State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky

10/13/2026

OPINION: Delaware Schools Need to Embrace the Advantages New Technologies Offer

BY State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky

I recently traveled to New Jersey to meet with Rowan University Chancellor Dr. Tony Lowman and the Dreamscape Learn Team.

Dreamscape Learn is an Extended Reality (Virtual Reality) experience that enhances interest, stimulates curiosity, increases participation and attendance, and involves students directly in the learning process by immersing them in a 3D virtual reality environment.

I had the opportunity to tour the facility, speak with faculty, and experience two lessons: one on Chemistry and the other on Art History. Both lessons were interactive and provided opportunities to grasp concepts, learn facts, and spark questions that left you curious, wanting more information, and anticipating the coursework that followed to build the learning needed for the next VR experience.

In a time when many are questioning education's relevance, and where and how jobs will be created in this exponentially changing world, one must wonder: how is it possible we are teaching essentially the same way (one teacher/20 students) as we did in the 1700s?

This is not about thinking outside the box. This is about using "force multipliers" like Extended Reality and VR to permit educators to prepare our students, who each may learn differently and think differently to succeed in an ever-changing world.

Dr. Lomax was clear and took me on a private tour to visualize how he will expand this opportunity to many more students in the near future.

As the legislative session ended in June, the House passed House Bill 404, which I wrote with Delaware Education Secretary Dr. Cindy Marten and her team to responsibly integrate Extended Reality and AI into the classroom. The measure included strict guardrails, with state officials providing legal and technological oversight to protect student privacy and safety.

Unfortunately, in the early morning hours of July 1st, the Senate Majority Leader and Senate Pro Tempore refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote for purely partisan political reasons.

I will soon meet with the DOE to discuss a hands-on demonstration in Delaware.

Please use this link to access a two-minute video that illustrates the promise this approach holds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6zL1BYmUsI

10/06/2026

Rep. Hilovsky was a co-sponsor of this legislation...

OPINION: Governor Vetoes Reform Bill, Choosing to Retain Unlimited Power Over Citizens

By Joseph Fulgham

Director of Policy & Communications

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Caucus

OCTOBER 5, 2026 -- Governor Matt Meyer recently rejected a bipartisan effort to reform Delaware law and add a check on the unlimited power his office wields during a State of Emergency.

Last Wednesday, the governor vetoed House Substitute 1 for House Bill 329 (as amended) – a decision he delayed until the last possible moment, when he was legally forced to act.

To understand what is at stake, a little context is needed.

At present, a governor can declare a State of Emergency in response to an emergency or disaster, or when such an occurrence is imminent. A State of Emergency can be maintained for up to 30 days and then renewed for an additional 30 days, an unlimited number of times. During the State of Emergency, the governor becomes an autocrat, able to unilaterally issue executive orders that carry the weight of law.

No one disputes that the state’s chief executive needs such power to quickly and decisively deal with a manmade or natural occurrence that suddenly endangers the public welfare. This sweeping authority had never been questioned until COVID-19 appeared.

After declaring a State of Emergency in March 2020, Governor John Carney maintained it for two years through a series of rolling renewals, issuing hundreds of edicts contained in dozens of executive orders during that span. These orders carried the weight of law and impacted the daily lives of every Delawarean in countless ways.

Delaware had never experienced a State of Emergency maintained for such a long span. It quickly demonstrated the need for change.

Over those two years, thousands of Delawareans contacted their state legislators expressing wide-ranging concerns about the governor’s orders. Those constituents often cited valid concerns about equity, safety, effectiveness, violations of constitutional freedoms, business viability, the quality of remote public education, and more. State lawmakers could do little beyond sharing their objections with the governor’s office and asking his staff to bring them to his attention. Citizens were powerless to impact the process because their elected officials had no recourse when the governor issued an order.

Under the circumstances of the pandemic, the courts were also not much of a check on gubernatorial authority.

The purpose of HS 1 for HB 329, sponsored by State Rep. Rich Collins (R-Millsboro), was to give Delaware citizens the ability to be heard, through their elected representatives, should such a situation ever recur.

Under the proposal, the governor would continue to be able to declare and maintain a State of Emergency for up to six consecutive months (180 days). The governor could renew the order, but the General Assembly could amend or terminate any subsequent renewal through a concurrent resolution.

The bill also pointedly included a clause that it would not take effect until after Gov. Meyer left office, even if elected to a second term. This legislation would not affect his administration.

