Department of Hawaiian Home Lands

Aloha kākou:

Today, April 11, marked the beginning of the Legislature’s conference committee on the State’s budget. The conference committee is made up of all the members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Finance Committee, and this is the time the final budget decisions will be made.

In the House version of the budget, $10 million in General Funds have been proposed for DHHL’s operating and administrative costs; the Senate is proposing $9.6 million in General Funds for the same costs. These proposed amounts are much less than the $14.7 million requested in the Governor’s Executive Budget, and the $25.1 million requested by DHHL in order for it to operate efficiently.

Another issue that we need to address in this budget is funding for repair and maintenance of our existing infrastructure (including streets and sewers) statewide. DHHL submitted a request earlier this week for $10 million in CIP (capital improvement projects) funds for these repairs.

This is the critical point in the legislative session when we need all hands on deck. We are asking you, your ʻohana, your neighbors, and your friends to call or e-mail your state Senator and Representative to ask for:

• A reconsideration of General Funds that better reflects the $14.7 million requested in the Governor’s Executive Budget for DHHL
• $10 million in CIP for repair and maintenance of existing infrastructure statewide

Your call is especially critical if your Senator or Representative is a member of the conference committee. This conference committee will meet again tomorrow afternoon at 2:30 p.m., so please call or e-mail your legislators today!

Mahalo nui for your support.

P.S. In case you misplaced the contact list we shared during the Nelson Case meetings, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to download the Legislator contact list for your respective island.