from Hawaii Family Forum April 28, 2023

Session Closes Next Week:

Today, April 28, is the deadline for submitting fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. Fiscal bills include appropriation or spending bills, tax credits, etc., or any bill with a House Finance (FIN) or Senate Ways and Means (WAM) referral.

Next week, the legislature closes for the session.  Unless something extra-ordinary happens, this will be the last weekly eNews for this year.  We will continue to send out monthly eNews beginning May 26th and that edition will have a session recap.  

Mahalo for all of your kokua during this past session.  

WEEKLY RECAP

Budget Finalized for State

From the office of Speaker Saiki:

[House Leadership is] pleased to announce a final version of the State Budget Bill (HB300 CD1) was approved on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, by Senate and House Conferees. The budget covers the next two fiscal years, 2024 (FY24) and 2025 (FY25), and provides appropriations of $11.3 billion and $10.4 billion in general funds, respectively. This budget will provide essential funding for important projects across the state. Please visit this link to view the press release, which includes notable budget highlights. 

Additionally, the bill includes a CIP budget of $2.9 billion in FY24 and $1.3 billion in FY25. $40 million ($20 million in operating funds and $20 million in capital improvement funds) were appropriated for grant-in-aid requests. Visit this link to view the list of organizations that were awarded grant-in-aid. 

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

MAY 4 – ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE –The end of session is the deadline for Final Reading of bills and adoption of resolutions. Adjournment sine die occurs on the last day of a Regular Session and indicates a suspension of the business of the legislature indefinitely. Next, the Legislature will certify the bills whose form both chambers have agreed to and will transmit or “enroll” those bills to the Governor.

FROM AROUND THE NATION

Equal Rights Amendment Fails in U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - On Thursday, the U.S. Senate declined to advance a resolution asserting that the “Equal Rights Amendment” has been ratified as a new amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Senators voted 51 to 47 to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed, falling short of the 60 votes it needed. Senators Schatz and Hirono voted to advance the resolution.

The ERA passed Congress in 1972, having been first proposed in 1923. Constitutional amendments, under U.S. law, must be ratified by three-quarters of all state legislatures, meaning 38 states. 

In 2020, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the ERA, but it did so after the 1982 deadline to ratify the amendment had passed.

Triple "F" Show: Faith and Family First

Equal Rights Amendment: Status?

Originally aired on April 27, 2023

Faith and Family First Podcast hosts Jim and Eva discuss the fascinating evolution of the unique evolution of the Equal Rights Amendment in this week's edition. They explore the origins of the amendment and shed light on the ambiguity of certain wordings, specifically the term "sex" and how it has been interpreted differently over time and depending on the translator. Through their insightful commentary, Eva and Jim reveal the importance of understanding the nuances of language and how it affects the interpretation of legal documents.

UPCOMING EVENTS

You are invited: Hawaii Family Forum 25th Anniversary

Our speaker is Jim Daly, President/CEO of Focus on the Family.

You don't want to miss this exciting, once-in-a-lifetime event.  If you would like to reserve your seats, please click this link.  Early bird prices on tickets ends May 19, 2023.