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If enacted, this bill could jeopardize the work of public safety officials and financial institutions. Bill would allow the Department of Health to retain up to $2,445,000 in the Special Fund. Bill Fails to address fundamental problems identified by the Legislative Auditor.
If enacted, this bill could jeopardize the work of public safety officials and financial institutions. Bill would allow the Department of Health to retain up to $2,445,000 in the Special Fund. Bill Fails to address fundamental problems identified by the Legislative Auditor.
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If enacted, this bill could jeopardize the work of public safety officials and financial institutions. Bill would allow the Department of Health to retain up to $2,445,000 in the Special Fund. Bill Fails to address fundamental problems identified by the Legislative Auditor.
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HB3I SDI CDI RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES. Veto Explanation: Creates a new restriction on employers that prevents them from being able to inquire into an individual’s credit history for employment purposes. If enacted, this bill could jeopardize the work of public safety officials and financial institutions, among others.
HB36 HDI SD2 RELATING TO HEALTH.
CDI Veto Explanation: Greatly increases the amount of money the Department of Health may retain in its Sanitation and Environmental Health Special Fund. Under current law, the Department is allowed to retain up to $300,000 in the Special Fund; the remainder goes into the General Fund. This bill would allow the Department to retain up to $2,445,000 in the Special Fund. Given the State’s current budget shortfall, this is not practical nor the best use of limited resources.
HB128 HDI SDI RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
CD2 Veto Explanation: Restricts the ability of the Governor to fill vacancies of the Campaign Spending Commission, changes the percentage of political contributions by non-residents, and allows political campaigns to provide substantial sums to political parties.
HBIS3 KDI SD2 RELATING TO EDUCATION.
CDI Veto Explanation: Fails to address fundamental problems identified by the Legislative Auditor in the operations and authority of the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board. The Auditor found that the licenses of 3,800 teachers may not be valid, sole source contracts were mishandled, and Hawaii’s ability to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind have been compromised. The Auditor recommended that the laws governing the standards board be repealed, which this bill does not do.
H8343 HDI SD2 RELATING TO RURAL PRIMARY HEALTH CARE TRAINING.
CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $140,000 in general funds to the University of Hawaii Medical School to develop a statewide rural health care training program. The funding was not included in the University’s budget priorities and it is likely the program would not meet federal accreditation standards. We do not have money for a new program.
HB358 HDI SDI RELATING TO DRUG TREATMENT.
CDI Veto Explanation: Would allow the courts to place drug offenders convicted of crimes in secure drug treatment facilities, but there are no such facilities in Hawaii, nor are there plans to build any by the Judiciary or any other State Department. The potential fiscal impacts of such a facility would be significant and could not be afforded at the present time.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 RI’I PVL-AI.L Page 1 of 12
Bill o. Title HB541 HDI SDI RELATING TO CIVIL SERVICE PERSONNEL. CDI Veto Explanation: Unnecessarily extends the Department of Education’s reliance on the Department of Human Resources Development’s personnel system, especially since the Department of Education insisted that it needed its own personnel system since 2004 when Act 51, the Reinventing Education Act, became law. This bill would require the Department of Human Resources Development to manage the Department of Education’s personnel services until June 30, 2011 and provides no incentive for the Department of Education to implement the autonomous and flexible personnel system they claim to need. Moreover, this bill is fatally flawed because its effective date of July 1, 2009 is after the sunset date of the act this bill is attempting to amend.
HB589 HDI SD2 RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES.
CDI Veto Explanation: Circumvents county subdivision requirements for renewable energy projects using less than an entire legal lot. Hampers the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ ability to lease out the balance of the parcel when public lands are involved.
HB590 HDI SD2 RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES.
CDI Veto Explanation: This bill is unnecessary because it duplicates language in another bill, House Bill No. 1464, also passed by the Legislature. It contains the same provisions which attempt to clarify deadlines for the processing of renewable energy permits. House Bill No. 1464 became Act 155 on June 25,2009.
HB690 HD2 SD2 RELATING TO INSURANCE.
