Senate panel OKs
Hawaii fundsMoney for isle projects must
still clear other legislative hurdles
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed a series of bills this week providing a total of $335 million to Hawaii for a variety of programs, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye announced this week.
The bills still must be approved by the Senate, be considered by Senate-House conference committees and signed by President Bush before they take effect.
One bill, providing $73 million for Hawaii, was approved unanimously by the Senate Appropriations Committee. It provides funding for the Commerce, Justice, State departments and the Judiciary.
A major portion of the funding will go toward expanding Hawaii County's Comprehensive Methamphetamine Response Program, including drug treatment programs on the Big Island. Other funds in the same bill will go toward expansion of the Honolulu Police Department's Crime Lab, which serves all police departments in the state.
The bill also includes funding for coral reef mapping and sea turtle protection.
A second bill that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee provides funding for the Treasury and Transportation departments and general government. Hawaii would receive $168 million for road improvements and $2.5 million for a joint federal-state-local program to combat drugs.
Also included is $15 million for ferry projects between Maui and Lanai and Molokai. The bill provides $21 million to replace older buses in Hawaii and $5 million for added rural bus service on the neighbor islands.
Another $21 million for Hawaii is contained in a feed bill for the Veterans Affairs and Housing & Urban Development departments and independent agencies, which was also passed unanimously by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
More than half -- $11 million -- will go to the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for housing assistance.
