Lingle restores
$400,000 for hospitalAbout $3.4 million in other cuts
to social services will remain
Gov. Linda Lingle restored $400,000 in funding for Kahuku Hospital yesterday but left intact about $3.4 million in other health and human services cuts she planned to make.
A week ago, Lingle detailed her line-item vetoes, including the Kahuku cuts. But as she departed for a week-long tourism blitz in Japan, her office announced she approved the increase to Kahuku's budget.
"I was impressed with the attitude and thinking of the hospital's new administration," Lingle said in a statement. "I like the disciplined way that they are resolving certain problems they inherited. And I also like the tangible ways the North Shore community is supporting the hospital."
Russell Pang, a spokesman for the governor, said Lingle and hospital officials had discussed her intention to veto.
"They provided some additional information regarding some cost items that the hospital was facing that were beyond their control," Pang said.
Among the cost increases, Lingle's office said, is a fourfold increase in the hospital's malpractice insurance premium.
Despite the good news for Kahuku, other nonprofits still may see big budget cuts, including $200,000 for the Sex Abuse Treatment Center, $200,000 for the Na Keiki Law Center and $43,000 for services to the blind.
Democratic majority leaders have said they have enough votes to override the cuts to nonprofit health and social service agencies if the Legislature meets in special session Tuesday.
Tomorrow, House and Senate leaders may make a formal announcement about holding the session to override at least three of the governor's vetoes.
Majority Democrats from both sides met last week to finalize plans for the override session but delayed an announcement as some House members sought support to add a fourth bill to the agenda.
That measure would restore binding arbitration instead of strikes as the ultimate solution to labor disputes involving state and county white-collar workers.
The others bills that may be taken up would have the state auditor do the routine financial audits of state departments and prohibit restrictions on farming activities on agriculture lands developed as so-called "gentlemen's estates."