Hensley loses budget committee role after DUI plea

Less than a week after pleading guilty in a drunken driving case that injured another driver, Rep. Kevin Hensley has lost his seat on the influential state legislative committee that writes Delaware’s budget each year.

In her first use of legislative punishment since taking leadership of the House of Representatives in November, Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown stripped Hensley of the assignment on Tuesday.

“As public servants, we are held to a high standard — and rightfully so. Delawareans place their trust in us to make decisions with sound judgment and integrity,” she said in a statement that noted she waited for Hensley’s case to be adjudicated. “This step is necessary to preserve the public’s confidence in the work of the General Assembly and in the decisions we make on their behalf.”

Minor-Brown, a nurse and educator, said that she also recognized that “addiction and substance misuse are complex and deeply personal challenges.” Hensley said in a statement last week following his plea deal that he was now in recovery.

“Our compassion for those confronting addiction does not negate the need for consequences related to poor decision making and taking accountability for one’s actions, but also reminds us of the importance of treatment, rehabilitation, and the possibility of change. 

“I wish Rep. Hensley well on his recovery journey, and I hope he continues to seek the support and resources necessary for his health and well-being,” Minor-Brown said.

Rep. Charles Postles (R-Milford) will be appointed to fill the Republican seat on the Joint Finance Committee.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Tim Dukes said, “This decision is the Speaker’s call. It’s within her authority to take such action and we will abide by her decision.”

Removal of committee assignments has become the most likely punishment for legislators who run afoul of the law. Most recently, State Sen. Darius Brown (D-Wilmington) briefly lost some of his committee assignments amid an assault charge in 2021, but he was acquitted in the case and they were restored.

Hensley will mean a member of the House’s Appropriations; Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce; Education; Health & Human Development; Housing, and Veterans Affairs committees.

Hensley (R-Middletown/Odessa) pleaded guilty April 15 to driving drunk in a case that saw him crash his truck into a car on Route 1 near Milford, sending a smaller vehicle into a roll that lacerated that driver’s hands and face.

As a result of his plea, Hensley will lose his driver’s license for a year, be mandated to take a DUI course, serve probation and pay a $500 fine. The judge also sentenced him to a suspended 18-month sentence, meaning he will avoid jail time as long as he doesn’t commit another crime in the near future.

In the deal, prosecutors lowered the vehicular assault charge from second-degree to third-degree while Hensley also pleaded guilty to DUI. The other traffic charges were dropped.

“I am deeply disappointed in the poor judgment I exercised on the evening of November 9, 2024. It served as a wake-up call to me and, as a result, I have chosen to make significant changes in my personal life, including entering a recovery program. I am humbled by the events of these past several months, while thankful for the recovery journey that I am now on,” he said in a statement released afterward by the House Minority Caucus.