Latest news with #Bill4
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Honolulu Council OKs sponsorship of public facilities
Legislation to allow private sponsorship of city parks and other public facilities in order to garner more revenue for the city was unanimously adopted Wednesday by the Honolulu City Council. Introduced in January by Council member Radiant Cordero, Bill 4 will 'create and enhance public-private relationships, including with individuals, corporations, and other organizations, through the creation of commercial sponsorships.' 'Private sponsorships will create alternate revenue streams that will increase the city's ability to deliver services and to maintain city assets, including its facilities, parks, programs, equipment, and tangible property, and provide enhanced levels of service and maintenance beyond the core levels funded from the city's general fund for the benefit of users and the community at large, ' the bill states. The measure will also allow the director of a city agency to enter into a sponsorship agreement, but only for a term of less than five years, with a financial contribution of less than $50, 000. Sponsorship agreements of $50, 000 or more and agreements for a period of five years or more must be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council, the bill says. Bill 4's approval comes as the nine-member Council and city administration allege budgetary constraints for the coming 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Those multimillion-dollar costs include siting the city's next solid-waste landfill on Oahu ; operating and maintaining ongoing city rail services toward downtown ; and implementing a total increase of 115 % for sewer fees across all rate-paying classes over a 10-year period to address rising operational costs and fund critical sewage treatment projects within the city's $10.1 billion capital improvement program, scheduled for 2025-2040. During public testimony, Kaimuki resident Tim Garry lauded Bill 4. 'This could be a game changer for so many things, to where we don't have to tax everybody to death, ' he said. Garry said the measure's intent could be like the city's Adopt a Park program, 'where somebody takes responsibility for a certain part of the public ' properties. 'The possibilities are endless, ' he said. 'There are so many trusts, and foundations that are set up that have to give away money every year.' And he added, 'I hope to see all of the Council people in NASCAR uniforms, with sponsorships all over their body.' Council member Andria Tupola said the measure 'really gives us a real pathway to bring in revenue, create partnerships and move our city forward.' Representing the Leeward Coast, Tupola said her focus for sponsorships included approximately 400 acres of former Barbers Point Naval Air Station lands, also known as Kalaeloa, that the city officially took possession of in June. Mayor Rick Blangiardi's administration asserts that many in the public had asked for Kalaeloa to feature city parks and other recreational opportunities, including a racetrack. 'There is just no way we're going to come up with the kind of funds that we need to create a sports facility or a racetrack, ' said Tupola. 'We are going to need to really rely on these community partnerships.' Council Chair Tommy Waters also supported Bill 4. 'And I just want to assure the public we're not talking about renaming the Fasi Building or Honolulu Hale, but really we're talking about things like … the basketball court at the Blaisdell Center, or the stage at the Tom Moffatt Shell, or … a sponsorship of the lawn at the Shell, ' he said. 'We're just being creative and finding other ways of raising revenues for our city.' And alluding to a first-reading measure he had introduced at the same meeting, Waters quipped that sponsorship revenues could even be deposited in the city's sewer fund to offset costs associated with the city's pending 115 % sewer fee hike. In March the Council adopted Resolution 50, which urged the city Department of Enterprise Services to pursue the sponsorship of naming rights for Neal S. Blaisdell Center at 777 Ward Ave. Typically, naming rights means the city may grant people or organizations the opportunity to have their names associated with a facility, such as a stadium or arena, in exchange for financial contributions. As an example, the resolution notes that in 2020 the University of Hawaii and Bank of Hawaii entered into a 10-year, $5 million sponsorship agreement for the naming rights of the Stan Sheriff Center, now known as the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, at UH's Manoa campus. DES Director Dita Holifield previously told the Council her department was excited to pursue this revenue-generating opportunity to improve the Blaisdell campus. But she also said that based on discussions with the city Department of the Corporation Counsel, existing city laws do not allow for the sponsorship of naming rights. The Blaisdell Center, originally called the Honolulu International Center, was built in 1964.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'School choice becomes the law of the land,' says a triumphant Gov. Abbott in signing SB 2
