Latest news with #HouseBill504
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hotel, cruise ship tax hike aims to reduce wildfire, climate risk
Tourists would collectively pay millions of dollars more each year to stay in Hawaii hotels and on cruise ships to help the state address climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires under a bill approved Tuesday by the full House. The latest version of Senate Bill 1396 offers no specific recommendation for how much Hawaii's transient accommodations tax would raise, an issue that likely will be resolved in a joint House-Senate conference committee in the final days of the legislative session before its scheduled adjournment May 2. But each 1 % increase in the room tax for hotel nights has been projected to generate another $80 million annually, with another $24 million coming from passenger stays aboard cruise ships. On Tuesday the full Senate also approved its amendments to the latest version of House Bill 504 that would charge ship passengers a monthly tax of $20 per passenger per port entry for 'environmental stewardship.' Both the increased TAT and monthly ship tax would begin on Jan. 1, 2027. Gov. Josh Green previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that increasing the TAT another 1 % would cost tourists an additional $5 to $8 per night. 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. Local residents also would have to pay for a higher TAT for staying on another island. But Green has said they would pay only an additional $6 per night for what he called a typical $300 kama aina room rate. Green had proposed using all of the $60 million or so in annual interest on the state's billion-dollar rainy day fund to address climate change. But companion bills to dedicate the interest on the rainy day fund—HB 1076 and SB 1395—have failed this legislative session. In written testimony this month, the governor's office said it recommends increasing the TAT by 1 %—or to 11.25 % from 10.25 %. The increase would generate $90 million in additional revenue for fiscal year 2027, which would rise to $100 million for fiscal year 2030, Green's office said. He proposed that 40 % of the revenue go to 'environmental stewardship, 40 % to climate and hazard mitigation, and 20 % to sustainable tourism.' Various ideas to pay for climate change have been proposed in the past three legislative sessions, with some of them considered unconstitutional for imposing different laws on local residents compared with visitors from other U.S. states. Other climate change funding bills that died this session included House and Senate companion bills HB 1139 and SB 1458. They would have allowed the state Department of Land and Natural Resources to charge a fee for a visitor 'environmental stewardship license ' that would have funded nonprofit organizations to protect, restore and manage Hawaii's and cultural resources. Green originally proposed raising tourism fees to pay for climate change and reduce the risk of wildfires three years ago in his first year in office. The concept generated several ideas that all died. But reducing the risk of future wildfires took on more urgency in 2024 in the aftermath of the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, which killed 102 people and decimated Lahaina, leading to a proposed $4 billion settlement to be paid by defendants including the state, Maui County and Hawaiian Electric. Green has said reducing Hawaii's risk of future wildfires also will lower insurance rates. The debate over whether to pay for climate change by increasing the hotel tax played out Tuesday on the House floor. In each of the past three legislative sessions, Hawaii's tourism industry has pushed back against increasing the cost to visit Hawaii. State Rep. Garner Shimizu (R, Moanalua-Aliamanu-Foster Village ) told his House colleagues that he fears Hawaii may be 'reaching a breaking point in our price point ' that could lead tourists to visit someplace else. But, like others, Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki )—chair of the House Tourism Committee—said the state needs to protect 'Hawaii's natural beauty ' for future generations and to ensure its reputation as a desirable tourist destination. Rep. Darius Kila (D, Nanakuli-Mail ) called charging cruise ship passengers to also pay for climate change 'the most smartest thing we have ever done.' Kila, who chairs the House Transportation Committee, said cruise ship passengers also affect Hawaii's ecosystem by using roads, trails and other natural features. If SB 1396 clears the Legislature and becomes law, DLNR would use the additional revenue for the 'protection, management, and restoration of the State's natural resources as well as for environmental stewardship, climate and hazard mitigation, and sustainable tourism, ' according to the bill.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Blueprint' gets a trim after session that threatened major cuts
Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), right, responds to a question from House Minority Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) Monday on the Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) It was one of the first issues to surface this year, and one of the last to be resolved, but lawmakers Monday approved compromise legislation to trim the Blueprint for Maryland's Future while keeping much of the multiyear plan intact. The Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act passed Monday evening on largely party-line votes in the House and Senate. It delays implementation of 'collaborative time,' preserves funding for community schools and protects students in poverty, those in special education and those in classes for non-English speakers from any potential per pupil funding cuts. 