Gov. Josh Green has approved the state’s $10.3 billion budget, following a tumultuous legislative session with looming questions on how the state will afford many of its obligations.
Out of the 260 bills that the Legislature passed this session, all but seven were signed into law.
Green also made about $500 million in cuts to the state’s budget.
While his elimination of a $300 million infusion into the rainy day fund makes up a majority of that, there were other projects that were also reduced or eliminated.
For example, an allocation for construction on state libraries was reduced by $5 million. In another case, there was a $15 million decrease to a project to modernize and improve University of Hawaiʻi facilities.
Green said many of the reductions were because those departments had unused funds.
"Truth be told, they still are not going to spend some of those bonds in the next two years. And instead of what historically has been happening, which is governors just don't say anything and then they just don't release people's monies and they expire after three years, I'm doing the opposite," he said.
"I am straight up telling people up front what we can actually do so they don't have uncertainty. So in the coming year, there will be more money available to deal with the problems that are on hand."
Another issue is that the state’s projected revenue increase for next year fell from 4% to 3.3% since the close of the legislative session.
Green again pushed for a state climate impact fee that would be charged to visitors upon checking into their vacation accommodations. However, lawmakers did not pass that measure this year.
He warned that without it — for example, when the state faces the cost of the Maui Wildfire settlements or there is another disaster — they may need to dip into the state’s $1.5 billion rainy day fund.
