Latest news with #MattMeyer
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Delaware governor signs executive order protecting gender-affirming care
On Friday, Delaware Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order increasing protection for receivers and providers of gender-affirming care. 'In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion,' said Meyer. The executive order prohibits any state agency from providing 'medical records, data or billing information, or utilize state resources' that could help any criminal or civil investigation against someone receiving or providing gender-affirming care. It also dictated that the state professional regulations board cannot disbar healthcare professionals only due to providing gender-affirming care. California, New York, Illinois and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar legislation to shield patients and doctors from aggressive legislation in states where gender-affirming care is highly restricted. Patients can now travel to shield states to receive their care without fear of retribution in their home states. This comes after a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's decision to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. 'This ruling undermines doctors in delivering care to some of the most vulnerable patients in our country,' Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said Wednesday on the social platform X. Since President Trump took office transgender rights have increasingly been limited. Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, has tried to ban transgender troops from the military, has refused requests to change the gender of passports and has tried to defund gender-affirming medical care. Delaware has a long history of tolerance for LGBTQ populations. According to the order, the state hosts 40,000 LGBTQ individuals and 6,300 transgender adults. In 2013, it legalized same-sex marriage and implemented anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment and public accommodation. 'We will do everything in our power to protect transgender families in the state of Delaware and throughout the country,' the Executive Committee of the Delaware Democratic Party PRIDE Caucus said in a press statement earlier this week. 'We call on every legislator, from the state and county level to the federal level, to speak out and step up. This is the moment to act – not with caution, but with courage.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
17 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Delaware governor signs executive order protecting gender-affirming care
On Friday, Delaware Democratic Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order increasing protection for receivers and providers of gender-affirming care. 'In Delaware, we cherish privacy, dignity and the right to make personal medical decisions. Everyone deserves the freedom to access healthcare rooted in science and compassion,' said Meyer. The executive order prohibits any state agency from providing 'medical records, data or billing information, or utilize state resources' that could help any criminal or civil investigation against someone receiving or providing gender-affirming care. It also dictated that the state professional regulations board cannot disbar healthcare professionals only due to providing gender-affirming care. California, New York, Illinois and 11 other states, and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar legislation to shield patients and doctors from aggressive legislation in states where gender-affirming care is highly restricted. Patients can now travel to shield states to receive their care without fear of retribution in their home states. This comes after a Supreme Court decision on June 18 that upheld Tennessee's decision to ban puberty blockers and hormone treatments for transgender minors. 'This ruling undermines doctors in delivering care to some of the most vulnerable patients in our country,' Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the nation's first openly transgender member of Congress, said Wednesday on the social platform X. Since President Trump took office transgender rights have increasingly been limited. Trump signed an executive order recognizing only two genders, has tried to ban transgender troops from the military, has refused requests to change the gender of passports and has tried to defund gender-affirming medical care. Delaware has a long history of tolerance for LGBTQ populations. According to the order, the state hosts 40,000 LGBTQ individuals and 6,300 transgender adults. In 2013, it legalized same sex marriage and implemented anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment and public accommodation. 'We will do everything in our power to protect transgender families in the state of Delaware and throughout the country,' the Executive Committee of the Delaware Democratic Party PRIDE Caucus said in a press statement earlier this week. 'We call on every legislator, from the state and county level to the federal level, to speak out and step up. This is the moment to act – not with caution, but with courage.'
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands rally at 'No Kings' protest in Newark on Trump's birthday
Carol McCormick, a Delaware native, can still remember protesting the Vietnam War. 'I've seen my country go through a lot of tough things,' she said. 'But if we can stop being so afraid, we can really stand up and do something.' McCormick was one of the thousands of people who participated in a 'No Kings' protest at Old College Hall in Newark on June 14 to make a difference. All generations of protesters, from young to old, in crowns and various paraphernalia, gathered to decry President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, D.C., on the same day as his 79th birthday. The Newark event was one of at least six "No Kings" protests planned in Delaware on June 14. State Sen. Laura Sturgeon, state Rep. Frank Burns and the Rev. Cynthia Robinson of Newark's New Art United Church led protesters in chants. "We unite today in the face of loud fury," Robinson said in a fiery speech. "We must face it with a love-fueled fire." Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer made a surprise appearance, delivering passionate remarks once again after attending what he called a 'slightly smaller gathering in Wilmington.' 'I am commander of the Delaware National Guard,' Meyer said at one point. 'And we are prepared to stand up and fight back if needed.' Despite messages warning Delawareans of a national crisis, the protest was peaceful and at times even lighthearted. The crowd playfully toyed with a Trump impersonator, seated on stage in a "throne," and booed as he gestured toward his "subjects." A march after the gathering proceeded down Main Street to honking horns and shouts of support. A police presence guided the large group, along with a group of trained volunteers working with organizer Indivisible Newark to ensure the event's safety. "We really wanted to make sure we did this right," organizer Judi Davidson Wolf said. "Safely and peacefully, but still getting our message across." The size of the gathering spoke to Davidson Wolf, giving her hope for what's to come. 'It's incredible to see this many people come together, organizing in the name of what they feel is right; it's way more than we even expected,' she said. 'Seeing this great turnout of community here in Newark is heartening for our future.' This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: 'No Kings' protest in Newark brings thousands together against Trump
San Francisco Chronicle
13-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Another Bay Area school district invests in teacher housing. Will it help retain employees?