'These are the students who really need help with the Blueprint. There is no pause, cut in funding whatsoever,' said Del. Ben Barnes (D-Prince George's and Anne Arundel), chair of the Appropriations Committee who helped navigate the agreement through a conference committee between chambers last week. The House voted 101-38 for House Bill 504 on Monday afternoon, and the Senate give the bill final approval a few hours later, on a 34-13 vote. The final product struck a balance between the plan put forth by Gov. Wes Moore (D) in January, when the state was in the first throes of its fight to close a $3 billion budget gap for fiscal 2026, and a less-severe package proposed by House. One major part of the agreement Monday deals with the implementation of 'collaborative time,' which provides teachers more out-of-classroom time to plan and work with each other on various subjects and also assess student achievement. School systems are supposed to start implementing collaborative time next year. House, Senate ratify budget compromise on final day The Moore administration had proposed a four-year delay in the start of collaborative time, both for the savings and for practical reasons. State school leaders have said that to fully implement collaborative time, the state would need at least 12,000 teachers at a time when the state faces a teacher shortage. The House wanted to keep next year's implementation date. The House and Senate ultimately agreed to pause the policy requirement for collaborative time for three years, but keep the funding amount at $163 per student for next fiscal year. It would stay at that level until fiscal 2029, when it would jump to $334 per student. Barnes said Monday evening that keeping the collaborative time funding for next fiscal year but deferring implementation should help local school leaders as they work on budgets for next school year. Local school officials have continuously sought more flexibility in the implementation of the Blueprint, now in its third year. Another compromise deals with the Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports, a part of the Blueprint plan that deals with mental health, behavioral and other wraparound services for students. The governor proposed $130 million for fiscal 2026, but the House proposed cutting it to $40 million a year. The Senate held out for $70 million next year and $100 million a year thereafter, which was approved in the final bill. Another provision dealt with community schools, which are buildings that receive concentration-of-poverty grants based on students who receive free and reduced-price meals. One key priority the House was able to secure deals with any funds retained at a school system's central office, money 'must be used solely to support implementation at the school level.' Paul Lemle, president of the state Maryland State Education Association, released a statement after the passage of the bill that gave it a mixed review. 'While there is a delay to increased funding dedicated for collaborative time implementation, the final bill is a significant improvement over where this conversation began in January,' Lemle said 'We were able to avoid the near-immediate, outsized cuts to expected funding for students in poverty and multilingual learners, in particular, and we protected the critical expansion of community schools and supports for students in concentrated poverty,' his statement said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Montana bison producers could get boost under new proposal
There are about 9,600 bison being raised commercially in Montana (NPS / Jacob W. Frank) If a bear kills a cow, a rancher will get paid if it's proven a predator did the deed. The Livestock Loss Board handles those claims. However, a small — but growing — number of bison producers don't have access to the same system and can't file claims over animals that have been killed by predators. Llamas and chickens get paid out, so why not bison? With House Bill 504, Rep. Eric Tilleman, R-Cascade, wants to add them to a list of animals included in the livestock loss mitigation program, extending the protection to approximately 9,600 bison being raised for food in Montana. 'This is just expanding the livestock laws and adding domestic bison,' Tilleman said. The bill received a hearing in the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday afternoon. The committee did not take immediate action on the bill, but at least one bison rancher said it would help a growing sector of food production in the state. 'It's more about the principal than it is the funds,' Ty Stubblefield, who has 100 bison on a ranch near Bridger, said in an interview. 'Though they do help for a small operation.' Stubblefield was in Helena representing the Montana Bison Association, joking he made the four-hour drive to give three minutes of testimony. He did answer several questions from the committee as the only bison rancher in the room. He's got about 200 acres and has slowly been building his business. Several years ago, Stubblefield had to put down a bison that had its Achilles tendon severed by a predator. 'That sent me down this path that we are on today,' said Stubblefield, who testified in favor of the bill. 'I discovered how difficult it is, number one, to prove that it was actually a bear that attacked your animal, but number two, that bison were the only livestock animals that are not represented on the livestock loss.' A fiscal note attached to the bill showed no impact to the budget, as it's not common for bison producers to have their animals killed by predators. It does happen, but USDA Wildlife Services has only responded to three bison incidents in the last five years in Montana. While the number is not huge, it's about fairness, Stubblefield said. 'We're managed just as cattle are,' Stubblefield said in an interview. 'We're under the same rules and regulations.' The Livestock Loss Mitigation Board is allocated $450,000 per year to pay out claims. Over the last six years, the board averages about $250,000 in payouts each year and 292 claims, according to the bill's fiscal note. The livestock board pays out claims for farm and ranch animals killed by wolves, grizzly bears and mountain lions. Bison claims are estimated to be about $3,600 per animal, while the five-year average for cattle claim payouts is $1,800. The industry is growing, according to the National Bison Association. Stubblefield is seeing it himself. 'I can think of, off the top of my head, like five new producers that did what we did and started from scratch,' Stubblefield said. 'It's a growing thing.'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teachers' union lobbies lawmakers to fully fund Blueprint, among legislative priorities
