Please don’t forget all of the moms in your life on Mother's Day, May 12th. We finished the 2013 Legislative Session on May 2nd. Some of the highlights are that we didn't raise taxes, we provided the necessary funding for the new teacher contract, we deposited $50 million into both our Rainy Day Fund and the Hurricane Relief Fund, and we balanced the budget.

I was very pleased that Senate District 20 was able to secure $90,849,000 in construction funding as part of the 2013 – 2015 budget. This funding will go toward improving our roads, university, schools, community groups, National Guard, and harbor. Here's a rundown of those projects:

• Kualaka‘i Parkway Extension – Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt Ave. - $15,001,000
• H-1 Westbound PM Contraflow Lane - $15 million
• H-1 Kunia Interchange Improvements - $780,000
• University of Hawai‘i - West Oahu Allied Health Building - $11.8 million
• University of Hawai‘i - West Oahu Road B - UHWO to Kualaka‘i Parkway – $3.5 million
• East Kapolei High School - $5 million
• East Kapolei Middle School - $3 million
• Seagull Schools Childcare Center Grant in Aid (Kapolei Elementary School) - $1.2 million
• Kapolei Community Development Corp. Grant in Aid (Heritage Center) - $1,150,000
• Mauka Lani Elementary Electrical Upgrades - $700,000
• Army Aviation Support Facility - $30,318,000
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor New Fuel Pier - $3 million
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor Turning Basin and Entrance Channel - $400,000

Me ka pumehana,

Mike Gabbard, State Senator, District 20
Chair, Energy/Environment Committee