HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are meeting in committees all day Friday in a final rush to negotiate funding on the remaining bills of the legislative session.
A committee of negotiators has approved a proposal to fund the HI Growth Initiative, Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s plan to spur innovation in Hawaii.
Abercrombie originally requested $20 million for the plan, but the committee voted Friday to set aside $6 million. The proposal would provide resources for budding entrepreneurs to help give their ideas momentum. Lawmakers in each chamber still need to vote on the bill next week.
Several highly publicized initiatives are still in limbo, including the governor’s proposal for a new early childhood education program.
Abercrombie made a new preschool program the centerpiece of his legislative agenda, but lawmakers have been reluctant to fund it, waiting until the last possible day to decide on final figures. Friday is the deadline for approving final versions of all remaining bills before sending them to the House and Senate for final votes.
A committee of negotiators met Friday morning to discuss the preschool proposal but put off voting until the afternoon.
Lawmakers are also negotiating proposals in issues related to tax credits, unfunded liabilities, energy, health care and land development.
Several initiatives that looked promising throughout the session haven’t survived the process of negotiations. Lawmakers killed a proposal to give an income tax credit to teachers for money spent on school supplies. A committee also deferred another proposal that would have included nonresident military members in the state’s process of deciding how many lawmakers should represent each district.
The legislative session is scheduled to end Thursday.
