Handicap parking bill to be vetoed

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

Gov. Ben Cayetano said he would veto a bill that would reduce the fine for illegally parking in handicapped stalls, but he does not plan to veto the state budget.

Advocates for the disabled have strongly criticized House Bill 2509, which would reduce the minimum fine for handicap parking violations from $250 to $100.

Cayetano said judges would still have the authority to impose higher fines, but "the reaction and response from the handicapped community has been one of dismay and despair, and I don't think we need to change that law, so I will veto that bill."

"I'm sure it was not the intention of the Legislature when they reduced the fines," he said, "but the bill has more of a symbolic impact on our handicapped citizens than anything else."

Advocates for people in the disabled community said the stiff $250 minimum fines strongly discourages people from parking in handicapped spaces, making it less likely they will violate the law again.

On the $3.5 billion budget, Cayetano said only two of the 18 state departments were so unhappy with the budget lawmakers drafted for next year that they recommended a veto. Those departments were the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Tax Department, he said.

Cayetano said he would continue to discuss with the departments any specific items in the budget that should be deleted using his line-item veto power.

Cayetano had been worried that lawmakers cut too deeply into spending for social services, but said yesterday that money was restored for most of those programs.

Even where cuts were imposed, Cayetano said departments were given the flexibility they need to move money around to pay for necessary services.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.