Abercrombie’s first year in office

Gov. Neil Abercrombie was inaugurated on Dec. 6, 2010, as the state’s seventh governor. Here is a look at his first year:

DECEMBER

» Takes the oath of office at ‘Iolani Palace with a promise to restore confidence in state government. "Yes, we’ll face challenges. But we’ll not let these become excuses. Instead, our driving message will be, ‘Make it happen.’ And make it happen by working together. Make it happen by working together. Our actions will speak for themselves."

» Releases $67 million from the state’s hurricane relief fund to cover the cost of ending teacher furloughs on instruction days and $23.7 million from the state’s rainy day fund for social service programs. Former Gov. Linda Lingle had withheld the money because of budget concerns.

» Announces a projected budget deficit of $71.6 million for the fiscal year that ends in June and $771.9 million through the following two-year budget cycle in outlining his initial two-year budget draft. The draft is based largely on figures assembled by the Lingle administration.

» Negotiates an agreement with public sector labor unions for the state to cover 60 percent of health insurance premiums for the last part of the fiscal year — up from about 50 percent — which costs the state an estimated $18 million.

» The state Council on Revenues projects state revenue growth at 3 percent for the fiscal year, up from 2 percent, which should reduce the budget deficit.

JANUARY

» The interim state budget director warns lawmakers that a deficit reduction plan may not be ready until late March, well into the legislative session.

» Names Marc Alexander, the former vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, as homeless coordinator.

» Declines to publicly release the names of potential judicial nominees submitted by the state Judicial Selection Commission.

» Uses his first State of the State address to call for spending cuts for public workers, welfare and health care for the poor and new taxes on pensions and soda to help balance the budget. Warns that the state is at risk of an economic collapse in a speech that is far more pessimistic about the budget than state House and Senate leaders were when they opened session.

» Asks Dr. Neal Palafox to withdraw his nomination as director of the state Department of Health for undisclosed reasons.

FEBRUARY

» Alienates labor by declaring that state reimbursements for federal Medicare Part B premiums for retired public workers are unjustified. "I am the governor," he says. "I’m not your pal. I’m not your counselor. I am the governor. And I am determined to be truthful with everybody about what we have to do together to survive."

» Presents to the Legislature an updated two-year budget draft that increases state spending to repair what he describes as the "wreckage" left by the Lingle administration.

» Signs a civil unions bill into state law at a ceremony at Washington Place. "E Komo Mai: It means all are welcome. This signing today of this measure says to all of the world that they are welcome. That everyone is a brother or sister here in paradise. The legalization of civil unions in Hawaii represents in my mind equal rights for all people."

MARCH

» The state Council on Revenues projects state revenue growth of 0.5 percent, down from 3 percent, pushing the budget deficit to about $130 million for the fiscal year and to about $1 billion for the following two-year budget cycle.

» State budget director predicts state revenue will decline by 2 percent and estimates the budget deficit is $232 million for the fiscal year and $1.3 billion for the two-year budget cycle.

» The state Council on Revenues revises its forecast and projects a 1.6 percent decline in state revenues for a $200 million deficit for the fiscal year and a nearly $1.3 billion gap for the two-year budget cycle.

» Opposes a general excise tax increase to help balance the budget and says he is willing to consider a House proposal to suspend general excise tax exemptions for several business activities.

APRIL

» Reaches a new two-year contract agreement with the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the state’s largest public employees union, that calls for a 5 percent pay cut and an equal split on health insurance premiums. Public workers also get an additional nine days of paid time off a year. The contract includes a "favored nation" clause that allows the union to match any gains achieved by other public employee unions. The union’s nurses unit rejects the contract and moves to binding arbitration.

» Senate budget negotiators kill a variation of his pension tax. Lawmakers had previously rejected a soda tax and elimination of state reimbursements for federal Medicare Part B premiums for retired public workers.

MAY

» Receives a new two-year budget and financial plan from lawmakers with a combination of spending controls and revenue increases to close a $1.3 billion deficit through two years, including suspension of general excise tax exemptions on several businesses activities. Lawmakers authorize him to tap the hurricane relief and rainy day funds to get through the fiscal year.

