Gov. David Ige on Tuesday sent legislative leaders a list of 28 bills — from the original 30 on his June 27 “intent to veto” list — including one aimed at reforming Hawaii’s foster care system that Ige called unconstitutional.
When he spoke with key legislators about his initial intention to veto 30 legislative bills, Ige said he had “actually quite intense discussions,” especially over House Bill 2424, which is designed to bolster the efforts of Child Welfare Services by tightening oversight of foster families following the 2021 disappearance of 6-year-old Isabella Ariel Kalua from her adoptive home in Waimanalo.
The girl’s disappearance traumatized the community, Ige said, and he supports the bill’s intent.
But HB 2424 would require that foster families — and families that adopt foster children — be placed under scrutiny as long as the child is a minor for any complaint, even if it’s determined to be unsubstantiated, and despite any rulings by Family Court judges to keep families together.
Kalua’s “tragedy can never be dismissed,” Ige said.
But HB 2424 would expand the state’s duty to “monitor and interfere with family relationships,” Ige said. “The solution cannot and should not violate the constitutional rights … of every family that has taken in or provided love and stability to a former foster child.”
In all, Ige will veto 26 bills and line-item veto two others.
Many have “legal and procedural compliance issues,” he said.
They include HB 1705, which Ige said unfairly benefits farmers with existing leases with the state Department of Agriculture over the hopes of more than 200 farmers who are waiting for leases.
“We don’t believe it is fair to all of those in the farming community,” Ige said. Instead, his administration wants to “give as many farmers as possible the opportunity to apply for and benefit from” state leases.
The agricultural park lease program is designed to help startup farmers, and there are procedures for existing lessees to request an extension, in some cases up to 55 years. Existing lessees also could offer “more competitive bids” since they already have established operations, Ige said.
In all, Ige has signed 311 of the 343 bills passed during a legislative session that funded sometimes record levels for programs, including $600 million to help Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries get the housing they’ve been promised and to create more affordable housing across the state.
Ige thanked the Legislature and the advocates who lobbied on behalf of bills.
Out of his original list of 30 bills that Ige intended to veto, he ended up signing two:
>> Senate Bill 3179 requires the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry and Wildlife to adopt rules and issue “a bounty” to licensed hunters to control the invasive axis deer population on Maui. After initial concerns about hunters overwhelming DLNR with axis deer carcasses, Ige said DLNR will work with the Maui Nui deer control working group to implement a cost-effective plan.
>> SB 3272 requires the state Department of Transportation to require tour aircraft operations to report details of each flight on a monthly basis and establishes the Air, Noise, and Safety Task Force. Ige said he chose not to veto the bill because it will bolster the efforts of U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, to push federal officials to become “more active in responding to complaints about low flying aircraft” across the state.
6 UNSIGNED BILLS BECOME LAW
All six bills have what Gov. David Ige called “technical issues or concerns,” but Ige said he decided to let them become law without his signature because the issues or concerns “don’t have significant impact.”
>> SB 2990: Relates to sustainable agriculture
>> SB 2218: Relates to a food hub pilot program
>> HB 2020: Relates to housing
>> HB 1872: Relates to sustainability
>> HB 2288: Relates to land
>> HB 1932: Also related to Child Welfare Services
LIST ONLINE
For Ige’s original list of the 30 bills he intended to veto — and his rationale — visit bit.ly/3ALgmFB.
