State Republicans are responding to Gov. Jack Markell's final State of the State address in their weekly message.
Sen. Brian Pettyjohn of Georgetown says the governor didn't offered bold enough reforms to speed Delaware's economic progress.
"Too often we see high-paying jobs disappearing, and low-paying jobs replacing them. The results are in, and they’re, frankly, unacceptable. … I know that Delaware can do better, and we intend to be a part of that solution," said Pettyjohn.
Pettyjohn says Republicans do look forward to working with Markell on making the occupational licensing process easier. And he applauded the governor for committing in his speech to increasing salaries for teachers.
He added that Republicans support helping Delawareans including prison inmates, but want to be sure that criminal justice reform doesn't result in more violent crime.
Full text of GOP weekly address:
Hi. I’m Senator Brian Pettyjohn.
Today, we heard Governor Markell’s final state of the state address to the people of Delaware. We heard about some signs of life in our state economy, but we didn't hear enough.
Last year, the economist magazine revealed that Delaware was the only state in America in which earnings dropped between 2009 and 2014. Too often we see high-paying jobs disappearing, and low-paying jobs replacing them. The results are in, and they’re – frankly -- unacceptable.
The fact is, we have enormous challenges, and those challenges require big, bold ideas. We have not heard those big ideas. I know that Delaware can do better, and we intend to be a part of the solution.
We specifically look forward to working with the governor on occupational licensing reform, something our caucus has been working on for some time now.
The governor also spoke about our prison population, and some of the burdens they face. While it’s important to focus on helping all Delawareans, we need to remember the victims of crime, and do whatever it takes to prevent future victims. That is the highest duty of our government.
Finally, I truly appreciate the governor’s comments on our educators. We have some of the finest teachers in the nation right here in Delaware, and it is truly important that we reward excellent educators with compensation that matches their high performance.
While we in the Republican party are very aware of the challenges we face, we are equally optimistic that we can rise to the occasion and be an integral part of the solution. We will work tirelessly in search of policies that help lift people out of poverty, create good jobs and offer world-class educational options while reducing the size and burden of state government.
Thank you.