State House Speaker Calvin Say said today that the state House is "ready,
willing and able" to return in special session to use $50 million in the
state's rainy day fund to reduce teacher furloughs.

Majority House Democrats met in private caucus today, one day after Senate
Democrats also met and backed a special session to authorize the use of the
rainy day fund.

Gov. Linda Lingle has proposed eliminating 27 of 34 teacher furlough days in
a two-year contract with the Hawaii State Teachers Association. The governor
wants to use $50 million from the rainy day fund to reduce 12 days and has
asked teachers to agree to covert non-instructional days to classroom time
to reduce 15 furlough days.

Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Pälolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise), said he
would prefer that the teachers' union ratify a new agreement before the
Legislature acts. But, he said, if ratification is not necessary, he would
accept a straw poll or some other type of indication of support from the
rank-and-file.

Say and state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nänäkuli, Mäkaha),
met privately with Lingle today to inform the governor that the House and
Senate are willing to come back in special session to tap the rainy day
fund.

Hanabusa said lawmakers and staff will start to work on potential
legislation. She said lawmakers want to draft a bill in a way that does not
improperly interfere with collective bargaining.