If there were any lingering doubts, Gov. David Ige dropped hints Wednesday he is likely to sign bills allowing for the privatization of state-owned medical facilities in Maui County and providing state funds to acquire land at Turtle Bay to protect it from development.
And while Ige said he has not seen the final bill lawmakers will vote on Thursday to create dispensaries to distribute medical marijuana to legally registered patients, his staff tells him the measure "has the components" his administration wanted to see.
Ige said his office had an opportunity to offer direct input into development of the dispensaries bill because lawmakers asked his administration to get involved.
As for the bill to extend the half-percent excise tax surcharge to provide an extra $1.8 billion to support the Honolulu rail project, Ige said he needs to study the issue more. Ige reminded reporters that earlier this year he asked for more information about the $910 million in cost overruns for the project, on the causes of those overruns, and what the city has done to manage them.
Now that lawmakers have passed a bill extending the excise tax for an additional five years, Ige said he plans to review the facts and talk to city officials to "really understand what the need is, and whether it’s appropriate for that bill to become law."
Ige has until July 14 to veto the bill if he chooses to do so.
The governor had substantial input into both the Maui hospital privatization bill and the new agreement to preserve land at Turtle Bay, and held news conferences during the session to announce agreements his administration and lawmakers had reached on both issues.
Ige intervened in the hospital issue last month to ask House lawmakers to delay a final vote to allow for the proposed privatization of three medical facilities on Maui, including Maui Memorial Medical Center.
The Maui Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. currently operates Maui Memorial, Kula Hospital & Clinic, and Lanai Community Hospital, and has been engaged in a six-month due diligence process with the nonprofit Hawaii Pacific Health to prepare for a possible takeover by Hawaii Pacific.
Hawaii Pacific Health operates Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, Straub Clinic & Hospital and Wilcox Memorial Hospital on Kauai.
Ige said the cooperative effort with lawmakers on that measure produced a bill that is "significantly better than what would have happened if we didn’t engage."
Ige also said lawmakers and his administration can be proud of their work together on a bill to preserve 665 acres at Turtle Bay, an effort that reduced the cost to the state by $5 million, and allowed the state to acquire 55 acres fee simple. The deal also would prevent development of other lands in the Turtle Bay area by establishing conservation easements on those properties.
Ige said lawmakers and his administration had to "almost start over" to develop a new plan to preserve land around Turtle Bay, and finally agreed on a package that is expected to cost the state $35 million.
