By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — Members of Delaware’s General Assembly donned purple as they were joined by a special guest to celebrate Women’s History Month on Wednesday.

In the House of Representatives’ majority hearing room just prior to session, lawmakers from both chambers visited with Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton, the first female to hold that post in the state’s history.

The day prior, legislators wore red as they celebrated Equal Pay Day, something Rep. McClinton emphasized during her remarks.

“How could it be that we fought so hard to be able to get into that voting booth, to be able to get into Hollywood, to be able to access all sorts of spaces and spheres of influence, and what some may say (are) positions of power, yet still, in too many situations and offices in corporate America and in public service, we are underpaid?” she said.

Rep. McClinton was joined by Rep. Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, who became Delaware’s first female speaker of the House on the final day of the 2023 session.

She was also flanked by House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, the first female person of color to serve in House leadership in the state, and many others, like Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth “Tizzy” Lockman, D-Wilmington.

Delaware State Housing Authority

After a shake-up in Delaware State Housing Authority leadership, the state Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm incoming director Cynthia Karnai, after she was nominated by Gov. John Carney on Feb. 20.

Ms. Karnai, who has served in a number of capacities with the agency since joining in 2005, had been acting as interim director since March 8, following the departure of Eugene Young.

“With her tenure and expertise with the Housing Authority, Cynthia is well positioned to lead the difficult but rewarding work of helping Delawareans obtain safe and stable housing, creating affordable housing options, and strengthening neighborhoods. I appreciate her willingness to continue to serve the First State,” the governor said in a statement.

On Monday, Mr. Young explained his decision to leave the agency, noting that his departure will allow him to “wholly focus on my campaign to serve all of Delaware as their representative in Congress.”

“Ensuring housing security for all Americans is one of the most critical needs facing our nation today. I am wholly committed to taking up this fight in the halls of Congress, just as I have done here at home, so that every citizen can enjoy the safety and security that comes with housing stability for themselves and their families,” he said in a statement.

Both Mr. Young and Sen. Sarah McBride, D-Wilmington, are campaigning for Delaware’s spot in the U.S. House of Representatives, as the current holder of that seat, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., runs for the position of retiring Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del.

Cease-fire

As the war in Gaza rages on, Rep. Blunt Rochester has pledged her support for a “mutual, long-term cease-fire” between Israel and Hamas.
Upon making that announcement March 8, she becomes the 77th member of Congress to call for a “cease-fire or cessation of hostilities” in Israel and Palestine, according to the Working Families Party cease-fire tracker.

“Since Oct. 7, the extreme loss of life among Israelis and Palestinians has been horrific. The ongoing death and destruction in Gaza shocks the conscience and is simply untenable. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, we must move swiftly to end the violence and this war,” the representative said in a statement.

“After very careful and prayerful deliberation and countless discussions with Delawareans across the state, I have come to the conclusion that the only way forward is a long-term ceasefire in which both the Israeli military and Hamas simultaneously and immediately end the violence.

“I am so thankful to all the Delawareans who have been sharing their voices and their vulnerability with me, whether it be in-person or through phone calls or letters to my office.”