Lawmakers pass $13.7 billion state budget
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Members of the Hawaii House of Representatives debate the state budget and an array of bills today at the state Capitol.
Hawaii lawmakers have passed the state’s $13.7 billion budget for 2017, providing funding for affordable housing development, new classroom facilities and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
The bill also includes money to boost the state’s team that fights mosquito-borne diseases. The money will help the state fight outbreaks of dengue fever that infected more than 260 people on Hawaii’s Big Island. That funding will also help the state prevent a local outbreak of the Zika virus, which would be detrimental to its citizens and the state’s economy, House Finance Chairwoman Rep. Sylvia Luke said. The budget also allows for spending more money on public school classroom supplies.
The Legislature provided $12 million for homelessness programs, surpassing the governor’s request for about $9 million, and giving the governor’s office the authority to decide how it would spend the money.
In a state with a severe shortage of affordable housing, the Legislature earmarked nearly $100 million to make a dent in the crisis, including $36.6 million in bonds for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund for developers of affordable housing for rent, and $25 million for the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, which is for developers of affordable housing to buy. The budget also includes $29 million in bonds to construct and renovate public housing, and an additional $6 million to repair empty public housing units.
The Legislature agreed to spend $23.9 million on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which awards 99-year land leases to Hawaiians for $1 a year. The department had requested $28 million annually. A judge in November had ordered the Legislature to fulfill that request, but the court order was later revised. Ige originally put $9.6 million per year in the budget.
Lawmakers also agreed to give $2.5 million to Wahiawa General Hospital in central Oahu, which threatened to close without a cash infusion of $3 million. To help rebuild the crumbling Hawaii State Hospital, they approved $160.5 million in bonds.
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10 responses to “Lawmakers pass $13.7 billion state budget”
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Fact or fiction? “The budget includes funding for homelessness services, and it spends more money on public school classroom supplies.”
So from now on teachers do not need to use their own money to buy classroom supplies? Right? Hello? Right?
Maybe there was an update, but it’s not clear where your quote came from. In any event, are you saying that we shouldn’t spend any money to deal with the homeless issue until at least the teacher issue you referred to is not a problem? What about the homeless that really do need assistance? A few months ago, there was an article about the growing number of homeless female veterans, are you saying we forget about them? Sorry, I guess I just don’t see where you are going with this. There can’t be just a single priority which takes all resources at the cost of all resources from other areas.
A pretty selfish narrow-minded quibble if you ask me. If you or any teacher are not aware of it, many homeless sit right in your very classrooms suffering along with you. A call for classroom supplies pales in comparison to that of a homeless child just trying to survive in a world not of his or her own making. So, yes, the homeless plight should be considered. Yes, teachers suffer from having to buy their own scissors, but many homeless children can’t supply themselves a roof over their head. And, yes, teachers want airconditioners in their classroom. Just tell that to the homeless child sleeping with rain falling through the roof of his or her tent.
The Legislature agreed to spend $23.9 million on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which awards 99-year land leases to Hawaiians for $1 a year.
Another ‘Perk’ that us non-Hawaiians will never benefit from. Imua!
I bet the bill also included $$$hundreds of millions for union workers raises.
Yup, we got bent over. Dems are the most dangerous threat facing our state, and our nation.
Not to mention a lot of special interest which of course is their own. Bought and paid for through camping donors. I would bet that all get re-elected and the circus begins again in January 2017.
What happen to our drag Strip? An article from 1991 involving corrupt State Officials and private developers.
Land grab.
The audit, released April 28, was particularly critical of the state’s use of airport funds for the 1991 purchase of 161 acres of land in Kapolei, including the site of Hawaii Raceway Park. The audit concluded that state officials knew the land was not needed for airport purposes although they publicly claimed, and have continued to claim, that the acquisition was part of an ongoing expansion of Honolulu International Airport.
Looks like a fairly conservative budget. It was important to begin paying off the unfunded liability and to help cool the schools. Great that the hospital was supported and some agricultural land was saved. Disapppointed with the water decision and the Air B and B bill. Those bills affect the local people and the people came in second in both..
SA can you please report on which lawmakers voted for what year by year so we can make better decesions on who to keep and who to not vote for? Waiting to show us until october helps us forget the wrongs that the did.