Advocacy | DSCC - Delaware State Chamber of Commerce

ROAD TO RECOVERY: Putting delawareans back to work

As we begin 2021, we can more clearly see the indelible impact the pandemic has had on Delaware’s economy. Today, Delaware has tens of thousands of fewer jobs available for its citizens than at this time last year. That means more families without income, without healthcare, and in need of state or federal assistance to make ends meet. We recommend a laser-like focus on several areas to help ensure Delaware is on an expedited road to recovery as we deal with the pandemic’s impact.

Most urgently, it is critical for the health and well-being of all Delawareans that the state do everything in its power to swiftly vaccinate as many individuals as possible. The business community offers its assistance to the Department of Public Health and the entire Carney Administration as we embark on this critical effort. Delaware has a long history of cooperation between the public and private sectors. Now more than ever, a collaborative approach makes sense.

The following areas demand the focused attention of our Governor and members of the 151st General Assembly:

INVEST IN WORKERS & FAMILIES

Provide relief to individuals who lost their job as a result of the pandemic by not requiring those individuals to pay state taxes on any unemployment benefits they received in 2020.
Provide support for Forward Delaware, the rapid workforce training and redeployment initiative created by Executive Order #43. Many Delawareans have been displaced by the impact of COVID-19 and need to find a new career path. Forward Delaware will make available certificate and certification programs as well as access to the Today’s Reinvestment around Industry Needs (“TRAIN”) program to help retrain and prepare Delaware workers. The General Assembly should make available a refundable tax credit to employers who hire graduates and certify that these new hires have been signed up for additional, approved training. Putting Delawareans back to work through participation in meaningful training programs that prepare them for a career not only benefits individuals and their families but all Delawareans.
An estimated 30 percent of childcare facilities nationwide could close permanently due to the pandemic. While Delaware is expected to have a substantially smaller impact, any permanent closures will create a challenge for Delaware families and employers. Access to childcare is increasingly important as businesses continue to reopen and expand operating capacity. Since additional federal funding soon may be available to assist with stabilizing childcare providers, it will be essential for Delaware to use such resources wisely to solve a long-standing child care challenge that has been heightened as a result of the pandemic. While not a crisis in Delaware yet, a proactive response by the Administration and the General Assembly is needed to prepare for this development.

ATTRACT & MAINTAIN JOBS

Careful stewardship of Delaware’s finances by Governor Carney and leaders of the General Assembly have resulted in a less draconian impact on state revenues. In fact, DEFAC projects the state will end the current fiscal year with a $495 million surplus that will carry over into the next fiscal year. It is expected that next year’s budget may surpass $5 billion, the largest in state history. Thus, tax increases on individuals or businesses must be avoided at all cost. Delaware must strengthen its ability to compete for jobs with other states, and increasing taxes at this time would hamper our competitiveness and negatively impact the very businesses and individuals the state is trying to help.
The availability of ready-to-use laboratory space for growing science companies is essential to keeping start-ups thriving in Delaware. State investment in repurposing/updating a facility that could accommodate multiple tenants would assist in the creation of job opportunities in this area.
Hire an economic development “Project Concierge” responsible directly to the Governor to drive the Ready in 6 initiative by ensuring that economic development projects that will result in retaining or creating jobs in Delaware are moving swiftly through the permitting approval process required by state agencies, counties and municipalities.
Establish a clear and specific response timeframe by which state agencies (specifically, Del DOT and DNREC) must respond to applicants’ requests for permits. Projects that create jobs for Delawareans should not languish within state agencies for an undetermined length of time. Making the permit approval process more efficient will result in more jobs for Delawareans.
There are a number of recommendations outlined in the Analysis of Delaware Permit Competitiveness conducted by international consulting group KPMG and endorsed by members of the “Ready in Six” Coalition. Specifically, eliminating the Preliminary Land Use Service (PLUS), requiring the owner/operator of a sewer system to conduct the review process for DNREC Division of water to eliminate DNREC’s duplicative review and requiring Del DOT to take responsibility for acquisition of all rights of way. These and all other recommendations outlined in the analysis should be considered as a means of making Delaware’s economic development and planning efforts more efficient and enable the state to be more competitive as it seeks to attract businesses to bring jobs to Delaware

PROTECT DELAWARE'S NATURAL SPACES & CREATE JOBS BY REDEVELOPING ABANDONED SITES

Support Governor Carney and the General Assembly’s efforts to create a Clean Water Trust Fund to ensure the availability of clean water for future generations.
Initiate and support state programs to attract and maintain jobs. It is essential to increase funding for strategic economic development funds, establish site readiness funding and to focus these efforts on abandoned sites as a mean of creating clean, new jobs. Specifically, develop an inventory of “ready to build” sites, including assessment of regulatory/permitting and environmental issues (if any) needed for redevelopment, increase funding for Brownfields redevelopment, and develop programs with county and local land use authorities to streamline and expedite the site permitting and development processes.

TAKE BOLD STEPS TO ESTABLISH EDUCATION EQUITY & OPPORTUNITY

While Opportunity Funding has provided a solid start, Delaware needs an education funding formula that is fair, flexible and transparent. Making real progress toward the goal of establishing a new funding formula to replace Delaware’s archaic unit funding formula would represent a major step in improving education equity and provide more accountability for taxpayers for the $1.4 billion the state spends each year on public education.
Delaware must grow, scale and sustain Delaware Pathways, work-based learning and employer engagement. This effort is essential to connect high schoolers to inspiring careers. Business leaders are willing to meet with students to talk about jobs, innovations and other interesting projects underway, in addition to explaining why those jobs require specific skills leaned in the classroom. We believe our members can help students understand why specific coursework “really matters”.
Support for early learning is essential, and Delaware must make significant progress toward creating universal, high-quality pre-kindergarten to be offered across public schools, private providers and Head Start.

TOP PRIORITIES FOR DELAWARE
A coordinated list compiled by the Association of Chambers of Commerce of Delaware, of which the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce proudly participates.

Regulations and Permitting

Implement the Ready in 6 initiative by identifing specific policies, procedures, laws and regulations that slow the permitting process and offer solutions

Health Insurance and Health Care Costs

Focus on underwriting regulations at the Department of Insurance to allow varied options for employer health care policies, including association plans with essential health benefits

Workforce Development

Focus on technical and vocational training
Identify currently untapped Pathways program material
Identify work-based learning programs to partner/expand/develop curriculum
Work with technical schools to support vocational study
Help develop coding curriculum for general education across the state
Support the many employment opportunities in healthcare, technology, and building and industrial trade labor markets.

Infrastructure and Technology

Support the creation of a Clean Water Trust Fund, which will not only provide the infrastructure necessary to provide clean drinking water to every Delawarean but will also address flooding and storm water remediation
Bring more broadband options to Sussex and Kent counties and advanced technologies throughout the state