A beaming Gov. Greg Abbott signed his long-coveted school voucher bill into law Saturday on the sun-dappled lawn of the Governor's Mansion, in front of about 1,400 cheering guests. "Today, school choice becomes the law of the land in the great state of Texas," Abbott said as he paused to inscribe his signature to Senate Bill 2, which will give regular students about $10,500 and special needs students up to $30,000 to help cover the cost of private school. For Abbott, a three-term governor who is gearing up to run for a record fourth term, it was an especially jubilant moment in his political career. More: Texas House Bill 4 proposes new standardized test. Lawmakers, superintendents are hopeful. The creation of a so-called voucher program has been a Republican priority since the governorship of George W. Bush in the 1990s but a coalition of rural Republicans and Democrats had always managed to block such proposals. That happened two years ago during both regular and special legislative sessions after Abbott had made vouchers a top priority. Then in last year's primary elections Abbott put his own political capital on the line when he backed a slate of pro-voucher candidates looking to unseat House Republicans who had derailed his efforts. It paid off. "This is a day the Lord has made, and this is the day that has been coming for a long time," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who authored voucher legislation as a state senator more than a decade ago, said at Saturday's signing ceremony. Voucher proponents argue that all students can benefit from such a program, not just those whose parents already have the means to afford private school tuition. They say that's because having more educational options will create a competitive environment that will inspire traditional schools to improve. At a rally across the street, Democratic lawmakers on Saturday said the $1 billion set aside for the program would be better spent on improving the traditional public school system and paying teachers more. Rep. James Talarico of Austin predicted working-class Texans will rebel as public schools are starved for resources that have been diverted. "I see the seeds of a new movement that's not left versus right," he said. "It's top versus bottom." The new voucher program prioritizes children with special education needs from families living at or below 500% of the federal poverty line — about $160,000 for a family of four. The next priority group is children from families living at 200% of the federal poverty line — about $64,000 for a family of four. Children from families in other income brackets will fall in other priority tiers. The roughly $10,500 regular students will receive under the program is about 85% of what the state would spend if they were enrolled in traditional public school. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Abbott signs Texas' first school voucher bill into law
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Honolulu City Council considers sponsorships for public facilities
STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014 A sponsorship between a private supporter and the city would create alternate revenue streams that can go toward the upgrading and modernization to the 60-year-old Blaisdell Center. 1 /2 STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014 A sponsorship between a private supporter and the city would create alternate revenue streams that can go toward the upgrading and modernization to the 60-year-old Blaisdell Center. STAR-ADVERTISER / 2019 The name change of the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in 2020 was part of a sponsorship agreement between the University of Hawaii and Bank of Hawaii. 2 /2 STAR-ADVERTISER / 2019 The name change of the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in 2020 was part of a sponsorship agreement between the University of Hawaii and Bank of Hawaii. STAR-ADVERTISER / 2014 A sponsorship between a private supporter and the city would create alternate revenue streams that can go toward the upgrading and modernization to the 60-year-old Blaisdell Center. STAR-ADVERTISER / 2019 The name change of the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center in 2020 was part of a sponsorship agreement between the University of Hawaii and Bank of Hawaii. A Honolulu City Council measure to allow private sponsorship of city parks and other public facilities to garner more revenues for the city is scheduled for further review today. Introduced in January by Council member Radiant Cordero, Bill 4 revisits aspects of a prior law, Ordinance 17-16, that established nonproperty tax revenue sponsorships in 2017. That law all but disappeared after the pilot measure's five-year repeal clause took effect in 2022. As drafted, Bill 4 would seek to 'create and enhance public-private relationships, including with individuals, corporations, and other organizations, through the creation of commercial sponsorships.' 