The State Legislature unanimously approved the Executive Operating and Construction Budgets today … which will drive spending for 2014 and 2015. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports …
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
State lawmakers are likely to push for more biosecurity-related measures during the upcoming Legislative session. During this year’s session, lawmakers passed a law allocating $20 million in state funding for biosecurity efforts in Hawaiʻi. Gov. Josh Green later cut that funding in half in a line-item veto.
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to get rid of the federal Department of Education. The Conversation talked to Hawaiʻi Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi and state Board of Education chairman Roy Takumi about what this means locally.