STAND. COM. REP. NO. 37

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 110

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 110 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR ELECTRICITY PAYMENTS FOR JUDICIARY FACILITIES STATEWIDE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this Act is to make an emergency appropriation to appropriate $1,854,425 in general funds to pay for statewide increased electricity payments for fiscal year 2008-2009 for judiciary facilities.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary.

 

     Your Committee finds that high world oil prices have contributed to the shortfall in the Judiciary's budgeted expenses.

Without an emergency appropriation, the Judiciary will have to defer payment on its May and June 2009 electricity bills.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure on the recommendation of the Judiciary to reduce the appropriation to $1,104,497 to reflect the recent drop in fuel prices.  Your Committee notes that employees of the Judiciary are making attempts to reduce electricity costs by removing personal items from their offices and turning off lights and computers when they leave for the day.

 

     Your Committee received information from the Judiciary that the Governor will not recommend passage of an emergency appropriation measure for the Judiciary.  However, your Committee recommends passage of this measure so a vehicle will be available to provide the Judiciary relief, should circumstances warrant the Governor to change her mind.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 110, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 110, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations,

 

		____________________________ BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair