Governor Carney’s Statement on Final Passage of Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act

DOVER, Del.Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long issued the following statements on final passage of the  Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act:

“This legislation – one piece in a package of comprehensive gun safety reform – takes responsible steps to protect Delaware communities by keeping firearms away from those who pose a danger to themselves or others,” said Governor John Carney. “This is commonsense, bipartisan reform that will make our state safer, while protecting the due process rights of all Delawareans. This legislation also will ensure that Delaware’s health professionals and law enforcement are working more closely together when it comes to the issue of gun safety. Thank you to Representative Bentz, Senator Henry, and all members of the General Assembly from both parties for their leadership on this issue. I look forward to signing this important piece of legislation, and I would urge all legislators to take additional action on gun safety reform that will make our state safer.”

“Today Delaware moved a step closer toward protecting our communities and our schools from those who pose a danger to themselves and others,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “We must work together to remove guns from those who are too dangerous to possess them. Beau Biden realized that and took action. I was proud to work with Beau and supported this legislation when he introduced it in 2013. I thought it was necessary then, and I think it’s imperative now, that we do all we can to remove guns from these individuals and get them the mental health treatment they need.”

DETAILS OF THE LEGISLATION:

The Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act would add the following individuals to the list of persons prohibited from owning a firearm:

  • Any person who has been committed to a hospital for treatment of a mental condition.
  • Perpetrators of violent crimes who have been found:
    • Not guilty by reason of insanity;
    • Guilty but mentally ill;
    • Mentally incompetent to stand trial.

Those individuals are currently not prohibited from owning firearms under current law. The legislation also would require health professionals to report to law enforcement anyone they believe presents a danger to themselves or others. Appropriate law enforcement agencies must then investigate – and may seek a court order to require individuals to relinquish firearms, if they are found to present a danger.

The legislation also allows affected individuals to appeal orders to the Supreme Court, and petition to have their firearms returned.

Click here to learn more about Governor Carney’s call for comprehensive gun safety reform.

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Related news:
Governor Carney, Representative Bentz Announce Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act


One year after new regulations issued, Delaware opioid prescriptions and quantities dispensed continue to drop

DOVER, Del. – The number of prescriptions for opioid medications in Delaware, as well as the total quantity of opioids dispensed, have dropped significantly in the 12 months since the Department of State enacted stricter prescribing regulations to help combat the opioid crisis statewide.

Statistics from the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR), which licenses controlled substance prescribers, show 14 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids were written by Delaware practitioners in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the first quarter of 2017. The Division also reports an 18-percent decline in the total quantity of opioids dispensed to patients over the same period.

“The opioid epidemic continues to ravage families across our state and our nation, but numbers like these show that the public policies we have put in place are having a positive impact,” said Gov. John Carney. “Health care practitioners in Delaware are partners in the shared effort to overcome this crisis, and we are seeing the results of changes in prescribing practices that will, without question, save lives across our state.”

The regulations, which took effect April 1, 2017, were designed to help prescribers more closely monitor and control the use of opioids by their patients. Six months after the regulations were implemented, statistics showed a 12-percent drop in opioid prescriptions and an 8-percent drop in the number of Delawareans receiving prescriptions.

“Fewer prescriptions written and fewer pills dispensed mean fewer chances for Delawareans to become addicted to opioids, or for these dangerous drugs to be diverted for illegal use,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “The regulations we enacted last year to put limits on opioid prescriptions seem to be working. We hope that in the long term these trends will mean a reduction in opioid addiction and deaths.”

Key elements of the regulations were aimed at controlling the amount of opioids given to new patients and aggressively monitoring their treatment. Except in special circumstances, first-time opioid prescriptions may not exceed a one-week supply under these rules. If further opioid prescriptions are deemed necessary, further action is required, including a physical exam with discussion of relevant patient history and the risks of opioids, and a check of the statewide Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) database.

Data collected through the PMP is being used to track prescribing trends, document the impact of state efforts to address the opioid crisis, and identify practitioners whose prescribing histories send up red flags so that further outreach may be conducted.

“This is very good news. We hoped when we saw the first drop in opioid prescriptions after the new, more stringent regulations went into effect that those numbers would hold. This new report shows that they have not only held but improved,” said Attorney General Matt Denn. “This is further evidence that the Delaware regulations strike a good balance between making opioid drugs available to those who need them, and ensuring that they are prescribed in a responsible way and with appropriate monitoring and follow-up. Secretary Bullock deserves a lot of credit for investing the time to implement these new regulations, which will save lives.”

