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desenategop Week two of the Joint Finance Committee hearings is well underway. Senators Eric Buckson and Dave Lawson are working hard to ensure fiscal responsibility and accountability are at the forefront of the deliberations. To watch live, visit legis.delaware.gov.
Would you like to know where your tax dollars are going?
Can you make comments to the JFC on concerns about the governors ask? Yes, you can join in person / via virtual for all of the State of Delaware JFC hearings.
More than 40 people came out to the Town Hall event hosted at Delaware State Police Troop 3 and sponsored by State Rep. Lyndon Yearick and State Sen. Eric Buckson. Here are some of the highlights of that event:
FISCAL ISSUES
Rep. Yearick reviewed the four funding bills unveiled by Gov. John Carney late last week. The $5.482 billion state operating budget would be the largest in state history – a 7.4% increase over the one it seeks to succeed. The proposed $1.289 billion capital budget would be the third largest ever, eclipsed only by the current capital budget and that of the previous fiscal year. The $59.8 million Grants-in-Aid bill (which gives state money to hundreds of non-profit organizations performing public services), and a $324.9 million supplemental appropriation bill containing “one-time” spending items, round out the prospective package. The measures collectively account for more than $7.1 billion in state spending. Rep. Yearick said legislative budget writers will modify these proposals over the next four months to align with the latest state revenue estimates and the legislature’s priorities.
TO SEE THE GOVERNOR’S BUDGET PRESENTATION, USE THIS LINK: https://governor.delaware.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2023/01/FY-24-Budget-Presentation-Governor-Carney_Online.pdf
TO SEE THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED STATE OPERATING BUDGET, USE THIS LINK: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=129986
TO SEE THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED STATE CAPITAL BUDGET, USE THIS LINK:
https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=129988
TO SEE THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSED SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS BILL, USE THIS LINK: https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=129987
STATE JOBS
There are presently a large number of state job openings. It was discussed that new Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro recently signed an executive order eliminating a four-year college degree as a requirement for most state employment opportunities, instead relying on a skills-based assessment. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took the same action last March. For more information on applying for a state job, use this link: https://statejobs.delaware.gov/
EDUCATION
Both Rep. Yearick and Sen. Buckson discussed education funding. Rep. Yearick said Delaware’s “unit count” funding system is outdated and only used by a handful of states. Both legislators indicated a new system that allows a portion of state education funding to “follow the student” would result in more equity for parents and students and enable them to select the school option that best meets their needs. In Delaware, the state pays for about 70% of public education costs, with local school districts responsible for the remainder.
