Two slightly different bills to develop school lands and a bill to create a public-private partnership authority have moved forward in the Legislature.

These initiatives are advancing along with legislation to repeal the PLDC.

House lawmakers on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 237, five days after the Senate passed House Bill 865. Both bills seek to develop underutilized school lands to raise money so the state can fix its aging inventory of educational facilities.

But the two versions have some differences that lawmakers have been unable to iron out thus far. A conference committee comprised of legislators from both chambers will work on finding a resolution over the next couple weeks.

The Senate version puts the Board of Education in charge of identifying up to two sites for the program, but gives the lieutenant governor ultimate oversight. 

The House version lets the board pick up to five sites. It gives the development authority to the DOE, as authorized by the board.

Rep. Gene Ward said Tuesday that the school lands bill has “the DNA of the PLDC.”

The Senate voted unanimously Tuesday to repeal the Public Land Development Corporation, which was heavily criticized after just two years in existence due to its broad environmental exemptions.

The House is set to vote on its version of the PLDC-repeal bill Thursday. Because senators amended their version to conform to the House bill, if it passes the House unchanged it could go straight to the governor’s desk from there.

Meantime, another effort to develop public land through private partnerships advanced via House Bill 70. It creates a PPPA on a pilot program basis.

The bill, which is attached to legislation related to the High Technology Innovation Corporation, proposes a film production facility on Maui, a main-street project in Wahiawa and a county-initiated project.

— Nathan Eagle