Category: Uncategorized

HB468 is not an environmental bill and it hasnʻt even been discussed by the Environmental Caucus.  It is not a position of the Democratic Party.  However, it is a concern for everyone who wants open, honest and ethical government.

HB468 corrects a glaring conflict of interest in the way County Ethics Commissioners are selected.   Hb 468 was to be voted on the house floor this morning for final reading today, Wednesday April 25. However, it was deferred for one day.  We understand some legislators are lobbying to kill the bill.

It’s very important to contact the house Reps by email and phone call and encourage them to them support for HB468. Tell them you want clean, ethical and transparent government and this conflict of interest must be corrected.

These are the key legislators to contact:

Souki (586-9444) e-mail: repsouki@capitol.hawaii.gov

Kawakami (586- 8435) repkawkami@capitol.hawaii.gov

Tokioka  (586- 6270) reptokioka@capitol.hawaii.gov

Do this as soon as possible. HB468 will go to floor vote tomorrow morning.

As u may know, hb 468 means to Increase government accountability and transparency and eliminate the existing conflict of interest for our mayors and their selected County Ethics Commissioners.

As of now, the commissioners are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council – the very same individuals over whom the commissioners have to enforce ethics laws.

Simply put, There has to be a better process. More importantly, there has to be a better government.

There needs to be a high standard of integrity and morality in our government service.

For obvious reasons, those who have to gain will oppose this bill…

it would eliminate impartiality. In other words, It may serve those individuals political objectives.

• The current selection of county ethics commissioners violates Article XIV (14) of the Hawaii State Constitution, which specifically states

“ethics commissioners shall be selected in a manner which assures their independence and impartiality”.

• Again, HB468  sets forth an improved process for selecting commissioners, it has nothing to do with home rule.
• In fact, the process which is suggested by this measure would reflect how the State Ethics Commission and the State campaign spending commissions are currently selected.

 

 

HB1666 the Vulnerable Users bill passed out of Conference Committee today.  Now on to a final floor vote and then to the Governor for his signature.  It looks good.  Donʻt celebrate till the Gov puts his pen to paper, but this has been a tremendous accomplishment.

It looked dicey a couple of times.  A committee wasnʻt scheduleing a hearing.  Your out powering of testimony on the morning of the last day to schedule bills made the difference.  Your strong support made this success possible.

Thank you all.  Remember, it takes strong public support to pass legislation.  You do make a difference and the best place to be involved is right here at the Environmental Caucus.  Whether you just write an email when needed or you take a bill in hand as our treasurer Tony Austin did with this bill we need your participation.

Please mark your calendars and attend this Earth Day educational presentation on Tuesday, April 24, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the NOAA Humpback Whale Sanctuary Office in Hawai’i Kai (6600 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite 301) Impacts of the Marine Aquarium Trade. Learn the facts behind this politically charged issue and growing statewide call to end reef wildlife export for the aquarium hobby.

Rene Umberger, director of For the Fishes, will address the various impacts of the marine aquarium trade. Most people are surprised to learn that 95% of all saltwater aquarium animals are wild caught — and that the aquarium trade annually plucks over 30 million fish from coral reefs worldwide to fill hobby tanks. The aquarium trade in Hawai’i is causing significant problems to reefs and wildlife in addition to injury and early deaths to the animals. Hawai’i residents and county governments are calling for a ban on the trade. This presentation reviews these issues and the ongoing efforts to protect Hawai’i’s coral reefs and wildlife.

Posted at the request of Hawaii Thousand Friends – Not a policy of the Democratic Party.  This blog is used to stimulate discussion and to inform people who may want to advocate for or against legislation.

The Environmental Caucus of the Democratic Party opposes any bill eliminating government projects from environmental and cultural review.

Please be aware that House rules prevent any member of the House who voted NO on a bill from serving on the Conference Committee which is working to resolve differences between the House and Senate Versions.  THIS MEANS ONLY HOUSE MEMBERS WHO SUPPORT THESE BILLS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.  Your only chance to influence this legislation now will be to talk to each of the Conference Committee Members and be sure they know your concerns.  At least try to give back to the Environmental Council their authority to review and reject the Governorʻs proposed project exceptions.

