Latest news with #HB606
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Prince Kuhio Day eve event rallies support for Hawaiian Homes funding
GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'Kuhio Kakou ' rally participants lined Beretania Street on Tuesday in support of a bill intended to provide $600 million to build homestead lots for state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries. The event was held on the eve of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, a state holiday recognizing the father of the 1921 Hawaiian Homestead Act. 1 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'Kuhio Kakou ' rally participants lined Beretania Street on Tuesday in support of a bill intended to provide $600 million to build homestead lots for state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries. The event was held on the eve of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, a state holiday recognizing the father of the 1921 Hawaiian Homestead Act. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Bearing Hawaiian flags, Alfred Keaka Hiona Medeiros, left, and Clinton Kamealoha Burns high-fived at a rally Tuesday at the state Capitol rotunda to support the passage of HB 606. 2 /2 GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Bearing Hawaiian flags, Alfred Keaka Hiona Medeiros, left, and Clinton Kamealoha Burns high-fived at a rally Tuesday at the state Capitol rotunda to support the passage of HB 606. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ 'Kuhio Kakou ' rally participants lined Beretania Street on Tuesday in support of a bill intended to provide $600 million to build homestead lots for state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries. The event was held on the eve of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, a state holiday recognizing the father of the 1921 Hawaiian Homestead Act. GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE @ Bearing Hawaiian flags, Alfred Keaka Hiona Medeiros, left, and Clinton Kamealoha Burns high-fived at a rally Tuesday at the state Capitol rotunda to support the passage of HB 606. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands held a unity rally Tuesday at the state Capitol to pay tribute to Prince Kuhio a day ahead of his birthday and to counteract recent resistance to homestead development funding at the Legislature. Around 200 people participated in the 'Kuhio Kakou ' rally, which included music performances, hula, sign waving on Beretania Street, voter registration, speeches by elected officials and pleas to lawmakers on upper floors of the building to support a bill intended to provide $600 million to build homestead lots for DHHL beneficiaries. Posters and T-shirts honoring Kuhio were printed to commemorate Tuesday's event on the eve of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day, a state holiday recognizing the father of the Hawaiian Homestead Act passed by Congress in 1921. Yet a big purpose of the event, which lasted three hours, also was to rally support for a bill introduced in January to appropriate $600 million for DHHL mainly to develop more homestead lots three years after lawmakers appropriated $600 million for the same purpose in a historic move to reduce a waitlist of nearly 30, 000 homestead applicants. 'Let's put some pressure on our state legislators, ' kumu hula Vicky Holt Takamine said at the Capitol rotunda shortly after the rally began at 9 a.m. 'Let's figure out how we can influence our legislators to make the right decisions. … Every two years is an election.' The funding legislation, House Bill 606, is a top priority of the 13-member bipartisan House Native Hawaiian Affairs Caucus, and passed the full House of Representatives in a 48-1 vote on March 4 after an initial House committee changed the appropriation amount to an unspecified sum, as is common for many appropriation bills early in the legislative session. 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. HB 606 ran into resistance last week when two Senate committees advanced the bill further but also requested in a side note that the next Senate committee in line to review the measure consider inserting $50 million for the appropriation sum. The Senate committees on Housing and Hawaiian Affairs made the request in committee reports as part of advancing HB 606 on March 18 after a contentious March 11 public hearing. During the hearing, a few DHHL beneficiaries and a former Hawaiian Homes Commission member opposed the funding bill over what they characterized as deficient use or accounting of the $600 million appropriation made in 2022 via Act 279. 'Where is our money going ?' Patty Kahanamoku-Teruya, a former com missioner, asked at the hearing. Sen. Samantha DeCorte, a Senate Hawaiian Affairs Committee member, questioned whether DHHL was making good use of the 2022 appropriation based on a shifting and wide-ranging number of beneficiaries who DHHL estimates will receive lot leases due to Act 279. 'The department has not proven themselves to be fiscally responsible to do the job of Act 279, ' DeCorte (R, Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha ) said during the hearing. Sen. Troy Hashimoto, Senate Housing Committee vice chair, said it's been hard to track DHHL's use of Act 279 funding because of repeated changes to an initial strategic plan approved by the commission. 