John Carney in 2017 Governor's State of the State speeches
On Drugs:
Impose new protections for the safe prescribing of opioids
The opioid crisis plagues our state and country. When last measured, Delaware had the nation's fifth highest overall rate of opioid sales. And in too many cases opioid abuse contributes to our state's tragic heroin problem. Effective April 1st, we
will impose new protections for the safe prescribing of opioids. These new regulations will be some of the most far-reaching in the nation. We have introduced new legislation to allow expanded use of the state's prescription database to better target
doctors who overprescribe.Prevention is key. But, we also need an all hands on deck approach to save the lives of those battling opioid and heroin addiction. I will continue the work to increase the availability of residential treatment, recovery
homes, and expanded services for outpatient treatment slots. Delaware's Prescription Drug Action Committee has developed a set of recommendations from stakeholders across the spectrum.
Source: 2017 Delaware State of the State address
Mar 30, 2017
On Families & Children:
Re-establish the Family Services Cabinet Council
A strong economy and good-paying jobs go a long way toward making most families stable and healthy. But for too many Delaware families--and far too many of our state's children--a growing economy is not enough. These families, these kids, need our help.
That's why I've re-established the Family Services Cabinet Council, which meets for the first time next week. Many Delaware families continue to face significant challenges--including the high cost of child care; violence and poverty in their
neighborhoods; the impact of caring for an aging family member; or the challenges of navigating an economy in transition.The Family Services Cabinet Council will spearhead a new effort to coordinate public and private services that are often
fragmented. The Council will propose changes to current programs to improve the delivery of state services. We will tackle the hardest problems. I will chair this Council myself, and my cabinet secretaries will be engaged personally.
Source: 2017 Delaware State of the State address
Mar 30, 2017
On Local Issues:
Develop incubators like DTP @ STAR, full on Day 1
Innovation is the key to our future. The most important part of our long-term strategy is building on the resources we already have to help startups and large and small businesses grow and create jobs. Delaware already has a lot of the tools in place to
build an economy based on innovation and entrepreneurialism. Delaware's newest incubator, DTP @ STAR, opened last year and was full on Day 1. And resources like the Delaware Technology Park, New Castle County Chamber's Emerging Enterprise Center, and
The Mill in the old Nemours Building provide affordable and supportive space for entrepreneurs to develop their businesses. We will seek new opportunities to build more space like this and attract the entrepreneurs that will reshape our economy.
Once we have them here, we need to keep them here so Delaware can benefit from that business and job growth. In most cases, that means access to capital. We will put in place a plan to ensure that businesses that start here, can afford to grow here.
Source: 2017 Delaware State of the State address
Mar 30, 2017
On Principles & Values:
Delawareans are willing to chip in and help, if all do
I know that all of you in the General Assembly are tired of sitting here year after year talking about how we can climb out of another budget hole. Some things are beyond our control, but this one is not. It's within our power to put ourselves on
a more sustainable financial footing. My budget does that, and I look forward to working with each of you on your ideas to do the same. What I will not do is use budget gimmicks or one-time fixes to bail us out, only to be right back here next year
giving the same speech.At our budget town hall in Milford, a gentleman stood up and said to me, "As long as government's cutting costs and doing more with less, I'm willing to pay a little bit more. But it's got to be a fair trade."
I heard this sentiment echoed up and down the state. Delawareans are willing to chip in and help with our budget problem, as long as their neighbors are asked to do the same. My budget is built on this principle of shared sacrifice.
Source: 2017 Delaware State of the State address
Mar 30, 2017
On Tax Reform:
Share sacrifice of budget cuts and tax hikes
Business as usual has to change. If we are going to tackle the tough issues that confront us, we need to get our financial house in order. We need a budget reset--a new plan to set us on stronger financial footing and make our state more competitive. A
long-term solution to a nearly $400 million budget deficit.I've proposed an operating budget that grows government spending less than 3/10 of 1%. It contains a 50-50 mix of spending cuts & new revenue. It's built on the principle of shared sacrifice.
Our north star in building this budget was making Delaware more competitive. While we went line by line, deciding which programs to cut and which to preserve, which taxes to raise and which to leave untouched, we asked ourselves the same
question over and over again: "How will this decision impact our ability to grow our economy and compete?"
It would be easy to get lost in the doom and gloom of budget cuts and tax hikes. There is something in our budget for everyone not to like.
Source: 2017 Delaware State of the State address
Mar 30, 2017
Page last updated: Dec 10, 2018