The Environmental Caucus thanks Donna Wong for this information:

Donna Wong
Executive Director
Phone/fax: 808-262-0682
EMAIL
SB2927 and SB755: WOUNDED BUT NOT DEAD…
If anyone thinks that a phone call or email will have no effect, just take a look at these recent Honolulu Star Advertiser articles by Richard Borreca and David Shapiro HERE! One story received 47,340 “Likes” on Facebook! Your dedication and actions have made a tremendous difference on both of these bad bills. Mahalo to all who have somehow participated.

Also, be sure to pick up a copy of the current Honolulu Weekly to see the 1/2 page ad on this issue.

April 9th, 2012, Non-Partisan Hawai`i Ohana Press Conference

But now back to work. The bills will now disappear into Conference Committee where no in-person testimony will be taken. If your representative and/or Senator voted “AYE” or “AYE With Reservations” (list below), your calls & emails in opposition to unplanned development and exemption from environmental oversight are needed in order to finally kill these bills.

How did your Senator and Representative vote on SB2927 and SB755? Read on…

SB2927 passed the House on 3rd reading (Tuesday). The bill now goes to Conference Committee which we think will be chaired by House committee chairs: Jerry Chang (Water, Land, and Ocean Resources), Cabanilla, (Housing), and Marcus Oshiro (Finance).
Senate committee chairs: Donovan Dela Cruz (Water, Land and Housing), and David Ige (Ways and Means).

4/10 House vote on SB2927:

Yes (28 ayes):
– Aquino
– Cabanilla
– Chang
– Chong
– Coffman
– Cullen
– Evans
– Har
– Hashem
– Herkes
– Ichiyama
– Ito
– Jordan
– Kawakami
– Lee, Marilyn
– Manahan
– McKelvey
– Mizuno
– Morikawa
– Okamura
– Oshiro
– Pine
– Rhoads
– Say
– Souki
– Tokioka
– Tsuji
– Yamane
– Yamashita

Aye with reservations: Awana, Johanson

NO: (21votes ) Belatti, Brower, Carroll, Ching, Choy, Fontaine, Guigni, Hanohano, Keith-Agaran, C. Lee, Luke, Maurmoto, Nakashima, Nishimoto, Fiviere, Saiki, Takai, Takumi, Thielen, Ward, Wooley

3/6 Senate vote on SB 2927:

AYE (24 votes):
– Baker
– Chun Oakland
– Dela Cruz
– English
– Espero
– Fukunaga
– Gabbard
– Galuteria
– Green
– Hee
– Ige
– Kahele
– Kidani
– Kouchi
– Nishihara
– Shimabukuro
– Solomon
– Taniguchi
– Tsutsui
– Wakai AYE with reservations: Ihara, Kim, Ryan, Tokuda NO: Slom.

SB755 also passed the House on 3rd reading and now goes to Conference Committee which could be chaired by House committee chairs: Jerry Chang (Water, Land & Ocean Resources), Denny Coffman (Energy & Environmental Protection), McKelvey (Economic Revitalization and Business), Gil Keith-Agaran (Judiciary) and Marcus Oshiro (Finance) and Senate committee chairs: Carol Fukunaga (Economic Development and Technology), and David Ige (Ways and Means).

4/10 House vote on SB 755

Yes (29 ayes):
– Aquino
– Awana
– Cabanilla
– Carroll
– Chang
– Chong
– Choy
– Coffman
– Cullen
– Evans
– Har
– Hashem
– Herkes
– Ichiyama
– Ito
– Jordan
– Manahan
– McKelvey
– Mizuno
– Morikawa
– Nakashima
– Okamura
– Oshiro
– Pine
– Rhoads
– Tokioka
– Tsuji
– Yamane
– Yamashita

Aye with reservations: Keith-Agaran, Morikawa, and Rhoads.

NO: (19 voes) Belatti, Brower, Ching, Fontaine, Guigni, Hanohano, Johanson, C. Lee, M. Lee, Luke, Marumoto, Nishimoto, Riviere, Saiki, Takai, Takumi, Thielen, Ward, Wooley.

On 3/8/2011 the full Senate voted on the original language of SB755.
NOTE: The full Senate never voted on the current exemption bill. In other words your senator never had the opportunity to vote on the exemption language in SB755.

It is critical that your senator and representative hear your opposition to exempting state projects from environmental laws and oversight and “Gut & Replace” tactics. ID and contact your senator HERE and your representative HERE.

