Hawaii Legislators Make Headway On State Budget
But differences in funding priorities remain, as do hot-button bills on paying for rail and education.
The Legislature鈥檚 critical conference committee period kicked off Tuesday at the Capitol with Hawaii lawmakers making earnest statements about how they have found a lot to agree on when it comes to the state鈥檚 $28 billion budget.
House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke and Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairwoman Jill Tokuda even gave props to the Ige administration, thanking the governor鈥檚 staff for its willingness to scale back funding requests in light of reduced revenue forecasts.
While the听budget has been slashed by hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few months, Luke and Tokuda said the House and Senate shared many funding priorities in common.
They听include $48 million for Medicaid payment increases, $300,000 for a statewide tele-health pilot project and $600,000 for clean and sober housing for chronically homeless people.
Legislators also increased by half a million dollars money going to a听rapid re-housing program. Gov. David Ige had asked for $2.5 million, but it is now slated to receive $3 million because the program has been effective.
鈥淲e are looking to provide a budget that takes care of the basic programs we have in place, but does not spend more than necessary,鈥 Luke said in a statement early Tuesday evening. 鈥淭hat is why we require all state departments and programs to be accountable for exactly what they spend and the services they provide.鈥
Said Tokuda:
鈥淲e are continuing to take a fiscally responsible approach to provide the priority needs for our community while ensuring the financial stability of our state鈥檚 resources and long term obligations. “This means doing more with less and targeting funding towards those things that are both critically important and will sustain and grow our economy.鈥
Negotiations Continue
To those not following the budget legislation, , Luke and Tokuda reeled off a series of sequences, dashes and zeros that correspond to specific appropriations.
But to those hanging on every word, they learned a little bit more about how much there would be to run their respective departments and programs.
You can read more of the agreed-upon budget highlights below.
The money chairs, however, also acknowledge that there are 鈥渢ough issues and differences鈥 to deal with as the Legislature works toward an April 28 final decking deadline.
Without mentioning any specifics, Luke said the differences are 鈥渂eing negotiated.鈥
The Finance-WAM conference committee 鈥 one might call it听鈥淭he Syl听and Jill听Show鈥 鈥 resumes Thursday in the same room (No. 309) and at the same time (2 p.m.) at the Capitol.
In the meantime, House and Senate conferees must hammer out their disagreements on dozens of other bills.
They include measures helping to fund , to set up a by 2020, to better regulate , to decide what legal protections to , to tax and to use cameras to catch drivers .
Several measures regarding housing and homelessness are also still alive.
First up on 听is a measure pushed by the teachers鈥 union听that would generate more tax money for schools.
requires asking voters to amend the Hawaii Constitution to levy a surcharge on residential investment properties and visitors accommodations.
And this week concludes with what could be a contentious for Gov. David Ige鈥檚 appointment of to the Public Utilities Commission. It鈥檚 not clear whether the nominee has the votes.
Finally, there are lots of resolutions being considered over the next 10 days or so.
They range from the narrowly focused听and arcane (e.g., setting up a task force to create a definition for the term听“bona fide agricultural producer”) to the broad and profound听(e.g., asking the state to from North Korea).
The 2017 Legislature concludes May 4.
Other Highlights Of Agreed-Upon Budget Items:
- $6.5 million in each fiscal year for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Administration, Primary Prevention and Chronic Disease Management
- $2.1 million in each fiscal year to support state family and elderly housing facilities in both years
- $3.3 million in fiscal year 2018 for housing inmates in a non-state facility during renovation of the Halawa Correctional Facility
- $2.9 million in both years for Medicare part B premium payments
- $2.7 million in fiscal year 2018 to rebase provider rates for home and community based services
- $3 million in each fiscal year for maintenance of effort for maternal infant early childhood home visiting grant
Budget worksheets detailing agreements and disagreements in the state, judiciary and Office of Hawaiian Affairs budget bills .
