underground railroad, which did not reach all the way down to the south where they were, and not by hiding or traveling by night, but they go out in the full light of day, disguised as master and slave, with alan posing as master and williams as the slave. the story gripped me from the beginning. >> this is sunday night on c- span's q&a. listen to q&a on our free c- span now app. c-span is your unfiltered view of government. we are funded by these television properties and more, including comcast. >> did you think this was just a community center? it is way more than that. >> comcast is partnering to create wi-finabled networks so that students can be ready for anything.

>> comcast supports c-span along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> governor john carney spoke about infrastructure during his annual state of the state address. he also urged lawmakers to pass spending restrictions. this runs 40 minutes. inutes. [applause] [cheers and applause]

[applause] >> welcome, governor carny. if everyone, please be seated. >> welcome, governor carney. everyone, please be seated. >> madam speaker, i am not sure if they are happy for the service that we have had together. madam speaker? mr. president pro tem? members of the general assembly.

other members of my cabinet, and distinguished members and invited guests and my fellow delaware indians, thank you for joining me for the state of the state address. i am sorry, it is a little bit late. let me recognize the historic nature of today's event. for the first time ever, a female speaker of the house is presiding over the same state. speaker longhurst and her majority team, majority whip carrie evelyn are harris and new speaker longhurst, and the leadership team, and majority

whip, and tim williams. kim, kim, stand up and be recognized. i look forward to working with all of you for the rest of the session. i also want to take a moment to recognize two new justices on the delaware supreme court. please stand, so that we can recognize both of you. ip to ou. we have e a world-class judicia in delaware. and these justices bring a new generation of leadership to our court. thank you for your commitment to public service. a moment of personal privilege, if i may. i would like to recognize my

wife tracy, for all of the hard work that she has done on behalf of delaware children over the past seven years. tracy has -- tracy has transformed the role of first lady. we like to call her the first spouse and made sure every delaware child has a tracy has irtransformed the rol of first lady. we like to call her the first spouse. we want to make sure that every delaware child has a first chance to succeed. let me tell you, it has not always been easy. thank you, tracy, for your support. before i go any further, i would also like to recognize

the army and air national guard. mike is represented by brigadier general james benson. please stand up and be recognized. we have command staff and other guardsmen and women until if bat colony as well. it's been -- in the balcony as well. it's been a busy time for the guard, and i think about their service and sacri we have guardsmen and command staff and men and women in the balcony. i thank them for their service and sacrifice. over the past year, more than 1300 guardsmen and women have been deployed to more than 50 locations around the world. last year, we held a ceremony for more than 150 national guardsmen and women from the

160th engineering company. the recently returned from military operations. again, members of that unit who deployed are with us today. please join me again in recognizing our citizen soldiers. they are the very best and they are up, again, in the balcony. it's really hard to believe this, but this is my last state of the state address as your governor, and i suspect, as i said earlier, that there are mixed feelings about the it is really hard to believe this, but this is my last state of the state address as your governor. as i said earlier, there are mixed feelings about the applause i am receiving, as i came in. but seriously though, i think it is worth a little reflection, if i may. reflection on what we have

accomplished working together and also unfinished business. first and foremost, we have helped to create -- >> you are out of order. orderm speaker. >> [inaudible] we send you are our children away, it should be >> you cannot be the man of the hour. >> you are out of order, madam. please. >> it should be an honor to defend our country. senator, speak up. d create more than 30,000 new jobs since 2017. that's a >> proceed. >> thank you, madam speaker. first and foremost, we have helped to create more than

30,000 new jobs since 2017. that is a big deal. for the first time in delaware history, we have provided funding for low income students in our public schools. we have given our teachers a big pay raise. for three years running, we have implemented the largest infrastructure plan in state history. that means good jobs, new schools, safer roads and bridges, and connecting delaware residents to the internet, up and down the state. we have turned a $400 million budget deficit into, in 2017, into a $400 million in additional reserves today. and that means a lot. wilmington. we've provided paid leave for delaware families and raised the minimum wage to $15 we are supporting an economic resurgence in downtown

wilmington. we have provided paid leave for delaware families and we have raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour and the labor market has grown already. and we are building more affordable housing units, so delaware families have a safe place to call home. we reduced crime and our prison population is down nearly 24%. we passed sweeping climate change legislation, omitting to net zero emissions by 2050. and we are keeping our communities safe by banning assault weapons and launching safety measures. these are issues that matter to delaware families. >> you are out of order, please. please, please. please, we have

