And so, we would have went with two separate programs. This new law, which came into effect in September, allows us under the oversight of myself, basically, to make sure that we follow all the regulations, which I have to do anyways. You're not going to be operating the day-to-day situation when happens. I'm the person that you will hold accountable to make sure that it happens in terms of uh which is really by far is the best way for us to go. Gives our students the opportunity more opportunities than any other vocational school. To me, it'll be the best program in the state of Massachusetts cuz no other program is willing to offer that. So, to me, that makes us a step above. And our kids are getting the best possible quality daycare education of anybody plus early child education when they can go on and on the college and get an associate or bachelor's degree in early childhood education.
Am I seeing a vehicle I mean an SUV or a truck or what? >> to see a red truck. >> Where is it parked? >> It's downstairs. >> Okay, you guys anybody downstairs >> Anyone wants to come down and see the truck? >> downstairs on the parking garage or by the flagpole? underground Okay, underground. Red color? red Red color, okay. And what's the license plate? >> [laughter] >> Just the last numbers. It's it's a it's an Illinois license plate because it's a dealer car. >> well you guys want to see that car. Okay, anyway >> by the circle and people can come by. Okay, another question. You're you're saying you're going to release a mid-size SUV. >> Yes. Is that um it it's an SUV mid-size so my SUV thinking about mid-size is a Nissan Rogue. Yeah, it's just like that. Similar size. Okay, I'm looking at buying a new SUV but I'm not I don't like small cars because I golf and I like to go holo holo to the other side of the island so I have I have an 80-lb dog.
>> Um the special areas. I signed I just want to make sure that we're reiterating that our full day kindergarten could go away by turn 27 if this money and override does not pass this November election. >> 1.7 million reduction in that year by the monthion reduction in operating funds and then the following year. Thank you. And again, a big piece is school safety. Um, and especially one of the things and our gifted opportunities. This is also part of what Um so um we also have an even strategy and we go back and look at the timeline in history of election um elections failed or actually 100% failed in a lot of years. So it's pretty important for us to go out in year um we achieve overwhelming success. to pass every time they use. So that is a strategy your district uses and that's why people vote over 26.
So, they get the best of all worlds, right? So, that to me is really important. The other thing in terms of um you know, "Why are you just getting this now?" We have been working through this all school year. I've been involved in meeting with them. It's not we have done what the law allows us to do. So, the fact So, in order to fix the problem, Ann Marie and her team were able to secure sites that our kids could get the education they were missing here. They weren't losing education other than it took us a couple of months to figure out the options we had. So, it's not like I'm not bringing a problem to you in the sense it wasn't a problem. Now, we're saying that we don't want to continue to work and operate this way cuz we want the kids to be able to get educated in our own school and not have to send them to outside services.
I like big SUVs. Okay, everybody you got to take it for a test drive. Okay, test drive. Okay, you guys go downstairs and look at this car. Okay, all right. Um and sorry I'm I was thinking about why is Rivian familiar? Okay, let's go um okay, you're money. Okay, Tax Foundation. Tax Foundation of Hawaii is here. >> Zoom chair. Okay, I think he was tired it's after 4:30. Okay, Climate Future uh Forum. Sorry we took so long. Are you still with us? Thank you Sophia. Uh good afternoon chair, vice chair and members of the committee. I'm Sophia and I serve as a youth leader of Climate Future Forum a non-profit organization dedicated to amplifying youth voices in the legislature to support climate policies. Through several mechanisms HB 2030 protects and serves families who without the rebate likely could not afford an electric vehicle. These are residents who want to participate in the decarbonization of transportation and or um experience the great financial benefits of switching to an EV such as the reduction of typical fuel and maintenance costs that they would face with a gas-powered vehicle which Senator Lee was describing earlier I believe.
um in our last round of elections. Uh these were some of the community support comments that we had in our um inputs and it's from you know a variety of stakeholders um including um who also lives in our district as a taxpayer and voting. Um, and again, this is two decades of support from our community. Um, and it has allowed us to give back to our community in the ways that we provide our programming, our community support, um, all the different areas that we interact u with our community and that partnership. Um, and so we want to continue that ongoing partnership with the community to ensure we have a stable environment for our just for posterity sake. Also, you know, there you know all five of us watching this houses like all five of us live in this district and then of us on this board of property owners and so we voting for our own.
So, this option three, if the committee's willing to go along with this, will allow us to have the kids stay here for our kids. So, I think that there wasn't any um intention of saying, "Well, let's not let the committee know about what's going on." Because the whole fingerprinting thing, we I came up with the and spoke with them on several different ways that we could try to handle this. None of it was meeting the law, and and it was difficult for Probably the most important thing, it was very difficult for parents. And there was a big fear of bringing students off site to have fingerprinting as as you had said, uh Julio, about the environment in the world today was a real concern. It was a concern for us, and so, that's why that didn't happen. Uh so, but all I'm saying is I don't believe that the kids didn't get good instruction and good learning this year because of it.