Joseph Mahach, left, and Todd Reynolds wait for other American Federation of Teachers Maryland members inside the House of Delegates building to lobby legislators about the group's legislative priorities for the 2025 session. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters) Ninth-grade math teacher Joseph Mahach has a simple message for Maryland lawmakers: Fully fund the Blueprint for Maryland's Future. The Baltimore City teacher joined dozens of fellow American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Maryland members Monday at their annual lobby night in Annapolis, where their main objective was to persuade lawmakers to stay the course and keep the 10-year education reform plan intact. But that plan is facing pushback on several fronts as the Moore administration and some legislative leaders look for ways to close a projected $3 billion budget gap in fiscal 2026. Among other changes, an administration bill introduced last week would slow the increase in expected per pupil funding and would defer the expansion of 'collaborative time,' or the time teachers have outside class for other schoolwork. 'We came up with a plan, and now we're saying, 'Man, never mind. We're not gonna pay for it.' So, it seems a little backward,' Mahach said Monday inside the House of Delegates building. 'I teach three classes out of a four-period day, [so] increased planning time would be huge for me. It's a big, big deal.' Amid teacher shortage, Blueprint board recommends revising 'collaborative time' timeline Part of what Mahach and other educators have expressed concern over is the plan by Gov. Wes Moore (D) in his 'Excellence in Maryland Public Schools Act,' to defer state funding aimed at helping local school systems implement collaborative time for their teachers. That money would be used by local schools to hire the extra teachers needed to make possible the increase in collaborative time — from 20% of a teacher's day to 40% over eight years. The Blueprint currently calls for collaborative time funding to being in fiscal 2026 at $163 per student, growing annually until it reaches $1,527 per pupil by fiscal 2033. Moore's bill would keep the funding levels the same, but delay them for four years, with implementation starting in fiscal 2030 and running through fiscal 2037. While there is a pause in the per pupil funding, Senate Bill 429/House Bill 504 also includes language that would let local school officials apply for a Collaborative Time Innovation Demonstration Grant. Instead of granting the collaborative time funding outright, the four-year, $48 million grant program — from fiscal 2026 through fiscal 2029 — would allow local schools leaders to apply to the state Department of Education for grants that could be used for professional development, to hire additional staff to 'support teacher release time' and other uses approved by the department. One reason some advocates have agreed to the deferral of the collaborative time plan is the fact that it would require thousands of additional teachers at a time when state schools face a teacher shortage. It has been estimated that up to 15,000 more teachers would be needed to expand collaborative time for next school year, and that number does not account for the 6,000 current teachers who are working on a conditional certification. Because of the teacher shortage, the Accountability and Implementation Board (AIB), the group in charge of overseeing the Blueprint plan, voted unanimously this month to recommend a pause to implement collaborative time. With the inclusion of the Collaborative Time Innovation Demonstration Grant, a pause in implementing collaborative time has also won the support of State Superintendent Carey Wright and state Board of Education President Joshua Michael. But where some officials see a deferral, advocates like AFT Maryland President Kenya Campbell sees only cuts to education. 'We're already behind the eight ball,' Campbell said. 'Making cuts to the Blueprint is unacceptable.' Campbell had a budget recommendation for legislators looking to make cuts: She said they should target the Broadening Opportunities for Options and Opportunities for Students Today, or BOOST, program. The governor's budget keeps $9 million toward the program that allows low-income students attend private schools. That same amount was allocated last school year for nearly 3,000 students to receive scholarship awards at 175 schools. 'I believe in public education,' said Campbell, a former elementary teacher and teacher mentor. 'We're taking from public education and putting it into private settings, settings where kids are screened on whether or not they can get into those settings.' Meanwhile, the AFT has other legislative priorities that includes its members who work in higher education. It supports HB 661 sponsored by Del. Linda Foley (D-Montgomery), which would allow for full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty at the 12 institutions in the University System of Maryland, St. Mary's College and Morgan State University to collectively bargain. Foley has a companion bill – HB 211 – that would also allow graduate assistants and postdoctoral associates to also collectively bargain. 'It's really enabling legislation for the workers,' Foley said. 'It's up to them [workers] to decide if they want a union, but they should be able to decide to have a union if they want one.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
