Lingle turns campaign
promises into bills

Among the measures offered
is a tax credit for long-term care

Bottle bill might die before it goes into effect
Aiona working on new prison plans

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By Bruce Dunford
Associated Press

Gov. Linda Lingle has fleshed out her ambitious election campaign promises in 164 administration bills introduced in the House and Senate.

The measures range from making health insurance companies stop putting time limits on coverage of treatments for mental illness to letting voters decide on decentralizing the school system.

Legislature Directory Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

Other measures would withhold pension and health benefits of public employees convicted of corruption and set up commissions to decide salaries for the governor, Cabinet members and judges.

The proposals, most of which were outlined Tuesday in her State of the State address, include a long-term care insurance tax credit, increasing the standard deduction and letting counties impose impact fees on developers to support related highway improvements.

The governor also wants state purchasing to put a preference on Hawaii-produced recycled products, extension of the solar water heating tax credit and moving the state's Coastal Management Program from the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism to the Department of Land & Natural Resources "where it will get the attention that it deserves and that it needs."

Lingle pitched her health care measures, including the "mental health parity" bill to prevent the capping of insurance coverage for mental illness treatments.

"If you suffer from a bipolar disorder ... there is a restriction on how much service you can get, how long you can be treated for that particular illness," she said.