Candidate for State Representative 9th District: Kevin Hensley

Candidate Name :  Kevin Hensley

Office you are seeking: State Representative, 9th District

Party :  Republican

Age : 58

Hometown : Middletown, DE

Political experience :  State Representative 2014-present.  Past Board Member, Appoquinimink District School Board, Past Founding Board Member, MOT Charter School

Professional experience : Associate Broker, RE/MAX Eagle

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

My experience in working with folks in the community for nearly thirty years.   Ability to work across the aisle to solve problems for the folks in the 9th District as well as all Delawareans.

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

1. Increased need for school safety and security.  I have sponsored two pieces of legislation in the past several years to create a School Safety and Security Fund.  I will continue to work to add additional measures to ensure the safety of our students, teachers, and staff in all of our buildings.
2. Improved performance in our schools.  While we are in the top ten in spending per student in the county, our results are in need of much improvement.  As a member of the Delaware Public Funding Commission, I am anxious to work with my colleagues and other stakeholders to create a funding mechanism that focuses on getting more resources into the classroom and boosting teacher compensation.
3. Relief for our seniors – many of which are on fixed incomes.  I have sponsored legislation the past several years to increase the senior citizen property tax credit.  As a result of the recent local school referendum, coupled with reassessment in the coming months, many of our seniors need help.  I will continue to push to increase the current credit.

What would be your top priority if elected?

My continued work to enhance school safety and security is critically important ot me.  We hear of horrific events throughout the county, and I stand committed to do whatever I can to make sure we don’t experience a terrifying circumstance here at home.

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

As a member of the Joint Finance Committee, our role is to produce a balanced budget each year.  Unfortunately, our spending has increased 25% in the past four years alone – this kind of spending is not sustainable in the long run.

I strongly feel that we should be putting more money in reserves for a time in the future when our revenues are not as robust.

What can Delaware do about its workforce issues?

The largest employer in the state is currently the State of Delaware – that’s a problem.  We need to do a better job of attracting business to our state.  We do a great job of educating our young people at our institutions of higher learning, only to have many of them leave for job opportunities in other states.

Also, I hear from local employers of the struggles they have in attracting employees – especially in the different trades.  We must do a better job of offering training opportunities for our young people.  Our Vo Tech schools do a great job, but we need to expand these programs so that more of our students have an opportunity to learn a valuable skill.

How would you protect or change state employee benefits?

Earlier this year, I fought back against the proposal to modify the health insurance plans for our state retirees.  Our retirees, who dedicated their lives to public service, deserve to have the plan of their choice without being forced to accept anything less.

What would you do to improve the quality of education in the First State?

As mentioned above, I feel that the current funding formula is broken and needs to be overhauled.  I’m optimistic that our work on the Public Education Funding Commission will produce some substantive alternatives that we can put in place to make sure that our dollars are being spent more effectively.

What issues do you strongly support and would not compromise?

How do you improve civility and thoughtful dialog in Delaware politics?

Unfortunately, during my tenure in the General Assembly, I’ve seen a movement away from productive, thoughtful dialog and instead party politics playing a larger role in the day-to-day operations of our session.

We tend to forget that Legislative Hall is the people’s house, and as such we should be putting those that elect us first instead of party politics.

I am proud of my record of working across the aisle in order to craft thoughtful policy that benefits all Delawareans – we need to be doing more of that.

How do you perceive the “Delaware way” today?

The “Delaware way” unfortunately isn’t what it once was, which is truly unfortunate.  I feel that we’ve allowed the polarizing nature of politics on the national level to affect the work that we do here in the Delaware General Assembly.  We must take a step back and move back to the way things were for many years where everyone had a voice and thoughtful and respectful debate guided the discussions in the creation of policy for the good of all Delawareans.