Republicans respond to State of the State address

While Gov. Matt Meyer’s State of the State address was largely conciliatory, Senate Republicans took issue with Meyer’s jab at congressional Republicans over the Affordable Care Act.

“I strongly disagree with the governor’s characterization of congressional Republicans on healthcare. Democrats wrote the Affordable Care Act as well as the language that allowed enhanced subsidies to expire at the end of 2025. Blaming Republicans for a law Democrats authored more than a decade ago is simply not accurate,” said Senate Minority Leader Gerald Hocker, R-Ocean View, in a statement released by him and Senate Minority Whip Brian Pettyjohn, R-Georgetown, following Meyer’s Jan. 22 address.

“Unfortunately, the governor again decided to inject partisan attacks into his remarks. Civility cannot be something we preach behind closed doors while publicly attacking Republicans in Congress, especially when Delaware’s rural healthcare expansion is being made possible by federal funding authorized under H.R. 1 [President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill]. Delaware families deserve solutions, not political finger-pointing,” Pettyjohn said.

Both senators welcomed Meyer’s support for developing nuclear reactors as an energy source. 

“I appreciate Gov. Meyer’s acknowledgment that Delaware must move faster on modern nuclear energy, including small modular reactors, if we are serious about affordability and reliability. However, if we truly want lower energy costs for Delaware families, we must also work to revitalize infrastructure already in place. That includes working with stakeholders to restart in-state generation at facilities like the Indian River power plant, potentially using natural gas,” Hocker said.

Pettyjohn said bringing a film tax credit to the state to encourage the film industry to set up shop here is a great idea.

“We have an incredible range of scenery, from our beaches and rural agricultural communities to urban settings like Wilmington and the historic backdrops around Dover. Delaware should be a destination for filmmakers, and a smart, responsible film incentive can help create jobs and investment while showcasing our state to the country,” he said.

On the House side, Republican leaders said they like Meyer’s commitment to early childhood education, but they want to see where the proposed $50 million funding would go.

“How many early childhood centers do we have in Delaware? And if you do the math, and take that number and divide it by $50 million, that’s going to be a lot of money spent on early childhood,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Timothy Dukes, R-Laurel.

Changing the school funding formula for public schools is also much needed, Dukes said.

Meyer’s proposal to cut red tape for construction projects is a move in the right direction, said both Dukes and House Minority Whip Rep. Jeff Spiegelman, R-Clayton.

“The way the process is set up now, it’s almost an impossibility. We find a lot of people leaving the industry because it’s becoming so difficult,” Dukes said.

Spiegelman said those regulations affect other industries such as restaurants and daycare centers, and streamlining the permitting process for building could also help provide more affordable housing.

Meyer’s pledge to keep his fiscal year 2027 budget increase under 5% is a welcome move after years of high growth, but both said they’ll have to wait and see what Meyer’s budget looks like when he releases it next week.

“To keep budgetary growth under 5% would be great, even if it’s above the inflation rate,” Spiegelman said.