House approves $23.25B budget

News Release from House Democratic Caucus March 13, 2013

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to approve HB200 HD1 which appropriates funds for operating and capital improvement costs of the Executive Branch for the next biennium fiscal years FY2013-2014 and FY2014-2015.

For FY2013-2014 the bill appropriates operating money of $5.9 billion in general funds and $11.6 billion in all means of financing. For FY2014-2015 it appropriates $6.1 billion in general funds and $11.7 billion in all financing means.

House Finance chairwoman Sylvia Luke (Makiki, Punchbowl, Nuuanu, Dowsett Highlands, Pacific Heights, Pauoa) re-iterated her observation that while the fiscal climate is a little more positive than it has been in the past, “this is actually the time to take a conservative approach to our budget picture. We are not restoring all the budget cuts made over the last four years to pre recession numbers. We need to re-evaluate what government is here for, change institutional behavior and develop a budget that is transparent, efficient and accountable,” she said.

Funding highlights include:

* $7.9 million in FY2013-2014 for a reasonable rollout of the State’s Information Management and Technology Transformation Plan. The Office of Information Management and Technology (OIMT) plan is to consolidate the State’s existing information-technology infrastructure, enhance security and privacy, and develop shared services functions across state departments.

Restored services and positions cut by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) by funding positions that support our local food sustainability and agricultural health. This includes 19 critical specialist and inspector positions to help control the spread of invasive species, five engineers for irrigation systems, and additional personnel that provide specialized testing for livestock.

* $1.1 million for the State Library System to purchase additional books and e-books.

* A total of almost $2 million to support for the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative to meet the State’s goal of using 70 percent clean energy by the year 2030.

* To address the issues that encompass the State’s growing Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) unfunded liability, $205.5 million over the next two years has been infused into Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB).

* Support for local students by providing to the Department of Education (DOE) an additional $12.9 million for the Weighted Student Formula and $1 million for the development of a Common Core assessment test in the Hawaiian language to serve students enrolled at 14 Hawaiian immersion schools across the state.

* Restored public health service positions within the Department of Health (DOH) including 8 vector control workers and $443,520 of funds to increase surveillance at our airports, eight food safety inspectors, and seven environmental health specialists and engineers to administer programs on environmental protection regulations. $800,000 in general funds for both fiscal years for Hale Makamae and Kula Hospital.

* $10 million annual funding for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL) to carry out its duties of planning and developing Hawaiian Homelands across Hawaii.

* Significant support for the State’s largest department, the Department of Human Services (DHS), with $98 million to cover increasing Medicare costs, $1.9 million for youth and juvenile services, and 10 personnel to focus on homelessness project management.

* Provides nine additional positions to provide security and intake services for inmates returning from out of state facilities and appropriates $8.7 million in additional funding for the Department of Public Safety (PSD) to maintain essential functions.

* Continued support of our higher education systems with $780,000 for distance learning courses, $1 million for operating costs at the West Oahu Campus and $2 million to support the community college system in each fiscal year

Capital Improvement Projects (CIP)

The budget bill also appropriates funding for capital improvement projects totaling $798,530,000 in general obligation bonds and $1,707,745,000 in all means of financing for FY2013-2014, and $514,030,000 in general obligation bonds and $912,851,000 in all means of financing in FY 2014- 2015.

House Speaker Joe Souki (Kahakuloa, Waihee, Waiehu, Puuohala, Wailuku, Kahului) said, “The funding approved by the House will allow us to move forward on vital repair and maintenance of our statewide infrastructure including maintaining our airports and public highways as an investment in our state’s top economic driver, tourism.”

House Majority Leader, Representative Scott Saiki (McCully, Kaheka, Kakaako, Downtown) added, “We decided it would be more efficient and effective to focus on getting ‘shovel-ready’ projects funded rather than directing money to initiatives whose plans and designs have not yet been completed. The CIP budget attempts to address the most basic necessities to fix our schools, infrastructure and facilities.”

The CIP budget now goes to the Senate for further consideration. Once approved by the House and Senate the funds are released at the discretion of the governor.

CIP funding highlights include:

Agriculture

* $7 million over the biennium for irrigation systems statewide

Accounting and General Services

* $31 million over the biennium for the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

* $8 million over the biennium for the design and building of the statewide information technology (IT) infrastructure

Business, Economic Development, and Tourism

* $54.8 million for the development of a new facility for the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation (HTDC)

Defense

* $2 million each year of the biennium for improving hurricane protection for public buildings and increasing the number of public shelters statewide

* $2.4 million each year of the biennium for replacement and upgrading of state civil defense warning system

Education

* Total of more than $355 million for biennium for the Department of Education, an increase of more than $58 million from Governor’s budget

* More than $113 million for the biennium for improvement of school facilities statewide

* $42 million over biennium for electrical improvements, health and safety issues, ADA compliance, Title IX compliance, and special education improvements at school facilities statewide

* $10 million for modernization of Farrington High School

* $16 million for renovations to buildings at McKinley High School

* $65 million to begin construction of Kihei High School

* More than $28 million for the design and construction of additional new schools across the state

Health

* More than $91 million for the biennium for Hawaii Health System Corporation hospitals for repair & maintenance, upgrades, and improvements

* More than $10 million for development of Waimano Ridge

Libraries

* $15.5 million for construction of a new library in Nanakuli

Land and Natural Resources

* More than $18 million in all means of financing for renovations and upgrades at small boat harbors across the state

Taxation

* More than $32 million for the Tax System Modernization program
University of Hawaii

* $100 million over the biennium for system-wide repair and maintenance with $25 million of those funds designated for community colleges