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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Tuesday, April 6, 2004

25 special funds may lose $55 million under bill

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

The House yesterday approved a bill that would take $55 million from 25 special funds to help balance the state's general fund account, but only after a heated and partisan debate.

All 36 House Democrats voted to approve Senate Bill 1491 while all 15 Republicans opposed it.

Rep. David Pendleton, R-49th (Kane'ohe, Maunawili, Enchanted Lake), said the bill would hurt several social service programs that help people who are most in need. He noted that the special account for spouse and child abuse would lose $200,000 as a result of the raid. He noted that the same fund was raided of $150,000 in 2002 and $300,000 last year.

"Further cuts to this fund will hamper the ability of the fund to help the increasing need of services and training of staff that ... keeps the fight against the proliferation of spousal abuse and child abuse," Pendleton said. There is a waiting list for some of the services that depend on the fund, he said.

Other funds that would be raided include the animal quarantine special fund, the stadium special fund, the tobacco enforcement special fund, the Aloha Tower fund, the convention center enterprise special fund and the domestic violence prevention special fund.

Pendleton also raised objection to a provision in the bill that repeals the authority of the governor to transfer excess amounts in special funds to the general fund, in essence giving the Legislature the sole ability to do so.

Rep. Cynthia Thielen, R-50th (Kailua, Mokapu), said she objects to raiding the parks special fund and the natural area reserve fund. Of the latter, she said, "since this fund protects Hawai'i's environment, short-term savings now would result in potential loss of native species and irreversible damage to the environment."

House Majority Whip Brian Schatz, D-25th (Makiki, Tantalus), acknowledged that the bill would create some negative impacts and is not something being done lightly by Democrats. "We do have limited options and I believe this is the least objectionable of all our alternatives," he said. He suggested that those opposed to cuts to specific special fund accounts find alternate sources of revenue and report them to the House leadership.

That touched off a fiery exchange between Democrats and Republicans. "The idea that suggestions are received and considered by the majority party is asinine," said Rep. Bud Stonebraker, R-17th (Hawai'i Kai, Kalama Valley). House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th, (St. Louis Hts., Palolo, Wilhelmina Rise), asked that the word "asinine" be stricken. Stonebraker then continued his attack on Democrats. That led House Majority Leader Scott Saiki, D-22nd (McCully, Pawa'a), to argue unsuccessfully for Say to censure Stonebraker.

The bickering continued when Stonebraker and other Republicans attempted to speak on Senate Bill 2525, a controversial bill that repeals the compliance resolution fund, after Say's initial query for discussion was met with silence and the speaker had moved on to other bills. When Stonebraker sought to return to SB 2525, Say asked him to submit written comments. He said that both sides had been given ample time to debate not only the issue during a separate hearing on Friday, but proposals for two separate floor amendments to the bill made by Republicans both Friday and yesterday.

An appeal by other Republicans to override Say's decision denying Stonebraker to speak was rejected along partisan lines, 36-15.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.