House to tighten 'King Ben' bill

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

House Democrats will agree to tighten parameters on a bill that would give the governor temporary emergency powers, House Speaker Calvin Say said yesterday.

The Senate on Monday amended the so-called "King Ben" bill, which Republicans had criticized largely because it would have given Gov. Ben Cayetano the power to suspend any statute or rule that affects businesses.

The amended bill — a compromise between Senate Democrats and Republicans — would limit such powers to statutes and rules relating to legislation that lawmakers pass this special session. The amended bill still would let the governor waive or defer certain contract obligations to the state, but would terminate his powers on April 30, rather than the original bill's date of June 30.

The Senate will take a final vote on the measure today before sending it to the House.

Say, D-18th (Palolo. St. Louis, Kaimuki), said he's "very much concerned" about restricting what the governor can do while the Legislature is not in session.

"If there is a major disaster within the next two weeks and then he would have to change some statutes, do we have to come back then for another special session to amend the statutes for his approval?" Say asked.

But Say said House Democrats were open to the Senate's draft and that "overall, we all wanted to get on home and get the people's work done at this time."

Rep. Charles Djou, R-47th (Kahalu'u, Kane'ohe), an outspoken critic of the original emergency powers bill, said the amended bill is a good compromise.

"It is not everything that I wanted, or that the House Republican caucus had wanted, but it is definitely a very positive step in the right direction," Djou said.

Meanwhile, House and Senate lawmakers yesterday passed 13 of the special session's 15 bills and transferred them to Cayetano to sign into law. The House will take a final vote today on a measure providing 10 percent tax credits for hotel renovation and construction and 4 percent tax credits for residential remodeling and building. The measure then will go to the governor.

Say said the Legislature should finish the special session Friday.

The bills transmitted to the governor include measures that would:

• Establish a temporary, low-cost health insurance program for people who lost health benefits after Sept. 11.

• Extend unemployment benefits for 13 weeks.

• Authorize the University of Hawai'i to borrow $150 million for a new medical school and research facility in Kaka'ako. The money borrowed for that project will be repaid from 28 percent of the proceeds from the state settlement with tobacco companies over the health effects of smoking.

• Appropriate $2 million for housing and food for the poor.

• Authorize $100 million for school and university repair and maintenance projects.

• Appropriate $10 million for tourism marketing.

Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief Kevin Dayton contributed to this report.

You can reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.