The regulatory reforms complement efforts organized across state government and in cooperation with Delaware’s community of public health organizations and anti-addiction advocates.

“There is no silver bullet for solving the addiction epidemic, but these new regulations give us one more tool to fight with,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Smarter prescribing practices undoubtedly save lives. As chair of Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium, I can promise we will continue to seek out approaches and use every tool we can to fight this epidemic and create stronger, healthier communities.”

The Behavioral Health Consortium, created last year by the General Assembly, is working to develop an action plan to prevent and treat substance use disorder, expand and improve mental health treatment and recovery and provide support for family members of loved ones who are battling addiction or coping with mental health issues.

The state’s Addiction Action Committee, also created by the General Assembly last year, is actively considering two other initiatives related to the prescription of opioid drugs: possible legislation requiring health insurance coverage of alternatives to opioids for pain management, and possible state responses to the co-prescription of opioids and benzodiazapenes.

“The regulations are an important component of the state’s overall plan to address the prescription opioid epidemic, and we are pleased to see the regulations are having the intended effect of reducing the number of prescriptions written,” said Division of Public Health (DPH) Director Dr. Karyl Rattay. “DPH and the Safe Prescribing Subcommittee of the Addiction Action Committee continue to partner with DPR to increase awareness among prescribers regarding the regulations, safe prescribing practices and alternatives to pain management.”

The Department of Health and Social Services also has boosted resources to help individuals struggling with addiction. Educational materials about identifying and fighting addiction can be found at HelpIsHereDE.com. Individuals who are suffering from addiction can also call DHSS’ 24/7 Crisis Hotline to be connected to treatment options. In New Castle County, call 800-652-2929; in Kent and Sussex counties, call 800-345-6785.


Lt. Governor Hall-Long, Representative Paradee, Senator Henry Announce Legislation to Ban Powdered Alcohol

Dover, DE – Lt. Governor Hall-Long, Representative Trey Paradee, and Senator Margaret Rose Henry announced legislation designed to ban the sale of powdered alcohol in Delaware. Passage of House Bill 372 would add Delaware to the list of other states and jurisdictions that have already enacted a ban on such substances.

“Powdered alcohol products requiring only the addition of water pose a potentially serious public health hazard,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long, who also chairs Delaware’s Behavioral Health Consortium. “It could be disastrous, especially for our underage populations. The ease with which the powdered alcohol can be concealed or transported would have a particular appeal to them.”

“Alcohol is already the leading drug for teenagers to abuse,” said Representative Trey Paradee. “A key focus of fighting the addiction epidemic and saving lives is preventing our kids from having easy access to drugs and alcohol. Products like this only make it easier for kids to conceal and consume.”

The American Medical Association (AMA) recognizes the dangers of powdered alcohol as well. In an earlier release, they called for the nationwide ban of the substance, citing alcohol as the “most widely used substance of abuse among America’s young people.” Adding to the danger of this product is its high likelihood of being misused. Powdered alcohol can be improperly inhaled, ingested, or mixed with additional alcoholic beverages.

In total, more than 35 jurisdictions have already recognized the harm this poses and have taken measures to ban the substance.

“Irresponsible or excessive use of alcohol kills more Americans than any drug except tobacco,” said Senate Majority Leader Margaret Rose Henry. “Selling alcohol in a powdered form makes it far too easy to conceal, misuse, and abuse. It should be banned, not just to protect young people, but to protect everyone who’s put at risk by just one person’s irresponsibility.”

 

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Governor Carney, First Lady, Casey Family Programs Announce “First Chance Delaware”

New initiative promotes culture of commitment to Delaware children through cross-sector partnerships

WILMINGTON, Del. – Joined by members of his Cabinet, representatives from Casey Family Programs and child advocates, Governor John Carney joined First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney on Thursday to announce First Chance Delaware – an initiative led by the First Lady to recognize and facilitate effective partnerships, to share research and best practices, and to promote opportunities to collaborate in support of Delaware’s children.

Casey Family Programs provided the founding grant for First Chance Delaware, and will continue to provide technical and operational support through Casey’s First Spouse Initiative program.

Delawareans can learn more about First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney’s “First Chance Delaware” initiative, and sign up to help, at de.gov/firstchance.

