Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a bill that would have raised taxes on a barrel of oil. The bill would have increased the tax on a barrel of petroleum products from 5 cents to $1.05 and bring in an extra $22 million a year — $13.2 million for the state's general fund and $8.8 million for food and energy security programs.

Lingle issued a news release that said, "The bill deceptively purports to use funds generated from the tax increase to promote energy and food security in the state, but in reality, over half of the money raised by the tax would be diverted for general government operations rather than reducing our dependence on imported oil and food.

"The tax increase would raise the cost of living and increase the cost of doing business in the state by making virtually everything more expensive, including electricity, gasoline, trucking, shipping, retail goods, food, public and school buses, and even the propane for backyard barbeques."