5 things to know going into the final week of the legislative session

By Ashley Mizuo and Mark Ladao for Hawai‘i Public Radio

Mark Ladao / HPR

Of the nearly 3,000 bills that were introduced at the Legislature, about 270 have made it to the final step of the legislative process. Most of the measures will be voted on a final time by the House and Senate on Wednesday, and the legislative session will end on Friday. That’s a lot to digest. So here at HPR, we’re breaking down what you need to know as the Legislature heads into its final week.

4. Department budget cuts and new projects receive Green Fee funding

The state budget also includes the $130 million allocation of the state’s new Green Fee on hotels and cruise ships as an example of the state’s commitment to environmental stewardship, as the new revenue is intended for sustainable tourism, conservation efforts and climate resiliency.

The allocations were a mix of what was originally proposed by the Green Fee Advisory Council, which vetted projects before the legislative session, and add-ons largely by the Senate. The projects range from millions for community stewardship for coral and ahupuaʻa restoration to wildfire risk reduction. Some of the newly added projects are seemingly outside of the Green Fee’s intended purpose, such as $800,000 for Waipahu High School ADA Compliance and $7 million for a food and product innovation network.

“What we've seen in this near final list of Green Fee projects that the Legislature is advancing, is a healthy mix that includes a lot of the recommendations from the Green Fee Advisory Council,” said Jeff Mikulina, who chaired the council.

Click here to read the full article published by Hawai‘i Public Radio on May 4.