House Committee on Finance (FIN) - chair: Oshiro, vice chair: Lee

Thursday, February 26, 2009, Conference Room 306

Testifier: Jacqueline Parnell, President, LWV of Hawaii

Click here to view HB1741

Dear Representative Oshiro and Members of the Committee: The League of Women Voters of Hawaii is opposed to this bill. The present allocations of the conveyance tax receipts were not enacted casually. These funds are critical for both affordable housing and land conservation. Although the State may be in tough financial circumstances, this is not the time to make out poorest citizens bear the heaviest burden. We urge you continue to allocate conveyance tax receipts to the rental housing trust fund at the highest level and for the longest period possible. The Land Conservation and Natural Area Reserve Funds are already anticipating 50 to 60 % cutbacks in state funding. All of these funds also leverage other private, local, state and federal funding. Reducing the amount of conveyance tax that goes to these programs is very shortsighted. Thank you for this opportunity to testify.