Governor Josh Green, M.D.

GOVERNOR GREEN – STATEMENT ON LEGISLATIVE SESSION

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2023

“In just under 5 months we are already initiating major directional changes for Hawai‘i.  

Based on what was announced by legislative leaders about the budget earlier this week, signature positive results include rebuilding our public education system with a new contract that rewards those who become teachers, more than $60M for kauhale and ‘Ohana Zones to address chronic homelessness, $30M in loan forgiveness to recruit and retain social workers, nurses and physicians for Hawai‘i, a new housing package to accelerate the response to our housing crisis, millions to improve rural hospitals on the Big Island and more than $100M for statewide environmental programs and climate response.

Generational tax reform to help ALICE* families has begun and the legislature approved about half of Green Affordability Plan (GAP Plan) in this first session. There is still work to do on proposals such as the Green Fee and early education (which the Lt. Governor is spearheading), but the seeds have been planted for the coming years. (*Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed)

We filled a Cabinet of 18 directors and more than 20 deputies, losing 3 nominees along the way where we didn’t have a meeting of the minds with the Senate, but this wasn’t altogether unexpected.

Our team authorized $50M of grants-in-aid that had been neglected in 2022 and released more than $300M in capital funding for projects all across Hawai‘i.

We made major progress transferring lands to farmers and ranchers via Act 90 in a very short time and should see growth in agriculture quickly. 

Over the next eight months, we will focus on building multiple kauhale, greenlighting affordable housing developments including $600M for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. We will press the military to drain Red Hill safely and we will begin to implement our new tax policy to help people survive in Hawai‘i. 

With the initial legislative rebuff of HTA we will need to refocus our approach to tourism to avoid major economic harm to Hawai‘i. I have hopes that this will be resolved this weekend. Still, it is a good time to reinvent tourism in our state, with a focus on managing the impact of almost 10M visitors annually. 

Now that we have the final parameters for funding a new Aloha Stadium, we can launch the project and court a partner to build it.

In all, this has been one of the most active periods for government in recent memory and we are grateful to be able to make change for the better in the coming months and years.”

Governor Josh Green, M.D.

Note for journalists: The entire statement above is attributable to Governor Josh Green, M.D.

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Media Contacts:   

Erika Engle
Press Secretary
Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
Cell: (808) 798-6081 ”
Email: [email protected] 

  

Makana McClellan
Director of Communications
Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
Cell: (808) 265-0083
Email: [email protected]