Looking Back at the Legislative Session

Delaware Governor: Jack Markell

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Written on: July 11th, 2011 in Effective & Efficient Government

I want to thank the Legislature for a very productive session. We worked together to achieve many of the priorities I set forth in my State of the State address: enhanced tools to create jobs, investments in education and infrastructure, pension and health reform, public safety initiatives and responsible tax reductions.

This session presented us with both a chance and a choice. A chance to make progress on the issues we care most passionately about and a choice on how we were going to get there — whether it was going to be through the kind of bitter and divisive debates that you see in other states, or whether we were going to work together.

We not only chose to work together, but we chose to do so in a way that was financially responsible. Here are some of the highlights of what got done this session:

Enhanced tools to help create jobs, including the New Jobs Infrastructure Fund and the New Job Creation Credit, based on practical feedback from employers.
Investments in infrastructure and higher education projects to create jobs immediately while strengthening our long-term economic foundation.
Responsible tax reductions to provide help for industries critical to Delaware’s economic core — manufacturing, small business and financial services — promoting job creation and our state’s competitiveness.
Pension and health reform, which will result in more than $480 million in savings over the next 15 years. We took a more respectful and inclusive approach, and it succeeded.
Landmark civil unions legislation, taking a step forward in civil rights that will make a real difference in the lives of many Delaware families.
Investments in early childhood education that will have a lasting impact on our economy and our children’s future.
Continued efforts to improve K-12 education with legislation to strengthen the charter school system, better enable schools to attract the best teachers, add more teachers, improve accountability, expand language education and deliver services for children with disabilities more equitably and effectively.
Concrete steps to improve public safety, working together with local law enforcement and moving forward efforts to keep guns out of the hands of people who are not legally eligible to have them.

To learn more about the FY 2012 Budget and read a more in-depth summary of our legislative accomplishments, please click here.

As we move forward to implement these efforts together, we want your ideas and feedback. Please join the conversation on our Facebook page, find us on Twitter, or contact us through ideas.delaware.gov.