Apr

30

Senator Michelle Kidani’s Floor Remarks on House Bill 200, the Hawaii State Budget

Budget
On April 3o, 2013, Senator Michelle Kidani, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate, offered the following remarks in support of House Bill (HB) 200, the Hawaii State Budget:

Senator Michelle Kidani, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, offers remarks in support of House Bill 200, the Hawaii State Budget.

Thank you Madam President. I rise in support of this measure.

This past session has been an interesting one to say the least. I say this because of how different this year has been from the last several, in which the State was dealing with the economic crises that gripped our economy and affected the entire nation. In the last few years, the creation of the CIP budget was driven in large part by the need for us to step in to provide that shot in the arm, that boost, to get things rolling again. The thought then was to get people back to work, to maintain and improve what we already had, while planning for the future needs of our state.

Now, thankfully, our economy is slowly improving and we have a job market, especially– in the construction industry–that is rebounding.

I said earlier that this year has been an interesting one. In some ways, the prioritization and vetting process done for the CIP budget was more difficult than in past years. This bill will fund thousands of worthwhile and critically needed projects; projects that will impact the lives of our residents now, and for many years to come. However, this bill is not perfect. There are projects, while valuable, while needed, while important for our state, we were not able to fund this year. These decisions were asked were made after doing our due diligence, being thoughtful, careful and mindful of our responsibilities.

HB200 CD1 proposes a CIP budget for Fiscal Biennium 2103-2015 in the amount of just over $3 Billion, of which $1.36 billion is funded by General Obligation or Reimbursable Bonds.

We will continue the progress made in renovating, repairing and maintaining existing state-owned facilities to utilize our current resources and reduce general fund expenditures in the future.

The CD proposes nearly $400 million to fund these types of projects for the Department of Education, Department of Health’s Waimano Ridge facility, Hawaii Health System Corporation’s network of hospitals, and hundreds of other projects in the UH system, DLNR, and DAGS.

We also looked at previous requests to fund aging infrastructure to move people, goods and materials which has been in disrepair or unusable. To address this we focused considerably on transportation. The basics… repairing our highways, expanding our harbors, and renovating and modernizing our airports.

Approximately $1.2 billion is appropriated for the Department of Transportation for projects such as $70 million for the expansion of Kona International Airport to meet the requirements of increasing visitor arrivals. Another $140 million is included for Honolulu International Airport, for improvements and upgrades for the main gateway to our state.

We are also supporting increased capacity at our harbors, statewide, to handle the import and export of goods and products, as well as dozens of highway improvements and bridge repairs. These projects will continue the process of addressing the declining conditions of our highways and transportation infrastructure.

Another priority was to designate appropriations for projects needed to address future capacity needs and economic growth.

HB200 CD1  includes $38.2 million to build an Advanced Technology and Science Center at Honolulu Community College and $11.8 million for a dedicated facility for the Allied Health program at UH-West O`ahu.

Additionally, funding for the renovation and expansion of the Foreign Trade Zone facility was included to keep this business incubator functional.

We also appropriated $18.4 million for Ewa Makai Middle School, to complete the campus and reduce overcrowding in schools in the Ewa plain.

There is always much talk about keeping agriculture land in agriculture and an opportunity arose to purchase over 20,000 acres of Dole Foods agriculture land on the North Shore of Oahu.  The Senate included $175M in Revenue bonds and $12.5M in G.O. bonds to take advantage of this opportunity.

This bill also invests in the State’s aging and obsolete IT infrastructure by appropriating over $130 million for informational systems to begin the process of creating a statewide information network,  streamline tax collections, maintain and share critical health information, as well provide for a secure communication network for the islands.

One of these is the Trans-Pacific cable project. By 2015, the state will be close to reaching full capacity of its existing broadband network. In addition, Hawaii is being bypassed as a vital communication hub in the Pacific. This project will begin to address these concerns and move Hawaii to the forefront in telecommunications technology.

In closing, I would like to thank Senate President Kim, Chair Ige, and our counterparts in the House for their support and hard work in crafting this CIP budget.  I believe we all look forward to the positive impact this budget will have on the State.

Mahalo!

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Apr

23

Collaboration Leads to the Conclusion of Budget Meetings Ahead of Deadline

Budget / Press Releases

House and Senate Conference Leaders Announce $3 Billion in Capital Improvement Projects

Honolulu – Lead Senate and House negotiators on the State Budget bill announced they closed negotiations three days ahead of an internal deadline.  Discussions between the Senate and House on finalizing the budget started well ahead of schedule this year, marking a paradigm shift in the approach taken to complete the work of the legislative session.

