HONOLULU, Hawaii – Tuesday was a good day for Hilo at the state Capitol.

Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui, who is acting as the state’s top executive in the absence of Governor Neil Abercrombie, signed three bills into law that were of direct benefit to East Hawaii.

One of them was a crucial measure for a future international flight training center on the Island of Hawai‘i.

Senate Bill 1221 appropriates $100,000 to hire a program coordinator and a technical support staff member for the flight center and associated aeronautical training programs at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo and Hawai‘i Community College.

State Senator Gil Kahele, one of the primary introducers of SB1221, was happy to have had a part in crafting the measure.

Sen. Gil Kahele

“Hawai’i Island and in particular Hilo has everything you need to support a world class aviation university program. Today’s investment by the State creates the initial foundation for a program that will create additional opportunities in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for our local youth and students in the Asia-Pacific region. I commend the Abercrombie administration for their support and commitment to this important investment in Hawai’i’s future.”

Kahele was present for Tuesdays bill signings.

He and other elected representatives from the Big Island were also present for the signing of a measure to address the State’s primary care physician shortage.

House Bill 417 appropriates $1,800,000 for the interdisciplinary Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation Primary Care Training Program at Hilo Medical Center.

Sen. Gil Kahele

“The measure provides an innovative approach to resolving the severe shortage of healthcare providers that the State continues to face. The success of this statewide training program, administered by Hilo Medical Center, will help the State to meet the needs of our rural area residents by generating interdisciplinary teams capable of caring for four times as many patients as independent practicing physicians and eliminate our need to train or attract unattainably high numbers of physicians.”

Acting Governor Tsutsui also signed into law Senate Bill 1256, relating to the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (or PISCES).

The measure appropriates $400,000 for PISCES to help foster the development and expansion of the aerospace, robotics, and related industries in Hawaii. This is in addition to the $400,000 PISCES is receiving under Act 134, which has already been approved through the State Budget Bill.

Lt. Gov Shan Tsutsui

“PISCES will provide a very unique growth opportunity for Hawaii in the aerospace industry and I think it will definitely be a major contributing factor to Hawaii as we start looking at ways to really diversify and strengthen our economy.”

Among other expenses, the money will cover the purchase of a 3D laser printer that can manufacture space tools out of Hawaii’s basaltic lava rock.

PISCES’s will also be initiating a “lunar concrete” project, which will involve fabricating roads and sidewalks out of lava rock.

Senate Bill 1256 signed into law by Lieutenant Governor Shan Tsutsui

Acting Governor Tsutsui is serving as Acting Governor while Governor Abercrombie is in Taiwan from July 9 to 12.