'Things aren't adding up, ' Hashimoto (D, Wailuku-Kahului-Waihee ) said during the hearing. Sen. Kurt Fevella, a Housing Committee member who supports $600 million in added funding, said during the hearing that it pained his heart to see Hawaiians opposing Hawaiians over HB 606. 'The only people that are losing right now is the Hawaiians, ' said Fevella (R, Ewa Beach-Ocean Pointe-Iroquois Point ). During Tuesday's rally Fevella gave two impassioned speeches urging more Hawaiians to vote and to unite behind giving DHHL another $600 million to produce more homesteads. 'We need to make our people strong, and we need to get back to the aina (land ), ' he said. 'We got to stop tearing each other down in committee hearings.' Later, Fevella added, 'We need to rally my colleagues in the House and the Senate to do what is right.' Rep. Daniel Holt, co-chair of the House Native Hawaiian Affairs Caucus, said DHHL has shown that it can dramatically expand homestead lot development, and told rally attendees to keep up pressure on the Legislature to pass HB 606 with a $600 million appropriation by submitting testimony on the bill. 'This bill is very important, ' said Holt (D, Sand Island-Iwilei-Chinatown ). Val Kekawa, a DHHL beneficiary on the agency's waitlist since 1973, said more support for HB 606 from Hawaiians is needed to obtain land that is owed to them. Kekawa suggested that lawmakers need to know what rally participants want. 'I need to make this very loud and clear, ' she said, gesturing to the upper floors of the Capitol overlooking the rotunda. 'What's up there needs to come down, and what's down here needs to go up.' The homestead program, administered by the state since 1959, aims to return Native Hawaiians to their ancestral lands after the U.S. annexed the islands. The program offers residential, agricultural or pastoral land leases to DHHL beneficiaries, who must be at least 50 % Hawaiian. Lot leases cost $1 a year, and beneficiaries must pay for or build their own homes. Over the past century, about 10, 000 homesteads have been created, or 100 per year on average, largely due to meager funding and a large land base not well suited for residential development. At least 2, 100 DHHL beneficiaries have died while on the agency's waitlist, which recently reached 29, 543 applicants. DHHL Director Kali Watson said the agency has 29 projects progressing under the 2022 appropriation that should result in more than 3, 000 homestead leases but that it will take $6 billion to provide homesteads for everyone on the waitlist. 'The need is very, very great, ' he said at the rally. 'When you talk about $600 million, it's a step in the right direction, but it is not enough.' Rep. Mahina Poepoe, lead introducer of HB 606, said a second $600 million appropriation represents an obligation that has been too long delayed. 'This funding is not a gift, ' said Poepoe (D, Molokai-Lanai-Hana ). 'It's a payment on a long-overdue debt.' Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, said a rally to support DHHL funding shouldn't be necessary. 'The state is not fulfilling its constitutional obligation to Native Hawaiians, ' he said. 'That's the bottom line. … I'm tired of coming over here and asking for what we should already be given, what is due to us as Native Hawaiians.' The rally also had a mix of entertainment and advocacy that included veteran radio personalities Lina Girl and Davey D serving as emcees. Jonathan Osorio, dean of the Hawai 'inuiakea School of Hawaiian Knowledge at the University of Hawaii, sang two songs, including 'Ka Hulina Au, ' about a turning time that could apply to the present. HB 606 is referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, which has yet to schedule the bill for consideration and possible advancement to the full Senate.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whoa, plead Democrats, as GOP supermajority pushes through bill makeovers in session's final days
Rep. Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, lays out concerns the minority of House Democrats have about bills being changed and then fast-tracked through the legislature. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT — With few days left for Kentucky Republicans to veto proof their bills, Democrats say the supermajority is railroading through changes to legislation without giving lawmakers or the public time to consider the issues or consequences. 'It's unfortunately become a common theme, but it's become much worse this session,' said Rep. Lindsey, Burke, D-Lexington. 'We want Kentuckians to know that we reject this approach to governance, and we're fighting for your right to simply know what your government is doing and to be able to voice your support or your concern.' Burke spoke at a press conference called by House Democrats before the chambers convened Wednesday afternoon. She pointed to HB 775 — a 'shell bill' that in a day's time ballooned from four to 107 pages proposing sweeping changes to state tax laws — as an example of 'an appalling lack of transparency.' Republicans rebuked the Democratic criticisms. 'We are in session for 30 days. This is day 26. The time is ticking,' said House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, speaking on the House floor. 'I hear people complain about the process. 'Oh, it's being rushed,'' Rudy said. 