'Private sponsorships will create alternate revenue streams that will increase the city's ability to deliver services and to maintain city assets, including its facilities, parks, programs, equipment, and tangible property, and provide enhanced levels of service and maintenance beyond the core levels funded from the city's general fund for the benefit of users and the community at large, ' the bill states. The bill would allow the director of a city agency to enter into a sponsorship agreement, but only for a term of less than five years, with a financial contribution of less than $50, 000. 'All sponsorship agreements for a financial contribution of $50, 000 or more must be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council, ' the bill states. 'All sponsorship agreements for a period of five years or more must be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. During the Council's Jan. 29 meeting, the panel reviewed and adopted Bill 4 on the first of three readings. Winston Welch, executive director of The Outdoor Circle, said his environmental group generally opposed the bill's current language. He said Hawaii's 1926 law that prohibits outdoor signage and billboards—created with the advocacy of The Outdoor Circle during Hawaii's territorial days—should not be overlooked. 'Our concerns are especially about the signage, and I think the reason why this bill was not utilized before (was because ) it became toxic, ' Welch said at the meeting. 'And we don't need to go down that road again.' Such an ordinance also contributes to the 'over-commercialization of our public spaces, ' he added. But Council Chair Tommy Waters challenged Welch's assertions that the new measure would harm the environment. And he noted that under Bill 4 all sponsorship agreements must first be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council. Waters said the potential for revenue-generating sponsorship 'was vitally important ' to the city. Bill 4 is also being advanced with accompanying legislation. City Council Resolution 50 urges the city Department of Enterprise Services to specifically pursue the sponsorship of naming rights for the city-owned Neal S. Blaisdell Center. Typically, naming rights means the city may grant individuals or organizations the opportunity to have their names associated with a facility, like a stadium or arena, in exchange for financial contributions. 'Such a sponsorship would provide the city with an alternate revenue stream and thus enable it to make much needed upgrades and modernization improvements to the more than 60-year-old Blaisdell and increase services offered to users and the community at large, ' the legislation indicates. As an example, the resolution notes that in 2020 the University of Hawaii and the Bank of Hawaii entered into a 10-year, $5 million sponsorship agreement for the naming rights of the Stan Sheriff Center—now known as the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center—at UH's Manoa campus. DES Director-designate Dita Holifield has said her department was excited to pursue this revenue-generating opportunity to improve the Blaisdell campus. But Holifield noted that based on discussions with the city Department of the Corporation Counsel, existing city laws do not allow for the sponsorship of naming rights. The Blaisdell Center, originally called the Honolulu International Center, was built in 1964. Today's City Council meeting begins at 10 a.m. inside the City Council Chamber, 530 S. King St.
CBC
25-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Holt Liberals under pressure over election gas-price promise
Social Sharing Premier Susan Holt's government finds itself in a dilemma after gasoline distributors and retailers warned that a key Liberal affordability promise could drive them out of business. Business owners warned a committee of New Brunswick MLAs that a bill to repeal the so-called "cost of carbon adjustor" would force those costs onto their books, putting their viability at risk. "We are held hostage because of this situation," Peter Clark, the owner of Woodstock-based Clark Oil, told the legislature's law amendments committee. "We are an essential service. There'd be no food on the table, there'd be no construction, there'd be no nothing without us delivering. We are not big oil. You're not getting at big oil here." Nadine Hébert, the vice-president of Shoreline Fuels, said repealing the adjustor could lead her company to park its delivery trucks immediately. Chris Scholten, the president of Scholten's — Convenience Stores, said forcing retailers to absorb the carbon cost set at 7.1 cents per litre of gas this week — would lead to them losing money on every fill-up. "Under this Bill 4, it's suggesting that we should be absorbing a loss for the sale. [It's] a privilege to sell gasoline, apparently," Scholten said. WATCH | Supporters, critics weigh in on controversial gas charge: Holt government in dilemma