Dover, DE – In his weekly message, Governor Markell emphasis the original intent of Labor Day and statewide efforts to support our workforce.

“When Congress established Labor Day as a national holiday more than 100 years ago, it marked a seminal moment in the movement to establish the rights of all workers,” said Governor Markell. “Today, we have our own responsibilities to better serve working families. Our state must prioritize initiatives like retraining for workers in shrinking fields, as well as investments in the great teachers, hands-on programs, and higher education opportunities that will prepare our next generation for success. By giving our workers the support to make the most of their talents, we’ll honor the purpose of Labor Day, and we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/kfRlO1OPtQ8
Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message Supporting our Workforce, Strengthening our Economy

Wilmington, DE – Building on ongoing efforts in the state to address the addiction epidemic, Governor Markell was joined by White House officials today to announce federal funding to support a new initiative that will partner law enforcement officers and public health officials to address heroin and prescription drug abuse. (Full release below) The announcement comes less than one week after Governor Markell detailed the state’s priorities for the $4.45 million in new resources provided by the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

Through his budget proposals of the past two years, the Governor has successfully led efforts to expand access to treatment, including through the opening of a new withdrawal management clinic to serve the southern part of the state, and better match withdrawal services to individual needs, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Today’s announcement complements that work.

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Monday, August 17, 2015 CONTACT:
ONDCP Public Affairs: 202-395-6618
Mediainquiry@ondcp.eop.gov

White House Drug Policy Office Funds Delaware High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
New HIDTA County in Delaware Will Be Part of 15 State Partnership on Heroin

Wilmington, DE – Today, Michael Botticelli, Director of National Drug Control Policy, announced federal funding for Delaware as part of a new law enforcement and public health initiative to address heroin and prescription drug abuse. The funding comes through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, to which New Castle County was designated last year by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

$2.5 million will fund the Heroin Response Strategy, an unprecedented partnership among five regional HIDTA programs — Appalachia, New England, Philadelphia/Camden (of which New Castle County is now a member), New York/New Jersey, and Washington/Baltimore — to address the severe heroin threat facing those communities through public health-public safety partnerships across 15 states.

“The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program helps Federal, state, and local authorities to coordinate drug enforcement operations, support prevention efforts and improve public health and safety,” said Director Botticelli.  “The new Heroin Response Strategy demonstrates a strong commitment to address the heroin and prescription opioid epidemic as both a public health and a public safety issue. This Administration will continue to expand community-based efforts to prevent drug use, pursue ‘smart on crime’ approaches to drug enforcement, increase access to treatment, work to reduce overdose deaths, and support the millions of Americans in recovery.”

“While we need to do more to stop the flow of drugs into our cities, suburbs and rural areas, we know we cannot arrest our way out of this health crisis,” said Governor Jack Markell. “In order to truly reduce the number of people and families impacted by addiction, we must convince active users that treatment is available, it does work, and they can recover and thrive. This federal funding will support ongoing efforts in Delaware to address the addiction epidemic and we are grateful for the support of Director Botticelli, along with the tireless advocacy of Delaware’s Congressional delegation.”

“New Castle County is not immune to the heroin epidemic, and this program will help law enforcement combat this problem that affects communities all across the country,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Carper. “It will take an all-hands-on-deck effort to seek out the root causes and fix them. It is through partnerships with law enforcement, the community, and other cities across the country that real change can happen and this program will help to make that change a reality.”

“The addition of New Castle County to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program strengthens existing efforts in Delaware,” said U.S. Congressman John Carney. “This investment will help provide much-needed resources for us to better address heroin and prescription drug abuse. I appreciate the Administration’s commitment to ending this epidemic, and I look forward to continuing to work together at the local, regional, and federal level to combat drug abuse and strengthen our communities.”

Background on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

Created by Congress in 1988, the HIDTA program serves as a catalyst for coordination among Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Law enforcement organizations working within HIDTAs assess drug-trafficking issues and design specific initiatives to decrease the production, transportation, distribution, and chronic use of drugs and money laundering. There are currently 28 HIDTAs located in 48 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia.

Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy announced a total of $13.4 million in funding for HIDTA programs across the country.

Background on the 15-State Heroin Response Strategy:

The Heroin Response Strategy will foster a collaborative network of public health-public safety partnerships to address the heroin/opioid epidemic from multiple perspectives. The Strategy will enhance the efficacy and efficiency of the criminal intelligence process in support of cooperative law enforcement operations. The five HIDTAs will create a 15-state network of experienced, connected law enforcement contacts and leverage these connections and information-gathering capabilities with a strong, complementary, analytical capacity.

The five HIDTAs will select two centrally located Regional Coordinators, one with a public health focus and the other with a public safety focus, who will manage and oversee implementation and operation of the Heroin Response Teams. The Public Health Coordinator will oversee regional reporting of fatal and non-fatal overdose information and issuing of relevant alerts regarding dangerous batches of heroin and other heroin-related threats to health authorities. This will mobilize a rapid public health response to distribute naloxone or expand resources in the affected areas, helping to mitigate the number of overdoses and prevent deaths. The Public Safety Coordinator will oversee execution of public safety goals by ensuring case support is provided where needed and intelligence is being disseminated to relevant law enforcement authorities to enable disruption of the heroin supply.

A heroin and prescription opioid training curriculum will be developed and used to prepare rural and municipal officers and first responders who are inexperienced responding to heroin and prescription opioid-related incidents. To assist communities in coping with this escalating problem, the five HIDTAs will develop Education & Training strategies that will increase awareness of heroin and opiate addiction, create linkages to available prevention and treatment resources in the respective regions, and enable first-responders to know how to report all pertinent lead information developed from seizures and overdose responses.

The Heroin Response Strategy builds upon the successes of the 2014 symposium hosted by the Washington/Baltimore HIDTA.  Each year, the five HIDTAs will host two, two-day State of the Region symposia at a jointly nominated HIDTA.  These symposia will build additional structure within each respective HIDTA region for the attendees to maintain regular contact and continue their public health-public safety partnerships between symposia. The aim will be to facilitate collaboration between public health and public safety partners within and across jurisdictions, sharing best practices, innovative pilots, and identifying new opportunities to leverage resources.

Background on the Administration’s National Drug Policy

The Obama Administration’s drug policy treats the national drug challenge as a public health issue, not just a criminal justice issue.  This approach is built upon the latest scientific research demonstrating that addiction is a chronic disease of the brain that can be successfully prevented and treated, and from which one can recover.

The Administration has directed Federal agencies to expand community-based efforts to prevent drug use before it begins, empower healthcare workers to intervene early at the first signs of a substance use disorder, expand access to treatment for those who need it, support the millions of Americans in recovery, and pursue “smart on crime” approaches to drug enforcement.

For more information about the Office of National Drug Control Policy, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp

For information on the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/high-intensity-drug-trafficking-areas-program

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Details $4.45M in Spending Priorities for FY16

Harrington, DE – Responding to the need for increased addiction treatment and recovery services statewide in the face of an epidemic that claims a life from overdose every other day, Governor Markell joined Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf and other leaders today to detail the state’s priorities for the $4.45 million in new resources provided by the Fiscal Year 2016 budget.

Speaking at the construction site for a new withdrawal management clinic in Harrington, Governor Markell said that facility exemplifies the state’s commitment to serve the thousands of Delawareans and their families affected by the state’s addiction epidemic. In 2014, there were 185 suspected overdose deaths in Delaware, or about one every other day. Across the country, Delaware ranked 10^th for overdose deaths. Almost 10,000 Delaware adults sought public treatment in 2014, with about one-third of those adults indicating heroin as their primary drug at the time of admission.

