The public is invited to join Governor Jack Markell as he officially proclaims February as Black History Month in Delaware at an event on Thursday, Feb. 2 in Dover.

The commemoration will include remarks by author Orlando Camp who was one of the “Milford Eleven,” a group of African-American students who sought to be integrated into the Milford School District in 1954. His book on the subject, co-written with Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee, was recently released.

Also, a new display of photos and document facsimiles which help tell the story of the African-American educational journey in Delaware will be on view.

This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN:    Thursday, February 2, 2012, 11 – 11:45 a.m.

WHERE:  Delaware Public Archives, 121 Duke of York Street, Dover

Questions? Contact Christopher Portante at (302) 857-3038 or christopher.portante@delaware.gov

Meets Growing Demands without Raising Taxes

Photos available for media use on Flickr

Dover, DE – Governor Jack Markell today unveiled a balanced budget proposal that invests in jobs and public education, keeps the state’s commitment to critical areas like public health and safety and balances without the need to raise taxes or add new fees.

“Budgets are about priorities, and this budget makes clear that our top priorities are encouraging economic growth, making our public schools stronger, and ensuring that we are governing responsibly,” Markell said.

The budget continues years of efforts to govern responsibly by finding ways to cut costs. The state has cut over 1,000 state employee positions, enacted state employee health and pension reform that should secure over $480 million in savings over a 15-year period; reduced specific operating expenses like state-agency printing and advertising expenses; cut the state’s energy costs through reverse auctions; slashed the state’s fleet by 895 vehicles; and reduced costs by renegotiating state leases. These efforts have helped to reduce expenses while ensuring the state maintained its AAA bond rating, which keeps down the cost of borrowing.

“We remain very focused on investing and spending taxpayer dollars wisely.  In order to cover the cost of increasing demands on state government, we must continue to find savings and efficiencies in our state agencies, “ Director Visalli said.

While the recommended budget includes an additional $21.7 million dollars for Medicaid, the Governor made clear during his State of the State and in this budget address that the state will focus this year on bringing down those costs. Over the last 10 years, Medicaid spending has grown 127 percent, to the point where federal and state spending together now exceeds $1.2 billion each year.

“As I mentioned in the State of the State, tackling these spiraling costs – moving from paying for sick care to paying for health care – has to be a priority or we’ll lose the ability in the future to invest in areas like education that are critical to economic growth,” Markell said.

The budget proposal includes significant investments in public education, including additional state funding for 111 new teacher units in schools, step increases for school employees and salary increases for paraprofessionals. While federal Education Jobs Act funds had helped support local districts this year, the federal government did not renew that program. To support local districts and keep educators working, the Governor’s budget recommends the state replace those lost federal dollars with an additional $27.4 million dollars in state funds, which is the largest single additional investment in the Governor’s budget proposal. Public education also receives a boost in the Capital Budget, which dedicates $116.1 million for school projects.

With additional investments in early childhood education and support for the SEED and Inspire college scholarships, the budget recognizes that education cannot begin the day a child arrives for kindergarten or end the day someone crosses the stage with their high school diploma. The state’s recent success in the federal government’s second Race to the Top contest (the “Early Learning Challenge”) means federal resources will also be available to complement the state’s early childhood investments.

“Great schools are an important factor in our ability to attract new jobs to Delaware now. Great schools that graduate kids who are ready to succeed in work or college are critical to our state’s – and those kids’ – economic future,” Markell said.

With jobs remaining the Governor’s top priority, the budget proposal makes several investments in economic growth. The Capital Budget would replenish the state’s Strategic Fund, which has helped attract new employers and expand existing workforces at companies like Amazon, Mountaire Farms, Baltimore Aircoil, Nanticoke Hospital, Johnson Controls and PBF Energy, which reopened the Delaware City Refinery. These Strategic Fund resources would also support some of the Governor’s expanded efforts to help small businesses.

“We need to keep focused and keep pushing forward in our efforts to expand economic opportunity and make our state an even better place to start and grow a business,” Markell said. “Companies deciding where to invest and hire also look for places with clean air and water and for places parks and recreational trails that make life for employees and their families healthy and rewarding.  Quality of life matters deeply to them because it matters to their workforce.  If we overlook them, our state is likely to get overlooked.”

Given the importance quality of life issues can play in economic development, the Governor’s capital budget recommends $13.3 million for a series of Statewide Trails and Pathways; $2.6 million for libraries; a $1.3 million investments in the state’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $1.9 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, each of which will leverage several million in additional federal funds; $4 million for the state’s Housing Development Fund and $2.1 million to redevelop strategic sites like NVF and Fort Dupont. It invests in public-safety projects like the new Delaware State Police Troop 3 in Camden and Troop 7 in Lewes and supports $7.5 million in federal funds for the new Delaware National Guard Armory in Dagsboro with $2.5 in state capital funds.

