Hawaii lawmakers finishing work on budget, bills

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HONOLULU — The Hawaii Legislature is wrapping up its work on the state budget and hundreds of bills as the session draws to a close.

The 2014 session officially ends on Thursday, but both chambers are working through the bulk of the outstanding bills on Tuesday.

They are deciding how much money the state will spend in its $12.1 billion budget to fund its programs and construction projects. And if both chambers approve a minimum wage hike, Hawaii workers will enjoy their first increase since 2007.

The decisions include whether to allow same-day voter registration in elections, and whether to make kindergarten mandatory statewide.

A historic land deal to preserve 660 acres on Oahu’s North Shore and funding to sustain Hawaii’s troubled health exchange also hang in the balance.