Kent County Today

Delaware Rep. Ruth Briggs King (R-Georgetown) calls on her colleagues to pass two bills that have been sitting in the House Administration Committee since last spring. 

House Bill 137 would make all general election candidates disclose if they have unpaid state or federal personal income taxes or are in arrears on their local property taxes.

It has been sitting in committee against House rules since May, Briggs King said in an article on the Delaware GOP website.

“My initial expectation was that the bill would be embraced as a nonpartisan reform that would help citizens make informed decisions,” Briggs King said.

House Bill 126 would require elected officials and appointees to local, county or state offices to disclose if they are employed by a government agency or school to the Public Integrity Commission. The bill is meant to stop what Briggs King calls “double-dipping” with someone holding two taxpayer-funded jobs at the same time. 

The bill has been in the House Administration Committee since April.

“Again, the bill would hold Delaware’s elected officials more accountable and would apply equally to all public officeholders,” Briggs King said. “I have yet to hear any rational objection as to why either transparency bill should not become law."

Briggs King said she will ask House Democratic leaders to bring these measures to the floor for debate and action again.