a governor giving the state of the state for -- speaker. these are issues tata matter to delaware families in each of your districts and that matter governor, please proceed. >> thank you, madam speaker. these are issues that matter to delaware families in each of your districts and that matter to future generations. good jobs, quality schools, safe and affordable communities. a cleaner environment and responsible management of taxpayer dollars. in this last year, i am focusing on leaving the state in a better place than i found it. we should make sure that the next governor is in the best possible position to succeed. and we should balance the budget and we should make sure that our investments are

sustainable in the long run. and i want to thank everyone in this room for your partnership on this. we do not always agree, for sure, but working together is what we do best in delaware. because of our hard work together. i can confidently say today, that the state of our state is strong and getting stronger every day. as many of you know, i spent a loot of -- a lot of time on the football field. in fact, one of my high school teammates i as many of you know, i spent a lot of time on the football field. in fact, one of my high school teammates is here in the chamber today, and i spent time as a player and as a coach.

i know, it was a long time ago. but one thing i learned is that the best teams leave it all on the field. and it is in that spirit that i want to talk about some of our unfinished business. and the work that i believe we can still accomplish together this last year. we have made big strides in financial management. i want to recognize senator carson for the good work last year, as well as senator walsh, and representative huffington. but despite our efforts, we did not pass legislation to permanently control operating spending at sustainable levels. earlier, general assembly rejected my proposed constitutional amendment that would have done just that. it is really pretty simple. delaware cannot compete if we do not have the budget in order. right now, the future general assembly, for a governor, could

lead us down a path of uncontrolled spending. we have not done that. that would lead to higher taxes and painful cuts. so, let's not go backwards. instead, let's build on the progress we have made working together. this year, i am asking you to send me legislation that will make the spending benchmark permanent. i will not be here next year and i know some of you are happy about that. but most of you will. do not set yourselves up for failure. i hope that we can find common ground on this very important point for every delaware taxpayer. we have a serious issue with healthcare cost inflation, this year between medicare and the insurance plan for state employees and retirees, we are spending nearly $2 million on healthcare alone. let me say that again. $2 billion, that is billion with a b. that is roughly more than our costs were last year. medicare alone costs $1

billion. those are jaw-dropping numbers. that is almost a third of our state budget and it is only going up. and taxpayers are footing the bill. if we do not get serious, healthcare spending will crowd out all of the other investments. funding for our public schools, for affordable housing, and childcare. and raises for state employees and retirees. right now, retirees get their pay increases in the funding needed to cover their healthcare, this is an issue we cannot afford to ignore, we should work together to strengthen the benchmark and address inflation. senator longhurst, and many others, in this room agree and i look forward to working together with you on those issues. of course, no issue is more

important to our state's future than the quality of delaware's public schools. i've a spent a lot of time the last seven years focused on strengthening our schools, especi of course, no issue is more or important to our state's future than the quality of delaware's public schools. i have spent a lot of time in the last seven years focused on strengthening our schools, especially for children who need our help the most. i know that many others have been leaders on this issue for many years. together, we created opportunity funding, a program that provides additional funding for low-income students and english learners in our state. our budget increases funding for this program to $63 million. and i can assure you that it is making a difference. last fall, i visited east mills elementary and spoke with a

young student who had been struggling to read. working with a reading specialist, funded through opportunity funding, she was improving by leaps and bounds. and that reading coach, heather o'rourke, is here with us somewhere today. heather, please stand up so we can recognize you. schools acrs the state. we've spent $1.5 billion on school construction alone. over the past leseven years, we have also build new schools across the state. we have spent $1.5 million on school construction alone let me tell you something that you already might know, a school is much more than books, bricks, and mortar. it is the pillar of a community. and nowhere is that more true, than on the east side of wilmington, where we are building the first new school in that city in over half a century.

the school will be named the maurice pritchard sr. academy after the school's -- the old school will be named the prichard senior academy, after the school's -- you support that? after the long term community icon, who i had the privilege to know as a basketball coach, maurice prichard. i am looking forward to the opening of the school next year. students, teachers, and neighbors on the east side will have a state-of-the-art school building that they can take pride in. join me in recognizing the members of the prichard county, they are in the balcony with us today, i believe. thank you for being with us.

