Gov. Carney delivers 2019 State of the State address

DOVER, Del. – Delaware Governor John Carney calling for better in the First State on Thursday, to be different than those in Washington and do better with addressing the issues of the people, not the politicians.

“Working hard, and working together, we can do this. We can make the people who sent us here proud of what we do. And they can be secure in the knowledge that their elected representatives are fighting for them, and not fighting for sport,” exclaims Gov. Carney.

It’s a message Delaware legislators agree with.

“I think that a lot of us here are in that mindset that we want to get things done to continue to improve the state of Delaware and there’s a lot of opportunity for us to work together to do that,” says Rep. Ruth Briggs King.

And first on the agenda is strengthening Delaware’s economy which has been a goal Carney’s made since first taking office.

Rep. Daniel Short say, “Infrastructure investment I like that issue. The downtown development items, it’s helped our community in Seaford. I know it’s helped Wilmington, Milford and others so I think it really comes down to the focus on what we can get done versus what we would like to get done.”

And in order to improve our local communities, continued investments in infrastructure are needed.

“By the end of next year, we’ve pledged to eliminate broadband deserts in southern Delaware, and provide universal high-speed internet coverage for all Delawareans and businesses,” explains Carney.

It’s something Sen. Brian Pettyjohn has been pushing for for years.

He says, “Broadband is key in Sussex County. There are a lot of areas in Sussex where you cannot get broadband service unless you go with very expensive, very slow satellite service.”

Expanding and improving education is another goal for 2019 and legislators can do that through the opportunity funding program, a program that Carney is pledging $60 million to for increased resources for English learners and low-income students.

“The funding will pay for the type of help disadvantaged students need: more reading and math supports, counselors, smaller class sizes, and after school programs,” says Carney.

Representative Ruth Briggs King wants to see this through and give all kids the same opportunities to learn and thrive.

“In my district, the Indian River district but actually Georgetown and Sussex Central, we have such a high Latino population that are English language learners. And our district and our taxpayers in the district have spent a lot more money to provide that education because there’s never been any state or federal funding for those extra costs that are incurred from having to have bilingual programs and teachers.”

Efforts to better Delawareans quality of life and strengthen the first state as a whole.

“Government can’t solve every problem, and we shouldn’t try. But we sure can make a real difference in the lives of our friends and neighbors. Working hard and working together, we can choose a path of progress and civility. Of hope and a better future. Of making the tough choices and doing what we were sent here to do.”

Carney is set to outline his plan on how to address these issues next Thursday when he unveils his 2019 budget.

Many of the legislators we spoke with Thursday say a lot of the issues highlighted by the Governor would be hard for any policy maker to ignore or dispute, it’s rather how Delaware is going to fund them.