Education, Health, Livable Delaware Initiatives On Gov. Minner's 2005 Legislative Agenda
Education, Health, Livable Delaware Initiatives On Gov. Minner's 2005 Legislative Agenda
The Delaware SEED Scholarship, public disclosure of hospital data, annexation and other land use changes as well as an increase in the cigarette tax highlight Governor Ruth Ann Minner's 2005 legislative agenda.
"More than ever, I am focusing on issues and initiatives that will make a difference in the years to come. And, as I have said, I am willing to take on some of the tough or thorny issues," Gov. Minner said.
As part of the rollout of her agenda Tuesday, Gov. Minner announced the proposed requirements for the Delaware SEED Scholarship, which would pay the tuition toward an associate's degree at Delaware Technical and Community College.
"After discussions with Sen. McDowell and Rep. Wagner, who have long been proponents of a scholarship program, we have agreed that the requirements for eligibility should be a high school diploma with a 2.5 grade point average, no criminal record, and enrollment as a full-time student at Del Tech," Gov. Minner said. "In my mind, this scholarship program provides inspiration and motivation for students who might not have contemplated college before."
Gov. Minner's other education bills this year are creation of a teacher mentoring program that would allow retired teachers to guide new teachers and elimination of the three-tier diploma, replacing it by 2007 with a diploma system based on the Delaware Student Testing Program as well as "other indicators." The Governor will also continue to pursue full-day kindergarten in her budget.
In health care, Gov. Minner proposed requiring hospitals to keep and disclose data on the outcome and cost of common courses of treatment, allowing for comparison between facilities.
"In a country where we make decisions about what car or stereo to buy based on quality and cost comparison, there is no reason why we should not have the same type of information available when facing a medical procedure," Gov. Minner said.
Fulfilling a recommendation of the 2002 cancer task force, Gov. Minner said Tuesday Delaware should increase the cigarette tax to 74 cents per pack in order to reduce and discourage teen smoking. The current tax in Delaware is 55 cents, but surrounding states are a dollar or more.
"Let me be clear: I view this proposal as a health issue, not a revenue issue. The increase in the cigarette tax from 24 to 55 cents two years ago has helped reduce teen smoking," Gov. Minner said. "While I will not propose that this new revenue be earmarked, if such discussions occur, I would prefer that it be limited to something health-related. On the other hand, the revenue from an increased cigarette tax may well make it easier to cut other types of taxes, such as the gross receipts tax."
An aggressive list of Livable Delaware land use legislation includes new restrictions on annexation statewide along with an easing of old, onerous restrictions placed on annexations by the city of Wilmington. Also on the Livable Delaware list: creating a statewide Transfer of Development Rights program; allowing for forestland preservation; and restricting the issuance of subdivision septic systems that contribute to sprawl and poor water quality.
The Governor's legislative agenda for the year also includes:
Incentives for use of solar, wind and hydropower energy;
A requirement that diesel fuel in the state be 2 percent biodiesel;
A plan to increase household recycling, to be announced;
Creation of a statewide health insurance buying pool;
Reform of the workers compensation system;
Campaign finance reform requiring disclosure of funders of issue advertising;
Banning discrimination based on sexual orientation;
Creation of the Office of Management and Budget;
Restrictions on teen drivers in the wake of a series of deadly accidents; and
Possible legislation arising from reports and recommendations on prison security and staffing.
The full list and description of the Governor's 2005 legislative agenda can be found online at http://www.state.de.us/governor/agendas/index.shtml.
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