we also launched the wilmington learning collaborative to provide hyperfocus on schools in our largest city. for the first time, districts serving the city a thank you for being with us. we also launched the wilmington learning collaborative, to provide a hyper- focused on schools in our largest city. for the first time, districts serving a city are working together to address the needs of children. i want to recognize the senator for her work in this area and her committee that she chairs and all of the people involved with that. the representative is part of that, as well. and finally, we have significantly expanded mental health services in our schools, the need became even more pronounced during the covid-19

pandemic. and i want to thank you, madam speaker, for your leadership on this effort, working together to expand these services into the high schools this year. these are initiatives that we all can be proud of. but it simply is not enough. here is an uncomfortable truth. statewide, less than 40% of children are reading proficiently in third grade. let me say that again. less than 40% of children are reading proficiently in third grade. and many schools go even short of that average. imagine if your child went to school with that kind of resulted none of us would tolerate that. but too many students across the state are faced with that reality and we need to fix it. that is why my budget -- that

is why my budget includes funding for a new team of literacy coaches. they will work with educators and district leaders to focus on the science of rating, and effective approaches in teaching children how to read. it is one of the most important things that we can do. and i hope that you will join me in supporting this priority. we will continue to focus on early childhood education. i know that this is a priority for many of you in this chamber today. our priority is simple, create more seats for the children and families who need it the most. the research is clear. children who have access towho access to quality early childhood education have better outcomes. that includes higher graduation rates and more financial stability into adulthood. just 15 years ago the state was

investing next to nothing in childcare. my budget this year includes more than $135 million for childcare. that is a big deal. these are critical investments that will benefit our children as they grow up. [ applause ] before i leave the topic of education, i want to think secretary for all his hard work. please stand. [ applause ] mark was a teacher, a principal and superintendent before he took the job as secretary. as leadership has been tremendous, steady and strong. over the past 19 months the

secretary chair the public education compensation committee. the group studied educator pay, and they presented a recommendation for paying teachers what they deserve. i am determined to win the competition with the state around us. we want the best educators working right here in the first state. that is why my budget fully funds the first year of those recommendations for educators building on the raise i signed into law last year. if we stick to the plan, we will raise teachers' starting salaries to $60,000 over the next four years. let's get it done. [ applause ] i would like to take a moment now to recognize our lieutenant governor long has been a i would like to take a moment ea to recognize our lieutenant governor, bethany hall-long. lt. governor hall-long has been a

real partner over these past seven years. she's a nurse, as you all know. and her efforts on the ground during the covid-19 pandemic were just tremendous. she knows how to roll up her sleeves and get things done. the lt. governor has also been a champion of science and technology and advancing stem careers for young people in our state, particularly young girls. last summer i signed senate bill 55, creating delaware's rare disease advisory council. this new council will bring together the best and brightest to help support those living with rare diseases. the effort was led by lieutenant governor hall-long, along with senator nicole poore and representative krista griffith. please join me in recognizing the lieutenant governor and the leaders of these efforts. [ applause ] like to take anotht

to recognize my wife tracy for all her good work as first spouse. [laughter] i'd like to take another moment to recognize my wife tracey for all her good work as first spouse. [ laughter ] [ applause ] that is so typical of her to cut it loose and say, let's move onto something else. but truthfully,since 2017, tracey has been focused on giving all delaware children a "first chance" to succeed. working with state librarian dr. annie norman, she helped expand dolly parton's imagination library statewide in the middle of the pandemic. that saying something. [ applause ]now, more than half of eligible children are signed up for free books every month.

again, there's nothing more important than helping our children learn how to read. this is an important program to do that. this free program will help us achieve that goal.in addition, last year, tracey led a discussion on our trauma- informed progress. and she hosted our first youth mental health summit. it takes all of us, working together, to make sure that delaware children have a first chance to succeed from birth to adulthood. please join me again -- not out, we recognized her too many times. [ laughter ] [ applause ] let me tell you, i owe all -- i deserve -- i need all that goodwill that you're giving for me today. [laughter] of course, one of the best ways let me tell you, i owe -- i need all that goodwill tonight. of course, one of the best ways to expand opportunity is to keep our economy strong and growing.