over promise to repeal 'cost of carbon' charge 10 minutes ago Duration 2:19 "How do we continue to cover ever-increasing costs when we're being held back on any ability to recoup said costs? Where does it end?" But committee member Jacques LeBlanc, the Liberal MLA for Shediac-Cap-Acadie, pointed out that the government is hearing from New Brunswickers struggling to cope with higher costs. "People are being pinched everywhere," he said. "You understand that we also hear it from that side also. This is important to understand. People need to be heard but also, we need to take action to make sure people are getting a better dollar value for what they pay for." The clause, adopted by Blaine Higgs's Progressive Conservative government in 2022, requires the Energy and Utilities Board to pass on the cost of federal clean fuel regulations from producers to consumers via the weekly price setting for gasoline. The regulations are intended to create financial incentives for producers to produce fuel with lower greenhouse gas emissions. But in last year's election Holt said forcing distributors and retailers to pass on the cost to consumers amounted to a tax that she promised to repeal. The Liberals introduced a bill to do that last fall, but after lobbying by the Convenience Industry Council of Canada and other organizations, they halted debate and sent the bill to the committee for hearings. Bill Hogan, a PC MLA, said Tuesday that it was a mistake for Holt to commit to repealing the clause without considering the impact on small businesses. "Perhaps they had not fully considered all the ramifications to removing the carbon adjustor," he said. "I think it sounded good to call it the 'Higgs tax.' … I think it sounded good to say, 'Let's take 4.3 cents a litre off the price of gas.'" LeBlanc told reporters that it was too early to say what the committee would recommend after the day of hearings. "Our intention is to move this bill forward, and there's a process," he said, including a debate in the legislature that could include "possibly some amendments" "We were elected on a promise that people needed for more affordability measures, so we're looking at all points of view," he said. "We'll take all that into consideration." Moe Qureshi of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick said it's impossible to know whether the carbon adjustor amount truly reflects the cost of the federal regulations to producers. He said the Energy and Utilities Board should have the power to investigate the real cost and pass that on directly to producers. "A lot of these costs should be paid by the polluter," he told MLAs. "It's not the consumers' responsibility to clean up the fuel. It's industry's responsibility to clean up the fuel." The adjustor should be repealed and replaced with a more stringent carbon tax on industry, he said.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council ponders bill on revenue-generating sponsorships
For the second time in nearly 10 years, a Honolulu City Council measure that would allow private sponsorship of city parks and other public facilities is drawing concern from some in the community who fear the legislation will clear the way for large billboards and other outdoor advertising signs that could mar the natural beauty of Oahu. Introduced in January by Council member Radiant Cordero, Bill 4 revisits aspects of a prior law—Ordinance 17-16—that established nonproperty tax revenue sponsorships in 2017. That law—first known as 2015's Bill 78 and introduced by former Council members Kymberly Pine and Ann Kobayashi—all but disappeared after the pilot measure's five-year sunset clause took effect in 2022. As drafted, Bill 4—which mirrors the language of the earlier measure—would seek to 'create and enhance public-private relationships, including with individuals, corporations, and other organizations, through the creation of commercial sponsorships.' 'Private sponsorships will create alternate revenue streams that will increase the city's ability to deliver services and to maintain city assets, including its facilities, parks, programs, equipment, and tangible property, and provide enhanced levels of service and maintenance beyond the core levels funded from the city's general fund for the benefit of users and the community at large, ' the bill states. In appreciation of such support, the measure states it's 'the policy of the city to equitably acknowledge the contribution of private sponsors.' Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. If adopted, the new bill would allow the director of a city agency to enter into a sponsorship agreement, but only for a term of less than five years, with a financial contribution of less than $50, 000. 'All sponsorship agreements for a financial contribution of $50, 000 or more must be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council, ' the bill states. 