While the unveiling of the Governor’s budget proposal traditionally focused on the Operating and Capital Budgets and was led by the Governor and Ann Visalli, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Transportation’s Secretary Shailen Bhatt included his proposals this year for the state’s Transportation Trust Fund. Bhatt explained the agency’s new approach to operating –  called TEAM DelDOT (for Transparent, Efficient, Accountable and Measured) – and new approach to budgeting, which includes more closely aligning agency staff and financial resources with the department’s capital program and operational needs.

“Sound management of our infrastructure and our transportation dollars is an important part of our state’s fiscal health,” Markell said. “DelDOT has made clear their budget priorities are to be realistic and responsible while maintaining a robust capital plan to create jobs and meet the state’s transportation needs.”

The Fiscal Year 2013 Recommended Operating Budget totals $3,544.5 million, an increase of 1.025% over the Fiscal Year 2012 budget.  The Fiscal Year 2013 Recommended Bond and Capital Improvements Act totals $448.0 million and the Governor has also recommended a Grants in Aid set-aside of $40.2 million.  Total recommended Fiscal Year 2013 General Fund appropriations are $42.6 million less than Fiscal Year 2012.

The Fiscal Year 2013 Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Act fully funds the state’s Rainy Day Fund, adheres to the state’s three-part debt limit, seeks to maintain the state’s AAA bond rating and appropriates only 98% of available revenue.

A power point of the proposal is available online: http://budget.delaware.gov/fy2013/budget_presentation.pdf.

Legislation signed into law today expands definition of designer drugs to address new substances developed in the future

Wilmington – Attorney General Beau Biden today applauded the enactment of Senate Bill 160 which permanently bans dangerous hallucinogenic substances commonly known as “bath salts.”  Bath salts, which are marketed under names such as “Ivory Wave,” “Purple Wave,” “Vanilla Sky” or “Bliss,” can mimic the effects of cocaine, LSD, MDMA or methamphetamine.  Law enforcement and medical professionals have reported that these drugs cause agitation, paranoia, hallucinations, chest pain, and suicidal tendencies.  In some cases the suicidal urges come back days after the drug is consumed.  The bill, which was introduced earlier this month by Senator Bethany Hall-Long, was signed into law by Governor Markell today.

“In order to protect the public we’ve got to stay one step ahead of the criminals that develop these poisonous substances,” Attorney General Biden stated.  “This new law not only permanently bans “bath salts”, but also more than a dozen chemicals that could be used to produce new versions of these dangerous mind-altering drugs.  I applaud Senator Hall-Long for her leadership in developing this legislation and thank the General Assembly and the Governor for working so quickly to enact this bill.”

The law makes permanent a temporary state ban on “bath salts” and bans 17 chemical compounds that experts have determined have a high potential for abuse and have no accepted medical use in treatment.  Under the law, criminal offenses for the possession and distribution of “bath salts” and other designer drugs include Possession, Aggravated Possession, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute.  The seriousness of the charge and penalty increases when aggravating factors are present, such as prior offenses, resisting arrest, the offense involves a juvenile, was committed in a vehicle, or occurred near a school, park, or church.  In addition, the law adds these substances to the “tier quantity” section of the State’s drug statute which also enhances applicable penalties.  Depending on the aggravating circumstance and weights possessed (tiers), charges can result in minimum mandatory jail time and carry a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

# # #

Photos are available for media use at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/delawaregovernor/sets/72157629031419527/, courtesy of Patrick Jackson, Delaware State Senate

DOVER –  Surrounded by lawmakers, police officers, scientists, social service and health officials, the Governor signed a bill into law that makes permanent a ban imposed last September on a class of designer drugs popularly known as “bath salts.”  The new law also gives police and prosecutors more flexibility in dealing with the dangerous drugs.

“This is where public safety and law enforcement meet science and public policy,” said Governor Markell.   “This has been a scary epidemic.  These drugs, with their high potential for abuse, have been a threat to people and public safety.  The emergency ban ordered through Secretary of State Jeff Bullock in September has been a success because emergency rooms are seeing fewer people affected by these ‘bath salt’ drugs.  By permanently banning these drugs, we hope to lessen their availability and their use.”

People on the drug can experience bouts of extremely violent paranoia requiring emergency room personnel to take measures, including rendering patients unconscious, to treat them. In some areas, bath salts cases threatened to periodically overwhelm some emergency rooms around the state.  The compound of drugs exploded in popularity last summer.

