DOVER, Del. - Gov. John Carney (D-Delaware) delivered his final State of the State Address in front of a packed chamber in Legislative Hall on Tuesday. The state's budget was top of mind, but some people in attendance had other issues they wanted addressed.
Carney says he wants to help taxpayers by capping state spending right where it is, not just for this year but beyond his term as well. He says lawmakers can pass legislation this year that he can sign to make that happen.
One concern raised by Carney was the cost of healthcare. It accounts for about one-third of the state's budget, totaling $2 billion, which is an increase of $100 million from the previous year.
Carney noted that there are currently 31,000 job vacancies in Delaware, with only 21,000 individuals actively seeking employment. His objective is to maintain these job opportunities and ensure they are filled.
Education was a big topic during Carney's address, saying that $1.5 Billion dollars has been spent on building new schools in Delaware in the last seven years. The governor also said that the state's Opportunity Funding program will see more funding in the most recent budget, and the governor is also looking to expand the state's mental health program for students. Finally, the governor said he is aiming to raise the base salary to $60,000 for Delaware teachers in the next four years.
Regarding gun legislation, the governor emphasized that further efforts are necessary. He advocates for the passage of the Permit to Purchase bill, which would require Delawareans to complete a firearms training course and obtain a permit before purchasing a gun.
Carney also highlighted the issue of climate change. He stated that Delaware aims to take a leadership role in offshore wind development.Â
"U.S. Wind would bring wind energy into Delaware," says Gov. Carney. "We expect the agreement to bring more than $100 million of benefits to our state without raising rates. Those benefits include funding for workforce development, for dredging projects, and for projects to mitigate the effects of climate change in our state parks."
The governor was interrupted multiple times during his speech. House Speaker Valerie Longhurst gaveled the crowd to silence and he continued on with his speech. Audio from the stream was cut, but according to people who were there, it was calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and Pro-Palestine propaganda.
The governor says 20,000 jobs were created in the last two years. He was talking about how the budget continues that growth when those interruptions happened.
"On my first day in office I signed an executive order to rethink our approach to economic development and together we created the Delaware Prosperity Partnership and we have leaders that are here with us today," Carney says. "By every measure, it's been a success."