In his eight-page veto message, the governor complained that the bill “tries to give the General Assembly the power to act with the force of law without requiring it to follow the constitutional lawmaking process.” That objection is transparently hypocritical. This is precisely the authority the governor’s office currently wields during a State of Emergency. Giving the state legislature the ability to check the governor’s unfettered power does not skew the process; it balances the scales.

The governor’s veto message also contended that “in an emergency, divided command means delayed action, confused responders, and blurred accountability. When public safety is at stake, Delaware needs one clear chain of command and one official the public can hold accountable.”

Both points are ludicrous. As previously noted, the reform bill keeps the governor’s ability to declare and maintain a State of Emergency for up to six months intact, as well as the unlimited authority to issue unquestioned orders. The emergency declaration could still be maintained afterward. The only change would be that after the first 180 days, state lawmakers would have a seat at the decision-making table.

The second aspect of the governor’s objection, accountability, strikes at the heart of the matter. At present, citizens have no available option to hold a governor accountable during a State of Emergency. None. The governor is driving the car, and citizens are restrained in the back seat along for the ride.

At an unfortunate time in our state and nation, when Republicans and Democrats cannot seem to agree on anything, Delaware’s lawmakers found common ground on the need for reform. This bipartisan bill cleared the House and the Senate unanimously.

When the 154th General Assembly convenes next year, legislators should return to this topic and seize the opportunity to improve our state’s emergency response laws, safeguarding the right of all Delawareans to have their voices heard.

10/01/2026

NEWS:
Local Federal Funds to Benefit Georgetown Health Center

State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky recently joined Governor Matt Meyer, other state officials, and La Red Health Center staff to celebrate a federal appropriation to improve healthcare access.

La Red Health Center will receive $10.1 million from a nearly $23 million federal Rural Health Transformation Program grant for Delaware’s three Federally Qualified Health Centers.

La Red will use its funding to build its value-based care infrastructure and improve access for underserved patients in Sussex County. The award will support implementing Epic Community Connect, care coordination, remote patient monitoring, chronic disease management, cybersecurity, transportation, and upgrades to technology and data infrastructure. Funding will also support integrated medical, behavioral health, dental, and specialty care.

Westside Family Healthcare and Henrietta Johnson Medical Center will also benefit from the appropriation.

The healthcare center funding is part of the larger Delaware Rural Health Transformation Program, a federally financed initiative of 15 projects focused on expanding access to care, lowering costs, and growing our state’s healthcare workforce. Delaware received approximately $157.4 million in federal funding for the first year of the program. One project, aimed at reducing the incidence of Type II diabetes, resulted from legislation sponsored by Rep. Hilovsky.

09/30/2026

IN THE COMMUNITY - Air Mobility Command Museum Marks a Milestone

REP. HILOVSKY: "I recently attended the 40th anniversary celebration of the Air Mobility Command Museum, located on the grounds of Dover Air Force Base. It was an unforgettable evening celebrating this top-notch facility dedicated to preserving the legacy of the men, women, and machines that faithfully served our country, flying humanitarian missions during peacetime and transporting essential personnel and materiel during times of war. It was a great night, with wonderful music provided by the Milgird Community Band! Retired USAF Lt. General Bill Welser III, President of the AMC Museum Foundation, served as the Master of Ceremonies."

09/29/2026

NEWS & OPINION:
We Refused the Simple Answers, So Our Community Got the Water Testing It Deserved

By State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky

When families in Oak Orchard, Long Neck, Angola, and northeast Millsboro asked whether their drinking water was safe, some were told the culprit was nitrates. That simple answer was never going to be enough.

Private wells are not regulated like public water systems. Some complained of illnesses that their medical history couldn't explain. We had to do more.

Over 18 months, I convened the people who had expertise in groundwater and toxicology, and I included the state agencies and a local laboratory partner to run advanced sampling, not a single agricultural screen. Families now have written records. Every private-well household can get tested at no cost and get help paying for treatment when a result is high.

Public water systems must monitor under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and publish an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR). Private-well owners are the operators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend testing those wells about once a year. Too many households never get that far, because a serious test is expensive.

I asked for bipartisan help by inviting legislators with experience and expertise in these areas. State Reps. Kerri Evelyn Harris and Sophie Phillips offered their assistance.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) provided a leading hydrologist, and the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) added a senior environmental scientist to the team.

