He is a member of the Democratic Party.. The use of marijuana for medical purposes is permitted for adult patients with certain serious illnesses. Markell also focused on running state government efficiently and effectively, keeping the state’s AAA bond rating while reforming Delaware’s […] He took office January 20, 2009, becoming the state's first Jewish governor. He also started the "Delaware Bank at School Program" which takes banks and financial education to schools. 340 students started the program this year. Mr. Markell led significant investments in improved early childhood education, language immersion programs, heightened college access for low-income students and some of the most aggressive workforce development efforts in the country. The State Of The States In Education: A Conversation With Former Governor Jack Markell Former Delaware Governor Jack Markell (2009-2017) knows a thing or two about the State of the State speech. Previously, Mr. Markell … Though Rhode Island enacted legislation legalizing same-sex marriage before Delaware, on July 1, Delaware became the eleventh state, and twelfth US jurisdiction, to allow same-sex couples to marry, preceding Minnesota and Rhode Island by one month.In the U.S. state of Delaware, marijuana (cannabis) is illegal for recreational use, though decriminalized for possession of small amounts. Jack Markell was sworn in as Delaware’s governor on January 19, 2009, and was sworn in for his second term on January 15, 2013. He created the "Delaware Money School", which offers free classes to Delaware residents on topics such as saving for college and retirement planning. While his budget extended previous tax increases, he also proposed to decrease tax rates where possible. The money received will be used to identify and better Delaware's low-performing schools, improve the system for evaluating students, and raise the standard for and improve the quality of the state's educators.In addition to reduced state revenue, the current economic environment has driven rising unemployment. In an effort to boost jobs and improve the state's infrastructure, Markell also presented a $500 million transportation infrastructure initiative to be paid for by a 10-cent increase in the state's gas tax.On May 7, 2013, Governor Markell signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Delaware, making Delaware the eleventh state in the nation to expand marriage rights to same-sex couples.Following a legislative task force on election laws and a campaign finance report issued by special prosecutor Norman Veasey, Governor Markell joined with nearly two dozen legislators to introduce a series of six bills to combat corruption and strengthen state campaign finance laws. "The BFF program will make us more effective and efficient by enlisting Delawareans across the state to search for more opportunities to create jobs," said Markell.Like Markell's first term, the slow national economic recovery left Delaware with a budget shortfall. Markell began his business career in 1982, working as a banker at Markell is married to Carla Smathers, with whom he has two children.Markell was first elected State Treasurer of Delaware in 1998, unseating four-term As treasurer, Markell led the development of several educational efforts in personal financial management, known collectively as "the Financial Literacy initiatives". By July 2013, Markell had signed legislation on lost or stolen firearms and universal background checks.In March 2014, Governor Markell proposed an $800 million effort to clean Delaware's long-neglected waterways. Former Delaware Governor Jack Markell writes that governors and other state leaders have the opportunity “to do a lot more to take ownership of their education plans and work with stakeholders—parents, educators and community members—to create and implement sound ESSA plans.” Governor Markell also discusses the Collaborative for Student Success’ Check State Plans … The 73rd Governor of Delaware, Jack Allan Markell, is highly credited for running state government efficiently and effectively, keeping the Delaware’s AAA bond rating while reforming the state’s health and pension systems to make them more sustainable over time. Jack A. Markell served from 2009-2017 as the Governor of Delaware, leading a $4 billion enterprise with 30,000 employees. These reforms will help us improve accountability and react more quickly and effectively when a school is in trouble. arget="_blank"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> Announcing the new initiative, Markell said, ""Somebody has to do this [...] We have a fundamental responsibility, I believe, to leave the next generation cleaner water – water you can fish in, water you can swim in, not as many problems with drinking water, not as many problems with stormwater and all that flooding.