As session nears, Maui lawmakers mixed over Gov. Green’s proposals

Relief programs for struggling families are top of mind for lawmakers

As Maui County's state lawmakers head into the new legislative session on Wednesday, some already have mixed feelings about the governor's proposals for a possible tax rebate for middle- and low-income families along with eliminating the general excise tax on food and some medicine. 

"I believe that instead of across-the-board tax rebates or cuts, the focus should be on targeting assistance for those who need it the most," said Rep. Troy Hashimoto. "Federal rental assistance is anticipated to be depleted by the end of this summer."

Hashimoto, who represents District 10, which includes a portion of Waiehu, Paukukalo, Wailuku and Waikapu, said that this program could be continued by the county and state for those on the "brink of homelessness." 

Social service programs are on many lawmakers' minds with residents still struggling since the end of pandemic relief programs and the start of high inflation, as the state sits on a $1.9 billion budget surplus.

Hashimoto said the state's surplus funds could assist with issues over MedQuest reimbursements to providers, which has been a "topic of concern for being too low and it must be increased to help attract more doctors on the island and to assist (and) maintain care standards for those who are financially disadvantaged."

Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran explained that tax collections over the last two years trigger the state constitutional requirement for the governor and the Legislature to consider another round of tax refunds or tax credits of some kind. 

"It probably should be one component of a package of measures that continue to address the cost of living," said Keith-Agaran, who represents District 5, which includes Wailuku, Waihee, Kahului and Waikapu Mauka. 

The Legislature will need to make sure that what is provided, such as refunds and changes to the GET, "benefit the most needy in a meaningful way and relieves living costs for as many residents as possible," he added. 

Sen. Lynn DeCoite said she is in favor of Gov. Josh Green's proposals as long as the budget can handle it. 

"That is dollars in the pockets of our working families that have seen an increase in average household expenses due to recent inflation," she said of the suggested tax rebate. 

Addressing the possibility of eliminating the general excise tax on food and medicine, Rep. Elle Cochran pointed out that 32 states exempt food purchases from taxation and that the city of Portland doesn't tax any essential goods. 

"If they can all do it, why can't we?" she asked. 

But keeping in mind the bottom line, Cochran said she would like to see a report of what funds will no longer be collected if some taxes are eliminated. 

"We need to help people who have been hit hard. They shouldn't have to decide between food or medicine," said Cochran, who represents District 14, which includes Kahakuloa, Waihee, portions of Waiehu and Maalaea, along with West Maui. 

Other Maui County state lawmakers, including Rep. Justin Woodson and Rep. Terez Amato, also backed Green's proposals if they pan out in the budget.  

Education, health care, housing

Rounding out Maui County's nine state lawmakers are Sen. Angus McKelvey, Rep. Kyle Yamashita and Rep. Mahina Poepoe, who will all get to work as the Legislature opens on Wednesday and runs until May 4. 

From housing to health care to education and taking care of their districts, Maui County's legislative delegation has a whole list of priorities to tackle this session, with some sticking to goals from previous years. 

Keith-Agaran, Maui County's most senior senator in the Legislature, said he and his colleagues will be working to expand the ability to educate and train nurses along with medical technicians and other health care workers in Maui Nui as the "pandemic laid bare the importance of developing and maintaining a continuum of health care locally."

"Funding education and training for our residents to meet the need for local health care jobs is a good investment," Keith-Agaran said. "Every hospital in our state has been relying on traveling nurses and other providers so its important to produce more local workers. Maui legislators agree that we do this by increasing capacity at UH Maui College -- that means recruiting and retaining nurse instructors so we can enroll additional students, and fostering partnerships between our local campus with sister campuses to provide training and education opportunities for medical technicians and other fields."

Another priority is to relieve enrollment at Iao and Maui Waena intermediate schools by providing a new middle school. 

"One of the reasons Central Maui legislators, with Rep. Kyle Yamashita, have worked hard to provide state investments in housing infrastructure in the vicinity of Waikapu -- roadways and wastewater treatment -- is to support locating a new elementary and a new intermediate school campus in the proposed community, and to support the additional workforce housing units promised in that Waikapu development," Keith-Agaran said, referring to the Waikapu Country Town project. 

