Governor Meyer lays out $50 million early-childhood plan, health-care expansion and housing, energy priorities in State of the State
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Summary
In a joint session address, Governor Matthew S. Meyer said the 'state of our state is strong' while proposing a nearly $50 million early-childhood investment, plans for health‑care expansion including funding that could support a medical school, and reforms to speed housing construction and curb utility rate increases.
Governor Matthew S. Meyer told a joint session of the Delaware General Assembly that the "state of our state is strong" while outlining a set of policy priorities for 2026 centered on education, health care, housing and economic growth.
Meyer said his proposed budget will include "a nearly $50,000,000 investment in early childhood education in the next year," and named the lieutenant governor's office as leading the implementation. He framed that commitment as part of a broader push to finish passage of a fair education funding formula that directs resources "based on students' actual needs." The governor reiterated the state's literacy emergency and cited recent investments delivered through DonorsChoose — "more than 41,000 books," 18,000 instructional kits and other classroom supports — as evidence of targeted classroom investments.
On health care, Meyer said a portfolio of 15 programs developed after statewide provider consultations has produced preliminary federal notice that Delaware will receive "more funding than any other competitive grant in our state's history" over the next five years. "This is an opportunity" to pursue "Delaware's first medical school, training physicians to serve statewide," he said, adding plans to expand nurse and physician‑assistant training and to deliver care via telehealth and mobile units.
Meyer described housing as an urgent need, citing a shortfall of "nearly 20,000 affordable units statewide" and proposing measures to streamline permitting, digitize approvals and coordinate with counties and municipalities to accelerate construction while protecting farmland and open space.
He highlighted economic development achievements and investments, including a reported surge in incorporations and a private life‑sciences investment cited as Merck's "$1,000,000,000" commitment. The governor also said the state budget incorporates $65,000,000 in new efficiencies and cost savings and that his proposed budget will return the state to "manageable growth under 5%."
On government performance, Meyer credited new leadership in key agencies for service improvements. He said the backlog of unemployment claims decreased "by 70% — from over 7,000 claims when I took office a year ago to fewer than 2,000 today," and praised ongoing DNREC reforms to permitting and beach reservation systems. He thanked Department of Justice leadership and said, as stated in his address, the department has helped the state save "$856,700,000" in the past 12 months.
Meyer closed by calling for continued bipartisan cooperation on the agenda items he outlined; the joint session then recessed and the two houses later separated and returned to their chambers.
The address included named acknowledgments of first responders, educators and agency officials who participated in program development; Meyer urged the legislature to pass the funding and statutory changes he said are necessary to implement his proposals.
The next procedural step recorded in the joint session was a motion to have the chief clerk of the House and the Secretary of the Senate compare journals, which the clerks reported "do agree," followed by a motion to adjourn the joint session and a House recess to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 01/27/2026.