STAND. COM. REP. NO. 533

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1580

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1580 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO EDUCATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to propose amendments to the state constitution to authorize issuance of special purpose revenue bonds and use of proceeds to assist not-for-profit private and sectarian elementary schools, secondary schools, universities and colleges serving the general public and selected in a nondiscriminatory manner on the basis of neutral, secular criteria.

Your Committees heard testimony in support of the measure from the Hawaii Catholic Conference and Hawaii Association of Independent Schools. Testimony in opposition to the measure was provided by the Department of Budget and Finance and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

Your Committees have amended the measure by including new century charter schools, clarifying that the principal, interest, and issuance costs will be borne by the schools.

Recognizing that there are considerable concerns and unresolved issues surrounding this initiative, your Committees have flawed this measure by removing constitutional amendatory language.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1580 and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached here to as S.B. 1580, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Judiciary,

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BRIAN KANNO, Chair

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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair