The Maui News

Gov. David Ige notified the state Legislature on Monday of his intent to veto six measures, including a pilot domestic violence program and ethics provisions related to hiring of state officials who leave office.

He also outlined generally how he planned to use the $321 million he line-item vetoed involving federal CARES Act spending.

Ige said he intended to use the funds for the state share of disaster response; purchasing of personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies; public health education; personnel, testing and tracing; expanded capabilities of public safety facilities and personnel for treatment and quarantine facilities, support of medical staff and enhanced cleaning; support to counties for programs aiding residents and businesses; and paying back the unemployment trust fund to help reduce the burden to businesses.

The veto list includes:

• Senate Bill 2638 Relating to Domestic Violence, which establishes a five-year pilot program intended to strengthen the legal response to domestic violence and increase offender accountability. It amends the offense of abuse of family or household members to a petty misdemeanor, allows a deferred acceptance of guilty or no contest plea in cases involving petty misdemeanor or misdemeanor abuse offenses, requires the court to revoke the defendant’s probation or set aside the defendant’s deferred acceptance of guilty plea and enter an adjudication of guilt in specific instances.

Ige explained that he was concerned that the bill’s deferral provisions would allow offenders to own firearms at the end of the deferral period.

• House Bill 2124 Relating To The Code Of Ethics, which amends the state Ethics Code to prohibit the governor, lieutenant governor and other high-level government officials from representing people or businesses for a fee or other compensation on legislative or administrative action for 12 months after leaving the office.

The governor explained that the measure’s inclusion of members on volunteer boards and commissions would make it “significantly more challenging” to recruit for already difficult-to-fill positions.

• House Bill 1523 Relating to the Department of Education Budget, which allows the department to utilize CARES Act funding to purchase devices for schools with student populations of 50 percent or greater of reduced price lunch for July 1 to to Dec. 30.

Ige said the measure is not necessary because the department received funds from the governor’s discretionary funding for this purpose without eligibility limits.

• House Bill 1846 Relating to Energy Efficiency. This bill mandates that all state facilities with an area of 10,000 square feet or more (not including Aloha Stadium) implement cost-effective energy efficiency measures by Jan. 1, 2024; that the state Energy Office collect all utility bill and energy usage data for state-owned facilities monthly and making the information public; and that if feasible and cost-effective, designs for all new state buildings maximize energy and water efficiency, energy generation potential and use of building materials that reduce the project’s carbon footprint.

The governor had several problems with the bill. He said that the state is already in the process of implementing the energy efficiency changes that the bill addresses and that the bill does not clearly define energy efficiency and has wording that creates liability issues. There also are concerns that contractors would be able to benefit from both the contract paid for by taxpayer dollars as well as tax credits associated with the work done with no assurance that the overall cost of the project would be adjusted.

• Senate Bill 2206 Relating To Homelessness. The bill authorizes the Board of Land and Natural Resources to issue revocable month-to-month temporary permits for the emergency sheltering of homeless people on state land due to COVID-19.

Ige said that he already has the power to implement the purpose of the bill, which exposes the state to liability.

• Senate Bill 2523 Relating to Public Safety, which requires the Department of Public Safety to expand funds for the community-based work furlough program for female inmates.

Ige said that the measure is not required because the Department of Public Safety is already in the process of awarding a contract to a community-based furlough program.

The state Constitution requires the governor to notify the Legislature of the bills he intends to veto, no later than the 35th day after adjournment, which was Monday.

On Sept. 15, any measure that the governor has not signed or vetoed will become law.