“The House and Senate committed to working together to finish the budget ahead of schedule,” said Senator David Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.   “By completing work on the budget early, we have more time to consider the state financial plan and make thoughtful decisions on what bills should move forward.”

Finishing work on the budget early also creates a better environment for Senate and House negotiators working on other measures.  Rational decisions can now be made without the immense pressure of looming deadlines.  The conference committee meetings for the State Budget began nearly a week earlier than normal to avoid the last minute rush to get conference bills out for final vote.  This is a marked change from the last minute rush of typical legislative sessions.

One of the items that the two sides were able to come to agreement upon was a balanced reduction of vacancies throughout state departments in order to cut costs and ensure accurate financial reporting. After considering input from the departments, the two Chairs announced that roughly 200 positions—down from the proposed 1,000—will be reduced to save nearly $8 million.

“Chair Ige and I believe that in order to efficiently and effectively use state resources, the departments need to instill a sense of accountability and responsibility in their management of vacant positions. We have made it very clear that the Legislature wants to have all departments accurately use money we give them for its intended purpose and not for other things,” said Representative Sylvia Luke, chair of the House Finance Committee.  “I would like to really thank them for understanding what we are trying to accomplish and for providing information to ensure that the most effective decisions are made in staffing.”

On the opening day of the conference committee for the state budget, the chairs agreed to appropriate $100 million for fiscal year (FY) 2014 and $117.4 million for FY 2015 to begin payments on the unfunded liabilities.

Currently, the unfunded liabilities for the employer-union health benefits trust fund is $13.6 billion.

Over the upcoming fiscal biennium, the Legislature’s final draft of the executive budget is more than $250 million under the Governor’s budget proposal.

Today, appropriations for Capital Improvement Programs (CIP) and grants for non-profits (Grant-In-Aid) were announced.  The committee funded $30 million in projects for non-profit organizations on every island in the state.

“In conferencing with the House members, the intent of this biennium’s CIP negotiations has been to identify what needs to be funded by the state, while staying within the executive bond issuance plan as much as possible. For General Obligation bonds, this was just over $1.32 billion for the biennium to cover projects related to agriculture, education, social services, and technology,” explained Senator Michelle Kidani, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means who oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate.

“This proposed budget keeps the CIP budget within the state’s debt ceiling and Executive Bond issuance plan,” said Representative Luke.”

On funding public school facilities, Luke said, “We have agreed to fund the Department of Education over $400 million for repairs, upgrades and issues that have plagued our educational facilities for many years. You can’t have a 21st century school with 20th century electrical wiring!”

 

House Bill 200, relating to the State Budget, will now go before the full House and Senate for a final vote.

 

See attachment for highlights of the Capital Improvement Projects (Pg 1)/ highlights of the Capital Improvement Projects (Pg 2).

See attachment for highlights of Grant-In-Aid recipients.

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Mar

27

Senate Committee on Ways and Means Passes State Budget Bill

Blogroll

 Honolulu – The Senate Committee on Ways and Means passed House Bill 200 with amendments today.  The Senate’s version of the bill is approximately $141 M less in general funds than Governor Abercrombie’s budget proposal.   The bill appropriates funds for the operating and capital improvement budget of the Executive Branch for the fiscal biennium years 2013-2015.

 Although the revenue forecast continues to improve, we took a cautious and conservative approach in our version of the budget,” said Senator David Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.   “We reduced the executive branch’s request by approximately $141 million, while making strategic investments in our community.”

Here are some of the highlights of the bill:

$26.5M                 Executive Office of Early Learning, includes early childhood education program

$55M                     Department of Education’s weighted student formula

$54.5M                 Office of Information Management & Technology

$200M                  Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund, unfunded liabilities

$5.2 M                  Agricultural task force and livestock feed development program

$5.2 M                  Agricultural resource management programs and projects, including Kunia agricultural park irrigation systems

$25M                     Sequestration contingency fund to address nationwide federal spending reductions

$355,000            Hawaii Refinery Task Force

$8M                       Hawaii Growth Initiative

$1M                       Hawaii Health Information Exchange

$3.9M                   State energy projects

$205.5M              Medicaid

$874,000           Veteran services

$1.8M                   Homeless shelters and services

 

The capital improvement programs include $2 billion in all means of financing for the fiscal year 2014 and $990M for fiscal year 2015,” explained Senator Michelle Kidani, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means who oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate.

