Legislators negotiate Green Fee projects, immigration as key deadline approaches

By Ashley Mizuo for Hawai‘i Public Radio

Tori DeJournett / HPR

It's crunch time at the Legislature as a key legislative deadline looms: conference. That's when lawmakers from both chambers have to come together to negotiate language in bills before they get a final vote.

Numerous measures have made it through conference, but some have yet to be decided. One of the key questions this legislative session has been on how the Green Fee, the new increased tax on hotels and cruise ships, would be spent. The law passed last year requires that a total of about $100 million in revenue be spent on three categories: protecting natural resources, increasing climate resiliency and sustainable tourism.

Another issue at the Legislature has been how to address the spike in immigration enforcement. All measures that have a referral to a money committee have until Friday to make it out of conference. The deadline for all other bills without a fiscal component was Wednesday.

A full text version of this story will be available later today.

Click here to read the full article published by Hawai‘i Public Radio on Apr. 30.