Um CFF is not solely concerned with addressing climate change but also making sure that the transition to a more sustainable future for our state is equitable. This is why we support HB 2030. Thank you for the opportunity to testify and on behalf of the youth of Climate Future Forum we respectfully urge the committee to pass this bill. Okay, thank you very much. Is there anyone else wishes to speak to um HB 2030? We got um Auto Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Stephanie. Chair, vice chair, members of the committee Tiffany Azima on behalf of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Um the Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents 99% of the automobile manufacturers who are part of the dealer manufacturer network. Um we are concerned with this bill. Uh this bill is designed as a fee bait which penalizes the purchasers of gas vehicles um and diesel vehicles in order to subsidize the purchasers of electric vehicles.
So unless other people out there who's been part is like pushing things on this district owners and again taxes. >> Yes, but we are assuming what has already been and the district absolutely manages finances to create a flat tax on taxpayers but is not in our interest to um raise it or decrease it dramatically. We feel our benefit from having a very solid tax rate. They were very intentional about um the fiscal stewardship final recommendation to the governing board that the voting board authorizes combined 15% and 7% override election for November 2026 to secure district funding ability through the next half date. because it's, you know, on a timeline. So, I think that um it's the same argument when you say you're buying something on sale, but you have these arguments. I think the better argument even Yes. And um our brochure will outline these items as it has in the past and um we will have fact sheets for what these dollars uh cover and that's what we just >> and there's no probation.
They did not, but they were doing a little more um work in terms of the first 2 months what we call related theory. Yeah, we are saying >> you are in related theory, the better you're going to be prepared to go out in the workforce. I always say related theory in a lot of ways is more important than actual hands-on experience cuz that's where leaders learn the theory and problem solve and do all that. So, I don't feel like the students lost, you know, good educational experience. They didn't get as much hands-on that we would have liked to see, but it wasn't like they were sitting around doing nothing every day. They were still learning every day. Um I have few comments and then uh question uh related to the uh proposal. So, if we were to do what has been suggested, cutting the infant and toddler rooms, that means layoffs.
Um no state has passed a fee bait in fact multiple states including California three times has um rejected a uh fee bait since 2009. The countries that did have a fee bait um have since repealed them. So if Hawaii were to pass this bill we would be standing alone um in adopting a field model. Fee bait policies can worsen the vehicle affordability crisis raising costs for families and uh who are already facing record high car prices, elevated gas prices, and limited charging access. Working families and small businesses that rely on trucks, vans, and SUVs would face new fees, effectively taxing essential workers for the vehicles that they drive. We'd ask you to defer this measure. Thank you. Okay, thank you very much. Um HDA, Hawaii Transportation Association. Tina? Aloha, I'm here. I don't know what's going on with my video right now. >> IT, can you um Okay.
videos. They start meeting one of you. Feel free. I was all over the next door last. Okay. Feel free. You're not from your home. So, I would say please do. Um, thank you for moving forward. Um if the board uh decides to move forward and recommend the election um we uh put out information and trans will this appear on the ballot as two questions or one question will be one So there is a cost efficiency that does >> I know I've done this before everywhere I go I'm the biggest proponent of this because I went to school in this district and we didn't have we didn't have bonds that passed and I did not have art I did not have music I did not have and um when you're already a kid who lives in a house that you can't afford those go to school and you also know you can't afford you already feel like inade is um it's nice to have some camaraderie but that's already there but they're just thinking oh you know everything here so it's definitely like something that's just it's sad that we have to resort to this for all of this but if this is the way we're going to do it at least And just giving the simple fact that we have free full day kindergarten.
Cuz we have people that work in those classrooms. >> That's right. Um and we're talking about leaving the program in a position where they're just sitting in a classroom. Um and not getting the formal um um practice uh practicum that they need uh in the program uh for early childhood. And so, I mean, those two are huge red flags for me um because this is a new program. Um and you know, the other uh comment is more related to the oversight and the communication. So, that that has been a huge issue for at least the administration and and the school committee. Um not necessarily the the program. Um but when we hear oversight, it sort of rings a bell like, "Oh, we don't need another thing to oversee." Um and so, the way I see it is as if we are committing to um to overseeing this program that we would set a a a governing designee, which would be the superintendent.