The Berkeley Unified School District broke ground recently on a 110-unit affordable apartment complex for teachers and staff. The six-story complex will occupy a portion of the Berkeley Adult School parking lot at 1701 San Pablo Ave. when it opens in 2027. The $78 million project adds Berkeley Unified to a growing list of Bay Area school districts backing affordable housing for teachers and other district employees. The projects aim to prevent high housing costs from forcing teachers in the Bay Area to take on additional jobs, face long commutes or relocate to other districts altogether. Educator housing has also seen support from state policies like the Teacher Housing Act of 2016, which allowed districts to limit spots in affordable developments to educators and staff. Still, the push for teacher and staff housing is early and quite limited. California has only 12 education workforce housing projects that are occupied, near completion or under construction, according to a recent report from the California School Boards Association and researchers at UC Berkeley and UCLA. Over half of the projects are located in the Bay Area, in cities like Santa Clara, Daly City, Mountain View and San Francisco. Still, the state has nearly 1,000 districts, meaning these subsidized units aren't a reality for most teachers. San Francisco's school district recently opened its first teacher and staff housing project, with a few more in the works. Shirley Chisholm Village — an Outer Sunset affordable housing complex developed with MidPen Housing — is now at full capacity, with 120 of 135 units occupied by district educators and employees, according to Lyn Hikida, a spokesperson at MidPen. In Berkeley, apartments will feature one, two or three bedrooms, with monthly rents estimated to range from $876 to $3,400, depending on household size and income. Renters will also have access to a shared resident center and a parking garage. Households earning between 30% and 120% of area median income — ranging from $47,940 to $191,760 for a family of four in Alameda County — are eligible and priority will be given to district employees. The average 2023-24 salary for a certified BUSD teacher was roughly $100,000, according to the California Department of Education. Last month, a California Housing Partnership report found that Alameda County renters must make a $50.73 hourly wage — or an annual income of just about $105,000 — to be able to afford the average monthly asking rent of $2,638 for a two-bedroom apartment. The new project means that 'BUSD employees will have opportunities to live in the community they serve, which for many has been out of reach for a long time,' wrote Matt Meyer, president of the Berkeley Federation of Teachers, in a statement to the Chronicle. 'We are best able to serve our students when we live in their community.' The district expects the project to help its efforts to 'recruit and retain high quality educators' and staff 'who must grapple with the high cost of living in Berkeley and the Bay Area,' BUSD spokesperson Trish McDermott said in a statement. But whether this type of affordable development increases teacher and staff retention is still unclear. Centralized data on vacancies and turnover rates is unavailable, the CSBA report says, though anecdotal evidence appears hopeful. Interviews conducted with school districts that have developed affordable housing for staff have indicated that the availability of housing was a draw for new hires, the report found. Surveys of tenants also revealed that new hires found job offers that included affordable housing options particularly attractive. Berkeley-based developer Satellite Affordable Housing Associates will open applications for the complex six months before project completion. SAHA and co-developer Abode Communities will own and operate the property, according to Megan Folland, Abode's vice president for advancement. BUSD plans to prioritize units for full-time district employees who are homeless, followed by part-time employees who are homeless and then full-time employees and finally part-time employees. The district didn't immediately respond to a question about whether any employees are currently homeless. The project's funding comes from voter-approved city bonds and other financing mechanisms.