CDI Veto Explanation: Violates federal requirements governing employee benefits as set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Requires insurers who offer health care coverage to regular employees of a group or association to offer the same coverage to part- time employees who work at least 15 hours per week. Provisions in this bill are pre-empted by federal law.
HB754 HDI SDI RELATING TO THE HAWAII TOURISM AUTHORITY.
CD2 Veto Explanation: Transfers DBEDT’s tourism and research statistics function to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, which may jeopardize the independence, accuracy, and reliability of the data since tourism statistics will no longer be developed by an independent, neutral party. In addition, this bill removes the Directors of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Department of Transportation from the Hawaii Tourism Authority Board. The input of these directors is critical and their elimination from the Board is a political move by the Legislature.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 RT’I_PVL-ALL Page 2 of 12
Bill No. Title HB952 HDI SD2 RELATING TO LABOR. CDI Veto Explanation: Removes the right of workers to vote by secret ballot regarding whether or not they want to join a union. This bill eliminates one of the most fundamental and valued democratic principles---the secret ballot. It subjects workers to possible harassment and intimidation. Also known as card check, the Governor vetoed a similar version of this bill last year.
HB975 HDI SDI RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL WATER SYSTEMS.
CDI Veto Explanation: Unnecessarily exempts the transfer of agricultural water systems from the long-standing county subdivision and land recordation process. Burdens the State with potentially old, deteriorated irrigation systems that will increase the public’s liability and require millions of dollars of repairs. This is a special interest bill for parts of Wahiawa Ditch to allow the current ditch owner to avoid a costly and sometimes lengthy survey and subdivision to transfer the ditch to the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
HB982 HD3 SDI RELATING TO FAMILY LEAVE.
CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $10,000 from the Department of Labor’s Special Fund for Disability Benefits to finance a family leave data collection system. Such a system is not critical to the functioning of State government and this bill represents an inappropriate use of these funds.
HB986 HDI SDI RELATING TO PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES.
CDI Veto Explanation: Establishes conflicting standards for the design and construction of public school facilities. The Department of Education estimates that attempting to comply with these standards will increase school renovation, repair, and construction costs by 8 to 12%, at a time when funding for school repairs is limited.
HB989 HDI SD2 RELATING TO CHILDREN’S HEALTH CARE.
CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $200,000 from the general fund to extend the Hawaii Children’s Health Care Program (Keiki Care) for three more years. In 2008 the Administration closed the program because it failed to achieve its purpose of providing health insurance to “gap group” children and instead benefitted children from families that were paying for their children’s health insurance. It is unwise to use limited State resources to fund a program that is fiscally unsustainable, particularly when there are other health insurance programs available to uninsured children.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Page 3 of 12
Bill No. Title HB1271 HD3 RELATING TO GOVERNMENT. SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Would increase the tax imposed on the sale of a barrel of oil from 5 cents to $1.05, extracting an additional $31 million per year from State residents and prolonging the economic recovery. This increase is substantial and will be passed on to consumers through higher gas prices, utility costs, airfare, and costs of all goods and services. Clean energy and food self-sufficiency initiatives are making significant progress without imposing this tax.
HBI 316 HD2 RELATING TO TORTS.
SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Gives the negligent design professional more protection from liability than the law affords the developer, the State of Hawaii, the counties, or the construction entities by protecting design professionals from joint and several liability beyond their insurance policy limits on highway tort claims. May encourage highway designers and engineers to carry less insurance than is prudent.
HBI 379 HD2 RELATING TO PHYSICIAN ORDERS FOR LIFE SUSTAINING
SD2 CDI TREATMENT. Veto Explanation: Has the potential to allow a surrogate to make life or death decisions for a patient who is incapacitated, even if the patient has not authorized or appointed a surrogate to do so.
HB1405 HD2 RELATING TO THE GENERAL EXCISE TAX.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Places Hawaii companies, particularly those involved in on-line website development that make customer referrals to out-of-state businesses, at a competitive disadvantage to mainland and international firms by attempting to tax the activities of these out-of-state businesses. Furthermore, the bill is legally defective in that it violates Article III, Section 14 of the Hawaii State Constitution regarding the subject matter each bill can include within its scope.
