Billion State Budget Advances.

Amidst the weather crisis, the Hawaii House of Representatives just passed a $20.5 billion budget focused on long-term resilience. The plan notably includes a "Green Fee" on hotels and cruise ships, expected to generate $130 million annually for disaster preparedness and environmental protection. It also prioritizes funding for invasive species control and pauses several planned income tax cuts to ensure the state has enough "rainy day" reserves for events like this week’s flooding.

©YovaniBernard