“The addiction epidemic is straining our public system beyond its capacity, with many people turned away for services when they are ready for treatment, or being forced to wait for services or supports to open up for them,” said Governor Markell, who proposed additional resources to treat substance use disorders in his State of the State address and FY2016 budget proposal. “I am grateful these new resources to increase treatment capacity remained in the budget, and I applaud members of General Assembly for holding steadfast to a commitment to increase treatment and recovery services, especially in a challenging fiscal environment.”

The withdrawal management clinic, operated for the Department of Health and Social Services by Connections Community Support Programs, Inc., is expected to open within a month to serve people in need, especially those in Kent and Sussex counties. The state’s other withdrawal management clinic is in New Castle County. With $750,000 in funding, both clinics will match withdrawal services to the individual’s needs, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Both programs will have:

• 16 beds for clinically managed and medically monitored detoxification;
• 12 23-hour slots to allow for stabilization and observation of an individual who might not need a medically or clinically monitored withdrawal program; and
• Ambulatory withdrawal management services, which can serve 30 to 100 individuals for 30 days in an intensive outpatient setting.

Secretary Landgraf detailed the state’s efforts to fight addiction on three fronts: prevention and education; treatment and recovery; and criminal justice. She cited the training and increased use of the overdose-reversing medication naloxone among members of the community and law enforcement, the use of the Good Samaritan/911 Law to allow people to call in overdoses without risking arrest for minor drug offenses, and an ongoing underage and binge drinking prevention campaign.

“We know all too well that addiction is indeed a disease of epidemic proportion, one that does not discriminate and that takes a toll every day on Delaware families,” Secretary Landgraf said. “With the help of these new state resources, we will continue to embrace communities of recovery such as the one being built in Harrington.”

Department of Correction Commissioner Robert Coupe noted additional state spending in community treatment services will have a positive impact on the criminal justice system.

“For far too many individuals across our state, their addiction is a primary driver of destructive behavior that puts them into contact with the criminal justice system,” Commissioner Coupe said. “Increasing the number of treatment facilities in the community will ensure those who return to the community from a period of supervision by our department will have an opportunity to continue to participate in the addiction-related treatment they need to stay clean and sober, break their cycle of criminal behavior, and support their successful reentry to society.”

Mike Barbieri, the new director of DHSS’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), detailed the priorities for the remainder of the $4.45 million in new funding. It would allow DSAMH to:

• Expand the capacity of residential treatment programs throughout the state by opening new programs statewide. This will be done by reconfiguring the existing program at Delaware City and opening three 16-bed units across the state. When the changes are completed, the number of residential treatment beds is expected to increase from 78 to 95. ($800,000)
• Double the number of sober living residential beds statewide from 60 to 120, allowing more individuals who are in the early stages of recovery to live in safe and secure housing that is free from drugs and alcohol. ($935,000)
• Double the number of residential treatment beds across the state from 16 to 32 for young people age 18 to 25 who are beginning their recoveries from addiction to heroin or other opiates. ($1.15 million)
• Fund start-up costs for residential treatment programs. ($815,000 in one-time funds)

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Photos from the event

Governor signs legislation to redraw district lines and better serve city’s high-need students

Wilmington, DE – Emphasizing the opportunity to solve a decades-long problem that has limited educational opportunities for children in the City of Wilmington, Governor Markell today signed two bills that pave the way for redrawing school district boundaries to reduce the number of districts in the City and help families better participate in their children’s schools.

The laws were advocated by the Wilmington Education Advisory Committee (WEAC), which was established by the Governor, at the suggestion of city legislators, to engage the community in Markell’s call to address educational challenges in Wilmington schools. Current and retired teachers, community leaders, parents, and concerned citizens worked on solutions, including a plan to address the now-problematic district lines drawn 40 years ago by a federal judge as part of the desegregation of City schools.

