Posted at 11:25 a.m., Monday, June 4, 2001
GOP wants extra bill considered in special session
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
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| C.J. Leong, assistant chief clerk for the state House, prepares for a special session of the Legislature today. The body was called back from recess because of a clerical error.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser |
Moments before the Legislature began its five-day special session today to address three bills with procedural errors, Senate Republicans introduced a fourth bill for lawmakers to consider.
The bill, introduced five minutes before session started, would exempt amounts paid to a professional employment organization on behalf of employees hired by a client company from additional taxation. A similar bill died in conference committee this past session. Republicans are calling this a measure that would help small business.
Gov. Ben Cayetano last week ordered the Legislature to convene a special session to reconsider three bills that had procedural errors. He and Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (Wahiawa, Waialua, Sunset Beach), have said they don't want the Legislature to consider any more bills during the special session.
Bunda today said passing the Senate Republicans' bill would be "very difficult."
Two appropriations bills for the Judiciary and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs were flawed because the House clerk's office mistakenly sent them to the governor before the Senate had a chance to approve them. The third, a bond authorization bill, needs to be updated because it contains references to the flawed Judiciary appropriations bill.
The Senate will also consider two appointments by Gov. Ben Cayetano: Department of Accounting and General Services Comptroller Wayne Kimura and Board of Land and Natural Resources boardmember Tim Johns.
Kimura, former state budget deputy director, fills the vacancy left by former state comptroller Ray Sato, who retired in April. Johns, the former chairman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, replaces Colbert Matsumoto as a board member.