'That's usually though when they just don't like the results of what it is we're doing. Time and time again, I've seen this body suspend the rules because, the process, we have to.' On both ends of the Capitol Tuesday and Wednesday, Democrats sought to table bills, saying a pause would provide more time for study and consideration of what the bills would do. In the Senate, Democratic Caucus Chair Reggie Thomas, of Lexington, attempted to get support for motions to table two Republican bills updated in Senate Committees hours earlier — House Bill 2, which would allow Kentuckians to sue the governor over taxes paid on gold and silver bullion, and House Bill 606, which deals with reporting requirements for some revenue bonds. But his motions failed in the GOP-controlled chamber. Thomas argued the House bills could be heard on the floor Thursday, allowing time for stakeholders to review the new legislation. Thomas renewed his party's criticism of the Republicans' rules packages adopted at the start of the session in January. At the time, Democrats in both chambers argued the rules would stifle debate and limit their constituents' voices. 'I have said from the beginning of the session that I think your system is flawed,' Thomas said. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, also chided Republicans for pushing the bills through quickly. She said before voting on HB 606, she 'did not get a chance to' review the changes before coming to the floor. The Senate committee substitute for HB 606 added various appropriations, including for development projects across the state. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, staunchly defended the Senate addition to House Bill 2, which was made in his Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Wednesday morning to add a delay in state income tax filings for Kentuckians and businesses affected by recent statewide floods. 'Now I'm not sure today why we are so obsessed with money that those who are most disadvantaged currently in our commonwealth enjoy the scorn of the minority party in this chamber,' McDaniel said. 'But here we are.' Meanwhile, in the House Democrats tried to get Republicans to table HB 775, what initially began as a shell bill and was replaced with a 107-page committee substitute that includes changes to the state's tax laws to make it easier for lawmakers to incrementally lower the state's income tax rate in the future. Several times as hastily approved committee substitutes to bills were being debated on the House floor, Democrats brought up complaints about the process which they said failed to provide enough time to understand the bills and the lack of public notice. During the debate on a bill to regulate hemp-derived beverages — which was changed Wednesday morning for the second time within the last 10 days via a committee substitute — Rep. Anne Donworth, D-Lexington, questioned the timeframe for unveiling a committee substitute Tuesday evening and then voting on it in committee Wednesday morning. 'We had a nine o'clock committee meeting. That bill sub still was not available online at the time of the vote' in the House Licensing and Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee, Donworth said. 'So people were still not able to see what it is that we were considering.' Laura Leigh Goins, a spokesperson for the House GOP caucus, in a statement said the body has 'made great strides to ensure transparency and operates within the rules of the chamber and the legislative process.' 'Claims to the contrary are nothing short of political grandstanding and always seem to accompany votes on issues the minority opposes,' Goins said. House Majority Whip Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, during a panel discussion Tuesday evening in Frankfort hosted by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, said the legislature is operating transparently. But he voiced support for publicly posting committee substitutes for bills at the time they're provided to lawmakers, usually the day before being heard in committee. Minority Floor Leader Rep. Pamela Stevenson during the Wednesday press conference that she and Rudy had agreed to meet after the end of this year's session to discuss how to make a 'more transparent' process for moving bills. Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Al Gentry, D-Louisville, said Democrats are raising concerns to try to ensure that stakeholders and the public understand how fast-moving bills are changing. That way, he said, the need to 'clean up bills' passed in succeeding sessions could be averted. Without input from Kentuckians who stand to be harmed by legislation, Gentry said, 'there's no way to fix a bill.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Whoa, plead Democrats, as GOP supermajority pushes through bill makeovers in session's final days