“Forty years of using lines drawn by a federal judge is enough,” said Markell at a signing ceremony at the historic site of Hockessin Colored School #107, famously attended by eight-year old Sarah Bulah before she and her family successfully challenged school segregation. “We should respect the wishes of City children, parents, community leaders, and their elected representatives, and seize this moment of opportunity – a moment when we have more attention on the needs of Wilmington’s children than at perhaps any time in decades.”

WEAC, which issued recommendations that led to the legislation, was created in tandem with Markell’s announcement of the Priority Schools initiative to better support students at the lowest-performing schools in the state, all of which were served youth from struggling Wilmington neighborhoods. The redistricting plan was adopted as a way to not only transform those schools, but also improve the education of students throughout the City.

“We needed to tap into the passions of Wilmingtonians who have a valuable perspective on education in the City, but whose voices are not regularly heard. The Wilmington Education Advisory Committee did just that,” said Markell. “Our initiative to address the inequitable educational opportunities for so many Wilmington youth has turned into something bigger.

“A successful redrawing of district lines will remove the Christina School District from the City and will help more families fully participate in their children’s education. If we are successful, we will see the long overdue end of forty years of busing many students far from their homes – a system that made it difficult for families and the community to engage in their schools.”

The legislation signed by the Governor included Senate Bill 122, which would allow for redrawing school district boundaries in the City of Wilmington. The new lines must be consistent with recommendations of WEAC. The redistricting plan will be developed by the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, a group established by House Bill 148, also signed today, to advise the state on improvements from schools that have high concentrations of underprivileged students.

WEIC will also create a transition plan to provide necessary services to affected schools and students and effectively implement school district realignment. The plan must be submitted to the State Board of Education, which must act by December 31, 2015.  It must then be submitted to the General Assembly and the Governor for final approval. WEIC will also monitor the progress of implementation and recommend policies and actions to the Governor and General Assembly to facilitate progress and to promote the continuous improvement of public education on dimensions addressed by the WEAC recommendations

“It is critically important that we take a comprehensive and strategic look at schools in Wilmington in a way that acknowledges the unique challenges and opportunities we have there,” said Senate Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry (D-Wilmington East). “SB 122 gives education officials an opportunity to redraw school district lines in a way I believe will yield a more well-connected network of schools that will better serve our children.”

“The members of the Wilmington Education Advisory Commission spent hundreds of hours working on this and engaging the public to get us to this point,” said Representative Earl Jaques (D-Glasgow), who chairs the House Education Committee. “I thank them for their diligent work, and now we need to get the Improvement Commission moving forward to make their hard work pay dividends. I have complete confidence that they are going to come up with great ideas to overcome the obstacles out there to make redistricting happen. After that, it is up to the General Assembly and the Governor to enact a plan. Then we will be able to move education in Wilmington forward.”

“I want to thank all those involved in this process for all of their hard work on these issues,” said Representative Charles Potter (D-Wilmington North). “We now have a chance to make a big difference in the lives of so many of our young people and I look forward to working with the new commission, my fellow legislators, and the Governor to get the job done.”

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Photos from the event

SB 113, SB 120 and HB 147 unanimously passed both chambers earlier this year

Wilmington, DE – Following through on a commitment made in his State of the State address to further reduce the red tape and spur business growth in the First State, Governor Markell today signed three regulatory reform bills into law. House Bill 147 requires Executive Branch agencies to review the regulations on their books every 4 years, while Senate Bill 113 and Senate Bill 120 require agencies to consider the impact of new regulations and examine ways to reduce their burdens upon small businesses.

“Together, these 3 bills will improve transparency, increase accountability, and make life easier for small businesses. Today, as evidenced by the unanimous passage of this legislation, my Administration and members of the General Assembly are speaking with a unified voice in support of these goals,” said Governor Markell. “Although regulations are sometimes necessary, we must strive to ensure that they do not place unnecessary burdens upon individuals and businesses. This package of legislation, which includes good ideas from legislators on both sides of the aisle, builds upon our previous successful efforts to reduce red tape and improve Delaware’s business climate. I thank the members of the General Assembly for their support of these important measures.”