P.S. The unknowing authors of the original language in SB755 on school supplies — which was “Gutted and Replaced” with the current offending language were: Senators Fukunaga, Chun Oakland, Shimabukuro, Baker, Baluteria, Slom, Solomon, Tokuda, & Wakai. It’s been reporded that Sharon Har, VP of the House Water, Land & Ocean Resources authored committee report HSCR 1307 that changed this bill from gambling to the current exemption language.

Again, it would be very helpful if you contacted Governor Abercrombie’s office and tell him you are against any new version of SB755 and SB2927.

CONTACT:
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie
Phone: 808-586-0034
Fax: 808-586-0006
Email HERE

Posted on behalf of the Conservation Council for Hawaii.  Not a position of the Democratic Party.

Aloha, everyone.  Here is way to help protect our islands from environmental harm and show your concern (opposition) to proposed state legislation to avoid environmental review and protection of the environment. Please help stop the assault on Hawai‘i’s environment!  Apologies for duplicate postings.  Feel free to share with others.  Mahalo nui loa.

Sign on to the petition, add your comments, see who else has signed on:  http://signon.org/sign/an-open-letter-in-defense?source=c.em.cp&r_by=2813884

An Open Letter In Defense of Hawaii’s Environment & Open Government to Hawai‘i State House of Representatives, State Senate, & Governor Neil Abercrombie

We vehemently protest certain undemocratic measures taken by the State House of Representatives, Hawaii State Senate, and Governor Abercrombie to dilute basic sunshine and due process laws that protect the public. Our island canoe is heading in the wrong direction.

Certain legislators have introduced measures which severely shut out the public and due process. These actions disfranchise citizens, corrupt public policies, and undermine democracy. This is not pono.

Numerous evolving bills, including SB 2927 SD 2, (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2927 <http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2927> SB2873, http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2873 ) SB2012, ( http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2012 ) <http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2012> HB2154 HD2, (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=2154 ) will exempt state and county government actions and development from Hawaii’s laws which protect and preserve our unique island home through careful analysis, including social, economic, cultural, historical, coastal, marine, and other environmental impacts. This removal of these checks and balances will cause injustice and create undue burden at various levels, including our economic prosperity, quality of life, sense of place, and long-term sustainability.  (http://www.civilbeat.com/posts/2012/03/07/15113-dirty-8-erode-three-decades-of-landmark-environmental-law/)

Certain legislators’ eagerness to circumvent or skirt legal requisites in order to fast-track development projects, without first considering inevitable impacts on the overall environment and public participation, show an alarming lack of understanding in core democratic principles. No entity should be above or exempted from the laws that protect us all.

While some legislators are hasty to deny due process and participation to the public, they are careful “to provide indemnity for any county, its officials, or employees for actions taken regarding “exceptional planning projects”.  This action is wrong; public servants will be accountable to no one. http://www.civilbeat.com/posts/2012/03/08/15121-open-government-lock-down/

<http://www.civilbeat.com/posts/2012/03/08/15121-open-government-lock-down/>

We unequivocally protest these anti-public legislative attempts to subvert open government. We call upon each legislator to show civic courage – to independently review, boldly vote, and truly enact the people’s business within the core democratic tenets contained in the Hawaii Revised Statutes 343 (Environmental Review), Hawaii Sunshine Law (HRS 92), Coastal Zone Management 205A (SMA), and county zoning and planning.

The line of demarcation must be clear – the People’s right to know and the right to equitably participate in public policies with legislative decision-makers in a fair and open process are not negotiable.

Posting submitted by John Goody:

This bill is supported by the Environmental Caucus of the Hawaii Democratic Party.

We are in the last lap for adding protection for cyclists and pedestrians on our roadways. The VU bill is going before the Senate JUD committee on Monday, which leaves us little time to get the word out. Please give this a priority, this is the critical reading for passage.  We need folks to testify and go down in person. Unfortunately, I am traveling to the mainland that day, so I hope that we can get some folks to go down in person.

Please forward this to our list of supporters  to go down or write in if you cannot go in person. It is easy to testify by email at:
<http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1666&year=2012>

To testify in person, the hearing is at:
The committee(s) on JDL has scheduled a public hearing on 03-19-12 10:00AM in conference room 016.

I have added some general information on the bill below.

Thanks much,
John

HB1666

This bill addresses the penal code by defining vulnerable roadway users, including pedestrians, cyclists, public safety officers and roadway workers. It further establishes enhanced penalties for drivers who, while committing a traffic offense under the code, seriously injure or kill a vulnerable user legally within the public roadway.

