Why Should Delaware Care?
A new bill would protect the Delaware Hispanic Commission under law, strengthening its efforts to help the state’s Hispanic communities, as Hispanics comprise one of the fastest growing demographics in the state.
A new bill would codify the Delaware Hispanic Commission into law, 13 years after its creation and as Hispanics are one of the fastest growing demographics in the state.
Senate Bill 286 would protect the commission under Delaware law and improve its access to resources through the Delaware Department of State. The legislation aims to create equity with other heritage commissions, which are already codified, and give the organization long-term stability to promote the impact and needs of Delaware’s Hispanic community.
The commission was created, and currently only exists, under a 2011 executive order by then-Gov. Jack Markell. If they wished, any governor could do away with the commission as it currently exists.
The bill would change that.
“By codifying (the commission), it means that no one will be able to take that away from the Delaware community,” said Carlos de los Ramos, chair of the commission.
The number of Hispanic or Latino residents in Delaware has increased by nearly 8% in 33 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The percentage rose from roughly 2.4% in 1990 to about 10.3% in 2023.
The codification of the commission would help streamline its operations and strengthen its role as a liaison between the state’s Hispanic communities and the government, De los Ramos added.
“(The commission) will be someone that will be the eyes and ears of the administration for the community, and vice versa,” De los Ramos said.
The commission currently receives funding from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services but is treated “like a contractor,” according to De los Ramos. The commission goes through the processes of a contractor, not a commission, he said.
If the commission is codified, it will operate under the Department of State where it will have greater access to resources and flexibility to more easily connect with divisions that can have impact on Delaware’s Hispanic communities, according to Rony Baltazar-Lopez, vice chair of the commission.
“Being inside the department gives us that one-on-one with some of those directors that we necessarily haven’t really been able to connect with before,” Baltazar-Lopez said.
The 18-person commission advises the governor and the General Assembly on how to improve the delivery of services to the First State’s Hispanic communities. The commission’s members are appointed by the governor and include nonprofit leaders, advocates and business executives.
The commission would keep all its current members during the transition process through June 30, 2028, under the bill. After that date, 17 members will be appointed to the commission.
The legislation would reduce the cap on the maximum number of members allowed to serve from 25 to no more than 18.
As it stands, commission members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor. The bill would diversify who can appoint members.
Nine members would still be appointed by the governor, with three from each county in the state.
Three members would be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and three others would be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the State Senate.
After 15 members have been appointed by government officials, the two remaining seats would be appointed by an affirmative majority vote of all appointed members.
If passed, the legislation would require commission members to “identify as a person of Hispanic descent, be a person of Hispanic origin, or have a proven track record of working with people of Hispanic descent in Delaware.”
The commission recently hosted the Latino Forum that brought together lawmakers and Hispanic leaders across the state to discuss issues affecting the Hispanic community, including education and immigration.
Since its creation, the commission has touted its involvement in legislation and programs to support the Hispanic community, including the 2015 law that grants undocumented immigrants driving privileges in the state.
The legislation comes at a time when another bill to establish the Delaware Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage and Culture advanced in the State Senate. House Bill 322 was voted out of the Senate Elections & Government Affairs committee on May 15 and is awaiting a full vote in the chamber.
In 1978, then-Gov. Pete du Pont created the Governor’s Council on Hispanic Affairs to address the challenges and opportunities facing people of Hispanic descent in Delaware. Subsequently, former Gov. Ruth Ann Minner established the Governor’s Consortium on Hispanic Affairs to further the work of the council in 2006.
The Hispanic Commission was then established five years later to streamline and enhance the previous two efforts.
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