Cautious Gov. Ige budget holds back $100 million in proposed spending

Gov. David Ige is taking a cautious approach to the state’s biannual budget, holding back on about $100 million in proposed spending next year in case general fund growth is lower than expected. Meanwhile he’s focused his budget for the 2020 and 2021 fiscal years on increasing affordable housing, addressing homelessness and boosting funding for public education and sustainability initiatives, such as watershed protection — areas that he also focused on during his first term as governor.

Ige has also inserted $125 million in capital improvement funds for a major flood mitigation project for the Ala Wai Canal, a project that carries an overall price tag of $345 million. He’s budgeted $9.2 million in fiscal year 2021 for 139 positions at a new forensic facility at the Hawaii State Hospital, the state’s only mental health hospital, which for years has been plagued by assaults by patients on staff.

Ige also hopes to spend $38.2 million on girls’ locker rooms in high schools across the state. Earlier this month the Hawaii chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the state Department of Education over the lack of girls’ locker room facilities at Campbell High School.

“This has been an inequity that has been highlighted in recent years, and we are committed to making the investments so that we can provide equal opportunity to athletics for all of our students,” said Ige during a Monday press conference in which he unveiled his proposed budget.

Read more: http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/12/18/hawaii-news/cautious-ige-budget-holds-back-100-million-in-proposed-spending/?HSA=edeb4d6b66af79efdec82b1ae59f671fedf84e32