Hawaii Legislature Agrees To Defer Pay Raises Ahead Of Final Votes…Some of Hawaii’s public workers unions also tentatively agreed to forgo raises this year as lawmakers, Gov. David Ige’s cabinet and state judges do the same.
State lawmakers set the stage Friday for a vote to hold off on pay raises for themselves as well as members of Gov. David Ige’s Cabinet and judges after a year that saw business closures and record high levels of unemployment in Hawaii due to the pandemic.
The House and Senate also reached preliminary agreement on scores of bills to raise taxes on tourists, fund a prison oversight commission, expand voter access, limit the governor’s emergency powers and pay for government retiree health benefits.
The Legislature will convene next week for final floor votes on all those proposals and more before adjourning the 2021 session on Thursday.
