Standing Up for West Hawaii at the State Legislature

BY SEN. JOSH GREEN, D-KONA – The 2011 legislative session has come to a close, and I am pleased to report that the legislature has approved over $30 million in funding for West Hawaii to invest in essential projects which will improve healthcare, education, law enforcement, transportation, and renewable energy research in our community, including:

$12 million for construction of a new Kona Judiciary Complex that will make our justice system safer and more efficient for our judges, juries, and police force

$6.8 million for improvements to Kuakini Highway, Queen Kaahumanu Highway, and Kohala Mountain Road

$6 million for improvements to Kona and Kohala Community Hospitals

$3.5 million for NELHA pipeline improvements

$1.5 million for construction and improvements to West Hawaii Explorations Academy
These projects were identified by our community as essential priorities for our district and will create jobs, encourage investment, and stimulate the economy of West Hawaii for years to come.

In addition to standing up for West Hawaii in the legislature, I continue to serve as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health.

I remain committed to doing everything possible to strengthen and improve Hawaii’s healthcare system, expand access to care and insurance, and address public health concerns from pollution, vog, and industrial contamination to childhood obesity and drug abuse.

This session, immediately after the earthquake in Japan and the resulting tsunami and nuclear crisis, I scheduled a series of emergency informational briefings in the Health Committee to keep the public informed of the latest and most accurate information on the potential for radioactive contamination reaching Hawaii.

As Chairman, I insisted that the Department of Health, the EPA, the FDA and other federal agencies provide us with continual updates on any possible impact this disaster might have on the people of Hawaii.

Going forward, I will continue to keep you fully informed of all public health concerns as they develop, and to do whatever is necessary to improve our healthcare system statewide.

Thank you again for your ideas and support. Please contact me any time at my personal email: joshuaboothgreen@yahoo.com

Let’s continue to work together to achieve more great results for our community.

Senator Josh Green is a Democrat representing West Hawaii in the state legislature.

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