STAND. COM. REP. 863

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: H.B. No. 808

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 808 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE JUDICIARY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide the necessary appropriations and authorizations for the operation of and capital improvements for the Judiciary for fiscal biennium 2003-2005.

The Judiciary, Estate of James Campbell, Interpreter Action Network, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.

In deliberating on this and other bills affecting the State's finances, your Committee seriously considered the impact of lower revenue projections and the possibility of conflict in the Middle East. At the same time, your Committee is aware that across-the-board reductions are being absorbed by all executive departments and, therefore, has taken a conservative approach in developing the Judiciary’s biennium budget.

Your Committee appreciates the efforts of the Judiciary in suggesting areas of its budget that could be reduced:

 

(1) $385,000 for payroll;

(2) $100,761 for per diem judges;

(3) $100,000 for jury pool funding; and

(4) $125,000 for purchases of service.

Your Committee also appreciates that the Judiciary has reduced the number of new biennium budget requests. After examining these suggested reductions and bearing in mind that the Judiciary fulfills a critical role as one of the three branches of state government, your Committee has decided to maintain the Judiciary’s current level of funding.

Disturbing trends in drug use are prevalent in all communities throughout the State, and there has been a corresponding increase in the number of drug-related convictions. Your Committee finds that drug treatment programs are far more cost-effective than incarceration. Traditionally, participants in drug treatment programs have lower recidivism rates compared to incarcerated individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that drug treatment programs are essential services that benefit many and has thus provided funds totaling $574,420 in fiscal year 2003-2004 and $564,220 in fiscal year 2004-2005 for the Juvenile Drug Court program for the First Judicial Circuit.

Mindful that most of the Judiciary’s biennium budget requests are needed and justifiable, your Committee has given careful consideration to all of them. However, your Committee is unable to approve any requests other than for the Juvenile Drug Court at this time. Your Committee will continue to monitor the State's revenues and, depending upon availability of resources, will consider funding additional requests during the conference period.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 808, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 808, H.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

____________________________

DWIGHT Y. TAKAMINE, Chair