rep. Ramone said while noting that any angst of potential holdouts was contingent on the Senate being on board with the plan.

The Newark Republican applauded the work of Senate Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, D-Newark, for ensuring that each caucus in each chamber’s priorities were met.

“It’s about trying to create an environment where Delaware is better served, and I think that’s where we ended up, and that’s where we’re supposed to end up,” Rep. Ramone said.

Among this year’s legislative accomplishments, Speaker Longhurst said passing the $6.1 billion state budget, $1.1 billion capital spending plan and $98 million grants-in-aid bill to support nonprofit organizations was of top priority because they are the three most important bills the legislature must pass.

She also remarked on a number of other measures that Delaware Democrats were able to get through the General Assembly and onto Gov. John Carney’s desk.

“As a caucus and with the governor, we got (a bill to procure) wind energy done tonight; we got House Bill 350, which is an oversight of the hospital’s spending to bring down health care costs… the death penalty (repeal) passing,” said Speaker Longhurst, who noted that mental health and affordable housing measures also received passage this year.

“We really touched on education, the economy and health care, and those were the three main ones that we really wanted to focus on.”

Rep. Ramone also noted some Republican accomplishments this year, including Millsboro Rep. Rich Collins’ proposal to clarify procedures the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control must follow for public hearings and Millsboro Rep. Jeff Hilovsky’s bill to require financial literacy education.

With the 152nd General Assembly now complete, lawmakers will now turn their attention to election season. Several lawmakers are departing the House, which will open the door for a new class of lawmakers aside from the potential for some seats to flip in both chambers of the legislature.

After the Nov. 5 general election, the 62 members of the Delaware General Assembly’s next class will be set.