“First Chance is not a new program. It is a framework, in coordination with the Family Services Cabinet Council, to promote a statewide culture of commitment to Delaware’s children,” said First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney. “In advancing that culture, we recognize our shared interest, as well as our shared moral obligation, to give all children an opportunity to realize their potential – in learning, work, and citizenship. We also recognize that, working in isolation, not even the most well intentioned – or even the most well-funded – organizations or individuals can address the obstacles to success that too many of our children confront in the 21st Century. The challenges are intertwined; each deepens the others, in a geometric – and often generational – erosion of opportunity. So to be effective, the efforts to alleviate those challenges must be coordinated and mutually reinforcing. Everyone concerned with Delaware’s future needs to be involved.”

First Chance Delaware will focus its work on:

  • Ending childhood hunger and expanding access to nutritious food for low-income children;
  • Promoting learning readiness through literacy, health and parent-child engagement programs; and
  • Advancing the recognition of – and effective responses to – adverse childhood experiences.

“First Chance Delaware encourages partners from across government, the nonprofit sector, and private business to work together on behalf of Delaware’s children,” said Governor Carney. “This initiative is already helping to confront childhood hunger across our state, and will bring partners together to take on challenges surrounding trauma, learning readiness, and childhood literacy. Thank you to Tracey for her leadership, and we look forward to bringing more voices and resources to the table with the goal of finding solutions to critical issues facing Delaware’s children.”

The statewide Task Force to End Childhood Hunger is the first model partnership to be recognized as a First Chance Delaware program.

“Making sure our children and families have the tools they need to thrive and be successful is vital,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “The partnerships created by First Chance Delaware will help us identify gaps so that we can assist and provide for our children in so many areas. I look forward to working with Governor Carney and First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney, as well as the Family Services Cabinet Council, to help make our children and families stronger and healthier.”

“As a member of the Governor’s Family Services Cabinet Council, I have seen firsthand the Governor’s commitment to improving the lives of Delaware’s children and families; however, state government alone cannot address all of the needs of Delawareans, which is why we are all very grateful to First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney for creating First Chance Delaware,” said Josette Manning, Secretary of Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families. “First Chance Delaware will break down the barriers between state agencies and all other individuals and organizations to encourage collaboration and creative solutions to some of the most complex issues facing our children and families.”

Related News
Summer Food Service Program Provides Nutritious Meals for Needy Children
First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney Attends Learning Lab on State Strategies to Reduce Childhood Hunger

Related Background Information
The statewide Task Force to End Childhood Hunger, with a central team convened by the First Lady, includes representatives from the Food Bank of Delaware, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Social Services. This task force’s specific goals include increasing participation and building partnerships in support of the Summer Food Service Program and alternative model school breakfasts. The task force also seeks to promote awareness of all programs, public and private, available to Delawareans experiencing food insecurity. Other task force partners include the Harry K Foundation; superintendents, principals, and members of the Delaware School Nutrition Association; the Department of Agriculture and Delaware farmers; Summer Food Service Program sponsors and partners; and the regional office of the USDA.


Delaware Chosen to host Lieutenant Governors

Hall-Long secures bid as Delaware hosts National Lieutenant Governors Association Annual Meeting in 2019

Dover, DE – The National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) has selected Delaware to host the nation’s lieutenant governors in 2019 for its summer annual meeting. The meeting convenes Lt. Governors and seconds-in-command from across the country to discuss policy ideas, initiatives, and best practices among the states.

“Along with being the First State, Delaware leads our nation in many other ways as well,” said Lt. Governor Bethany Hall Long.  “From our world class judicial system and legal services, a thriving agriculture industry, and entrepreneurial and academic innovation, Delaware has a lot to offer.”

“NLGA is excited to bring together and engage lieutenant governors from across the country in Delaware next summer,” said NLGA Director Julia Hurst.  “Delaware offers outstanding opportunities for the exchange of information vital to all states and territories.”

Lt. Governor Hall Long made the bid to host the meeting at a recent NLGA conference in Washington D.C.  “In my bid, I showcased Delaware and what our state offers visitors from across the nation,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long. “The bid was accepted unanimously and I am looking forward to laying the groundwork for the meeting.”

Representative Helene Keeley of Wilmington noted how well suited Delaware is to host a national conference. “Delaware’s size and accessibility make it a prime location to host national leaders from around the country and highlight all that our state has to offer,” said Rep. Keeley. “I have no doubt that Delaware will serve as the perfect forum for next year’s NLGA conference”. Keeley helped plan and coordinate the Council of State Government’s (CSG) Eastern Region Conference that took place in Delaware in 2015. She will be the National Chair in 2019.

NLGA was founded in 1962 and this will be the first time Delaware has hosted a NLGA Annual Meeting. The next convening will be in June of 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana.