LIHUE — Early education and transportation infrastructure improvements were some of the main achievements of Kauai’s delegation at this year’s Legislature, according to state lawmakers. “We passed some legislation that is way meaningful for Kauai,” said Rep. Derek Kawakami, D-Kapaa-Haena.
LIHUE — Early education and transportation infrastructure improvements were some of the main achievements of Kauai’s delegation at this year’s Legislature, according to state lawmakers.
“We passed some legislation that is way meaningful for Kauai,” said Rep. Derek Kawakami, D-Kapaa-Haena. “I think one of the biggest things we tackled besides the budget … we addressed early education in Hawaii.”
Kawakami, along with Senate Vice President Ron Kouchi and Rep. Jimmy Tokioka, D-Wailua-Lihue, briefed the Lihue Business Association on the last legislative session, during a breakfast Thursday at Duke’s Restaurant in Kalapaki.
Kawakami said there was some opposition to a proposal to use public money to fund private preschools, but there is no infrastructure for a state early education program in Hawaii.
“Part of our goal is not to short-change our children, because as they go out in the real world, they’re competing not only nationally, but globally,” Kawakami said.
Kouchi said the original request to start a preschool program was for about $26 million, and there were many questions regarding measurables for that kind of investment. But the Hawaii Constitution doesn’t allow state money to be used for private education, he said.
“So there was no way that we could create an education program that could have measurables and be in compliance with the state constitution,” Kouchi said.
As the Legislature progressed, it was determined there was $6 million in an existing need-based program at the state Department of Human Services, where families could apply for assistance to enroll children in private preschools, he said.
The Legislature then approved a constitutional amendment question to be put into next election ballots, he said, asking voters if they think it’s appropriate for the state to spend tax dollars for private preschool opportunities.
“The reason we’re asking this question is, we don’t have enough space today to house pre-K in each one of our public schools,” Kouchi said.
Ag and children
Tokioka said there isn’t much interest among children ages 9 to 12 for a career in agriculture. Whenever Tokioka goes to a “Read to Me” program in the state, he said the first question he asks children is what do they want to be when they grow up.
“I have never gone to a classroom where a child had said, ‘I want to be a farmer,’” he said. “And when I talk to their parents, they don’t want their kids to be farmers, and that’s sad.”
So when farmers Jerry Ornellas and Roy Oyama come to the Legislature to lobby for farmers, Tokioka said he wants to do everything he can to support agricultural.
“We have so much ag land, but we need help from the communities,” Tokioka said. “We look to Jerry and I look to Roy to get some of this feedback on what we need to do to make it right for Kauai.”
Kouchi said lawmakers are hoping is to support ag projects in schools, and have what is grown in the schools be served with lunch in the cafeterias.
“We continue to work toward that end, we have a little more latitude with the charter schools,” he said.
Highways
Regarding state highways, Tokioka said that about seven years ago, the cost of asphalt was exceeding the cost of concrete.
“We can keep banging our heads on the wall and asking ourselves, ‘why do we have to keep paving these roads,’ because when the water reaches into the asphalt, it creates potholes,” he said.
So a big push since then has been for highways to be built with concrete, Tokioka said.
“Just for the Lihue Bridge alone, it’s $40 million for one part of the project, and $40 million on the other side of the project,” he said.
Kawakami said new highway construction takes into account complete streets to accommodate bicyclists. He also reminded people that Tokioka successfully pushed years ago for the speed limit at the Wailua-to-Hanamaulu portion of Kuhio Highway to be dropped to 40 mph from 50 mph.
Kauai’s delegation also went through monies for Mana Drag Strip, Kilauea School, North Shore’s Waipa project, grants to Hale Opio, YWCA and to the Hawaiian Islands Land Trust, regarding a study for Coco Palms.
Kouchi said the Legislature removed a cap on charitable donations, and the bill is on the governor’s desk for his signature.
“We certainly and fully expect the governor to sign it and hopefully the nonprofits will see an even better contribution,” he said.
