Editorial: Veto pay raises, new school agency

Gov. David Ige has an inbox full of bills the Legislature sent him before finishing up its three-part 2020 session on Friday. Even after he’s decided which ones become law, his administration also will have more than the usual degree of latitude in the final shape of the state’s spending plan — latitude Ige will need as the effects of an intensifying pandemic continue to roll out.

The governor should be laser-focused on the state’s sinking revenues, and on how to adjust.

One logical adjustment seems even more advisable now that accelerating spikes in coronavirus cases have convinced Ige to delay until Sept. 1 the pre-travel COVID-19 testing program to waive the 14-day quarantine.

Although this step reflects concern for public health and worries about testing supplies, it will suppress economic recovery as well. The slower that goes, the lower the chance that the state can recover some of the projected $2.3 billion budgetary shortfall.

And that bolsters the argument for the governor to veto one of the costlier items passed by the 2020 Legislature: a raise for specific groups of public workers.

Tax revenues will lag even further than economists predicted as the tourism reboot is being pushed back, so Ige’s almost certain to need budgetary savings, a large piece of it to be achieved by reducing labor costs.

The governor previously signaled his inclination to consider some combination of furloughs and cuts; now he should at least withhold the negotiated pay increases until tax revenues begin to rebound.

At a point when an increasing number of private-sector workers are going to be losing jobs, it’s unseemly to issue this raise, plain and simple.

Other decisions made by lawmakers this session:

>> Senate Bill 2206 authorizes the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to issue revocable month-to-month temporary permits for permanent homes on state land to house homeless people. This was spurred, initially, by an administration initiative to fund village-style “kauhale” homes as an approach to addressing homelessness.

The bill essentially kicks to the land board a review of an unpermitted, grassroots construction project erecting at least 32 houses for the homeless on state-owned land in Waimanalo.

It’s disappointing but not surprising that this is the only kauhale initiative that has moved, given the lack of funds — and perhaps, political will. But assuming the BLNR can set needed rules governing health and safety at the site, the Waimanalo project deserves a chance to succeed.

>> Unfortunately, SB 3103, creating a new schools facilities agency, also passed. It’s unclear why lawmakers imagine that creating an additional government office will cut the bureaucratic lag time in completing school projects. But they do. And this one would create an agency with limited public oversight, so should go under the veto pen.

>> Another bill gaining passage under the radar authorizes cannabis dispensaries to sell edible products to patients who have a prescription; this has been a controversial issue.

>> HB 1819 would legalize Hawaii’s participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture hemp production program and allow the processing and sale of hemp products. This support of a promising crop is long overdue.

>> Lawmakers failed to outlaw large-capacity rifle magazines or to tighten controls on the sale or disposal of firearms after the legal owner’s death. On the plus side: they did approve a bill, the so-called “ghost gun bill,” making it a felony to buy, make or import firearm parts for the purpose of assembling guns with no serial numbers.

>> Finally, the Legislature backed away, fortunately, from an 11th-hour bill to let state Rep. Gregg Takayama step out of his re-election bid to run instead for the seat of the late state Sen. Breene Harimoto. Such intended self-serving lawmaking is precisely the kind of foolishness that further saps public trust in government.

Voters need no more of that, this year of all years.