Highlights of the capital improvement program:

$1.2B                     For Department of Transportation projects, such as $70 million for the expansion of the Kona International Airport, $140 million for Honolulu International Airport, as well as increased capacity at our harbors ($250 million), and dozens of road improvements and bridge repairs.

$120M                  For informational systems in various departments to streamline tax collections, maintain and share critical health information, as well provide for a secure communication network for the islands.

The investments made in the Department of Transportation focus our attention on addressing the less than ideal conditions of our roads and infrastructure, expanding our harbors and renovating the first thing our visitors see—our airports.  We also continue to move our State into the 21st century by allocating funds towards upgrading the State’s aging and obsolete IT infrastructure,” said Kidani.

The House Bill 200 HD1 SD1 moves on to the full Senate for a vote.

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Jul

20

Senators Respond to Landmark Signing of the Native Hawaiian Roll

Hawaiian Affairs / Press Releases

(Legislators joined together to sign the petition at Washington Place.) (L-R Senator Pohai Ryan, Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Senator Michelle Kidani, Representative Faye Hanohano, Senator Gilbert Kahele and Senator Clayton Hee.)

Honolulu- Officials and members of the public joined together at Washington Place today for the historic signing of the Native Hawaiian Roll. The signing was accompanied by a petition of signatures in support of the roll.

State Senators offered the following remarks in response to the landmark signing of the Native Hawaiian Roll:

Today’s signing is a great testimony to the courageous individuals who decades ago saw injustice and stepped forward,” said Senator Brickwood Galuteria, chairman of the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs. “The inauguration of this roll marks the next step in the framework towards self-governance for the Hawaiian people.”

The signing of this legislation signifies an important stage in the long journey towards justice and self-determination for the people of the first nation of these islands,” said Senator Clayton Hee, author of the measure which established the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission. “The people of Hawai‘i and, in particular, the native Hawaiian people have the opportunity and privilege to move forward together toward self determination with a renewed sense of optimism for our future together as one.”

This is a historic and positive day for the State of Hawai‘i and the Native Hawaiian community, many have waited decades for this recognition,” said Senator Malama Solomon, who was the chief negotiator of the measure. “The signing of the Native Hawaiian Roll moves forward the reconciliation process for mending relations between the State of Hawai‘i and the Native Hawaiian people.“

(Senator Galuteria and Trustee Apo joined Senators Akaka and Inouye and signed the petition in Akaka’s Washington D.C. office.) (Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka)

In 2011 Governor Neil Abercrombie enacted Senate Bill 1520, the Native Hawaiian Recognition Bill, into law as Act 195. In addition to formally recognizing Native Hawaiian people as “the only indigenous, aboriginal, maoli people of Hawai‘i,” the measure also established the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission (NHRC).

Comprised of five members, one from each county and one at-large seat, NHRC was tasked with the responsibility of preparing and maintaining a roll of qualified Native Hawaiians as defined by the act. The roll is to be used as the basis for participation in the organization of a Native Hawaiian governing entity.

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Jun

28

Governor Signs Bill to Establish the Office on Early Learning

Education / Press Releases

(Senate Education Chair Jill Tokuda, Vice Chair Michelle Kidani, Senator David Ige, and Representative Della Au Belatti join Governor Neil Abercrombie for the signing of Senate Bill 2545 into law.)

Honolulu – Today Governor Neil Abercrombie signed Senate Bill 2545, Relating to Education, into law. The measure establishes the Executive Office on Early Learning.

Currently, Hawaii is just one of eleven states without a publically funded preschool program. SB 2545 works in concert with the Governor’s Early Childhood Education Initiative to help the State join the rest of the country and meet its goal of providing a viable early learning system for Hawaii’s youngest keiki.

“What we know as parents and what the research tells us is clear: access to developmentally and age appropriate educational opportunities makes a difference,” said Senate Committee on Education Chair Jill Tokuda.

SB2545 establishes the Executive Office on Early Learning to provide for the necessary coordination and cooperation amongst all relevant governmental departments and agencies. In addition, the existing Early Learning Council will transition into its new role as the Early Learning Advisory Board, providing guidance and perspective from the public and private sector.

To assist in the implementation of a uniform early learning program SB 2545 will phase out Junior Kindergarten, repealing the program at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. In 2008 Hawaii established Keiki First Steps, a statewide early learning system, focused on maximizing public and private resources to ensure the delivery of services throughout our communities.

