Friends and neighbors,
While the Coronavirus has my colleagues and I doing fewer community events, I am continuing to share information on Facebook about our state’s COVID-19 recovery programs, testing programs, and more.
I want to be sure that you see the important items below on vote by mail, COVID-19 assistance program, an valuable savings option for Delawareans with disabilities and their families, and a new resource for help those struggling with addiction find treatment options in their area.
Please take a moment to read through these items and share them with neighbors who could put any of this information to good use!
As always, don’t hesitate to reply with your questions and comments.
Sincerely,
Jack Walsh
Senator, 9th District
Extended unemployment benefits
Unemployment benefits have been a lifeline for so many in our community who are struggling to put food on the table during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Governor John Carney acted quickly to expand the eligibility for those benefits in the early days of this crisis. His State of Emergency declaration allowed those who lost jobs due to the outbreak to seek unemployment benefits, waived the requirement that they be actively looking for work and opened the program to part-time workers.
I’m proud to announce he also signed legislation in July that Rep. Ed Osienski and I sponsored to extend those rules through March 31, 2021, even if the State of Emergency is lifted.
Those rule changes follow legislation I co-sponsored last year to increase the maximum weekly benefit provided by Delaware from $330 a week to $400 — a long overdue bump that couldn’t have come at better time for thousands of our neighbors.
The $600 a week in additional unemployment benefits provided by the federal government expired last month, and the Delaware Department of Labor is currently working to make sure our residents get the $300 a week in extended federal benefits approved in August.
Please reach out to my office if your or a family member is having trouble getting an unemployment check.
Vote by Mail in Delaware 2020
Vote by Mail is Available This Election Cycle
Over a year ago, State Rep. Gerald Brady and I began working on a bill that would let Delaware voters choose whether to cast their ballots in-person or by mail.
It didn’t go as far as we would have liked, but we felt like it was a good idea whose time had come. Maybe we were ahead of our time, because vote-by-mail went from being simply a convenient way to cast your ballot to good public health policy because of COVID-19.
That’s why, in June, the Delaware General Assembly passed House Bill 346, which will let us give vote-by-mail a try this year and this year alone.
Vote-by-mail ballot request forms have already been sent out Democrats and Republicans in advance of the Sept. 15 primary, and all voters will be getting request forms ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. You also can request a mail-in-ballot at ivote.de.gov.
In addition to being mailed in, those ballots can be dropped off at one of two Delaware Department of Elections drop boxes in New Castle County.
Those locations are:
- 820 N. French St. in Wilmington
- 200 Lisa Drive in New Castle
If you’re looking for more information on how to vote by mail this year, check out the video above and visit the state’s voter portal at ivote.de.gov.
COVID-19 Relief & Support
Several new financial assistance programs have been launched in recent weeks to help support Delaware families, Delaware workers and Delaware small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic:
$40M for Housing Assistance
Assistance is available statewide for eligible renters and homeowners impacted by COVID-19.
The State of Delaware and New Castle County will contribute a combined $40 million in CARES Act funding to provide payments for qualified applicants to the Delaware Housing Assistance Program or the Delaware Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program.
$100M for Business Assistance
The $100 million DE Relief Grants program will assist Delaware small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Applications will be available in early September. The program, funded by the federal CARES Act, is expected to reach more than 3,000 organizations. The size of the relief grant will be based on the business’s 2019 revenue. For more info on the program, visit delbiz.com/relief.
$20M for Broadband Infrastructure
Access to high-speed broadband internet has never been more important as students across the state prepare to begin the school year with remote learning. Thankfully, hundreds of Delaware families who live in rural areas of our state soon will now have access to the high-speed broadband internet they need, months ahead of schedule. Delaware is also directing $20 million in CARES Act funding to build out additional broadband infrastructure across Delaware, gather strategic data through a statewide speed survey, and acquire equipment and services for families in financial need.
$10M for Workforce Development
Governor Carney signed Executive Order #43 this month, creating the Rapid Workforce Training and Redeployment Training Initiative to assist Delaware workers and their families who have lost jobs and income due to COVID-19. The workforce development program will initially be funded with $10 million of federal CARES Act funding.
#ABLEtoSave Month
August is #ABLEtoSave month, and I hope you’ll help us spread the word about Delaware’s ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) savings accounts. These tax-advantaged savings accounts allow individuals with disabilities to save for a broad range of expenses without jeopardizing their benefits from supplemental security income (SSI), Medicaid and other federal or state programs. Funds also can be accessed for disability expenses, education and housing at any time without penalty.
The DEpendABLE program offers benefits you won’t find elsewhere. Every part of this program has been created with Delawareans with disabilities in mind and is guided by the belief that there is no limit to what we can achieve by bringing people together and giving them the power to chart their own future.
Open your ABLE account in as little as 10 minutes at able.delaware.gov
Read more in our State Treasurer’s official press release.
Watch a short video on ABLE Accounts and what they mean for Delaware families: https://vimeo.com/343741566
Finding Substance Abuse Services
Substance abuse is a serious issue that touches all of our families in one way or another.
One of the most effective measures we can take to combat addiction is to provide effective treatment options in communities across our state. But those resources don’t mean much unless the people who are suffering from substance abuse issues know where to go for help.
Now Delaware families have a new tool for finding high-quality and trusted addiction treatment services closest to them.
Treatment ATLAS is a free online platform that offers transparent data on evidence-based medical practices and patient experiences at addiction treatment facilities in their area.
Visitors can search out treatment services near their home based on the type of treatment needed, their ability to pay, and a number of other factors.
This new tool will compliment the Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health’s 24/7 Delaware Hope Line (1-833-9-HOPEDE) and HelpIsHereDE.com, a clearinghouse for information about how to connect to treatment and recovery services.
Click here to learn more about the launch: https://bit.ly/TreatmentAtlas
Or visit Treatment ATLAS directly here: https://treatmentatlas.org/
A Life of Service: Adj. Gen. Carol A. Timmons
I am saddened to report that former Delaware National Guard Adjutant General Carol A. Timmons passed away at the beginning of the month.
Major General Timmons became a humble role model for thousands of girls when she was confirmed as the first woman to ever lead the Delaware National Guard in 2017.
She graduated from William Penn High School before enlisting and immediately broke new ground as the first female air policeman in the 166th Airlift Wing. She later served in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Joint Guard, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. She earned a Bronze Star while flying combat missions in Afghanistan, one of many honors and recognitions she earned during her 42-year career of service to her state and her nation.
She will be greatly missed.
