Delaware

Markell says Boxwood employees deserved opportunity to help GM turn around

June 1, 2009 -- WILMINGTON -- Delaware Governor Jack Markell released the following statement Monday in response to General Motors' decision to close its Boxwood Road plant. Since taking office in January, Markell has worked with U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, U.S. Sen. Ted Kaufman and U.S. Rep. Mike Castle to be in frequent contact with GM officials.

The Governor also recently met with President Obama's car czar and told the company the state would be willing to offer assistance if GM would idle the plant instead of closing the facility.    » read more »

Decision paves way for implementation of Delaware's sports lottery

May 28, 2009 -- WILMINGTON – Responding to the Governor's formal request, the Delaware Supreme Court issued an opinion late Wednesday addressing the legal issues related to the recently enacted sports lottery legislation.    » read more »

Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk project plans released

May 26, 2009 -- REHOBOTH BEACH -- The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) and the City of Rehoboth Beach announce that bids are being accepted for the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk Reconstruction Project, another indicator that DelDOT is on target to spend its allocation of funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

The total length of the Boardwalk project is 4,143 feet, and will include the southern portion from Prospect Street to Laurel Street, the northern-most portion from Maryland Avenue to Surfside Place, and at the commercial district from Rehoboth Avenue to Maryland Avenue. The project invests in economic infrastructure, which supports tourism, a major economic driver for Delaware.    » read more »

Markell, Denn announce Recovery Act award of $153,895 for 40 new AmeriCorps part-time positions at Delaware State Parks

May 18, 2009 -- WILMINGTON - Delaware Governor Jack Markell and Lt. Governor Matt Denn announced that Delaware has received $153,895 through Federal Recovery Act funding for 40 new AmeriCorps members to work at Delaware State Parks. The grant is the first competitive grant won by a state agency in Delaware, and more competitive grant announcements are expected soon.    » read more »

May 15, 2009 -- WILMINGTON – Delaware Governor Jack Markell released the following statement Friday in response to preliminary estimates from the Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council that show the state’s budget shortfall for fiscal 09 has increased to $45 million and the shortfall for fiscal 2010 has climbed to $800 million:

“DEFAC’s estimates make our historic challenge even more daunting. My administration will spend the next six weeks working with the General Assembly to responsibly address the $800 million shortfall. I am grateful the legislature passed the sports lottery bill, but as the numbers show, we have a lot of work left to do.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- DOVER -- Delaware Governor Jack Markell, accompanied by Senator Harris B. McDowell III and Representative Valerie J. Longhurst, today announced his proposed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of 2009 (S.B. 106)– a major component of his CORE Prosperity Agenda for Delaware announced last month in his address to a Joint Session of the 145th General Assembly in Dover.

The legislation, which is slated for introduction upon the General Assembly’s return in June, focuses on cost-effective energy efficiency that will bring a broad array of benefits to Delaware residents and businesses.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- WILMINGTON – Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed legislation Thursday that would reactivate a sports lottery in Delaware and bring the state more than $50 million closer to solving the state's historic revenue shortfall.

Markell signed the bill at Delaware Park, one of three Delaware racinos that will become the only venues east of the Mississippi River with a legal sports lottery this fall. He was joined by General Assembly leaders and William Rickman, owner of Delaware Park.

“My administration is looking forward to working with our business partners here at Delaware Park and at Dover Downs and Harrington to make the Delaware sports lottery as successful as possible,” Markell said.    » read more »

Legislation would protect families fighting for financial independence

May 13, 2009 -- DOVER – Delaware Governor Jack Markell joined with Sen. Robert Marshall, D-Wilmington, and Rep. Bryon Short, D-Brandywine, to unveil legislation Wednesday that aims to protect Delaware families from the scourge of predatory lenders.

“Families who fall victim to subprime loan schemes and other financial predators see their economic opportunity crumble beneath a mountain of high interest rates,” Markell said. “I am proud to be standing with Sen. Marshall and Rep. Short to stand up for these families and stand up against financial predators.”    » read more »

May 12, 2009 -- DOVER – Delaware Governor Jack Markell announced Tuesday that Delaware’s Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Collin O’Mara and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee today joined federal agency representatives and officials from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New York and the District of Columbia in a meeting of the Chesapeake Executive Council. Together, they affirmed a multi-state, multi-agency commitment to accelerate cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay, increase government accountability and provide clean water in the many communities that share the Bay’s watershed.    » read more »

Cross-agency coordination critical to preparing inmates for productive future; New “I-ADAPT” process will start re-entry planning at beginning of sentence

May 11, 2009 -- NEW CASTLE — Inmates unprepared to succeed when reintroduced to society are far more likely to commit additional crimes when released. To reduce these repeat offenses and curb the cost of re-incarceration, Delaware Governor Jack Markell tasked several Cabinet Secretaries in January to come up with some real solutions to these pressing problems without increasing up-front cost to taxpayers.    » read more »

Sen. Bushweller and Rep. Bryon H. Short to sponsor legislation

May 7, 2009 -- DOVER -- Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell joined forces with Sen. Brian J. Bushweller and Rep. Bryon H. Short to announce legislation Thursday that would increase the State’s fines and penalties for Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

DUI continues to be a significant threat to the motoring public’s safety and Governor Markell believes greater fines will serve as a deterrent to this dangerous behavior.    » read more »

May 4, 2009 -- Newark, Delaware — Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) today visited the University of Delaware, where they underscored the importance of alternative energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), especially offshore wind resources for Delaware and other Atlantic coastal states. On Earth Day, President Obama announced that Interior had finalized a long-awaited framework for renewable energy production on the OCS.    » read more »

Speech Details Economic Recovery Agenda; Link Between Environment and Economy; Government Reform Efforts; Improvements in Education and the Critical Need to Balance the Budget

April 28, 2009 -- DOVER – In his first Joint Address to the Delaware General Assembly, Delaware Governor Jack Markell today unveiled an agenda focused on solving the state’s historic shortfall and getting Delawareans back to work to ensure the state’s long-term prosperity.    » read more »

April 27, 2009 - WILMINGTON -- In a move that stands to create jobs, boost local economies, improve aging water infrastructure and protect human health and the environment for the people in the State of Delaware, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $19.5 million to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services.

This new infusion of money provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 will help the state and local governments finance many of the overdue improvements to water projects that are essential to protecting public health and the environment across the state.    » read more »

Unveils Plans to Help Del. Businesses; Governor calls for streamlined statewide business licenses, Economic Ombudsman

April 21, 2009 -- WILMINGTON – Delaware Governor Jack Markell on Tuesday announced a 10-year lease agreement between Höegh Autoliners, Inc. (Höegh) and the Diamond State Port Corporation. This agreement will keep Höegh at the Port of Wilmington and in the State of Delaware until at least 2019.

Höegh Autoliners is a leading global provider of Roll on Roll of (Ro/Ro) vehicle transportation services. The company operates 67 PCTCs (Pure Car Truck Carriers) in worldwide trade systems with an annual transportation volume of 2 million CEUs (Car Equivalent Units).    » read more »