Hawaii’s roads are among the most dangerous in the country for pedestrians, cyclists and others who legally make use of the public right of way without being in a motor vehicle.  The reason is simple, some drivers are aggressive or negligent, and don’t drive safely. When this results in an accident between two motor vehicles, it is often no more than a fender bender; but when it occurs between a motor vehicle and a vulnerable roadway user, it is often catastrophic to the unprotected user.

Many of our State’s goals for energy independence, air and water quality, public health and wellness, management of public medical expense, and transportation efficiency are in part dependent on allowing folks to get out of their cars for appropriate length trips, and get about under their own power.  These are trips that can be walked or biked, or for which walking or biking connects to a public transit stop. But people will be afraid to get out of their cars if our roadways are not made safer for mixed transportation modes. Driver behavior is critical to this end. Today, harmfully striking a vulnerable roadway user often results in no more than a traffic fine regardless of the harm done to the victim; HB1666 will apply a fair penalty on those who commit a traffic offence and in the process kill or maim another. It will encourage drivers to take greater care when operating their vehicle n the proximity of vulnerable roadway users. It is fair and just that doing serious harm to another person be penalized commensurately, at least in part, to the harm done.

This bill is a crucial step in making our roadway safer for all. Please give it your support.

The following is the opinion of Bill Sager and does not reflect the position of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

Governor Abercrombie and our Legislative leaders have introduced eight bills designed to eliminate state and county projects from environmental review.  Representative Thielen has an excellent article in Civil Beat that explains what is happening.

These bills are being fast tracked by the administration and by powerful legislators.  If you agree that EIS review of government projects is essential to good project planning, track these bills and let your leaders know what you think at every opportunity.

Part of the reason for this attack on our environmental protections is to be enable the construct the undersea power transmission cable to Maui County and ultimately to the Big Island.

Hawaiian Electric Industries (HEI) and the Administration are pursuing the traditional vertical electric power model in which a central power plant generates power that is then distributed across an electric grid to the end user.

I believe the future will require a lateral power distribution model in which electric power is generated as close to the end user as possible,  Right now, we have three power sources that can generate electric power locally and supply the electricity even Oahu needs from local, on island sources.  Wave energy is providing significant power through out the world and specifically from Europeʻs North Sea.  Hawaii has one of the best wave energy regimes in the world.  Biogasification as a power source is a proven technology used world wide.  Finally, geomagmatic heat sources can provide completely pollution free power plants that can produce up to 10 megawatts of electrical power per well and can be sighted where ever power is needed.

These alternate power sources, combined with wind and solar power, can provide even Oahu with all the power it needs.  A high risk, multibillion dollar cable project to tap Big Island geothermal power to power Oahu is unnecessary.  It will ultimately saddle Hawaii rate payers with a bill that means substantially higher electric bills far into the future.

Yes, we need to eliminate our dependence on petroleum to generate electricity, but an undersea power transmission cable to the Big Island is not the best way to do it.  Lets, at least evaluate alternate ways to produce the power we need using local power sources before plunging ahead with the undersea cable.

While the power cable is just one example of projects the Governor wants to implement without environmental review it is the crowning example of badly planned government projects that can be pushed forward in the name of economic development.  Tell the Governor that the State is not an omnipotent, all knowing, agent that can do do no wrong.  He need to understand that citizen oversight is fundamental to our democracy.

COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Senator J. Kalani English, Chair
Senator Will Espero, Vice Chair

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

DATE:
Thursday, March 8, 2012
TIME:
1:15 pm
PLACE:
Conference Room 224 229
State Capitol
415 South Beretania Street

The purpose of this briefing is to provide the Legislature with information pertaining to the Complete Streets law, Act 054 (2009), which created a statewide task force to review existing state and county highway design standards and guidelines to establish policies to accommodate all road users.

PRESENTER:  Dan Burden, Executive Director and Founder, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

Aloha all,

I just wanted to post a direct link to tonight’s congressional town hall.

Here you go….

http://olelo.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=2696

Click on the link any time after 6:50 to to view the program. Our show will begin at 7:00. If you have questions for our candidates during the show, you may call in at 834-2886.

If you get a busy signal, you can email your questions to greencaucus@gmail.com. We will be happy to ask what questions we can on air, and forward all your questions to the candidates for follow up.

Mahalo,

Lynn