DOVER, DE - The Delaware State House of Representatives voted to override Gov. John Carney's veto of House Bill 282 on Wednesday.
For context, House Bill 282, sponsored by Rep. Paul Baumbach, reforms the State Employee Benefits Committee. According to its supporters, the bill increases transparency and retiree representation, and mandates public decision-making and committee member attendance.
House Speaker Valerie Longhurst noted the historical significance of the decision in a statement released by her staff.
"Today the House unanimously voted to override the Governor's veto of HB 282. This marks the first successful veto override in 47 years, underscoring the broad consensus among legislators on the importance of this bill to our state." Said Rep. Longhurst.
When combined with House Bill 281, also sponsored by Rep. Baumbach, the stated goal of the legislation is to "prohibit the state from considering Medicare Advantage plans for state retirees and make several changes to the State Employee Benefit Committee (SEBC), the group responsible for managing State employee and retiree benefit coverage."
When HB 281 and HB 282 initially passed through the House back in March Rep. Baumbach said: "These bills are a meaningful first step toward restoring trust with our state retirees, who have served our state government for many years under the assumption that these benefits would be available for them when they retired."
With Governor Carney's veto officially overridden these bills are scheduled to go into effect on January 1st, 2025.