Anthony Delcollo (R)

State Senate District 7

If elected, what would be your top three legislative initiatives?

• Reforming how Delaware approaches its spending, so that we could free up more resources for investment in flagging essential government services, like education. The reaction of our current elected officials to the study conducted by the Delaware Business Roundtable and the results of the Mercatus Center fiscal report is simply unacceptable. We must make the way we do business in Delaware more rational, and that starts with having a value-based approach to maximize efficiency from every tax dollar spent. After that, we can direct more resources to where they need to go, such as in support of our teachers, students and first responders.
• Completely overhauling our approach to both job creation and sustaining job growth. We should enact a law requiring a retrospective economic burden analysis of all existing regulation to eliminate or modify those regulations that unnecessarily hinder job creation. Openly discussing and adopting free enterprise zones will foster the return of middle class jobs to our state. Finally, we need a paradigm shift in the use of economic development incentives away from obsessing with discovering the next single silver bullet to replace the credit card industry (our last single silver bullet). We need to focus on the current business climate infrastructure elements that make it hard to keep jobs here– reducing energy costs, shoring up primary and secondary education generally and STEM particularly–to support Delaware as a destination for businesses to grow.
• Overhauling our justice system and general approach to addressing crime. I would push to increase community policing and pro-active policing, while simultaneously overhauling how to treat people who are struggling with addiction. In short, we should have a more clear-sighted and fair view of how we address individuals who commit violent crimes as compared to those who primarily require treatment for drug and other support. In this way, we would be able to tackle the root causes of crime while also addressing the disturbing increases in violent crime across our state on an immediate basis. Increasing economic opportunity and improving schools would also have a positive impact on crime.

If elected, what would be the one piece of legislation that you would repeal from this past session?
I would repeal the act that permits the restoration of rights for convicted criminals prior to the payment of some level of victim’s restitution. This is simply an affront, and Delaware should be able to hold people accountable when her residents are victimized. Opposition to this measure should not be equated to a refusal to reform our justice system; to the contrary, passing such a measure while not reforming how we approach corrections is irresponsible and divisive.

WORKFORCE/ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Do you support…

Right to Work legislation, including Enterprise Zones, and if elected, will you work to get the law enacted in Delaware?
Yes.

Strengthening federal, state and private investment to build an entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem?
Yes.

EDUCATION

Do you support…

Reducing centralized State control over education and giving more autonomy and control over the operation of the education system to local county boards of education?
Yes.

In favor of consolidating Delaware’s 19 school districts to a smaller number?
Yes.

The City of Wilmington forming its own school district?
Yes.

The adoption of measures which would redirect per capita state and local Board of Education administrative costs into the classroom, knowing that Delaware is near the top of the nation in per capita central administration expenditures? 
Yes.

Expanded education choice such as charter schools, education savings accounts, vouchers and homeschooling options?
Yes.

The moratorium on new charter schools?
Undecided; require further information.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Do you support…

An increase on the Motor Fuel Tax in order to support capacity expansion?
No.

The development of additional natural gas capacity and pipelines to Kent and Sussex counties?
Yes.

The creation of incentives and the easing of hurdles to foster accelerated growth of broadband service Sussex County?
Yes.

The state of Delaware continuing to force taxpayers to fund beach infrastructure in the face of rising sea levels that threaten continued use of existing beachfront?
Undecided; require further information.

A statewide reassessment of property values?
Undecided; require further information.

Elimination of a property tax exemption for qualified senior citizens?
No.

LEGAL & REGULATORY REFORM

Mandatory and regular across-the-board legislative audits and performance review of all spending units in state government?
Yes.

Granting broader statutory powers to the Office of the Attorney General to assist the legislative auditor in audit and investigatory programs for all spending units of state government?
Yes.

A move toward ensuring that State employee benefits are commensurate with the private sector?
Yes.

The redevelopment of industrial sites that have lost their grandfathered status under the Coastal Zone Act? 
Yes.