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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
200 |
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TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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RESOLUTION
RElating to the recommendations OF THE SALARY COMMISSION FOR THE TRUSTEES OF THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS.
WHEREAS, the salaries for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustees are designated by law under section 10-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, Trustees' salaries are reviewed every four years by the Salary Commission, and the Commission makes recommendations for adjustments based on their review, pursuant to section 10-9.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and
WHEREAS, a review of the Trustees' salaries was recently performed by the Commission; the recommended salaries become effective on the date of approval (February 18, 2004) unless disapproved by concurrent resolution of the Legislature; and
WHEREAS, the Commission determined that the Trustees' salaries have not been adjusted since 1993 and should be adjusted to accommodate cost-of-living increases for every year starting from 1993; to determine the proper cost-of-living increases, the Commission used data from the Social Security Administration; and
WHEREAS, although the Legislature acknowledges the key role that the trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs play in the lives of Hawaiians and native Hawaiians, providing benefits in education, the economy, and education, and by preserving and protecting the Hawaiian culture for all Hawaii residents, these recommended salary increases come at a time when the State's limited resources are already spread thin just to accommodate the areas of only the highest priorities; and
WHEREAS, it should be pointed out that these recommended increases do not represent just a commitment of one-time appropriations; on the contrary, they represent a permanent increase to the Office of Hawaiian Affair's base budget; and
WHEREAS, accordingly, this Legislature refuses to commit future legislatures to the liability resulting from these annual salary increases without knowing their full impact on future financial plans; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature, therefore, does not believe it to be in the overall public interest to allow the recommendations of the 2004 Commission to become effective; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the House of Representatives concurring, that the recommended salaries submitted by the Salary Commission are disapproved; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Twenty-Second Legislature hereby express their deep thanks and appreciation to the members of the Commission for their hard work on this difficult matter; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and to the Chairperson of the Salary Commission for Members of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
Report Title:
Salary Increases for the Trustees of the Office of