We recruited toxicologists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)—a federal health organization that evaluates chemical exposures to help interpret advanced results.

The DNREC and DHSS secretaries demonstrated a commitment to excellence and to using sound science to resolve these issues. The hydrologist and senior environmental scientist obtained and interpreted multiple samples.

Hydrologists explain how water moves underground. A senior environmental scientist keeps the design honest. ATSDR toxicologists keep the health conversation tethered to evidence. The legislative team kept pushing the process forward.

From January 29, 2025, through July 20, 2026, we sampled wells in this review nine times. The panels changed as the science required. January 29 and February 5, 2025, used the Expanded Sampling List plus Standard Drinking Water Parameters from the Division of Public Health (DPH).

August 14, 2025, we paired the Expanded list with the 3 Parameter List. On January 14 and February 11, 2026, half the locations received the 06 Parameter List, and every pre-filtration sample — water taken before a household filter — received the 3 Parameter List. May 21, June 11, June 23, and July 20, 2026, used the 04 Parameter List. Those names sound bureaucratic. The chemistry inside them is not.

Together, the five lists covered seven families of analysis:

• Standard DPH parameters. Total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) by the Colilert method, plus nitrate as nitrogen, fluoride, chloride, sulfate, iron, hardness, sodium, alkalinity, pH, and free chlorine.
• PFAS. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — persistent “forever chemicals.” The panel included PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, PFBA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and related replacement compounds, broader than the few PFAS with federal limits.
• Metals and cyanide. More than 20 elements, including arsenic, lead, copper, iron, and manganese.
• Pesticides. Persistent organochlorines such as DDT, chlordane, and lindane.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Fuels and solvents, including benzene, toluene, xylenes, chlorinated solvents, and MTBE.
• Pharmaceuticals and personal-care products. Wastewater tracers such as caffeine, cotinine, acetaminophen, metformin, and DEET.
• DNA microorganism analysis. Selected events used 16S rRNA gene sequencing, a genetic barcode for bacteria and archaea. It is a microbial census, not a substitute for the Colilert safety result.

In April 2024, EPA set Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for public systems: PFOA and PFOS at 4 parts per trillion (ppt); PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX at 10 ppt; and a Hazard Index of 1 for certain mixtures. Delaware uses those numbers as private-well action levels. An MCL is not a promise of zero chemicals. One sample is a snapshot. That is why we sampled repeatedly, with hydrologists, a senior environmental scientist, and ATSDR toxicologists reading the same pages.

A laboratory panel replaces uncertainty and guesswork with a record. Families who went through these events now have DHSS-provided results that are actionable for a water treatment professional to remediate and for their clinician to interpret.

No household in this district will need to wait for another special sampling day. Every private-well household can get tested at no cost and, if qualified, can seek assistance to help pay for treatment when the result is high.

DNREC and DHSS now offer statewide private-well sampling at no cost. After you file the form, staff or the state contractor contacts the household within two weeks. If results are above a threshold, DPH notifies residents within 48 hours. When PFAS or other contaminants exceed Delaware’s action levels, filtration systems and maintenance may be provided. Qualifying low-income households may receive 100 percent of installation and one year of maintenance; moderate-income households may receive up to 50 percent of each.

That is the health improvement: a free sample, a health-agency call if the number is high, and a path to pay for the filter.

If you drink from a private well, submit the state’s Private Well Water Sampling Request and Consent Form. There is no charge for sampling or laboratory analysis. Read the program at de.gov/pfas and on DNREC’s PFAS in Delaware page. DHSS also keeps a private drinking-water page with kit locations.

Public-system customers should look up their utility on Delaware Drinking Water Watch. For federal health context on PFAS, use ATSDR’s PFAS pages.

If a result is high and cost is the barrier, tell DHSS when they call. Treatment help is income-based. United For ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) publishes the ALICE household income-status tool that Delaware agencies use when talking about households above poverty that still cannot cover a basic budget. Use it as a planning reference, then ask DHSS which assistance tier applies.

District 4 residents asked hard questions. Dismissing their concerns by blaming it on nitrate contamination would have been the easy option. We didn't take it, because they deserve better. We built a skilled team, ran nine sampling events across five advanced laboratory lists, and secured free water testing and treatment for residents.

Special thanks to DHSS and DNREC who, proved government can solve problems and work for those who hired them: the people!

