Gov. Matt Meyer delivered an 45 minute address that touched on energy costs, education funding, affordable housing, and healthcare access.
He noted the challenge of overcoming division to address these issues while remembering lawmakers and public officials the state lost last year, including former Gov and Congressman Mike Castle, former State Rep. John Kowalko, among others.
"We all know that within this building there are heated debates. And outside this building, with trillion-dollar social media companies printing money by triggering your anger and our division, it is harder than ever to come together and move this state forward," Meyer said. "But we owe it to the legacies of these tremendous leaders to work together to get real work done for Delawareans now.
Energy Rates
Meyer called energy rates Delawareans pay for power, "unacceptable" and called out Delmarva Power.
"Delmarva’s out-of-state shareholders should not take advantage of Delaware’s families working to make ends meet. We must hold monopolies accountable," Meyer said during his speech.
He called on the Public Service Commission to reject any new Delmarva rate increases, including its most recent.
The company is pursuing a nearly $68 million rate increase that would cost customers between $9 to 15 more per month. It's Delmarva's third ask for rate increases in five years.
"If we if this were a competitive marketplace, it would be different," Meyer told reporters after his address. "Delawareans who are served by Delmarva do not have a choice. We need to, now more than ever, be aggressive about protecting Delawareans."
Meyer said multiple measures he signed last year related to price transparency from utility companies make room for PSC to deny Delmarva.
Laws he signed last year include restrictions on regulated utilities using customer funds to subsidize lobbying and capping their annual capital expenses.
The other piece to lowering energy rates, he said, is "getting more energy on the grid." And he cited the US Wind offshore wind project, as well as Delaware’s Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force, created last year, to move the conversation on small nuclear reactors forward.
That task force will meet next week. Per its agenda, it's set to get an extension on the due date for its final report until this summer.
Education funding and early child education
Meyer specifically asked lawmakers to "finish the job” on a new education funding formula.
House and Senate Education Committee members heard the Public Education Funding Commission's formula proposal this week. Legislators are expected to submit a proposal based on the commission's work this spring.
But Meyer argued the funding formula is just one piece of the puzzle.
"We must reduce bureaucracy and demand accountability to produce actual gains in student performance," he said.
Meyer specifically addressed the Redding Consortium's work to deliver educational equity in Wilmington schools, calling its recommendations to consolidate Brandywine, Christina, Colonial and Red Clay school district into one Northern New Castle County district "bold" and "historic," but a approach that needs to be done right.
"We know there is a lot more work to be done, and we must move forward thoughtfully," said Meyer. "Combining districts alone will not deliver more equitable educational opportunity. But done right, this could be a major leap forward for equal opportunity in our communities.
Meyer also promised a nearly $50 million investment in early childhood education, which he said will build stronger systems for families.
Healthcare
Meyer also spent time touting his plans to improve healthcare access and while addressing cost, citing the potential impact of approximately $200 million Delaware is set to receive from the Federal Rural Health Transformation grant.
"The federal government has sent preliminary notice that we will, over the next five years, receive more funding than any other competitive grant in state history," said Meyer
That money will fund 15 projects including Delaware’s first medical school, training for nurses and physicians’ assistants, telehealth and community health programs.
Housing
Meyer wants to build on his administration’s housing initiatives by reducing permitting rules for developers.
Last year, he set up a working group to collaborate with localities and look at possible solutions to the state's housing availability and pricing.
He said in the coming months, his administration will unveil a set of initiatives aimed at streaming the permitting process.
"Instead of taking all this public money and buying housing with public money, we're enabling and facilitating private activity to take place," he said speaking after his address. "For private developers to say, 'Hey, we're going to develop affordable housing and we're going to do it in a smart place.'"
Possibilities for this include "maybe taking an old mall, or an old large company building that's no longer used...and transforming that," he said.
During his speech, Meyer also reiterated his desire to duplicate ther HOPE Center in New Castle County in Kent and Sussex Counties, using funding from the Federal Rural Health Transformation grant.
"We look forward to collaborating with Senator (Eric) Buckson and other members of the General Assembly, as well as community partners, on these new centers so that in our Delaware – in this prosperous and technological age – no one gets left behind," said Meyer.
Budget
Meyer is set to introduce his budget recommendations next week, but indicated today he plans to keep budget growth below 5%.
He said to whittle expenses down, "I look at every penny that we spend to make sure it's spent as efficiently as possible."
He said at next week's budget hearing to expect a smaller gap between the state's revenues and expenditures "than you've seen in years."
Remembering Corporal Matthew “Ty” Snook
Meyer opened his second State of the State address by remembering Delaware State Police Cpl. Matthew "Ty" Snook, who died Dec. 23 at a Wilmington DMV shooting.
He brought Lauren Snook to the podium to receive the Order of the First State on behalf of her late husband.
"Right now, as is true every day, there are hundreds of individuals across our state, standing watch," he said. "...We pray that each and every one of these officers will return home safely to their families tonight."
