Committee forwards amended HSAC legislative package, adds GE-surcharge extension and midwifery licensure bill

The Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs on Sept. 16 voted to forward Resolution 6-30-24 — Hawaii County's proposed 2025 legislative package to the Hawaii State Association of Counties — to the full council with a favorable recommendation.

Councilmember Kimball introduced an amendment to the resolution to convert several listed priorities into bill drafts, saying staff completed some of the bills on a tight deadline. The amendment included a draft to extend the county's general excise (GE) tax surcharge to 2040; Kimball invited the county's Mass Transit administrator to explain how the surcharge has funded transit expansion.

"When this got converted over to [the transit agency], it allowed us to expand our service a great deal," Mass Transit Administrator Victor Kendall told the committee, noting shared-ride taxi service, free bus fares and partnerships such as a vanpool program. Kendall said the agency's budget has "probably doubled in about four years," enabling service growth but also creating new expenses as the county plans to convert its fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

The committee adopted Kimball's amendment by voice vote; the clerk recorded eight votes in favor and one member excused. Kimball then reviewed other bills to be submitted in the package, including items on tobacco-product preemption, state land-use boundary amendments, denitrification for certain wastewater systems, and a bill to enable county regulation of agricultural-tourism overnight stays.

Public testimony at the meeting emphasized midwifery licensure. "In the five years that the Midwifery Licensure Program has been in effect, not one Native Hawaiian midwife has yet achieved licensure due to continent-based schooling requirements," Christie Duarte, chair of the Hawaii Home Birth Task Force, said in support of the draft bill included in Resolution 6-30-24. Duarte urged the council to advance language that expands access while protecting customary practices; she noted the program is set to sunset in June 2025 unless the Legislature acts.

Councilmember Kerkowitz offered a separate amendment (Communication 1043.1) to add three priorities to the package: support for food security and locally produced foods, expanded mental-health resources and community courts, and an item addressing squatters and property-owner accountability. Members discussed the additions and asked staff about state champions and implementation details; the committee adopted Kerkowitz's amendment by vote (8-0, one excused).

Several members voiced reservations about parts of the package. One member warned that removing the State Land Use Commission from certain boundary-change reviews could have unintended long-term consequences; another cited concerns that required denitrification systems could impose substantial costs (one member referenced an approximate $5,000 figure raised by constituents). Supporters countered that the package is intentionally holistic and aims to show county priorities to state legislators.

The committee voted to forward the amended Resolution 6-30-24 to the full council with a favorable recommendation; the clerk recorded eight ayes and one excused member. The next step is consideration by the full Hawaii County Council and, if adopted, submission to the HSAC executive committee for inclusion in the statewide package.

Actions recorded at the meeting included adoption of Communication 1043.2 (Kimball's amendment) and Communication 1043.1 (Kerkowitz's additions) and the forwarding of Resolution 6-30-24 (as amended) to the full council with a favorable recommendation.

The committee noted that bills in the packet will require further drafting and review as they are transmitted to the council and, if approved there, to state lawmakers.