» Calls the AARP, which led the fight against the pension tax, "essentially a front for insurance companies."

» Scolds Democrats who control the House and Senate, telling them to stop making excuses for a lack of progress on renewable energy, work force housing and public education. He also acknowledges that his administration has not met expectations in his first six months in office.

» A Hawaii Poll puts his job approval rating at 50 percent.

JUNE

» Chooses Sanjeev "Sonny" Bhagowalia, an administrator at the U.S. General Services Administration, as the state’s chief information officer to help transform an outdated information technology system.

» Questions the $4 million the state pays the National Football League to host the Pro Bowl. He says the Pro Bowl "happens to be an easy target because it is so stupid. You can’t do things like give $4 million to a $9 billion football industry and not give money to children."

» Restores hot water for residents at Mayor Wright public housing in Honolulu.

» Sends letters asking for courtesy resignations from Lingle appointees to the Public Utilities Commission, Land Use Commission, Public Housing Authority, Board of Land and Natural Resources and Stadium Authority. Most appointees decline.

» Signs a two-year budget, noting that lawmakers provided substantially less money than he requested to restore core government functions.

» Tells a community forum at Washington Middle School that if people are looking for someone to answer for his administration’s shortcomings, "You can start alphabetically."

JULY

» Unilaterally imposes the state’s "last, best and final" contract offer on the Hawaii State Teachers Association after the union’s board rejects the proposed deal, which includes a 5 percent pay cut and an equal split on health insurance premiums. The unprecedented action prompts a legal test over whether the state has such a right after negotiations reach impasse, as private sector businesses do under federal labor law.

» Signs a bill that recognizes Native Hawaiians as an indigenous people with the right to self-government, a state version of a federal bill proposed by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka that has stalled for more than a decade.

» State revenues fall by 0.9 percent during the fiscal year, a smaller decline than the 1.6 percent drop that had been forecast, providing a cushion in implementing the state budget.

AUGUST

» Holds a budget address at Washington Place to announce that the state overcame a $214 million deficit for the fiscal year and was on track to erase a projected $1.2 billion gap in the next two fiscal years. He warns, however, of an "undeniable storm" of fiscal challenges, including rising public worker retirements and health care costs.

» Is sued by the Star-Advertiser because of his decision to withhold from the public the names of potential judicial nominees.

SEPTEMBER

» Discloses that he invoked his emergency powers in June to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contain abandoned World War II-era munitions. A spokeswoman describes the late disclosure as an oversight.

OCTOBER

» Accepts the resignations of four top advisers who had been with him since his campaign — including chief of staff Amy Asselbaye and deputy chief of staff Andrew Aoki — in a major internal shakeup. Sources describe tension between the young staffers and older allies who have known him through his four decades in politics.

» Selects Bruce Coppa, the state comptroller with ties to business and labor interests, as his new chief of staff.

» A Public Policy Polling survey puts his job approval rating at 30 percent, the lowest of any governor in the nation.

» Accepts blame for any mistakes and vows to use his low job approval rating as a spur to regain public confidence. "I play all four quarters, and we’re in the first quarter of what needs to be done in order to have our game plan take place."

» Endorses a $500 million mixed-use, transient-oriented development project in Kakaako that could include the tallest high-rise in Hawaii.

NOVEMBER

» Describes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference as the chance to establish Hawaii as the easternmost anchor of the Asia-Pacific region.

» Picks state House Majority Leader Blake Oshiro (D, Halawa-Aiea) as his new deputy chief of staff.

» Reaches a new two-year contract with the United Public Workers that includes 5 percent labor savings from unpaid days off and an equal split on health insurance premiums.

» Reveals a $200 million settlement proposal between the state and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on ceded lands. The proposal, which requires legislative approval, involves the conveyance of land in Kakaako.

» A Circuit Court judge rules that the governor must disclose the names of potential judicial nominees. The Judicial Selection Commission voluntarily changes its policy and chooses to release the names. He considers an appeal of the court’s ruling, then agrees to release the names.

DECEMBER

» Promotes a record $1.3 billion general obligation bond sale and the state’s reaffirmed credit ratings as an example of his administration’s fiscal stewardship.