Posted on: Friday, March 7, 2003
House OK's slash in emergency appropriations bill
By B.J. Reyes
Associated Press
A measure that would cut nearly in half a $1 million request for emergency funding for the governor's office was one of two bills approved by House lawmakers yesterday.
The bills — the only ones left over from the chamber's 184-bill, 26-page agenda on Tuesday — were approved during a three-hour floor session that sparked heated debate and accusations of partisan politics that prompted a scolding from House Speaker Calvin Say.
The bills also were among six measures minority Republicans had sought to amend Tuesday before running into a midnight deadline by which any amended bills had to be passed.
"It was so late that we weren't able to deal with an amendment effectively," said House Minority Leader Galen Fox, R-23rd (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kaka'ako), noting that the emergency funding appropriation had been placed on the final page of the agenda. "Emergency clearly became nonemergency in the most dramatic way possible."
Say rebuked the notion that he or the House clerk had deliberately placed the matter near the end of the agenda to try and thwart the GOP.
"It was never intentional," said Say, D-20th (St. Louis Hts., Palolo, Wilhelmina Rise). Regarding the placement of the bill on the agenda by the House clerk, "I don't believe they did it maliciously or intentionally."
Fox said he simply was trying to point out how an "outsider" might view the actions of the majority.
During Tuesday's 15-hour floor session, Say and Vice Speaker Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Punchbowl, Pacific Hts., Nu'uanu Valley), reminded members of the midnight deadline and asked them to keep remarks brief in order to get through the entire agenda.
Say pointedly reminded House members of that yesterday.
"The fact of the matter is that the Speaker, to all of you, has been very fair in these deliberations and debate that we have had on this floor," said Say. "We had a fair amount of time on Tuesday. If you folks want me to cut off debate in future crossovers and final reading, please tell me, the majority leader and the minority leader, because I would be open to that in limiting the debate on all issues."
The emergency appropriations bill provides $508,000 for the offices of the governor and lieutenant governor. Part of the money is needed for furniture at the new governor's house and for personnel expenses.
Republicans said the money is needed because last year's session cut one-third of the financing for the governor's office, and most of the money for the current fiscal year ending in June has been spent.
"This is not additional funds that the governor's office is asking for," said Rep. Mark Moses, R-40th (Makakilo, Kapolei, Royal Kunia). "All we're asking for is money to function between now and June 30th of this year."
Finance Chairman Dwight Takamine, D-1st (N. Hilo, Hamakua, N. Kohala), noted that without the emergency appropriation, financing for the governor's office in the current fiscal year is $2.9 million.
He said reductions in the emergency request were based on projections provided to the Finance Committee by the governor's office.