as the saying goes, a good job solves a lot of problems. >> [ inaudible ] >> >> [inaudible] >> thank you, madam speaker. as the saying goes, a good job solves a lot of problems. good jobs help families pay the bills, buy governor, please continue. >> thank you, e,madame speaker. as the saying goes, a good job solves a lot of problems. good jobs help families pay the bills, buy a home, save for college and retirement and sock away some money for vacation. good jobs also increase our state's revenue, and help us fund top priorities. on my first day in office, i signed an executive order to rethink our approach to economic development. and together, we created the delaware prosperity partnership.

we have leaders of that effort with us today. by every measure, it's been a success. just in the last two years, we've created more than 20,000 jobs. that's a big deal. my budget continues our investments in job creation. in the strategic fund, site readiness, in graduation lab space, and our transportation infrastructure investment fund. we will not lose the competition with other states around us for good jobs for our people. we also have our eye on the future of delaware's economy. my budget again includes additional funding for the federal research projects, niimbl and sabre, at the star campus at the university of delaware. both projects will build on delaware's strong foundation in science and technology. they will attract more high- quality workers to delaware and spur innovation and business development. you all know this. but our colleges and

universities are more important than ever to the future of our economy. at delaware state university, dr. allen and his team have opened a new early childhood innovation center. the center will train the next generation of early childhood educators. and at delaware tech, dr. brainard remains at the forefront of job training in our state. we still have more jobs available than we have people looking for work. it's an issue you've heard me talk about before. right now, there are 31,000 jobs available, but only 21,000 people looking for work. that requires intense focus on job training and onthe skills demanded by delaware's employers. delaware tech is leading on that work. join me in recognizing dr. assanis, dr. allen, and dr. brainard and their teams for their hard work and dedication to the future of our state. [ applause ]

we're also exploring federal funding opportunities, and we've had some success. last year delaware, pennsylvania and new jersey were we are also exploring federal funding opportunities. and we've had success. last year, delaware, pennsylvania, and new jersey were selected by the federal government for a hydrogen hub. the program was funded by president biden's bipartisan infrastructure law. the u.s. department of energy selected just seven proposals out of 79 applications across the country. and we were one of the seven. the federal designation will bring $750 million to the region. make no mistake: this is a generational opportunity to build a clean energy industry right here in delaware. and to compete for good union jobs of the future. we also received $50 million in federal funding to help expand the port of wilmington.

for decades, jobs at the port have been a gateway to the middle class for thousands of workers and their families. these are the kinds of jobs our state and country were built on. we are also increasing support for towns and cities. last year, we celebrated additional funding to redevelop the once-blighted nylon capital shopping center in seaford. we're building new affordable housing on the east side of wilmington, and our housing director, eugene young, and his team are leading that work. [ applause ]and just a few weeks ago, we announced plans to supercharge the redevelopment of downtown dover. [ applause ] that will make

representative burchett very happy. it will also help us attract workers to the area andexpand economic opportunity in our historic capital city. i know that work is important to senator paradee, representatives harris, bush, lynn and many others. i appreciate your leadership and your partnership. if we want to keep good jobs and workers in delaware, we need to make sure families feel safe in their communities. i know fighting gun violence has been a shared priority. over the past seven years, we've banned assault weapons, bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. we've passed red flag laws and prevented straw purchases. this year, we'll take another big step forward and pass the permit to purchase law. [ applause ]

inside the administration we spent a lot of time on what we call group violence intervention is, or inside the administration, we've spent a lot of time on what we call group violence intervention or gvi. we started gvi in wilmington and have expanded the program to dover. here's the truth: it's a very small number of people who are committing the vast majority of gun violence in these communities. they are part of groups that fight with one another. through gvi, we are directly engaging with those individuals and the gangs and groups they're part of. we're demanding that they put down their guns. if they do, we will offer job training and other social services. for those who choose the path of violence, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. and attorney general jennings has been doing that.

thank you, madam attorney general. [ applause ]more than 300 people have participated in gvi since it started. just in the last several months, we have started offering gvi services in laurel where we recently saw a spike in lethal shootings. we are a committed partner in efforts to prevent gun violence in western sussex county. the delaware state police has been instrumental in our response. and we appreciate the support of representatives dukes and short and senator richardson in those efforts. [ applause ] p artnership. as we look towards the future, we can't ignore or the the future of our communities e across our state depends on that partnership. as we look toward the future, we can't ignore the threat of climate change. delaware is the lowest-lying state in the country.

