Gov. Josh Green announced over a billion dollars in budget cuts Wednesday morning.
Green favored housing and health care over infrastructure-related projects.
Cuts were made to a proposed first responder technology park, solar energy loan program and some broadband matching.
State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said he's disappointed that first responders are not being vocal about Green eliminating funding for the First Responders Technology Park from the state budget.
The training campus would have served as the main headquarters for county, state, and federal agencies.
Dela Cruz believes it would have been cheaper for the state in the long run because many agencies are in decrepit facilities or leased spaces.
The Ways and Means Committee chair was apprehensive about cutting funding to relocate a vulnerable data center currently located within the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency center in Diamond Head State Monument.
Dela Cruz shared his concern regarding potential gridlock in HIEMA's headquarters.
"There's not enough space for storage, especially during an emergency," he said.
"We're talking about food storage, equipment storage, all types of different things that we're going to need in a natural disaster or any type of disaster."
Dela Cruz said if the Green administration doesn’t want to solve these issues at the moment, then it’s time to pivot and address other issues, such as agriculture and helping local food and manufacturing.
This interview aired on The Conversation on June 15, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
