Ka‘ū News Briefs, Saturday, January 25, 2020

Learning to Grow, a program of University of Hawaiʻi, is also the name of an agency, proposed at the Hawaiʻi Legislature this year. It would replace the Executive Office on Early Learning, transferring it from Department of Education to Department of Human Services. See more below. Photo from Learning to Grow.

REAL ECONOMIC BENEFIT FOR WORKING-CLASS FAMILIES and individuals is the aim of eight bills in the 2020 state Senate and House of Representatives' joint legislative package. They were introduced yesterday with details provided:
     HB2541 and SB3102 seek to help working families. The legislation would make the state earned income tax credit refundable and permanent, and increase and amend the refundable food/excise tax credit by basing the amount of the credit on a taxpayer's Hawaiʻi earned income, rather than federal adjusted gross income. The bills would Increase the minimum wage rate to $11 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2021, $12 beginning Jan. 1, 2022, $12.50 beginning Jan. 1, 2023, and $13 beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Read details at HB2541 and SB3102.
     HB2542 and SB3104 relate to land development. They would authorize the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corp. to lease real property for a period not to exceed 99 years for the development of projects that include affordable housing. They would require HHFDC to submit a report to the legislature that identifies all state lands that may be developed for multi-unit dwellings.
     The legislation would authorize issuing $75 million in general obligation bonds, with proceeds used for affordable housing infrastructure in Hawaiʻi County and other counties with a resident population of 500,000 or less. The bills would authorizes a state or county department or agency to petition the appropriate county land use decision-making authority, rather than the Land Use Commission, for a change in the boundary of a district involving land areas between 15 acres and 25 acres where the majority of the development would be for affordable housing. Read the details at HB2542 and SB3104.
     The bills would also authorize the state Historic Preservation Division to delegate responsibility of historic preservation project reviews to the impacted county. The bills would establish the Office of the Housing Ombudsman. The bills would also remove the existing statutory cap on the amount of conveyance tax revenues that are deposited into the rental housing revolving fund each fiscal year.
     HB2543 and SB3101 relate to access to learning. The bills would transfer the Executive Office on Early Learning from the Department of Education to the Department of Human Services and rename it Learning to Grow Agency. The legislation would focus the jurisdiction of the agency to children who are 3 to 4 years old, or who will be eligible for kindergarten within two years, with access to learning through an early learning program by the year 2030. Funding would be appropriated. Read more at HB2543 and SB3101.
     HB2543 and SB3101 would create a School Facilities Agency to be responsible for all public school development, planning, and construction, related to capital improvement projects assigned by the Legislature, Governor, or Board of Education. The bills would transfer statutes pertaining to the Hawaiʻi 3R's and 3T's programs to a new School Facilities Agency statutory subpart. The legislation would place management of school impact fees with the agency. Appropriates funds. Learn more at HB2543 and SB3101.
     The links above also provide a portal for citizens to submit testimony.

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TULSI GABBARD RANKS IN TOP FIVE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE POLLS among Democrat candidates for President, states her campaign staff. Her staff announced today that it calls for CNN to invite Gabbard to one of its televised New Hampshire Town Hall Meetings, since other candidates who rank lower than Gabbard are scheduled.
     On Friday, CNN announced candidates invited for Wednesday, Feb. 4: Former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, businessman Andrew Yang, and businessman Tom Steyer.
     For Thursday, Feb. 6, candidates invited are: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.
     Gabbard's campaign statement says, "Here are the facts: Our campaign in New Hampshire is stronger than ever, and now the establishment media is going to extreme lengths to shut Tulsi out. First they ignore us, then they smear us as Russian assets and bots, and now CNN is flat-out denying Tulsi a New Hampshire Presidential Town Hall despite her polling among the top five in the state."
     The Gabbard campaign message states that those invited include Steyer, "the billionaire spending more than all the other candidates combined on early state ads, and Deval Patrick, both of whom are polling 5-7 points lower than Tulsi."

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Foster Hair Design owner Kady Foster applies highlights to a client's hair.  Foster Hair Design is an Aveda-exclusive salon and retailer. Photo from the Fosters

Rayco Nielsen, 13 years old, gets his hair cut  by Drew Foster. Photo from the Fosters

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