HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers are plowing through a mountain of bills in advance of a legislative deadline, tackling everything from controlling invasive species to increasing the minimum wage.
HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers are plowing through a mountain of bills in advance of a legislative deadline, tackling everything from controlling invasive species to increasing the minimum wage.
Thursday is the deadline for both chambers to send most bills back to the house of origin. They’re doing most of the work Tuesday so they have ample time to handle amendments. Combined, the House and Senate will consider hundreds of bills.
The House will debate a bill to increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour starting in 2018. Lawmakers in the Senate originally wanted to increase the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, but House members are voting to reduce that amount to $10 an hour.
Bills about early childhood education and salaries of government officials are on the agenda.