Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
State lawmakers are considering increases in gas taxes, vehicle weight taxes, motor vehicle registration fees and cigarette taxes this year as the Legislature approaches the halfway point of the 2016 session.
At the request of Gov. David Ige, lawmakers are also debating an array of bills that would invest millions of taxpayer dollars into programs to try to cope with Hawaii’s homeless crisis.
Proposals calling for elected state judges and a state lottery appear to be dead for the session, but a bill to pay for more air conditioners in Hawaii’s public school classrooms is advancing.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Capitol Bureau has summarized those measures and dozens more that are being considered this year in a quick update on Page B6 on how the session is progressing.
Last week was the Legislature’s first “crossover” deadline, when the state Senate sent its proposals to the House of Representatives for further consideration, and the House sent hundreds of its own bills to the Senate for more review and debate.
Wednesday marks the midpoint of this year’s 60-day session, which means there is still time for the voters to call their representatives or submit testimony on pending bills. There will be additional hearings on virtually every measure this year before the bills will be put to final votes in the House and Senate.