drive through some of our coastal and back-bay communities and you'll see it for yourself. it's clear we're already feeling the effects of sea rise. that's why we're spending more than $30 million to harden our coastal infrastructure. projects like the one to raise south bowers road to make sure residents can get in and out of town during storms. that's pretty important. and i want to thank secretary majeski and secretary garvin for their leadership in this area. [ applause ] climate change legislation in our state's last year, many of you were instrumental in passing the most significant climate change legislation in our state's history. house bill 99 set ambitious, but achievable, targets. we committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. and achieving net-zero

emissions by 2050. this is critical for future generations. i want to recognize senator hansen, representative heffernan, and representative phillips for their hard work and leadership on this issue. [ applause ] we have a general assembly full of lead leaders who understand the threat of climate change and who have the political will to talk alaska. than we have a general assembly full of leaders who understand the threat of climate change. and who have the political will to take action. thank you for your leadership. the transition to clean energy won't be easy. at times, it will be controversial. very controversial. in december, dnrec finalized regulations to reduce transportation emissions in our state, a big source of carbon and other air pollution. by 2032, the regulations require that 82 percent of vehicles delivered to delaware be zero emission vehicles. that will help us reach our targets under house bill 99.

and we're following industry trends across the country. major automakers are already committed to moving toward electric vehicles. our efforts will also make sure delaware isn't left behind in this transition. the threat of climate change is also why we're taking a fresh look at delaware's role in the offshore wind industry. in december, we began negotiations with offshore wind developer us wind to bring significant benefits to our state. and to take an active leadership role in offshore wind development. under terms of the agreement, us wind would bring wind energy into delaware. we expect the agreement to bring more than $100 million in benefits to our state without raising rates. those benefits include funding for workforce development. for dredging projects and for projects to mitigate the effects of climate change in our state parks. over the next several months, i

hope you'll join me in taking another big step forward. we are pursuing legislation that will make delaware more of an active player in offshore wind. it will allow us to directly purchase wind-generated renewable energy. and to explore partnerships with states in our region. and senator hanson, i know this is a big priority of yours. we look forward to working together on this very important legislation. [ applause ]i want to end where i started with some reflection. -- [ inaudible ] >> as your governor. i believe the opportunity to serve as an elected official -- >> [inaudible] is the thank you.at >>it's been a great honor for me to serve as your governor. i believe the opportunity to serve as an elected official is

the greatest privilege that a people can bestow on one of their own. one of our colleagues who has enjoyed that privilege for 21 years is representative pete schwartzkopf. join me in recognizing the former speaker for his incredible service to our state. [ applause ] [laughter] there's a lot of love in that standing ovation, representative schwartz cop -- schwarzkopf. there is a lot of love and that standing innovation, representative. thank you for working together.

these last seven years haven't always been easy. the three years of the pandemic felt more like 10. but for me, the privilege to serve as governor has been an incredible gift. i got to travel to every corner of our state. and meet people where they are. in fire houses. in schools. at festivals and parades. and during tragic circumstances as well, like fires, natural disasters, and funeral testimonials. i've been privileged to listen to people's hopes and aspirations. and to share in their good times and bad. i've learned that the most important thing for an elected official is to earn the trust of the people you represent. they will give you the benefit of the doubt so long as they trust you're always trying to do the right thing. if you earn that trust, they will follow you when times are tough.

and times get tough. finally, i want to thank, tracey and our boys, sam and jimmy, for the sacrifices they've made during my time in public service. i couldn't have done it without them by my side. for the rest of this year, we'll continue to do the right thing. and working together, we'll leave the state better off for generations to come. i look forward to leaving it all on the field in this last year. thank you for your hard work and your trust. god bless you. and god bless the great state of delaware. [ applause ]

[appla

something else i saw firsthand wasn't a surprise to me, but it was the outpouring of love from you, my colleagues, both republican and democrat. right after the shooting we were practicing on the republican side, and the democrats were practicing too. my colleague and friend, and sometimes archrival in baseball for back home in new orleans, unfortunately, the start of the game too many times, somehow figured out which hospital i was sent to and got there

probably the first person on the scene in his baseball uniform to check on me. so many others of you, again, both republican and democrat, reached out in ways i can't express the gratitude and how much it means to me, jennifer and our whole family. it really does show the warm side of congress that very few people get to see.