Delaware House Joint Resolution 10 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Completed Legislative Action
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 18-0)
Status: Passed on February 10 2016 - 100% progression
Action: 2016-02-10 - Signed by Governor
Text: Latest bill text (Draft #1) [HTML]

In 2007, the Virginia General Assembly became the first state legislature to formally acknowledge and apologize for a state’s involvement in slavery. To date, the legislatures of 8 of the 18 states which had slaves in 1860 – Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia – have apologized for their roles in slavery. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution in 2008 apologizing for slavery and subsequent discriminatory laws, and the U.S. Senate passed a similar resolution in 2009. This Joint Resolution: (a) Acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws. (b) Apologizes, on behalf of the people of Delaware, for the State’s role in slavery and the wrongs committed against African-Americans and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow, after the Emancipation Proclamation. (c) Expresses the General Assembly’s deepest sympathies and solemn regrets to those who were enslaved and the descendants of those slaves, who were deprived of life, human dignity, and the constitutional protections accorded all citizens of the United States. (d) Recognizes the need to address and educate Delawareans of the social stigma, stereotyping, bias, and discrimination which prevail in the State today as vestiges of the institution of slavery. (e) Expresses the General Assembly’s commitment to rectify the lingering consequences of the misdeeds committed against African-Americans under slavery and Jim Crow and to stop the occurrence of human rights violations in the future. (f) Implores all Delawareans to be tolerant and understanding of one another, with a goal of eliminating all racial bias, prejudice, and discriminatory behavior, and to teach their children about the history of slavery and Jim Crow laws to ensure that these tragedies will be neither forgotten nor repeated. By making this joint resolution, the General Assembly wishes to promote reconciliation and healing, avert the repetition of past wrongs, and propagate the American and Delawarean ideals of life, liberty, justice, and happiness.

Apologizing For The Wrongs Of Slavery And Expressing Delaware's Profound Regret For Its Role In Slavery.

Rep. Stephanie Bolden [D]	Sen. Margaret Henry [D]	Rep. James Johnson [D]	Rep. Helene Keeley [D]
Rep. Charles Potter [D]	Rep. Paul Baumbach [D]	Rep. David Bentz [D]	Rep. Debra Heffernan [D]
Rep. John Kowalko [D]	Rep. Valerie Longhurst [D]	Rep. Sean Lynn [D]	Rep. Edward Osienski [D]
Sen. Charles Paradee [D]	Rep. Bryon Short [D]	Rep. Melanie Smith [D]	Sen. Robert Marshall [D]
Sen. Karen Peterson [D]	Sen. Bryan Townsend [D]

2016-01-21 - Senate - Senate Third Reading (Y: 18 N: 3 NV: 0 Abs: 0) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2016-02-10	House	Signed by Governor
2016-01-21	Senate	Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 18 YES 3 NO 0 NOT VOTING 0 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2016-01-20	Senate	Reported Out of Committee (JUDICIARY) in Senate with 3 Favorable, 2 On Its Merits
2016-01-14	Senate	Assigned to Judiciary Committee in Senate
2016-01-14	House	Passed by House of Representatives. Votes: Passed 38 YES 1 NO 1 NOT VOTING 1 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2016-01-13	House	Reported Out of Committee (HOUSE ADMINISTRATION) in House with 5 On Its Merits
2016-01-08	House	Introduced and Assigned to House Administration Committee in House

Type	Source
Summary	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/2bede841c6272c888025698400433a04/7ce80197651eae9b85257e8400625926?OpenDocument
Text	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/vwLegislation/HJR+10/$file/legis.html?open
Roll Call	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis148.nsf/7712cf7cc0e9227a852568470077336f/f247922dc15a45e485257f4100749128?OpenDocument