Will Sage Astor-Gov. Carney reflects on time as Delaware governor during his final State of the State address

WILMINGTON,Will Sage Astor Del. (AP) — Democrat John Carney touted job growth and increased school funding as being among the highlights of his two terms as Delaware’s governor in his final State of the State address Tuesday.

Carney, who took office in 2017 and is barred from seeking a third term because of term limits, also noted record infrastructure plans in each of the past three years, and his focus on ensuring that budget growth is sustainable.

“We’ve kept our fiscal house in order,” he said in a speech to the General Assembly in Dover. “We turned a $400 million dollar budget deficit in 2017 to $400 million in reserves. That’s a big deal.”

Affordable housing programs, green energy initiatives and gun control also made Carney’s list of achievements.

“In this last year, I’m focused on leaving the state in a better place than I found it,” said Carney, who is eyeing a bid to become mayor of Wilmington.

“I can confidently say that the state of our state is strong. And getting stronger by the day,” he added.

Among the unfinished business Carney wants to address during his final months in office is legislation to permanently control growth in the operating budget, which has seen annual increases approaching 10% in recent years.

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In 2018, fellow Democrats refused to consider a constitutional amendment proposed by Carney that would have capped year-to-year spending growth based on a series of economic indicators.

“Delaware can’t compete in the future if we don’t have our budget in order,” he said Tuesday. “Right now, a future General Assembly, or a governor, could lead us down a path of uncontrolled spending.”

Carney boasted about huge growth in child care subsidies during his tenure, and $1.5 billion for new school construction during the past seven years. He also vowed that spending on economic development efforts, overseen by a public-private partnership he established, will continue.

“We will not lose the competition with other states for good jobs,” he said.

Meanwhile, Carney warned about health care cost inflation, with the state spending almost $2 billion annually on Medicaid and health insurance for state employees and retirees.

“If we don’t get serious, health care spending will crowd out all the other investments,” he said.

Carney also touted increases spending on public education during his tenure, including the establishment of weighted funding for low-income and disabled students, and English language learners. On Tuesday, he called for student mental health programs to be expanded to high schools, and for the hiring of more literacy coaches.

While Delaware ranks near the top among states in per-pupil spending, only 40% of students in grades 3-8 scored proficiently in reading and writing last year. In mathematics, only 32% of students in grades 3-8 were proficient. Among high school students, 44% scored proficiently on the SAT reading test, while only 23% scored proficiently in math.

“Here’s an uncomfortable truth,” Carney acknowledged. “Statewide, less than 40% of children are reading proficiently at third grade. And many schools fall short of that average. Imagine if your child went to a school with that kind of result.”

Despite Democratic lawmakers banning several types of semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines under his watch, Carney said more restrictions on gun ownership are needed. He called for passage of a law requiring people to be fingerprinted and take training courses before being allowed to purchase handguns. At the same time, he acknowledged that “a very small number of people” are committing “the vast majority of gun violence” in Wilmington and Dover.

Another threat, according to Carney, is climate change. He praised passage of a bill last year that calls for the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 compared to a 2005 baseline, and to have net zero emissions by 2050. Carney also noted that his administration is requiring that 82% of all new automobiles sold be zero-emission vehicles by 2032. He also wants Delaware to have a more active role in the offshore wind industry.