The bills signed into law today include:

House Bill 147 –– sponsored by Rep. Bryon Short, Rep. Danny Short, Sen. Brian Bushweller, and Sen. Greg Lavelle, and others – requires each Executive Branch agency to review the regulations on its books every 4 years, with a view toward modifying or eliminating those regulations that are no longer needed.  As promised in the Governor’s State of the State address, HB 147 makes Executive Order No. 36 – which in 2013 resulted in the elimination or modification of more than 100 agency regulations – a permanent part of state law.  Under HB 147, the first regulatory review process must begin no later than January 1, 2016.

“We took a big first step with Executive Order 36 in 2012 and built a great deal of goodwill with Delaware businesses who were pleased that state government was committed to streamlining and cleaning up its regulatory books,” said HB 147 sponsor Rep. Bryon Short (D-Brandywine Hundred). “By making that commitment permanent, we are showing our small business community that we understand the challenges they face on a daily basis and that we want to work cooperatively to help them contribute to our economy and our communities.”

Senate Bill 113 – sponsored by Sen. Gerald Hocker, Sen. Bobby Marshall, Rep. Bryon Short, Rep. Quinn Johnson, and others –  is one of two bills that comprise the Regulatory Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015 (“RTAA”). SB 113 requires each agency to submit a “regulatory impact statement” whenever it proposes regulations that would place additional burdens upon small businesses. Among other things, each regulatory impact statement must include (1) a description of the regulation’s purpose, as well as the individuals and small businesses that would be subject to it; (2) the estimated costs of compliance; and (3) a description of less burdensome methods of achieving the regulation’s purpose. In addition, SB 113 requires the Registrar of Regulations to submit regulatory impact statements to the appropriate committee of the General Assembly.

“I’m proud to be a part of this bipartisan legislation,” said Sen. Gerald Hocker (R-Ocean View), owner of five Sussex County businesses. “Since my wife, Emily, and I opened our first grocery story 44 years ago, it’s been increasingly difficult for entrepreneurs to start a business in Delaware and for existing businesses to grow. But these three pieces of legislation will help change that by eliminating some of the unnecessary costs that have become such a tremendous burden for our small businesses.”

Senate Bill 120 – sponsored by Sen. Bobby Marshall, Sen. Gerald Hocker, Rep. Q. Johnson, Rep. B. Short, and others – is the second bill that is part of the RTAA. Under SB 120, whenever an agency proposes a regulation that would place additional burdens upon small businesses, it must submit a “regulatory flexibility analysis” that examines ways to lessen the impact of the regulation.  In a regulatory flexibility analysis, agencies generally must consider (1) establishing less stringent deadlines; (2) using performance standards instead of design standards; (3) exempting individuals or small businesses from the regulation; and (4) other ways to accomplish the regulation’s purpose while minimizing the impact upon individuals and small businesses. In addition, SB 120 provides that if an agency does not submit the required information to the Registrar, the proposed regulation may not be published in the Register of Regulations.

“This legislation calls on each agency to perform a thorough analysis of new regulations to ensure they don’t impose unreasonable burdens on our business community,” said Sen. Marshall (D-Wilmington), who chairs the Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee and was the prime sponsor of SB 120. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and this bill will ensure that Delaware remains a place where they can grow and prosper.”

“As a small businessman, I know firsthand that our state’s regulatory structure sometimes can be more difficult to navigate than it should be, but I also know that our state agencies want to work with entrepreneurs and see our businesses grow,” added Rep. Quinn Johnson (D-Middletown), a co-sponsor of the bills. “With this legislation, our state agencies will now have the ability to work together with Delaware businesses to help them accomplish their goals, while still fulfilling their missions on behalf of the public.”

Both SB 113 and SB 120 become effective for all new or amended regulations submitted to the Registrar of Regulations on or after January 1, 2016.

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