Hawaii lawmakers to consider raising excise tax to help end teacher furloughs

HONOLULU (AP) - Three state Senate committees are set to consider legislation that would raise Hawaii's general excise tax and use special state funds to eliminate teacher furlough days later this year.

Twenty-four more furlough days are scheduled for this school year and the next. The bill, SB 2437, aims to eliminate as many of those as possible.

It would increase the excise tax by one percentage point but offset the burden by exempting food purchases and raising the standard deduction on state income taxes.

It also would transfer an unspecified amount from the state hurricane and budget reserve funds to help end the furloughs.

The measure is to be heard Wednesday at the state Capitol by the committees on education, human services and consumer protection.

(This version CORRECTS the number of furlough days remaining in the second paragraph.)