LINKS:
Private Well Water Sampling Request and Consent Form:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/9c4a230cbb7d4d82bad446fcb4c95f70?portalUrl=https://dnrec.maps.arcgis.com

PFAs in Delaware:
https://dnrec.delaware.gov/waste-hazardous/remediation/pfas/

DHSS Private Drinking Water Webpage (including kit pick-up locations).
https://dhss.delaware.gov/dph/homepage/about/sections/ehdishome/labs/environmental-laboratory/private-drinking-water/

Public-system customers can look up their utility at:
https://drinkingwater.dhss.delaware.gov/

For a federal health context on PFAS, visit:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/

Delaware agencies use the ALICE household income-status tool to identify households above the poverty line that still struggle to cover a basic budget. Use this as a planning reference when asking DHSS about assistance:
https://www.unitedforalice.org/alice-income-status-tool

09/29/2026

NEWS: Honoring Delaware's Visionaries

State Rep. Jeff Hilovsky was among those attending the recent Pete du Pont Freedom Award presentation.

The annual honor is presented to an individual or organization that has championed a successful idea that has led to economic growth or brought innovation to the private sector.

This year's winners are Terry and Sandy Strine for co-founding Leadership Delaware, an ambitious effort to develop Delawareans with the integrity, vision, and courage to lead.

Now nearly 20 years old, the organization has grown into one of the state’s most influential leadership pipelines. Through its flagship fellowship program, Leadership Delaware has graduated nearly 400 leaders, creating a powerful and expanding network of changemakers across business, government and the nonprofit sector.

"Together, the Strines built and led Leadership Delaware," said Rep. Hilovsky. "Their acceptance remarks were heartfelt, exemplifying the humility and 'service before self' mindset that allowed them to influence and guide so many lives. I found it very inspiring."

09/28/2026

IN THE COMMUNITY - Economic Development in Sussex County

REP. HILOVSKY: "I had the recent opportunity to attend the Sussex Economic Development Action Committee (SEDAC) meeting in Georgetown, where I was asked to discuss the county’s role in the federally funded Rural Healthcare Transformation Program (RHTP).

"Delaware received over $157 million this year for the development of programs to improve the quality and availability of healthcare in rural Delaware. Among the initiatives are funding for Delaware’s Medical School and the Delaware Diabetes Wellness Program that I authored (House Bill 305).

"Additionally, I discussed funding for dredging obtained in the current Bond Bill for site preparation work to develop aquaculture, establishing oyster and clam farming in Delaware."

09/27/2026

FEATURE: Confusion Over Solicitation and Political Canvassing Creates Friction, Conflict

SEPTEMBER 27, 2026 -- With less than six weeks remaining until Election Day, political candidates and their supporters throughout Delaware are actively campaigning, leading to more complaints and confrontations over confusion between solicitation and canvassing.

Decades of case law have established Americans' right to advocate for political, religious, and non-profit causes door-to-door, even in privately owned communities.

Solicitation involves situations in which individuals go door-to-door to sell goods or services. By contrast, canvassing is a noncommercial exercise of free speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In political canvassing, volunteers or candidates visit homes to share information, discuss public issues, register voters, or encourage people to vote. Canvassing for political, religious, and non-profit groups is a protected right. Noncommercial canvassers are legally entitled to go door-to-door, speak with residents, and distribute literature.

Federal court cases over more than sixty years have affirmed and framed these rights, striking down state and local attempts to prohibit or unreasonably restrict such activities.

In Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938), the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) found that a city ordinance requiring a permit to distribute “circulars, handbooks, advertising, or literature of any kind” was unconstitutional. The ruling established a precedent for broadly allowing canvassing and the distribution of flyers, declaring it a form of protected speech.

In Martin v. City of Struthers (1943), the Supreme Court found unconstitutional a municipal ordinance that barred anyone from contacting citizens in their homes to distribute handbills or circulars. Delivering the prevailing opinion, Justice Hugo Black noted that the ability to distribute information to every citizen was “so clearly vital to the preservation of a free society that…it must be fully preserved.”

Generally, constitutional freedoms cannot be suspended inside privately owned communities.

In Marsh v. Alabama (1946), the High Court considered a case in which religious materials were being distributed in Chickasaw, a town exclusively owned by a corporation. Company officials posted the notice stating: "This Is Private Property, and Without Written Permission, No Street, or House Vendor, Agent or Solicitation of Any Kind Will Be Permitted."