“SB2545 represents the very first steps of Keiki First Steps,” said Senator Jill Tokuda. “ The measure calls on the Office to develop an implementation plan and projected financials to ensure a seamless transition to an early learning system, focusing on those targeted four year olds most impacted by the loss of Junior Kindergarten”.

The measure also clarifies a law passed in 2010 by making clear that a child must be at least 5 years old by July 31st in order to enter kindergarten, but pushes back this mandate back to the 2014-15 year to align with the implementation of Keiki First Steps, and focused on ensuring all children have meaningful options.

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May

10

Senator Michelle Kidani’s Floor Remarks on House Bill 2012, the Hawaii State Supplemental Budget

Budget / Ways and Means

On May 3, 2012, Senator Michelle Kidani, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate, offered the following remarks in support of House Bill 2012, the Hawaii State Supplemental Budget:

Thank you Mr. President. I rise in support of this measure.

This past year has been one of many, many challenges, especially in crafting a Capital Improvement Program that meets the needs of the State while balancing the fiscal considerations of an improving, but still fragile economic recovery.  We know that now is the time for investment in our state’s infrastructure, while costs for materials and labor are still low, and the need for job creation has never been greater. I wish to thank Chair Ige for his leadership during this very long and tedious process and you for your guidance and letting me vent when needed. Also Mr. President, I would like to introduce and thank my staff member Will Kane without whose help we could not have completed the CIP budget.

 In HB2012 CD1, we have taken the approach of investing in existing state facilities and infrastructure, especially those for education, technological innovations and facilities that will reduce the expenditure of taxpayer funds in the form of rent or lease payments.

Therefore, the HB2012 CD1 proposes a CIP budget for FY13 in the amount of $3.2 Billion, $826 million of which is funded by General Obligation or Reimbursable Bonds. It is important to note, that due to the recent refinancing of previously issued bonds and the savings realized from this and the proceeds from a bond issuance in a healthy bond market, and prior year project lapses, there are no additional payments for debt service on $350 million of the total amount appropriated. Also of note, this budget includes over $400 million of Repair and Maintenance projects included in the Senate’s Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012 (SB 2012).

Highlights of the budget bill before us this morning include:

-         $60 million for the department of Human services for renovations to our public housing.

-         $135 million for the department of education facilities, to provide a 21st century learning environment in our aging schools.

-         Almost $50 million for the department of Health to address critical health and safety needs.     

-         This budget also provides funding for projects across nearly every campus in the UH System, including funding to build:

           – the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani CC,

          – University of Hawaii Athletics Facilities

          – a dedicated facility for the Academy for Creative Media Academy at UH-West O`ahu, and

          – funding to continue construction of a new community college campus at Palamanui on the Big Island’s Kona Coast.

When crafting this budget, the utilization of currently under utilized state facilities was considered. An example of this lies right across the street from this building. The Kamamalu building has sat empty for years, while we spend millions in lease payments to private companies, instead of renovating our existing facilities. Therefore, HB 2012 CD1 has appropriated the funds that would allow this building to once again be used by our state agencies, which is the most responsible way to reduce escalating rental costs.

Lastly, Mr. President, the Senate’s Capital Improvement Program budget provides appropriations for projects across nearly every department. These include funding to create a statewide financial management system, renovate additional facilities for the Department of Health, and improvements to all airports, statewide. This will begin to address the concerns and needs of our visitors, which are the lifeblood of our economy,

In closing, I would like to again thank Chair Ige and my fellow members of the Committee for their support and hard work in crafting this budget, and I believe we all look forward to the positive impact this budget will have on the State.

To view video click here.

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Feb

21

Senate Passes The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012

Press Releases / Ways and Means

HONOLULU–  The Senate unanimously passed The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012 (Senate Bill 2012) today.  The bill will go to the House next for consideration.

Garnering bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2012, is an aggressive $500 million general obligation bond-funded Capital Improvement Program package aimed at creating jobs by investing and stimulating our local economy from all corners of the state.

We are proud of this legislation, which has united all members of the Senate,” said Senate President Shan Tsutsui.  “This bill will get our economic engine going and create much-needed jobs that will get thousands of people off the bench and back to work.”

With Hawaii experiencing the lowest interest rates on record and significant savings made from the State’s most recent bond authorization and issuance, now is the time to invest in our State. The program will appropriate funds for shovel-ready projects that will create jobs for all trades in the construction industry – from carpenters to consultants.  According to conservative estimates by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s (DBEDT) job multiplier, this measure could create or sustain more than 5,000 jobs.