HB1470 HDI RELATING TO HAWAII PUBLIC PROCUREMENT CODE.
SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Limits the ability of firms to legitimately contest the award of bids by the State and unneccessarily restricts the scope of firms who can bid and supply certain products to the State. Hurts the ability of the State to procure perishables, particularly fresh meats and produce, from local producers, making it more difficult for local farmers to sell their products to the State. Allows some firms to self-certify that they meet specific State requirements, without providing an ability for the State to verify this certification.
Tuesday,JuneJO, 2009 RPI PVL-ALL Page4ofl2
Bill No. Title HBI 471 HD2 RELATING TO FARMS. SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Diverts State tourism funds to a pilot food safety program that has already been adopted by some Hawaii farmers on a voluntary basis without a clear link between how this program will help increase tourism in the State during this challenging economic period. The use of tourism dollars for this purpose fails to meet the legal criteria established for the collection and placement of these moneys in the Tourism Special Fund.
HB1479 HD2 RELATING TO LABOR.
SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Places an undue burden on contractors by requiring them to submit a fringe benefit reporting form to the Department of Labor for both union and non-union workers working on public works contracts. Contractors must already comply with all applicable laws for doing business with the State and this bill imposes an unnecessary burden on them which has no public benefit.
HBI 504 HDI RELATING TO HEALTH.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: It is premature and duplicative to establish the Hawaii Health Authority (HHA) in the Department of Budget and Finance. Given that the federal government is currently addressing the issue of health care, it is an unwise use of State resources to appropriate $50,000 from the State Health Planning and Development Special Fund to create HHA- especially for the purpose of developing a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care in Hawaii. Currently, the State’s health planning is performed by the State Health Planning and Development Agency in the Department of Health. This bill would duplicate responsibilities already handled by the State Health Planning and Development Agency.
HB1525 HDI RELATING TO MEDICAID.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Requires the Department of Human Services to include stricter reporting requirements in all future Medicaid health insurance plan contracts. This measure communicates an anti for- profit sentiment and is designed to protect Aloha Care, HMSA, and Kaiser from competition by for-profit health maintenance organizations, Evercare and Ohana Health Plan, in the QUEST and QEXA Medicaid programs. Many of the reporting requirements are irrelevant to the State’s monitoring for quality of care, fiscal and federal compliance, and covers information either already in the public domain or already required by Med-QUEST.
HBI 538 HDI RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTALLY-SENSITIVE PRODUCTS.
SDI Veto Explanation: Requires the Department of Education (DOE) to give first preference to the purchase of environmentally-sensitive cleaning products with the Green Seal label, which could limit the types of disinfectants used in public schools to protect human health. In addition, this bill could increase DOE’s costs for cleaning and maintenance.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Page 5 of 12
Bill No Title HBI 544 HDI RELATING TO TAX EXEMPTIONS. SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Reduces the amount of Hawaii income tax personal exemptions by 2% for every $2,500 over the income threshold of $179,963 for joint filers and $119,963 for single filers. This bill will increase tax liabilities for a specific group of taxpayers who are already being targeted by the income tax increase this Administration vetoed earlier during session. Hawaii’s personal exemption is already very low at $1,040, less than a third of what is allowed at the federal level.
HB1550 HD2 RELATING TO TAXATION.
SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Imposes a State tax on rollovers of funds from the State’s deferred compensation plan to the hybrid retirement plan, but inadvertently does not tax transfers between the two accounts done by an investment institution. This creates an unequal treatment of current State and county employees, whose conversions will likely take place by institutional transfers, and former State and county employees, whose conversions will likely take place through rollovers.
HBI 552 HD2 RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Special interest legislation that establishes a moratorium against the eviction of Kahana Valley residents, even when there are illegal activities occurring on the premises or these tenants fail to pay their rents and fulfill certain legal obligations to live in the valley.
H81611 HD2 RELATING TO LABELING OF MEAT AND FISH PRODUCTS.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Institutes a State-based labeling system for meat and fish that is legally preempted by federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.
HB1676 HDI RELATING TO PUBLIC WORKS.
