We respectfully disagree with the editorial board’s characterization that the 2021 Legislature made “small gains,” because it failed to assess the entire body of work the Legislature completed in just 100 days.
When the Legislature convened on Jan. 20, Hawaii was still at the height of the pandemic. There were 108 new COVID cases per day and only 1% of Hawaii’s population was fully vaccinated. The state budget faced a 25% shortfall. Travel was very limited and more than 3,000 businesses were closed. Our unemployment rate was the highest in the nation. And, riots had just rocked our nation’s Capitol.
The Legislature tackled these challenges with deliberate resolve. Our immediate goal was to stabilize Hawaii’s economy. We fast-tracked Act 1 to help businesses that were facing over 100% increases to their unemployment insurance taxes so that they would not be forced to lay off workers or shutter their doors permanently.
Next, we shored up the state budget with the help of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, the reallocation of more than $100 million of hidden monies in hundreds of state special funds, and focused cuts throughout state government.
By doing this, we avoided furloughs and funded critical safety net services to ensure people’s basic needs are met, such as $31 million for child care, $14.3 million for homeless services, $1.5 million for kupuna care, $2.38 million for sex- assault treatment services, and over $1.8 million for domestic violence treatment services that we know are skyrocketing during this pandemic.
We balanced the state budget without raising income taxes on Hawaii residents. Instead, we set up a system for visitors to pay fees for parks and rental vehicles.
Our second goal was to give our community hope that we would survive the devastating effects of the pandemic. The state House led the effort in setting up Hawaii’s first mass vaccination centers.
The Legislature threw a lifeline to individuals, families and businesses. We provided $5.4 million in general assistance funding to support the most vulnerable members of our community. We reformed predatory payday lending to provide affordable short-term access to cash.
We provided necessary funding to modernize the antiquated unemployment insurance computer system. This funding will enable the state to better address the backlog of insurance claims.
And we established a rental mediation program to provide a way for tenants and landlords to resolve growing back rent and work out affordable long-term rental agreements in anticipation of the end of the governor’s eviction moratorium.
Our third and most far-reaching goal was to reform government and position Hawaii for economic recovery and a better future.
We revamped the Hawaii Tourism Authority so that it is more accountable to residents who are demanding sustainable managed tourism. We empowered the counties to control their financial future by authorizing them to impose taxes on visitors who are utilizing their county services.
We invested in a broadband infrastructure grant program to provide service to underserved and unserved communities. Connectivity will enable communities to access telehealth, participate in distance learning, and effectively integrate telework into our work lives even as we return to more normal times.
We continue to lead the fight against climate change by laying the foundations for clean ground transportation statewide. We set goals to transform the state fleet to electric vehicles by 2035 and financed the build-out of electric vehicle charging systems throughout the state.
During this pandemic session, the Legislature achieved significant results and we acknowledge that there is more work to be done.
Scott K. Saiki is speaker of the state House, and Della Au Belatti is House majority leader.