We have an opportunity to address long-standing needs in a cost effective manner.  Interest rates are at an historic low and bids for contracted work are currently coming in at discounted rates,” said Senator David Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  “The convergence of these factors makes now the opportune time to make an aggressive investment in our state’s infrastructure.”

Projects under consideration will focus on repair and maintenance needs to address aging infrastructure concerns and to extend the useful life of existing state-owned assets and facilities.  It will also include those that address health and safety code concerns.  A portion of Governor Abercrombie’s $300 million request for construction projects that are shovel-ready or address repair and maintenance concerns are funded by the measure.

The State departments currently identified as part of the Program are:  the Department of Education, including the State Public Library System; the University of Hawaii, including athletic facilities; the Department of Accounting and General Services; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Defense; the Department of Health, and health care facilities of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, the Department of Human Services; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Public Safety and the Judiciary.  Funding will be allocated depending on each department’s needs and ability to commence work immediately.

Here are highlights of the funding:

–$150,000,000 for repair and maintenance projects and to address infrastructure needs, such as science and technology, electricity, and other utility infrastructure improvements, within the public school system.

–$3,000,000 for repair and maintenance projects within the Hawaii State Library system.

–$90,000,000 for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

–$25,000,000 for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects within the University of Hawaii community college system.

–$60,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Accounting and General Services.

–$40,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Human Services.

–$40,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Another priority of the bill is to develop sustainable and renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic technology.  Investing in renewable energy and upgrades to information technology initiatives throughout schools, hospitals, and office buildings will ultimately lead to cost savings and a reduction of the State’s carbon footprint.

In order to expedite the backlog of repair and maintenance projects, Senate Bill 2012 makes revisions to the State’s permitting, approval and procurement processes.  As a result, the accelerated processes will expedite the creation of jobs and facilitate the return to work for many of our residents.

This measure means that badly needed repairs and deferred maintenance projects that many state facilities have waited years to do can finally be given the green light to proceed.  Passing this legislation now would be an excellent way for us to create the needed jobs for our unemployed trade workers.  All companies, including small businesses, are encouraged to register with the State Procurement Office’s online system in order to be eligible to bid on projects,” said Senator Michelle Kidani, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate.   “The process is fair and transparent with bids posted publicly for everyone to see.”

If the measure passes the House and the Governor approves the bill, projects could begin immediately.

For more information on the bill:  http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/.

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Feb

10

Senate Committee on Ways and Means Passes The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012

Press Releases / Ways and Means

HONOLULU–  The Senate Committee on Ways and Means today passed The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012, Senate Bill 2012, out of committee with amendments.  The bill will go before the full Senate for a floor vote next week.

Garnering bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2012, is an aggressive $500 million general obligation bond-funded Capital Improvement Program package aimed at creating jobs by investing and stimulating our local economy from all corners of the state.

My colleagues and I felt that we wanted to do a flagship bill to put people back to work.  We felt that the best way to do it was to take projects that were already on the books, such as deferred repair and maintenance type projects that the departments had wanted for years and get them done.  We take care of the facilities and at the same time, put people back to work,” said Senator Michelle Kidani, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate.

With Hawaii experiencing the lowest interest rates on record and significant savings made from the State’s most recent bond authorization and issuance, now is the time to invest in our State. The program will appropriate funds for shovel-ready jobs projects that will create jobs for all trades in the construction industry – from carpenters to consultants.  According to conservative estimates by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s (DBEDT) job multiplier, this measure could create or sustain more than 5,000 jobs.

We have an opportunity to address long-standing needs in a cost effective manner.  Interest rates are at a historic low and bids for contracted work are currently coming in at discounted rates,” said Senator David Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  “The convergence of these factors makes now the opportune time to make an aggressive investment in our state’s infrastructure.”

Projects under consideration will focus on repair and maintenance needs to address aging infrastructure concerns and to extend the useful life of existing state-owned assets and facilities.  Projects will include those that address health and safety code concerns.  The State departments currently identified as part of the Program are:  the Department of Education, including the State Public Library System; the University of Hawaii, including athletic facilities; the Department of Accounting and General Services; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Defense; the Department of Health, and health care facilities of the Hawaii Health Systems, the Department of Human Services; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Public Safety and the Judiciary.  Funding will be allocated depending on department needs and ability to commence work immediately.