Can you um take off the other testifier? Okay, there there you go, Tina. So, we respectfully oppose this bill for a number of reasons. A lot of people don't realize, but transportation companies do use light vehicles, and it's very expensive to transition over because the infrastructure is not there. And putting in chargers is not as simple. A lot of places don't have the electrical pool, so we would have to put in new transformers, and that's going to cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars that we just don't have. And if we do do it, it is going to be passed on to our customers, which are the retailers, and the retailers will be then passing it on to the customers, which are the consumers. Um so, we are very concerned about this bill. It does have an impact on all of us, and we get it that we will all want to be more green, but we believe that the focus should start on infrastructure here in Hawaii first.
That's a workforce issue right now. What would happen if we did not have three full day kindergarten? What happens to the workforce of putting your children in school? We have an early childhood crisis as it is, let alone for this age group that there's really nothing out there. So there's a lot of things that we really have to think about when we're thinking about these money uh million over rates. Regardless of what information is being put out there, at least here in Kraton, this is something that our families depend on. It's not something that we wish we could have. It's become a non-negotiable. We have to have full day kindergarten or there's going to be a a big big dip in the infrastructure that we have when it comes to just workforce like our families dependent on having a full day kindergarten for them to be able to go and produce for their families.
So, the superintendent would have to be responsible in coming to us um and making sure that we are up to date with everything that's going on um that needs our attention um right away. If I would have known this in September, um I I would have been in I would be in favor of it. I mean, I am in favor of it now, um but it would have be would have been better for us to have explored this uh sooner um because it would have made everyone's lives easier um in that case. Um so, my question to you is do we know of any other uh vocational school districts that have this model already, or would we be the first? For infant and toddler? No, if we were to go with your proposal for option three. Oh, that I don't know. I know it it became an option probably because there's a lot of barriers for people in our situation.
Mahalo. Okay, thank you. Uh Hawaii Youth Transportation Council. IT? Okay. Aloha, I apologize. I prompt came up that asked me to start my camera, so I did. >> [clears throat] >> So, aloha. My name is Luca Berti. I'm the Also, aloha chair and new vice chair Alfante, committee members. I want to say big mahalo for Senator Lee for really standing behind electric vehicles uh during this committee meeting. Uh my name is Luca Kina Berti, a North Shore Oahu resident and high school senior, as well as the HITC's Policy and Legislation Chair, testifying on behalf of them in strong support of HB 2030, or the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program. This bill will allow every Hawaii resident to be able to afford electric vehicles. While the Youth Council would prefer people use public transportation, the reality is that according to the 2020 census, 13.9% of Hawaii residents live in rural areas that public transit may not reach, or they have a line of work that was talked about before that requires the use of heavy-duty vehicles.
>> Exactly, Madam President. And as you pointed out, it is free kindergarten. So when you go out and price early childhood programming, uh it is cost prohibitive. I mean, you're forcing to pay for a child in a program. Um, so the the free component is very critical for our families and and an active support. >> Now, speaking of all that, a question that sometimes I get is, is there if the money and override does go through, are those dollars able to be spent on other initiatives in the district or something else that the district might have a gap in? um as long as we follow the voter pamphlet language, we can use it for those items. So, it is limited to what we put into the builder pamphlet. Um and I would say that our other budget is what goes towards different initiatives. So, um we plan ahead and we do put some language that gives us some flexibility to pivot for the as as necessary.
Um that I can't answer cuz I I don't know that Okay. information. And then, the second question would be more related to to to you, superintendent. So, um again, I'm I'm willing to go into this direction of overseeing the program, but it comes with responsibility for you to Obviously, you oversee all the programs and you report back to us on it. Um but I need to make sure that you are willing and committed to if we go forward with this, that you will come back to this committee and keep us up to date and communicate with us about this program, given that this is this is a unique request to the committee asking us to oversee a specific program, um even though generally speaking, we all oversee the operations of the school or the governance of the school. Um and so, yeah, that's more of a question to you cuz we know we we understand collectively that um there have been um different issues with communication on different issues.
These residents need a renewable and affordable vehicle option. That is what this bill would allow. Uh electric vehicles are a primary point in bringing down our greenhouse emissions and the fight against climate change, something that has been more than apparent in our state in the last few weeks, and particularly in my community. I was off island during this week. >> Look, our times are off. Yeah. I'm sorry. Thanks. I'm sorry, I'm not a paid lobbyist. Oh, thank you. Testifying for the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis. Uh aloha chair, vice chair, and Senator Lee. My name is Dr. Aditya Ramji. I'm from the Institute of Transportation Studies. At the outset, we support the bill and I understand by the written testimony. I would like to also offer some factual corrections on the information that has been provided to you today. The state of California that has been used as an example just to highlight that the reason the state of California does not have a tax to on gas cars is because the state of California has by law a mandate for every automobile manufacturer to sell an increasing number of EVs every year in the state of California.