Business Journals
06-06-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Delaware's 2025 DGCL amendment
In March 2025, Delaware enacted significant amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL). These amendments, enacted through Senate Bill 21 (SB 21) and signed into law by Gov. Matt Meyer on March 25, 2025, substantively modify the safe harbor provisions for interested transactions and refine the scope of stockholder inspection rights. We analyze these critical changes and their practical implications for Delaware corporations, their boards and stockholders. Background and context The amendments were passed by the Delaware legislature in response to a concerning trend of corporations redomesticating to other states. The law took effect immediately upon the governor's signature and represents Delaware's proactive effort to maintain its position as the premier state for corporate domicile by providing greater statutory clarity in areas previously defined primarily through case law. Section 144: Comprehensive safe harbor framework Defining the 'controlling stockholder' The amendments provide a statutory definition of a 'controlling stockholder' as one who: Owns or controls a majority of voting stock entitled to vote in director elections Can appoint directors with majority voting power, or Has equivalent control by holding at least 33.33% of the corporation's voting stock and managerial authority over the corporation Three distinct safe harbor paths The amendments establish differentiated approval requirements for interested transactions based on the specific conflict scenario: 1. Majority interested board safe harbor For transactions involving a majority interested board, the amendments provide a safe harbor from both equitable relief and damages liability through either: Approval by an independent committee comprising at least two disinterested directors, or Approval or ratification by a majority of the votes cast by disinterested stockholders Notably, the director safe harbor no longer requires conditioning approval before the start of substantive economic negotiations, though the board must determine all committee members are disinterested. For stockholder approval, the 'votes cast' standard replaces the previous 'outstanding' shares standard. 2. Conflicted controller/non-go-private transactions For transactions where a controlling stockholder has a conflict but is not taking the company private: Safe harbor is available through either: Approval by an independent committee comprising at least two disinterested directors, or Approval or ratification by a majority of the votes cast by disinterested stockholders This effectively overrules prior case law requiring both protections for such transactions. 3. Conflicted controller / go-private safe harbor For transactions where a controlling stockholder is taking the company private: Safe harbor requires both: This codifies the dual-protection framework from Kahn v. M&F Worldwide Corp. (MFW) while eliminating the 'ab initio' requirement that these protections be implemented before the start of substantive economic negotiations. Enhanced protection for public company directors The amendments create a strong presumption that directors of public companies are disinterested and independent if they meet stock exchange independence definitions. This presumption: Does not apply if the director is a party to the transaction Can only be rebutted by 'substantial and particularized facts' The amendments also limit controller liability to breaches of loyalty or improper benefits, shielding controlling stockholders from damages for breaches of the duty of care in their capacity as controllers. Section 220: Refining stockholder inspection rights Statutory definition of 'books and records' The amendments provide a statutory definition of 'books and records' to establish clearer boundaries for stockholder inspection rights, including: Enhanced requirements for inspection SB 21 also institutes more structured requirements for books and records inspections: Demands must be conducted in good faith Proper purpose must be described with reasonable particularity Requested records must be specifically related to the stockholder's proper purpose Additionally, the amendments codify that corporations can impose reasonable confidentiality restrictions, limiting the use and distribution of inspected records and redacting irrelevant information. Limited expansion provision Unlike the original bill, the enacted amendments permit the inspection of materials beyond those covered by the 'books and records' definition if a stockholder: Makes a showing of a compelling need for inspection to further a proper purpose, and Demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that such specific records are necessary and essential to further such purpose This balanced approach is designed to preserve meaningful inspection rights while providing companies with greater certainty about the scope of potential demands. Practical implications For corporate governance: Strategic flexibility in transaction planning: The amendments provide multiple pathways to cleanse conflicted transactions based on the nature of the conflict, enhancing flexibility in transaction structuring. Greater certainty for boards: The presumption of independence for public company directors who meet exchange requirements reduces litigation risk in board decision-making. Protection for controllers: Limiting controller liability to breaches of loyalty or improper benefits shields controlling stockholders from damages for breaches of the duty of care. Streamlined approval processes: Removal of the 'ab initio' requirement and other timing constraints allows more practical implementation of protective measures. For transaction planning: Clearer standards: The 33.33% threshold for controlling stockholder status provides a bright-line rule. Tailored approval paths: Different cleansing options based on transaction type allow more efficient governance approaches. Special committee requirements: Committees must include at least two directors determined to be disinterested and fulfill their duty of care. Modified stockholder approval standard: The shift to a 'votes cast' standard from 'outstanding shares' may make stockholder approval more attainable. For stockholder rights: More defined inspection scope: The statutory definition of 'books and records' provides both corporations and stockholders with greater clarity. Balanced protection: While defining limits to inspection rights, the amendments preserve access to additional records when stockholders can demonstrate compelling need. expand To learn more about King & Spalding's global M&A practice, please visit With nearly 140 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,300 lawyers in 24 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Rob Leclerc works with publicly traded and private companies as well as private equity firms to execute mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, joint ventures and other complex transactions. Leclerc is a partner in our Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Governance practices. Zack Davis specializes in representing issuers and underwriters in a variety of capital markets activities in the U.S. and abroad. He also advises a number of public companies in connection with governance issues, SEC reporting and disclosure requirements and other corporate and securities matters.
