2024 VoteDelaware Questionnaire Responses: Representative Mara Gorman

1. A recent independent report commissioned by the State of Delaware found that public schools across the state are underfunded by $600 million dollars and recommended increased per-pupil funding, transparency, and the flexibility to allocate resources. If elected what concrete steps would you propose to take to ensure districts close the funding deficit to provide a constitutionally adequate education?

If elected to the General Assembly, I would work with my colleagues to pass legislation that both increases Delaware’s budget allocation for education (including spending per student) and revises the current funding formulas to ensure the equitable distribution of funds based on student needs, with additional resources being provided to students who need them, such as low-income students.

I also support many of the recommendations included in the independent report referenced in this question including:

• Creating a formula that accounts for both state and local revenue to generate funding targets and then meets those targets through a combination of state and local revenue.
• Improving funding transparency through better reporting from school districts that is shared with parents and stakeholders in comprehensible ways, such as a statewide online portal.
• Seeking ways to give districts more control over how they spend resources while also making sure the state is adequately auditing their performance.

I would also work to find ways to assess how well our current system of public schools, charter schools, and Vo-Tech schools is serving our communities in terms of equity and allocation of resources and how the legislature can better oversee the leadership of all three.

2. The Education Equity Ombudsperson program was codified into law last year without guaranteed continuing funding to ensure that the program is sustainable.  Will you support legislation to maintain the current annual funding of $1 million to support students statewide facing inequitable treatment? 

YES
A law that requires funding but has none is worse than useless because it is dishonest - it makes it seem as though the government is doing something when in fact they are not. I am not a believer in unfunded mandates and as such would support legislation to include that funding, hopefully for multiple years.

3. There are currently an estimated 5,000 undocumented children in Delaware living without access to basic healthcare services. This past session, the General Assembly failed to pass the “Cover All Children Act” which would have been a critical first step in developing a medical coverage program for children in Delaware who are not otherwise covered, including kids who are undocumented. Will you support legislation like the “Cover All Children Act” that ensures undocumented children are protected and cared for?  

YES
I believe that every child in the United States deserves healthcare, housing, and education and I will support any measure that helps undocumented children in any of these areas.

4. Over the past few decades, many immigrants have chosen to make Delaware their home and have become vital members of our communities. Will you support increasing translation and interpretation services in government agency buildings and in public schools to help immigrants navigate the systems we all use? 

YES
I am a believer in equity, which rather than assuming everyone should be treated equally, instead provides scaffolds for those who need it most. Translation for people who are non-native speakers of English is critical to making sure they can fully participate in our society. 

5. Currently, agricultural and domestic workers are exempt from state labor protections which means that workers in those fields, many of whom are immigrants and work dangerous jobs, are left with few ways to protect themselves. Will you support the removal of this exemption, so that all workers, regardless of their job, have the same protections? 

YES
Every worker should be protected, period. We should not take advantage of the vulnerability of workers who can't speak for themselves for fear of retaliation.

6. In 2017, Delaware codified the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in state law to ensure the right to an abortion remained protected. However, these protections could be removed through a simple majority vote and signature of the Governor. Will you support a state constitutional amendment to explicitly protect peoples’ access to reproductive healthcare?

YES
I was involved as a citizen advocate in 2017, volunteering for Planned Parenthood to help codify Roe v. Wade in Delaware. Before running for office, I spent nine months working for Planned Parenthood of Delaware as the Public Affairs Manager, fighting to make sure that Delaware's laws offer everyone bodily autonomy and the right to make healthcare decisions. I would strongly support a constitutional amendment that explicitly protects abortion.

7. Black maternal mortality rates continue to increase in Delaware, with the gap in healthcare disparities widening. Will you support the creation of a Reproductive Healthcare Equity Fund that would support the additional costs of accessing reproductive healthcare for uninsured or underinsured people and fund the recruitment and expansion of the number of healthcare providers, including doula providers, in the state? 

YES
Delaware's Black maternal and infant mortality rates are completely unacceptable. When I worked at Planned Parenthood, I supported all efforts to increase access to healthcare for every Delawarean, including lobbying on behalf of HB 110, which permits state Medicaid dollars to cover abortion care. I would support a fund like this and any other efforts aimed at helping close gaps in healthcare access.

8. Delaware’s probation system is broken. It does not provide the resources and support needed for successful reentry, while allowing for overly harsh punishment for minor infractions. Will you support legislation tailoring probation conditions to the needs and circumstances of the individual and restricting the use of incarceration when no new crime has been committed?  

YES
I believe in flexible probation that provides supports and works to help people get back on their feet.

9. Access to record expungement should not be determined by an individual’s economic circumstances. Will you support legislation removing fines and fees as a barrier to expungement eligibility? 

YES
Fines and fees that accumulate when an individual is unable to pay them are a form of debtors' tax, or in extreme cases, debtors' prison. I don't believe that someone who is unable to pay should be punished in this manner. If what we care about is making sure the money is paid, we should work with individuals to help them do so, not keep them from expunging their records.

10. It is well documented that older incarcerated adults are less likely to commit new crimes if released. Will you support legislation that would expand compassionate release for older incarcerated adults? 

YES
It doesn't make sense to keep older adults who are not a danger to society in prison either from a moral or a financial standpoint. Any policy that safely helps to reduce the number of incarcerated individuals is worth exploring.

11. The Delaware Supreme Court recently upheld Delaware’s early in-person and permanent absentee voting laws, but the laws remain vulnerable to future legal challenges. Will you support protecting early in-person and permanent absentee voting through a constitutional amendment? 

YES
Yes. I believe that access to voting is critical to maintaining our democracy.

12. As of 2022, felony disenfranchisement affected 7,721 voters in Delaware. 2,965 of these people were disenfranchised while on probation or parole and 1,360 were disenfranchised even though they were not incarcerated or on probation or parole. . Voting allows people to remain connected to their communities and helps facilitate the re-entry process. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing all people to vote as soon as they leave prison? 

YES
Yes. I support not only allowing all people to vote but finding ways to support them in doing so and encouraging them to participate.

13. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing for same-day voter registration? 

YES
Yes. There is no reason why we shouldn't encourage everyone to participate by making registration as easy and as accessible as possible.

14. Will you support a constitutional amendment allowing for no-excuse absentee voting?

YES
Yes. Not everyone can make it to the polls. Allowing for no-excuse absentee voting is the most equitable way to make sure that all citizens have a chance to exercise their franchise.