DeCoite, who represents District 7, which includes East Maui, Upcountry, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe, said her priorities include education and focusing on learning and teaching through "the equitable distribution of resources throughout the state," along with the economy, and focusing on jobs and job training for Hawaii residents. 

She specifically would like to target the motion picture, digital media and film production income tax credit "to enhance the film industry as an economic driver" for jobs and revenues.

The sweet potato farmer also will focus on agriculture and incorporating the environment and invasive species into the policies and management of agriculture.

She will be reintroducing a bill for the third time to add two additional seats on the state Board of Agriculture to provide representation from Molokai and Lanai, so there would be a representative from each island instead of just each county. 

For longtime former House member McKelvey, who is now the newly elected senator for the recently redrawn District 6, which includes South and West Maui, Waikapu and a portion of Maui Lani, has priorities that span the district. 

McKelvey is pushing for continuing the Lahaina Bypass north and introducing a bill to change the funding for it so it can proceed.  

"It is my hope that because Lahaina Bypass north is truly shovel ready, we could also use federal infrastructure funds," he said. 

McKelvey said the state had pulled out the money for this portion of the bypass, whose funds were supposed to come from a rental car tax bill set up specifically to fund the project. 

He is also working with other Maui lawmakers to fund a grade-separated crossing for the Kulanihako'i High School in Kihei. 

McKelvey and his fellow lawmakers are also working on expanding the pilot teacher housing project and hope to have housing for teachers and other educational staff on campuses such as Lahainaluna and Kulanihako'i high schools. 

In the House, Hashimoto said as chairman of its Housing Committee, he will work on reducing the cost of housing and on streamlining regulatory barriers "that are slowing the expansion of our housing inventory.

"This includes push for reforms in the state Historic Preservation Division, building codes, the 201H fast track housing law and improving the financing mechanisms for low-income housing tax credit construction projects," he added. "Prioritizing government infrastructure investments such as water, sewer and road improvements instead of pushing it onto private developers is critical in keeping housing costs down. Incremental progress is necessary to begin chipping away at our decades long housing crisis."

Maui County lawmakers leading committees also include Woodson, who as chairman of the House Committee on Education is focused on "continuing to help make positive adjustments to our public education system."

This includes adding more school psychologists to help with students' mental health and continuing to expand high-quality early learning opportunities for Maui families that want them, said Woodson, who represents District 9, which includes Kahului, Puunene and a portion of Wailuku.

"I will also introduce a bill to expand the Hawaii Promise Program to all University of Hawaii campuses," he added. "This program absorbs the cost of the 'last dollar,' which currently allows most of its beneficiaries to attend community college free of all direct college expenses."

Woodson added that preschool continues to be families' second-highest cost driver and that work is underway to open more preschools and prekindergartens in Maui County, including Central Maui. 

"We plan to offer these programs to our families at little to no cost. I am hopeful we can make more progress in funding a much needed middle school, and that the delayed Puunene road widening project will finally start this year," he said. 

Newcomers in the House

Newly elected representative and former longtime Maui County Council Member Cochran said some of her top priorities include "ensuring our harbors and roadways are well-maintained, safe and accessible," protecting natural lands and the environment, improving schools and guaranteeing quality education. She also wants to increase access to health care and affordable housing. 

Cochran will also push for extending the Lahaina Bypass, completing dredging at small harbors around Maui and ensuring that projects completed through the 201H fast track affordable housing project law are held to their affordable housing commitments. 

Some of the measures she is drafting include mandating that highways with risks of rockfall are inspected regularly and when needed due to inclement weather. 

Amato, a newly elected first-time politician, said that as a member of the House Health and Homelessness Committee, she is working closely with McKelvey on multiple bills, including one mandating that affordable housing remain affordable in perpetuity and another measure offering tax credits for landlords installing new solar power, along with renting to people who earn below 80 percent of the annual median income and those renting to tenants with pets. 

As the vice chairwoman of the House Committee on Human Services, Amato will push for codifying Roe to protect women, family leave protection, removing asset limits to avoid Medicaid cancellation, preserving SNAP benefits, increasing the number and pay of health care workers and funding increased access for kupuna and the disabled. 

Like McKelvey, she also supports funding for a grade-separated crossing for Kulanihako'i High School as well as funding its next phase of construction.  

Yamashita and Poepoe did not respond to emails requesting comment earlier this week. 

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.