After meeting with Governor Markell and testifying in front of the House Budget and Finance Committee during a 3 1/2 hour hearing, both HB211 and HB212 passed through committee late yesterday. HB211 will double a restaurant liquor license and HB212 will increase the excise tax paid on beer, wine and spirits.
There is little understanding of how difficult it is for small businesses–especially the restaurant industry given today’s economic climate. Legislators and the Governor feel the need to tax its way out of the budget deficit. The attitude is “everyone needs to give a little”. Restaurants in Delaware have seen a sharp decline in sales and cannot afford two new taxes that will affect the bottom line. Please tell your personal story to your representative today.
Please contact House members today. These bills are likely to sneak onto the agenda very quickly. If it passes through the House, it will most likely pass through the Senate.
Below are phone numbers to your Representative.
DE State of Representative phone numbers and/or the direct numbers to the House / Senate Caucuses .
House Majority Caucus 302-744-4351
House Minority Caucus 302-7444171
Name                Party     District                   Dist #           Leg Hall
Dennis P. Williams       D     Wilmington North             1          302-744-4351
Hazel D. Plant             D      Wilmington Central          2          302-744-4351
Helene M. Keeley        D      Wilmington South            3          302-744-4351
Gerald L. Brady           D      Wilmington West           4          302-744-4351
Melanie George Marshall D  Bear/Newark                   5           302-744-4126
Thomas H. Kovach      R      Brandywine Hundred South 6       302-744-4174
Bryon H. Short            D                                               7          302-744-4120
S. Quinton Johnson    D      Middletown                      8          302-744-4351
Richard C. Cathcart    R      Middletown                       9          302-744-4391
Dennis E. Williams    D     Talleyville                         10         302-744-4351
Gregory F. Lavelle      R     Sharpley                           11         302-744-4171
Deborah Hudson        R     Fairthorne                        12         302-744-4171
John L. Mitchell           D                                              13         302-744-4351
Peter C. Schwartzkopf D     Rehoboth                        14         302-744-4351
Valerie Longhurst       D     Bear                                15      302-744-4351
James Johnson           D                                             16          302-744-4351
Michael P. Mulrooney  D     Pennwood                      17          302-744-4351
Michael A. Barbieri    D     Newark                           18          302-744-4192
Robert F. Gilligan        D     Sherwood Park               19          302-577-4351
Nick T. Manolakos       R                                             20          302-744-4321
Michael Ramone         R     Middle Run Valley            21          302-744-4108
Joseph E. Miro            R     Pike Creek Valley            22          302-744-4171
Teresa Schooley        D     Newark                            23          302-744-4351
William A. Oberle       R      Beechers Lot                   24          302-744-4171
John A. Kowalko        D     Newark South                  25          302-744-4351
John J. Viola              D     Newark                             26          302-744-4351
Earl G. Jaques           D     Glasgow                           27          302-744-4142
William J. Carson     D     Smyrna                            28          302-744-4113
Pam Thornburg         R      Dover West                     29          302-744-4175
William R. “Bobby” Outten R  Harrington                  30          302-744-4083
Darryl M. Scott           D     Dover                             31          302-744-4351
E. Bradford Bennett   D     Dover                              32          302-744-4253
Robert E. Walls          D                                             33          302-744-4351
Donald A. Blakey        R                                             34          302-744-4171
David L. Wilson          R     Bridgeville                       35          302-744-4150
V. George Carey     R     Milford                             36          302-744-4119
Joseph W. Booth       R    Georgetown                     37          302-744-4251
Gerald W. Hocker      R    Ocean View                      38          302-744-4171
Daniel B. Short          R    Seaford                            39          302-744-4172
Clifford G. “Biff†Lee   R    Laurel                              40          302-744-4171
John C. Atkins            D   Millsboro                          41           302-744-4351
Let’s get these phones to work!