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Making Employment Easier for Ex-Convicts in Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware's governor signed a package of bills into law Monday aimed at making it easier for formerly incarcerated people to get professional licenses in some trade fields.

Delaware State News reports Gov. John Carney signed three bills, which supporters say they hope will improve employment access by removing roadblocks for ex-convicts facing reentry challenges after prison.

The bills are designed to help job-seekers obtain licenses in trade fields as plumbers, electricians and massage therapists.

The bills modify the impact of criminal history on applicant's license eligibility by allowing the massage board and electrical examining board to grant waivers for people with certain felony convictions to obtain licenses. It also prohibits the boards from considering some convictions that are more than 10 years old.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.