“When it became clear how much these drugs were affecting our communities, we used our emergency powers to act quickly to get them off our streets and out of our stores,” Bullock said. “With the Governor’s leadership on this issue and with the strong support of the General Assembly, we have ensured that not only are bath salts outlawed in Delaware, but also other dangerous designer drugs.”

“In order to protect the public we’ve got to stay one step ahead of the criminals that develop these poisonous substances,” said Attorney General Beau Biden.  “This new law not only permanently bans ‘bath salts,’ but also more than a dozen chemicals that could be used to produce new versions of these dangerous mind-altering drugs.  I applaud Senator Hall-Long for her leadership in developing this legislation and thank the General Assembly and the Governor for working so quickly to enact this bill.”

Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, D-Middletown, who is also a nursing professor, had been developing legislation banning bath salts when the General Assembly took its summer break.  During that time, she worked with the administration, law enforcement as well as medical and pharmacological experts to develop the new law.

“This was a team effort,” Hall-Long said. “These are drugs that you can make in your basement, if you have the right chemicals.  Without the changes we made to the law, it wouldn’t have taken a lot to make a drug with the same devastating effects but with a subtle difference in its chemical makeup that would have shielded a person from prosecution.”

A significant investigatory role rests with the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office, which will test the chemicals in the drugs.

“This will be a big challenge,” said Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf. “But we’re going to work to ensure that the Medical Examiner’s office will have the resources it needs to meet that challenge and give our partners in law enforcement the information they need to prosecute these cases.”

Rep. Rebecca Walker, a practicing nurse, saw the effects bath salts have on people first hand in her job as an emergency room nurse at Christiana Hospital.

“People under the influence of these bath salts are so out-of-control and violent that they’ve injured nurses and EMS providers, making it difficult to provide the necessary treatment,” said Walker, D-Middletown. “My biggest concern is for members of the community who may be violently attacked. Permanently banning this dangerous designer drug is an important step in protecting Delawareans.”

Dover – The Dover Air Force Base (DAFB) Wing Safety Office and the Office of Highway Safety are hosting several interactive DUI activities on base during Safety Down Day on Friday Jan. 27^th to show the airmen that drinking and driving just don’t mix.

Safety Down Day activities will have a football theme to support the NFL enforcement that is currently underway in Delaware.  Airmen will get to try their skills at throwing a football at a target and riding a tricycle while wearing DUI Fatal Vision goggles.  DUI Fatal Vision goggles use special lens technology that allows the wearer to experience a realistic simulation of impairment. They will also have the opportunity to try and drive the SIDNE- a go cart type vehicle, which simulates the effects of distraction and impairment from alcohol and other drugs on a motorist’s driving skills. Plus, Delaware State Police will showcase the seat belt convincer that demonstrates what happens to vehicle occupants when they don’t buckle up.  Those who drink and drive are also less likely to buckle up.

Pepsi and the HERO campaign will also be on site to promote Designated Drivers and DUI education.  The HERO campaign was launched by the Elliott family in August of 2000 in memory of their son’s tragic death at the hands of a drunken driver.  Delaware adopted the HERO campaign in 2007 by then Lt. Governor John Carney.

Law enforcement officers statewide will conduct DUI enforcement on Super Bowl Sunday in the form of 38 saturation patrols and 1 checkpoint as follows:

Friday February 5^th Wilmington – New Castle County DUI Task Force.

Those convicted of a first time DUI offense in Delaware can expect to lose their driver’s license for up to three months, attend an 8-week DUI treatment class and pay thousands of dollars in court, treatment, DMV, and lawyer’s fees.   Subsequent DUI convictions include mandatory jail time and higher fines.

OHS offers the following tips to help you have a safe Super Bowl weekend.   If you’re going out to a bar or party, designate a sober driver before the party begins and give that person your car keys.  Once out, if you’ve been drinking alcohol, don’t even think about getting behind the wheel. Ask a sober friend for a ride home.  Call a cab, friend or family member to come and get you, or stay where you are and sleep it off until you are sober.  Finally, remember, Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk. Take the keys and never let a friend leave your sight if you think they are about to drive while impaired.

If you are hosting a Super Bowl party, serve lots of high protein food and be sure to include lots of non-alcoholic beverages.  Stop serving alcohol at the end of the third quarter of the game – and begin serving coffee, water, and dessert.  Be sure all of your guests designate their drivers in advance, or help arrange ride-sharing with sober drivers.  Keep the numbers for local cab companies handy, and take the keys away from anyone who is thinking of driving while impaired.

For more information on any of the OHS campaigns visit www.ohs.delaware.gov and follow regular campaign updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DEHighwaySafe and Facebook www.facebook.com/ArriveAliveDE.