In the next few weeks, Hawai'i's 25 state senators and 51 representatives will meet, in large and small groups, to decide how much of the people's business they can fit into 60 slim working days once the Legislature convenes Jan. 18.

In the state House, where there are 13 freshman lawmakers, there's going to be a steep learning curve. Returning House speaker, state Rep. Calvin Say, has pledged to involve them in key committees, such as finance. There, the newcomers will see wish lists from state agencies vie for funds with lawmakers' own initiatives. That's a good way to get some perspective on the grand balancing act they must perform, as well as become acquainted with the public and private powers that be.

Although the departure of numerous veteran legislators will be felt, there's also the potential for fresh ideas from the first-years, as well as from the minority Republican caucus. And those ideas will be in demand at the Capitol, where the simmering problems of the state will again be moved to the front burner.

Among the issues that should advance in the public's interest:

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The state is off to a good start with the rental housing trust fund, which, along with the "legacy lands" fund, is fed by revenue from the conveyance tax. The one-year term of that provision needs to be rewritten, giving the trust fund permanence.

And while the focus last session was to help those on the lowest income rung, leaders must seek ways to extend state aid to a broader sector of the population. A revision of the rental subsidy program is in order, to provide larger assistance checks — now just $160 a month. Last year's effort to raise that amount to almost $240 each month should be revived.

And the private sector must be given incentives to include affordable units in their projects, or the state will not be able to effectively narrow the gap between the number of homes available and the people who need them.

EDUCATION

Something must be done to ensure optimum use of taxpayer money so that the bulk of our education dollars find their way into classrooms. The weighted student formula, touted as a means to direct money to the schools with populations that need it most, was theoretically well-founded. But there hasn't been much buy-in at the campus level.

Individual schools worry, understandably, that they will be allotted less money than it takes to reach the high bar set by No Child Left Behind, not to mention meeting the basic benchmarks of educating kids. On that point, to whatever extent the law can be implemented here in less punitive fashion — by setting the standards more realistically, for example — that's what should be done.

The Department of Education is going to seek more money to cushion whatever losses the weighted student formula may bring. But before elected leaders approve any short-term relief, they should require more transparency when it comes to funding allocation. Otherwise, the goal of getting more dollars to the schools will never be met.

HEALTHCARE

Hawai'i has been praised in past years for doing more than other states to provide healthcare for its poorest citizens. But in other ways, the Islands' system is showing signs of breakdown. That's a dismal trend, given that the aging population will need more care with each passing year.

Neighbor Islands, and even rural O'ahu, are facing or already coping with substandard healthcare services. Witness the imminent closure of Kahuku Hospital and the persistent failure to establish permanent medevac services.

The Legislature must consider ways to close some of these gaps, provide incentives to those practicing in remote communities and eliminate some disincentives. Raising the reimbursement rates paid to hospitals for Medicare, for example, would be a start. So would sensible tort reform to cap the burdens added by our litigious society.

It's a hefty to-do list, for sure. Voters can only hope that their leaders bring clear thinking, from both sides of the aisle, to bear on the issues.