'All sponsorship agreements for a period of five years or more must be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council.' During the Council's Jan. 29 meeting, the panel reviewed and adopted Bill 4 on the first of three readings. At the Council's Budget Committee meeting Tuesday, city Deputy Managing Director Krishna Jayaram confirmed the administration's support for Bill 4 as a way to generate 'alternative revenue streams.' 'And the one thing I'd like to share with the committee at this point is that we're taking a look at this bill with various departments to understand why it was underutilized before, and to come up with suggestions, if any, that we will route through the budget chair, ' Jayaram said. But Winston Welch, executive director of The Outdoor Circle, said his environmental group 'is opposed to the (bill's ) current language, but I don't think that our concerns are insurmountable.' Still, he noted Hawaii's 1926 law that prohibits outdoor signage and billboards—created with the advocacy of The Outdoor Circle during the island chain's territorial days—should not be overlooked. 'So our concerns are especially about the signage, and I think the reason why this bill was not utilized before (was because ) it became toxic, ' said Welch. 'And we don't need to go down that road again.' Such an ordinance also contributes to the 'over-commercialization of our public spaces, ' he added. 'In fact, the people of Hawaii have shown for 100 years that we do not, should not and cannot sacrifice our visual environment for revenue, ' Welch said. But Council Chair Tommy Waters challenged Welch's assertions that the new measure would, in fact, harm the environment. And Waters noted that under Bill 4 all sponsorship agreements must first be approved by a resolution adopted by the Council. 'So that gives you and others an opportunity to come back and say, 'Hey wait, we don't like that idea, '' Waters added. In response, Welch said 'it would be much more sensible to determine those things, and what that looks like, from the beginning. Why would we want to bring that up every time ?' Waters replied, 'Because it gives the public an opportunity, and yourself and your organization, to weigh in.' The Council chair also queried Welch on whether his group 'wouldn't have a problem ' with privately sponsored signage at the basket ball court at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena or similar locales. Welch replied, 'That would be OK, because the logo is not emblazoned on the building.' Later, Waters noted the potential for revenue-generating sponsorship 'was vitally important ' to the city. To that end the Council's discussion of the new measure comes as the nine-member panel and city administration allege budgetary constraints for the coming 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Those multimillion-dollar costs include siting the city's next solid-waste landfill on Oahu ; operating and maintaining ongoing city rail services toward downtown ; and implementing a total increase of 115 % for sewer fees across all rate-paying classes over a 10-year period to address rising operational costs and fund critical sewage treatment projects within the city's $10.1 billion capital improvement program, scheduled for 2025 to 2040. 'We don't want to raise taxes, ' said Waters, noting the benefits of outside sponsorships. 'We've got to figure out ways to generate revenue, right ?' Welch replied that the discussion was a repeat of Bill 78. 'We don't need to re-litigate this, ' he added. In early 2017, Bill 78 allowed the city to set up a five-year pilot program for individuals, community organizations and businesses to sponsor 'city facilities, parks, programs, equipment and tangible property.' As previously reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the former bill gained the support of then-Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Parks and Enterprise Services departments as well as a number of community organizations that contended public-private partnerships will allow them to enjoy more stewardship over the facilities they use. While much of the discussion centered on city parks and their facilities, the Caldwell administration claimed sponsors could help provide funds for other projects involving city facilities, including the renovation of the Blaisdell Center. At the time, Pine said city attorneys had reviewed the language of Bill 78 to confirm that it had not run afoul of any sign or outdoor advertising laws and that the city could not conflict with existing laws. Additionally, the older measure stated that 'any physical form of sponsorship must blend in with the surrounding environment.' In contrast, the newly introduced Bill 4 says that 'any physical form of sponsorship must be consistent with the surrounding environment as determined by the sponsorship agreement and applicable rules and regulations.' On Tuesday, Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, the budget panel's chair, successfully recommended his committee draft of Bill 4 be passed on to the full Council for possible second reading review and adoption. The Council's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 26.
