Delaware lawmakers wrapped up budget markups after just two days this week, setting the stage for the final month of the 2021 legislative session.Legislators approved a number of aspects of Gov. John Carney’s January recommendations for the operating budget, adding roughly $60 million to that spending plan to bring the total to about $4.77 billion. There’s also a supplement containing some one-time funding that comes to $221 million, which represents a sixfold increase there.
- One percent is a cost-of-living adjustment. — ToriAnn Parker
- What is the pay increase for judges, legislators, staff, cabinet members and statewide offices? — Kevin McCarthy
- One percent. — Charlie Harper
- Pay hikes?! Like the last year hasn’t been thousands of everyday people getting screwed over by state workers doing the bare minimum on a daily! DOL has a 90-day backlog. Instead of pay hikes for underperforming employees, use those funds to create new positions and employ those that still can’t find jobs with livable wages! — Kristina Kelly
- So you are in favor of this? — Joe Frggale
- It was not the fault of state employees that COVID disrupted everything. Most of them continued to work under very difficult conditions. And it is not the state’s responsibility to hire people who still cannot find jobs. Jobs are out there. They may not be glamorous and certainly may not be your job of first choice but they are out there.— Ronnie Ponde
- I get that the $500 pay bump is a raise. But what are the $1,000 bonuses for, just because you work for the state? — Robin Kesack Fleming
- It’s cheaper to give a one-time bonus than it is to increase the base pay rate. Saves taxpayers in the long term. — Kim Thornton
- Thank you to our state workers for doing such a great job, and you deserve a bonus. — Charlie Harper
- How about the Social Security? When are they going to get a decent increase? — Mary Chamberlain
- We need to start cutting state jobs, not giving them raises. — Rob Holley
- Hey, I worked the entire pandemic. Our offices were open 8 to 5 Monday through Friday. Where is my tax relief? — Amy Walton
- Why is it people have to complain when someone else gets something and they don’t? Get over yourself. — Chris Henry