A woman handing out literature for the Jehovah's Witnesses was later arrested when she refused to comply with the declaration. In this case, the justices found that even though the community was under exclusive private ownership, the owners could not arbitrarily curtail citizens’ constitutional rights. “Ownership does not always mean absolute dominion,” the court’s prevailing opinion stated. “When we balance the Constitutional rights of owners of property against those of the people to enjoy freedom of press and religion, as we must here, we remain mindful of the fact that the latter occupy a preferred position.”

Political canvassers cannot be required to obtain a license, pay a fee, wear an identification card, be subject to a criminal background check, or get permission from any municipality or homeowners association –- all rights affirmed in decisions made in the decisions of: Murdock v. Pennsylvania (1943); Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of Stratton (2002); and Lovell v. City of Griffin (1938).

While political canvassing is legally protected and cannot be prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance, or most homeowners’ associations, it is not without limits.

Private, gated communities, whose roads are not open to public access, can bar canvassers from entering.

Within reason, restrictions can limit the hours during which political canvassing can occur, such as between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Homeowners have the right to bar canvassers from their properties by posting “No Trespassing” or “No Canvassing” signs.

Canvassers must also leave the property immediately if the homeowner asks them to. Under Delaware law, people who knowingly violate the property owner's wishes could be found guilty of criminal trespass in the second or third degree.

09/24/2026

HONORED BY THE DELAWARE MANUFACTURED HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION

REP. HILOVSKY: "I recently attended a DMHOA Board meeting and was honored with a Certificate for my work serving manufactured homeowners. We discussed several issues, including the rate-increase calculation formula, the impending sale of a manufactured home community in District 4, and landowner and homeowner rights."

09/15/2026

NEWS FROM SUSSEX COUNTY: Sussex County Property Taxes Due September 30

Sussex County reminds property owners that September 30 is the mandated deadline to pay annual County property tax bills.

In August, the County’s Business Services office issued tax bills for the 2027 fiscal year, totaling an estimated $218 million in tax revenue. Annual tax bills include County property taxes, and County sewer and water, tax ditch and street lighting fees, where applicable. Additionally, tax bills include local school district taxes, which are set by and vary among the eight independent school districts. Delaware law requires Sussex County to bill property owners for school taxes on behalf of the districts, with those funds then turned over to the State. Approximately 10 percent of the typical residential tax bill is for County property taxes, with the remainder going to public education administered by the local, independent school districts.

Bills are available for viewing on the County’s website, at sussexcountyde.munisselfservice.com/css/citizens/RealEstate/Default.aspx.

Tax bills feature an easy-to-read format to help taxpayers understand their bills and payment options, a number of which are available for the public’s convenience.

Sussex County accepts tax payments by cash, check, money order, and debit or credit cards. Taxpayers have different options to make their payments. These include:

THROUGH LENDER
Many taxpayers have their annual taxes paid out of escrow accounts by their mortgage lenders. Escrow customers do not receive paper bills. However, billed amounts are available online by visiting www.sussexcountyde.gov/pay-your-bill and selecting the “Sussex County Self Service site” link on the page. If escrow customers have any questions regarding the status of their accounts, they should contact their lenders or enter their parcel ID in the County’s EscrowCheck tool at www.sussexcountyde.gov/EscrowCheck to see real-time tax payment status. This option is the fastest, easiest way to check escrow information as hold times to speak with County representatives have increased due to call volume.

ONLINE
Payment can be made online with most major credit cards or by e-check. Please visit www.sussexcountyde.gov and select “Online Payment” at the top right of the page.

BY MAIL
Property owners can mail their tax payments using the return envelopes included with their bills. Checks and money orders should be made payable to “Sussex County Government” and addressed to the Sussex County Treasury Division, PO Box 601, Georgetown, DE 19947. All payments sent by mail must be postmarked by Sept. 30 to be considered received on time. Unpaid balances are subject to monthly interest charges.

IN PERSON OR BY TELEPHONE
The County’s payment center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The office is located on the first floor of the County Administrative Offices building, 2 The Circle, in Georgetown. A convenient and secure after-hours payment drop box also is available, located in the lobby. For those making payment by telephone, call 1-866-791-9802. Callers must have their annual tax bill available when making a telephone payment.

For more information or general questions about tax bill payments, please call (302) 855-7871.

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