SD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Inappropriately requires the Department of Labor to enforce private collective bargaining agreements covering workers on public works projects financed through Special Purpose Revenue Bonds. Grievances related to collective bargaining agreements should be addressed through the Hawaii Labor Relations Board or the National Labor Relations Board, not the Department of Labor.
HBI 692 HD2 RELATING TO HOUSING.
5D2 CDI Veto Explanation: Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to conduct a pilot project in a State public housing project that restricts tenant occupancy to five years for current occupants and seven years for new tenants.
Tuesday,June3O, 2009 RT’I PVL-ALL Pageoofl2
Bill No Title HBIBO9 HD2 RELATING TO RECYCLING. SDI CDI Veto Explanation: Establishes a State-run television recycling program at a time when the State can least afford it. The Governor vetoed a similar State-run recycling program for electronic devices last year on the basis that the private sector, rather than government, should handle recycling of these products.
SBI 801 HD2 RELATING TO OPIHI.
CDI Veto Explanation: Establishes unenforceable and inconsistent standards and procedures for the harvesting of opihi. The Department of Land and Natural Resources can handle this issue through existing ocean management regulations.
SBIB 801 HD2 RELATING TO PROCUREMENT.
CDI Veto Explanation: Skews State procurements towards contractors with apprenticeship programs by giving them a 5% preference when bidding on State projects. This places construction contractors that do not have certified apprentice programs at a disadvantage and will unnecessarily increase the administration and/or oversight responsibilities of the government contract agencies. Implementation of this new bid preference may result in the payment of higher costs for construction projects.
5B43 502 HD2 RELATING TO PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT.
CDI Veto Explanation: Assesses a temporary $60 “physician workforce assessment” fee when physicians and surgeons renew their medical license, on top of the $240 they already pay to renew their medical license every two years. Given the State’s current shortage of doctors, increasing the cost of practicing in Hawaii works counter to the goal of attracting more physicians. This bill also inappropriately uses Compliance Resolution Funds in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) for non-DCCA purposes.
SB5O SDI HD2 RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY PRODUCERS.
CDI Veto Explanation: Sets onerous terms and conditions for leasing public lands without auction to renewable energy producers, further impeding the State’s ability to attract and establish renewable, clean energy projects.
SB199 SDI HDI RELATING TO TAXATION.
CD2 Veto Explanation: Suspends the capital goods excise tax credit for 2009 and scales back the Act 221 high technology business investment tax credit by eliminating the 2:1 multiples and capping the credit at 80% of investments.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 RPT_PVL-ALL Page 7of 12
Bill No. Title SB266 SD2 HD2 RELATING TO GLOBAL WARMING. CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $50,000 from the Tourism Special Fund for a Climate Change Task Force. Moneys in the Tourism Special Fund should be prioritized for programs that generate revenue such as tourism marketing and promotion rather than on task forces. There already is an active Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Task Force in the State, whose work is similar.
5B300 SD2 HD2 RELATING TO INTOXICATING LIQUOR.
CDI Veto Explanation: Has the potential to increase the cost of doing business in the State or force smaller firms out of business by mandating that various establishments, such as bars, hotels, and restaurants, obtain $1 million in liquor liability insurance in order to obtain a liquor license.
SB387 SDI HDI RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET.
CD2 Veto Explanation: Transfers various programs and divisions from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to other departments, which will not reduce the cost of government or improve the delivery of public services. The programs being transferred fit with the department’s mission and function as an economic development agency. These transfers will disrupt operations and have an adverse impact on both the programs and the departments affected at a time when we are facing the most serious economic downturn in State history.
SB415 SD2 HDI RELATING TO HOME CARE AGENCIES.
CDI Veto Explanation: Requires the Department of Health to license home care agencies at a time when the Department can least afford to take on new programs and responsibilities. Additionally, the licensing of home care agencies is more appropriately suited for the Department of Human Services, which has expertise in monitoring these types of services.
SB420 SD2 HD2 RELATING TO NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE.
Veto Explanation: Expands the scope of practice of naturopathic physicians by authorizing them to administer injections, perform minor office procedures (i.e., minor surgeries), and prescribe medicines and certain drugs. Naturopathic practitioners may not have sufficient training in the medical and surgical evaluation of patients to perform minor surgeries, nor in pharmacology, physiology, and related basic sciences to safely prescribe pharmaceutical products.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 PageS of 12
Bill No. Title SB423 SDI HD2 RELATING TO HEALTH. CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $12.2 million from the general funds of the State in order to access matching federal funds for payments to hospitals in the State. Due to the State’s unprecedented decline in revenues, there are no general funds available to provide the requisite State match. The Department of Human Services has been distributing several hundred million in federal funds to hospitals since 2005, with the latest distribution occurring on March 11, 2009.
SB470 HDI CDI RELATING TO LIQUOR.
Veto Explanation: Allows liquor establishments to renew their liquor licenses without a tax clearance if they enter into a payment plan with the Department of Taxation. The Department is concerned that if the liquor establishment enters into a payment plan, acquires its liquor license, but then does not pay its taxes, there is no mechanism in place for the State Tax Department to revoke the license. Also unnecessarily postpones the period of time when liquor commissions must render decisions, to the detriment of the industry.
SB539 SDI HDI RELATING TO CORRECTIONS.
CDI Veto Explanation: The bill proposes an inappropriate, vague, and unfunded legislative reorganization of the Department of Public Safety’s Intake Services Division and proposes the establishment of a Reentry Commission which is unnecessary and duplicative of the work the Department of Public Safety already performs in its Corrections Division.
SB603 SDI HDI RELATING TO PUBLIC UTILITIES.
CD1 Veto Explanation: Makes a blanket declaration that the local exchange intrastate telephone services are fully competitive, without providing proof or presenting their findings to the authorized regulatory agency. Removes much of the Public Utility Commission’s oversight over Hawaiian Telcom’s services, including the Public Utility Commission’s ability to control the prices charged for basic telephone service. Enactment of this legislation could result in an increase in the price of telephone services.
SB605 SDI HD3 RELATING TO NOISE.
CDI Veto Explanation: Establishes an unrealistic maximum nighttime noise level for certain urban areas that may be unenforceable by the Department of Health and County Liquor Commissions.
S8695 SDI HDI RELATING TO WORKERS’ COMPENSATION.
CD Veto Explanation: Upsets the balance between employers and employees in worker’s compensation cases. If enacted, the bill will require employers to continue paying for “disputed” medical treatments, even though the treatments may be later disallowed. The Governor vetoed a nearly identical bill last year.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 F&PI_PVL-ALI. Page 9 of 12
Bitt No. Title 5B777 501 HDI RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY HEALTH EDUCATION. Veto Explanation: Requires that any sex education program that receives funding from the State provide information that is medically accurate and factual. The Department of Health notes that federal requirements for these types of programs already mandate and set standards for medically accuracy and factual content. There is no need to legislate on this matter.
SB912 SD2 HD2 RELATING TO PERMANENCY HEARINGS.
CDI Veto Explanation: Fails to meet the requirements of Section 475(5) of the federal Social Security Act and does not ensure compliance with the federal requirements governing hearings for the placement of foster wards of the State.
SBIOO5 SD2 RELATING TO PUBLICITY RIGHTS.
HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Inappropriately attempts to establish a “publicity right” and to allow that right to be registered as a trade name when, in fact and in law, trade names and publicity rights are not related. Publicity rights are covered as intervivos and estate transfers and are not connected to the uses and conveyances of business trade names.
SBIO5B SD2 RELATING TO CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.
HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Sets up a Task Force on medical marijuana. Both the medical cannabis task force and the salvia divinorum (a psychoactive herb) task force established under this measure will require significant financial resources and manpower from the Department of Public Safety, a department that must focus on running our correctional facilities and meeting its safety obligations. Until federal marijuana laws are changed, it is inappropriate for State law enforcement agencies to recommend ways to access, transport, or increase the use of marijuana. Salvia divinorum can be added to the list of controlled substances, if deemed necessary, without the convening of a task force.
5B1160 502 RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY.
HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Prohibits the sale of any land developed for public housing. This will inhibit the Administration’s ability to manage State resources, as well as conflict with Hawaii Public Housing Authority’s ongoing plans for mixed-use development. The bill is technically flawed because it adds new statutory language prohibiting the sale of public housing land while still retaining the old statutory law allowing Hawaii Public Housing Authority to “sell, exchange, transfer, assign, or pledge, any property, real or personal, or any interest therein to any person or government.” If this bill is enacted, one section of the Hawaii Revised Statutes will purport to take away a power that another section of the Hawaii Revised Statutes still clearly grants.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 RT’I_I’VL-ALL Page 10 of 12
Bill No. Title SBI 183 SD2 RELATING TO DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Unnecessarily requires the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission to adopt administrative rules by the end of the year to change certain definitions related to the Americans with Disabilities Act when they already have the authority to do so. Further, there is no federal requirement to change these definitions at the state level at this time.
SB1206 SDI RELATING TO COUNTIES.
HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Authorizes a board of a county with a resident population of 500,000 or more to issue revenue bonds in its own name if authorized under the county charter, inappropriately bypassing the elected County Council.
SB1218 SD2 RELATING TO MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATORS.
HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Fails to provide the regulatory framework for the State of Hawaii to comply with the Secure and Fair Enforcement of Mortgage Licensing Act (SAFE Act) and would leave certain mortgage loan originators unlicensed and unregulated.
581224 SDI RELATING TO AIRPORT CONCESSIONS.
HD2 CDI Veto ExplanatIon: Unilaterally grants certain airport concessions lower rents without regard to their contract terms, shifting costs to other airport users. Ignores the authority the Department of Transportation director already has to provide economic relief when the facts merit it. Could hamper the sale of revenue bonds for the Airports Modernization Initiative.
581248 SDI RELATING TO STATE ENTERPRISE ZONES.
HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Negatively impacts the general fund by extending tax credits for businesses located in an enterprise zone for an additional three years. The estimated annual general fund impact is $750,000.
SB1250SDI RELATING TO EDUCATION.
HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Increases the number of years that unlicensed, emergency hire teachers are allowed to teach in the classroom from three to four years, provided that they are actively seeking licensure. This misaligns State law with federal requirements under No Child Left Behind that stipulate licensure in three years. This may lead to more non-highly qualified teachers in the classroom and prolong Hawaii’s status as having the highest percentage of classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers in the nation.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 RPIPVL.ALI Page ii of 12
Bill No Title SBI 345 SDI RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources upon withdrawal of a portion of leased lands for other uses, to disproportionately compensate affected leaseholders and automatically offer a lease extension for the balance of the land. This legislation makes it more difficult to allow energy producers to use previously leased ranch lands, which runs counter to the goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.
SBI 350 SD2 RELATING TO KAKAAKO.
HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Would adversely impact affordable housing options in the State by creating a new reserved housing mandate for developers of both commercial and residential property in Kakaako that is unrealistic and unworkable. This bill will hurt large and small landowners alike by halting development for owners with lots larger than 20,000 square feet and discouraging owners with lots smaller than 20,000 square feet from consolidating their properties. Places a temporary moratorium on building permits during a period of economic decline when we should be encouraging construction activity.
SB1665SD2 RELATING TO HIGHER EDUCATION.
HDI CDI Veto Explanation: Appropriates $2.4 million out of the unemployment insurance trust fund to create business development centers at each of the University of Hawaii community colleges at a time when the unemployment insurance trust funds need to be conserved and used to administer the State’s unemployment insurance benefits due to our high unemployment rates.
SB1673 SD2 RELATING TO THE HAWAII HEALTH SYSTEMS CORPORATION.
HD2 CDI Veto Explanation: Makes major changes to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation structure, which could have an adverse impact on the delivery of health care on the neighbor islands.
SB1678 SD3 RELATING TO TAXATION.
HDI CD1 Veto Explanation: It is premature to prepare for the implementation of the Streamline Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA) when businesses are still not required to participate and when Congressional timetables for consideration are unclear. Diverts resources to the establishment of an oversight committee at a time when economic recovery, not tax increases, should be our primary focus.