Joan Godwin State Rep. District 24

Posted 10/27/22

Candidate Name: Joan Godwin

Party: Republican

Age: 59

Hometown: New Castle

Political experience: None

Professional experience: Nursing, Professional, Education, Customer Facing Large …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already a member? Log in to continue.   Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Joan Godwin State Rep. District 24

Posted

Candidate name: Joan Godwin

Party: Republican

Age: 59

Hometown: New Castle

Political experience: none

Professional experience: nursing; professional; education; customer-facing for large, international company.

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

I’m a native Delawarean. I grew up in New Castle, went to Delaware public schools, graduated from the University of Delaware with two college degrees and lived in Bear and Newark. I raised two children and was an active parent in their schools, was a stay-at-home mom and have worked in various occupations in sales, as a nurse in two large medical centers, in the public schools and for a large medical company. I have always been active in my community and involved in organizations that work for the benefit of others. I feel my extensive professional work experiences and personal involvement in the community give me a broad perspective to assess the needs of the community.

What are the top three issues for this office in your view?

There are many important issues that I hear from citizens of Delaware and my district: 1.) Education — Currently, we spend over $18,000 per student per year for education, yet, according to Delaware school records, children are greatly lacking. According to the Delaware Report Card, approximately 29% of students are proficient in math and 42% are proficient in English. Parents are very unhappy that their children are not learning what is important, while the current legislature is trying to push bills like House Bill 400, that allows children “to receive confidential and sensitive health care services” without the consent of their parents. 2.) Safety — Our neighborhoods and communities are no longer safe. I hear from residents about increases in crime and read about it from neighborhood watches and media. As a former wife of a Delaware state trooper, I support the findings of our police departments. One of the most important responsibilities of government is to protect its citizens. When people in the community tell me they don’t feel safe, it is an important concern that needs to be addressed. 3.) We need to help and protect our seniors. Again, the current legislature voted to not increase the senior tax credit from $450 to $750, and they voted to change the health care benefits of our retired state employees without their knowledge. Our seniors worked hard, supported their families, paid taxes, and it’s our turn to help them.

What would be your top priority if elected?

Our state currently has an excess of $2.9 billion in taxpayer money. The current legislature is planning to use this money on “pet projects,” none of which include addressing the concerns of the taxpayers. For instance, they have hired a consulting firm to build an underground parking garage for them in Dover. This money could be used to address the concerns of the taxpayers. Our public school system is one of the top concerns I hear from residents in District 24. One resident told me that she works in a school cafeteria. The stove is always broken, and parts need to be ordered from Philadelphia. She wanted to know why, if there is this much excess taxpayer money, the school could not buy a working stove to properly feed the students. Also, of equal concern I hear from residents, is our crime. Again, this extra money would be much better utilized to help protect the citizens of our state. Inflation is also a great concern. This excess money could help give a tax gas credit, a gross sales tax holiday for our small businesses or help our seniors with an increased tax credit that the current legislature would not pass.

If you could change one state policy or law, what would it be?

Each year, the budget bill is passed for the current budget. There should be modifications to include, if there is excess taxpayer money, that the taxpayers will benefit with a return of their money through a tax credit.

What can Delaware do about its workforce issues?

First, we need to fix our education system. If our children are graduating and are not competent in reading, writing and arithmetic, how can we expect them to succeed? Expanding programs and encouraging, with incentives, trade companies like plumbing and electric to hire and apprentice new employees that they will train and employ full time. Also, there are many great opportunities for our young adults in the military. They are trained for skilled jobs and taught great leadership skills. Currently, our military forces are all in great need of qualified candidates. We need to encourage and educate possible candidates on the benefits of enlisting.

What, if any, gun laws would you change?

Guns laws should protect the citizens of our state from unlawful gun use. Criminals using guns in crimes should be prosecuted. Our current attorney general’s “soft-on-crimes” position has created repeat offenders and encourages more crime. Any gun legislation should be written to protect legal, lawful gun owners and not violate the Constitution.

How would you protect or change abortion rights in the state?

Gov. John Carney recently signed House Bill 455, which expands abortion rights after the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. I will listen to the residents of District 24 and legislate for change based on the people I represent.

Do you support the State Employee Benefits Committee’s move to a Medicare Advantage plan for state retirees? Why?

The current administration executed the change of the benefits after the close of the current legislative session ended in June without the knowledge of the benefactors or legislature. The new benefit package is scheduled to start Jan. 1, 2023, which is prior to the start of the next legislature. I do not feel that the benefits change was appropriate, fair or constitutional. The legislature or the thousands of people affected by the change in their benefits did not have the opportunity to discuss the change prior to the start of the new program.

Members and subscribers make this story possible.
You can help support non-partisan, community journalism.

x
X