Issues

Improving Public Schools

Dave Sokola chaired the Senate Education Committee for ten years during the State's comprehensive education reform resulting in:

Increased funding for school dis cipline: Dave Sokola knows that children can't learn unless a teacher has control of the school environment. That's why he has supported legislation to create the first statewide alternative school system in the country for troubled youth.
Accountability: Dave Sokola played a key role in the new accountability legislation that holds students accountable for what they learn and teachers accountable for what they teach. (SB 260, 250)
Investments in Technology: Dave Sokola sponsored legislation that made Delaware the first state to wire all public schools for the Internet. (21st Century Fund)
Neighborhood schools: Dave Sokola was the prime Senate sponsor of the new neighborhood schools bill to end forced busing of our young children. (HB 300)
Public School Choice and Charter Schools (SB 200)
Provided ten million dollars to local schools for modern textbooks.

Tax Cuts: Dave Sokola has successfully sponsored legislation for the past seven years to cut personal income taxes an average of 25% since 1992.
Equitable Taxes: Delaware was recently chosen by Fortune magazine as the fairest and most equitable tax system in the nation.
Balanced budget|: Dave Sokola voted to balance the budget every year since taking office.
Helped Delaware attain our highest bond rating in the State's history.
Marriage Penalty Dave Sokola sponsored the law eliminating the marriage tax penalty. (HB 411)

Teen Drivers: Dave Sokola was the architect of legislation which requires teen drivers to receive more adult supervision prior to receiving an unrestricted drivers license.
Reducing Gun Violence: Dave Sokola has supported legislation to crack down on illegal gun sales and keep firearms out of the hands of children.
Fighting Crime: Dave Sokola has voted to give State Police more high tech crime fighting tools--including computers in every patrol car.
Increased recruitment and training of State Police Officers.

Shaping Delaware's Future: Sponsored the "Shaping Delaware's Future Act" to make critical county comprehensive plan elements mandatory and to curb out of control development. (SB 116)
Land Use: Spearheaded efforts to increase the collaboration between state and local government on land use decisions.
Open Spaces: Preserved open space and funded state parks.