Lawmakers override governor’s veto of Maui hospital bill [View all]
HONOLULU (AP) Hawaii lawmakers voted to override Gov. David Iges veto of a bill that would transfer control of three Maui County hospitals to Kaiser Permanente, making it the largest privatization of public facilities in state history.
The legislation provides severance packages and retirement benefits to the hospital workers affected by the move, and Ige says its too expensive. He vetoed the bill earlier this month, also citing concerns that it could jeopardize the tax-exempt status of the Employees Retirement System.
The Legislature met in special session Wednesday and secured the necessary votes to overturn Iges decision.
We are extremely grateful to the leadership of and members of the Hawaii State Senate and House of Representatives for convening a special session to forward the discussions necessary for our hospitals to transition, said Wes Lo, Hawaii Health Systems Maui Region CEO.
Read more: http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/state-wire/lawmakers-override-governor-s-veto-maui-hospital-bill