Rep. Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, lays out concerns the minority of House Democrats have about bills being changed and then fast-tracked through the legislature. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer) FRANKFORT — With few days left for Kentucky Republicans to veto proof their bills, Democrats say the supermajority is railroading through changes to legislation without giving lawmakers or the public time to consider the issues or consequences. 'It's unfortunately become a common theme, but it's become much worse this session,' said Rep. Lindsey, Burke, D-Lexington. 'We want Kentuckians to know that we reject this approach to governance, and we're fighting for your right to simply know what your government is doing and to be able to voice your support or your concern.' Burke spoke at a press conference called by House Democrats before the chambers convened Wednesday afternoon. She pointed to HB 775 — a 'shell bill' that in a day's time ballooned from four to 107 pages proposing sweeping changes to state tax laws — as an example of 'an appalling lack of transparency.' Republicans rebuked the Democratic criticisms. 'We are in session for 30 days. This is day 26. The time is ticking,' said House Majority Floor Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, speaking on the House floor. 'I hear people complain about the process. 'Oh, it's being rushed,'' Rudy said. 'That's usually though when they just don't like the results of what it is we're doing. Time and time again, I've seen this body suspend the rules because, the process, we have to.' On both ends of the Capitol Tuesday and Wednesday, Democrats sought to table bills, saying a pause would provide more time for study and consideration of what the bills would do. In the Senate, Democratic Caucus Chair Reggie Thomas, of Lexington, attempted to get support for motions to table two Republican bills updated in Senate Committees hours earlier — House Bill 2, which would allow Kentuckians to sue the governor over taxes paid on gold and silver bullion, and House Bill 606, which deals with reporting requirements for some revenue bonds. But his motions failed in the GOP-controlled chamber. Thomas argued the House bills could be heard on the floor Thursday, allowing time for stakeholders to review the new legislation. Thomas renewed his party's criticism of the Republicans' rules packages adopted at the start of the session in January. At the time, Democrats in both chambers argued the rules would stifle debate and limit their constituents' voices. 'I have said from the beginning of the session that I think your system is flawed,' Thomas said. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, also chided Republicans for pushing the bills through quickly. She said before voting on HB 606, she 'did not get a chance to' review the changes before coming to the floor. The Senate committee substitute for HB 606 added various appropriations, including for development projects across the state. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ryland Heights, staunchly defended the Senate addition to House Bill 2, which was made in his Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee Wednesday morning to add a delay in state income tax filings for Kentuckians and businesses affected by recent statewide floods. 'Now I'm not sure today why we are so obsessed with money that those who are most disadvantaged currently in our commonwealth enjoy the scorn of the minority party in this chamber,' McDaniel said. 'But here we are.' Meanwhile, in the House Democrats tried to get Republicans to table HB 775, what initially began as a shell bill and was replaced with a 107-page committee substitute that includes changes to the state's tax laws to make it easier for lawmakers to incrementally lower the state's income tax rate in the future. Several times as hastily approved committee substitutes to bills were being debated on the House floor, Democrats brought up complaints about the process which they said failed to provide enough time to understand the bills and the lack of public notice. During the debate on a bill to regulate hemp-derived beverages — which was changed Wednesday morning for the second time within the last 10 days via a committee substitute — Rep. Anne Donworth, D-Lexington, questioned the timeframe for unveiling a committee substitute Tuesday evening and then voting on it in committee Wednesday morning. 'We had a nine o'clock committee meeting. That bill sub still was not available online at the time of the vote' in the House Licensing and Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee, Donworth said. 'So people were still not able to see what it is that we were considering.' Laura Leigh Goins, a spokesperson for the House GOP caucus, in a statement said the body has 'made great strides to ensure transparency and operates within the rules of the chamber and the legislative process.' 'Claims to the contrary are nothing short of political grandstanding and always seem to accompany votes on issues the minority opposes,' Goins said. House Majority Whip Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, during a panel discussion Tuesday evening in Frankfort hosted by the Bluegrass Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, said the legislature is operating transparently. But he voiced support for publicly posting committee substitutes for bills at the time they're provided to lawmakers, usually the day before being heard in committee. Minority Floor Leader Rep. Pamela Stevenson during the Wednesday press conference that she and Rudy had agreed to meet after the end of this year's session to discuss how to make a 'more transparent' process for moving bills. Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Al Gentry, D-Louisville, said Democrats are raising concerns to try to ensure that stakeholders and the public understand how fast-moving bills are changing. That way, he said, the need to 'clean up bills' passed in succeeding sessions could be averted. Without input from Kentuckians who stand to be harmed by legislation, Gentry said, 'there's no way to fix a bill.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