Here are highlights of the funding:

–$150,000,000 for repair and maintenance projects and to address infrastructure needs, such as science and technology, electricity, and other utility infrastructure improvements, within the public school system.

–$3,000,000 for repair and maintenance projects within the Hawaii State Library system.

–$90,000,000 for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

–$25,000,000 for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects within the University of Hawaii community college system.

–$60,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Accounting and General Services.

–$40,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Human Services.

–$40,000,000  for repair and maintenance projects of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Another priority of the bill is to develop sustainable and renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic technology.  Investing in renewable energy and upgrades to information technology initiatives throughout schools, hospitals, and office buildings will ultimately lead to cost savings and a reduction of the State’s carbon footprint.

In order to expedite the backlogged repair and maintenance projects, Senate Bill 2012 makes revisions to the State’s permitting, approval and procurement process.  As a result, the accelerated process will expedite the creation of jobs and facilitate the return to work for many of our residents.

If the measure passes the House and the Governor approves the bill, projects could begin immediately.

For more information on the bill:  http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/.

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Jan

30

Senators Brief the Media on Senate Bills 239

Articles / Education

Senator Michelle Kidani, who oversees all Capital Improvement Program projects for the Senate and serves as Senate Committee on Ways and Means Vice Chair, and Senator David Y. Ige, Senate Committee on Ways and Means chair, briefed the media on the passage of Senate Bill 809. The bill was passed on final reading by both the Senate and the House Chambers on January 30, 2012.

Senate Bill 809 increases University of Hawaii (UH) authorization to issue revenue bonds from a total principal amount not to exceed $200 million to a total amount not to exceed $300 million to fund UH construction projects, which would stimulate the economy and generate construction jobs. Upon passage of the bill, UH will query the campuses to compile a listing for the use of the appropriation and plans to start projects no later than Spring 2012. One of the projects that will benefit is the Culinary Institute at Kapiolani Community College, which will finally be able to begin construction.

To view the video click here.

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Jan

27

Hawaii State Senate Introduces Bipartisan Bill Aimed at Stimulating Economy

Budget / Press Releases

HONOLULU – The Hawaii State Senate is united in support of Senate Bill 2012, which will be formally introduced and referred to its respective committee during Session this morning, Friday January 27, 2012.   Garnering bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2012, also known as “The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012,” is an aggressive general obligation bond-funded $500 million Capital Improvement Program (CIP) package aimed at creating jobs by investing and stimulating our local economy from all corners of the state, from Hilo to Hanalei.

With Hawaii experiencing the lowest interest rates on record and significant savings made from the State’s most recent bond authorization and issuance, now is the time to invest in our State. The program will create shovel-ready jobs for all trades in the construction industry – from carpenters to consultants.  According to conservative estimates by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s  (DBEDT) job multiplier, this measure could create or sustain up to 4,000 direct jobs.

Investing now in needed State capital projects will have a direct positive impact on our economy.  With interest rates at a historic low, there has been no better time to make a significant investment in our State’s infrastructure, said Sen. David Y. Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

Projects to be considered should focus on smaller repair and maintenance projects to address aging infrastructures and to extend the useful life of existing state-owned assets and facilities.  Projects should also include those that address health and safety code concerns.  State departments that have been identified as part of the Program are:  the Department of Education, including the State Public Library System; the University of Hawaii, including athletic facilities; the Department of Accounting and General Services; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Defense; the Department of Health, and health care facilities of the Hawaii Health Systems, the Department of Human Services; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Public Safety and the Judiciary.  Funding will be distributed depending on the individual department’s needs and ability to commence work immediately.

Another priority of the bill is to develop sustainable and energy resources, such as photovoltaic technology.  Investing in renewable energy and upgrades to information technology initiatives throughout schools, hospitals, and office buildings will ultimately lead to cost savings and a reduction of the State’s carbon footprint.

This bill encourages the use of energy efficient materials whenever possible in the projects.  It’s important that we invest in alternative energy throughout our State facilities now to save tax payers money in the future,” said Sen. Michelle Kidani, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

In order to expedite the backlogged repair and maintenance projects, Senate Bill 2012 would make revisions to the State’s permitting, approval and procurement process.  As a result, the accelerated process would get workers off the bench and on the job immediately, putting more money in workers’ pockets.  With this jolt in the economy, the safety net would be improved and a wide range of social and educational services would be provided.

“The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012” is expected to be heard by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means in the upcoming weeks.

For more information on Senate Bill 2012 go to: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/.

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