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Delaware Senate convenes, administers oaths and adopts organizing resolutions
Summary
The Delaware State Senate held its first legislative day, administered ceremonial oaths to returning senators, and unanimously adopted resolutions to organize the chamber, notify the governor and House, set procedures on ethics, and schedule a joint session to announce the gubernatorial vote.
Dover, Delaware — The Delaware State Senate convened its first legislative day of the 150th General Assembly on Jan. 14, 2025, administering ceremonial oaths to returning members and passing a series of organizing resolutions to notify the governor and House, adopt internal rules on ethics procedures, and arrange a joint session to announce the vote for governor and lieutenant governor.
The Senate opened pursuant to Section 4, Article 2 of the Constitution of the State of Delaware and began with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance before administering ceremonial oaths to senators who had previously taken their formal oaths on Dec. 16, 2024. The oaths were administered throughout the session by a mix of judicial and county officials, including the Hon. Chris Griffiths, Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court; Bonnie David, Vice Chancellor of the Court of Chancery; Ken Cox, magistrate/judge of the Justice of the Peace Court; and Brenda Wooten, Clerk of the Peace for Kent County. Several senators offered brief remarks after taking their oaths, thanking voters, family members and colleagues.
Why it matters: The votes completed the Senate’s organization for the new session and authorized steps required by state procedure to begin legislative business, including notifying the executive and the House, adopting an internal ethics procedure rule, and arranging a joint session for the gubernatorial announcement.
Most consequential actions
- Senate Resolution No. 5 (appointing a committee to notify the governor that the Senate is organized) — moved by Senator Sikola and approved by roll call. The assistant secretary reported the roll call as 19 yes, with 2 seats vacant; the resolution was declared passed. Pursuant to the resolution, Senators W. Charles Pardee III and Eric Lamar Buxton were appointed to notify the governor that the Senate is organized.
- Senate Resolution No. 6 (appointing a committee to notify the House that the Senate is organized) — moved by Senator Secola and approved by roll call. The assistant secretary reported the roll call as 17 yes, 2 absent and 2 seats vacant; the resolution was declared passed. Pursuant to the resolution, Senators Mancevinos (spelled in the transcript variously) and Bryant Richardson were appointed to notify the House that the Senate is organized.
- Senate Resolution No. 8 (relating to Senate rules and procedure for ethics violations) — moved by Senator Lockman and approved by roll call. The assistant secretary reported the roll call as 17 yes, 2 absent and 2 seats vacant; the resolution was declared passed. The Senate noted that Senators Buxton and Pardee returned during the proceedings.
- Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1 (providing for a joint session of the Senate and House to announce the vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor) — moved by Senator Sikola and approved by roll call. The assistant secretary reported the roll call as 19 yes and 2 seats vacant; the concurrent resolution was declared passed.
Oaths and remarks
The chamber conducted ceremonial oath ceremonies in district order so newly reelected members could be sworn in publicly with family present. Senators who took ceremonial oaths and spoke included Darius Brown; Elizabeth Lachman; Laura Sturgeon; Russell Huxtable; Stephanie Hanson; Eric Lamar Buxton; W. Charles Pardee III; David L. Wilson; Bryant Richardson; and others. Administrators of the oaths were named publicly during the session as noted above. Remarks from senators were personal and reflective in tone, thanking constituents, family and colleagues and emphasizing service to constituents; no policy proposals were advanced in these remarks as part of the proceedings recorded in the transcript.
Procedure and next steps
Following passage of the organizing resolutions, the Senate named the members charged with notifying the governor and the House that the Senate is organized. Senators Pardee and Buxton were appointed to notify the governor; Senators Mancevinos and Richardson were appointed to notify the House. The Senate Executive Committee announced a meeting for the following day at 3 p.m. The Senate stood in recess until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
Votes at a glance
- Senate Resolution No. 5 — Passed (roll call reported: 19 yes, 2 seats vacant). Appointments: Senators W. Charles Pardee III and Eric Lamar Buxton to notify the governor. - Senate Resolution No. 6 — Passed (roll call reported: 17 yes, 2 absent, 2 seats vacant). Appointments: Senators Mancevinos and Bryant Richardson to notify the House. - Senate Resolution No. 8 — Passed (roll call reported: 17 yes, 2 absent, 2 seats vacant). Subject: Senate rules/procedure for ethics violations (by title only in the transcript). - Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 1 — Passed (roll call reported: 19 yes, 2 seats vacant). Subject: Joint session to announce the vote for governor and lieutenant governor.
The session record shows roll-call tallies read into the record for each resolution; individual yes/absent votes were read aloud during each roll call and the assistant secretary announced the final totals shown above. The transcript contains the full roll-call readouts for each resolution.
No substantive legislative debate on bills, appropriations, policy proposals, or amendments appears in the transcript for this meeting. The day’s business was procedural and ceremonial as the Senate completed organizational steps required to begin substantive legislative work.
