Priorities

• Senator Paradee is focused on pursuing a fiscally sustainable government that is also responsive to the will of its constituents.

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• Senator Paradee is committed to improving public health and social justice.

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• Senator Paradee is safeguarding Delaware’s environmental future.

Accomplishments

​Economy and Budget:

• As the co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), Senator Paradee played a pivotal role in shaping policies that impact Delaware’s economic landscape. Under his leadership, the JFC approved a $6.1 billion operating budget for Fiscal Year 2025. Senator Paradee’s stewardship ensured a balanced and responsive budget addressing immediate and long-term needs in the state.

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 325, The Fiscal Year 25 (FY 25) operating budget bill, which includes $132 million for state employee and state retiree health costs, $17 million for continued mental health support in Delaware public schools, a 2% raise for teachers and education specialists, and $10 million for Opportunity Funding for multilingual learners and low-income students. This comprehensive support ensures the continuation and enhancement of essential services for Delawareans. 

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 326, The FY 25 one-time supplemental budget, a total of $168 million, which addresses supplemental appropriations, includes $56 million will be allocated to the Other Post Employment Benefits Fund to cover future retiree healthcare needs and $3.5 million for residential and childhood lead prevention and remediation programs.

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 327, The FY 25 Grants-in-Aid bill, a record-setting $98.5 million grant package that will help to strengthen Delaware’s fire companies, ambulance services, senior centers, veterans’ organizations, and other community groups that provide invaluable services to Delaware residents.

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 64, which promotes increased capital investment at Delaware Casinos by restructuring the licensing fee reductions for table games. This legislative change encourages casinos to invest more in their facilities, thereby enhancing competitiveness and modernizing gaming establishments to bolster economic development and infrastructure in the state.

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 270, the codification of the Budget Stabilization Fund aims to provide a more stable and predictable financial framework for the state by setting limits on government spending and requirements for saving. This legislation ensures the sustainability of Delaware’s fiscal policies, helping the state manage future revenue fluctuations more effectively. 

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Cannabis:

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 1, which Legalized the possession and private use of marijuana for adults aged 21 and over. 

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 2, The Delaware Marijuana Control Act, which regulates and taxes marijuana. This comprehensive act establishes a framework for the production, manufacture, and sale of recreational marijuana, including key regulations to ensure public safety and health.

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 334, which provides necessary technical and logistical corrections to House Bill 2, demonstrating Senator Paradee’s responsiveness and flexibility as a new adult-use cannabis industry develops.

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 355, which ensures legal protections for financial institutions that offer financial/accounting services to cannabis-related businesses to help ensure that this new industry has a clear path to access the financial services that support any small business.

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 408, which gives Delaware’s marijuana-related businesses an avenue to enter the recreational market, which will then help the communities most harmed by the war on drugs take advantage of the startup opportunities created by Delaware’s new recreational marijuana law.

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 425, rooted in aligning public health and safety, this bill moves the Medical Marijuana Program from the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) under the new Office of the Marijuana Commissioner in the Department of Homeland Safety so one agency can oversee legal cannabis in all forms. 

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Environment:

• Senator Paradee sponsored Senate Bill 51, which aims to reduce plastic waste by prohibiting the use of single-service plastic and polystyrene containers, a non-biodegradable and potentially carcinogenic petroleum product, in food establishments. 

• Senator Paradee sponsored House Bill 402, which requires new school and state buildings over 50,000 square feet to include “solar-ready zones” in their construction. This initiative promotes sustainable building practices and supports the transition to renewable energy sources.