Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate passes its version of the state budget after committee presentations
Summary
The Hawaii Senate approved the Senate draft of House Bill 300, the operating and CIP budget proposal, following presentations from Ways and Means leadership and floor remarks outlining key program and capital priorities.
The Senate approved the Senate draft of House Bill 300, the biennial operating and capital improvements budget, after members of the Ways and Means Committee presented the measure and senators offered floor remarks in support.
Senator Dela Cruz, chairing budget-related work in the Senate, opened floor discussion by describing the draft budget as “a blueprint for resilience,” saying it reflects recent economic forecasts and prioritizes health, education, infrastructure and food security. "This body continues to prioritize critical services and strategic economic investments while practicing fiscal responsibility," he said.
The Ways and Means presentation outlined spending proposals across the biennium, including funds for education, technology accessibility, services for blind and visually impaired residents, and agricultural biosecurity. The Senate draft includes what the chair described as allocations for the Department of Education’s programs, an accessibility initiative in the Office of Enterprise Technology Services, and funding for feeding programs and agricultural protection. The chair also named the Ways and Means staff and committee members involved in producing the draft.
Senator Moriwaki spoke in support, saying the budget reflects Senate priorities including affordable housing, education and workforce development, and environmental sustainability. She highlighted the capital investment figures referenced from the committee presentation, including multi-year amounts for housing and school facility improvements and other district and statewide projects.
No significant floor amendments to the Senate draft of HB 300 were offered during the discussion recorded in the transcript. After debate, the Senate took a vote on third reading. The clerk announced the outcome and the Senate recorded the bill as passing third reading; a single recorded no vote was noted during the roll call as announced on the floor.
The budget now proceeds to the next steps in the legislative process, which include any required conference with the House and continued negotiations to reconcile differences between chambers.
Minutes recorded during the session include the committee presentation and the floor remarks by the Ways and Means chair and supporters; the transcript does not specify a date by which any final conference agreements must be reached.
