Tag: Hawaii Legilsature

  • Legislative Deadlines Looming

    The first decking is March 1st.  That is when surviving bills will cross over to the opposite legislative body.  Any bill that does not cross over is dead.

    The first lateral is must be filed by February 14.  That means a bill must be filed by the clerks office by the 14th so it can move to its final assigned committee.  With a 48hr notice of hearing, double referal bills must be schedule for a hearing by February 12 and triple referal bills must be scheduled for hearing in the second committee by February 5.

    If you have a triple referral bill that has not been passed to the second committee, now is the time to bring pressure to have you bill heard. 
    Know and understand the internal deadlines for your bill.  Organize you bills supporters and make your desire for a hearing known to the committee chair who is holding it up. 

    Everyone needs to know the actions each legislator takes on important environmental legislation.  Let us know hear.

    As a Democratic Party Caucus we cannot support one Democratic Legislator over another, but we can certainly share the voting record of our legislators.  We can also recognize supporters of good and bad legislation.

     

  • A fox in sheeps clothing

    This analysis is thanks to Hawaii Thousand Friends.  It is not an official position of the Hawaii Democratic Party

     

    – PLDC –
    A new name, same purpose

    HB 942 Harbors and Parks Development Authority (HPDA)
    http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/Bills/HB942_.pdf

    Hearing on HB 942:  Wednesday 1/30
    http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/hearingnotices/HEARING_TRN_01-30-13_.HTM

    Submit testimony online: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/submittestimony.aspx

    HB 942 – introduced by Souki by request (b/r) as part of Governor’s package
    Converts PLDC to the Harbors and Parks Development Authority (HPDA) to “make optimal use of harbors and park lands” which would “serve the State and its people better if managed and developed into suitable recreational and leisure centers”
    Defines all harbors and parks lands as all state boating facilities and parklands under DLNR
    Gives HPDA the authority to identify harbors and park lands that are suitable for development such as:
    State parks: Diamond Head (Oahu), Kokee (Kauai), Hapuna (Big Islnd), Makena Beach State Recreational Area (Maui), Palaau (Molokai)

    Small boat harbors: Kaunakakai (Molokai), Manele (Lanai), Waianae (Oahu), Port Allen (Kauai), Honokohau (Big Island), Maalaea (Maui)
    Like PLDC, HPDA can: do marketing analysis to determine the best revenue-generating programs for harbors and park lands; enter into public-private agreements to appropriately develop harbors and park lands
    Permissible uses of harbors and park land same as PLDC: office space; vehicular parking; commercial uses; accommodations (i.e. hotels, homes, vacation rentals, time share); fueling facilities; storage and repair facilities; and seawater air conditioning plants.
    Keeps same PLDC board structure substituting OHA administrator for Director of Finance
    Like PLDC, HPDA shall prepare the Hawaii harbors and park land optimization plan
    Like PLDC, harbors and park land planning activities of the authority shall be coordinated with county planning departments, county land use plans, policies and ordinances
    Like PLDC, HPDA HRS 171C-8 states “All harbors and park lands optimization projects, land development plans developed by the authority SHALL be approved by the board. (Note: No set of rules can mitigate or over rule the word SHALL because it is in the law. Leaving no opportunity for denial)
    DLNR cannot transfer harbors or park lands in fee simple to HPDA
    Like PLDC, HPDA creates the Harbors and Parks development revolving fund; can acquire by condemnation, real, personal or mixed property for public facilities including streets, sidewalks, parks, schools and other public improvements
    HPDA can seek assistance from HDCA (Hawaii Community Development Authority) regardless of whether the development opportunities are within a community development district which are: Kaka`ako, Kalaeloa (Barbers Point) and Heeia on Oahu and Hamakua on the Big Island.
    Adds PLDC Chapter 171C to the definition of “public work” under Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) 104 Wages and Hours of Employees on Public Works
    Deletes “public school special fund” which can now be found in SB 237  http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=237
    Deletes “project facility program” which can now be found in HB 557  http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2013/bills/HB557.htm

  • SB755 exempting government projects from environmental review

    Urgent action request from the Environmental Caucus. This is not a position of the Democratic Party. 

    Our only chance to stop this legislation is to influence the floor votes.  Email our legislators at sen@capitol.hawaii.gov and rep@capitol.hawaii.gov and tell them to vote NO on SB755.

    SB 755 (the “gut and replace bill”) seemed dead because no conference conferees were selected by either the House or the Senate. But wait! There’s a maneuver that legislators can use to pass a bill. The House can agree with the Senate’s version during the floor vote on Tuesday 5/1 and then vote on it.

    In the 4/26/12 Civil Beat article, “Is Calvin Say Holding the Budget Hostage?”(emphasis added throughout), reporter Chad Blair writes: ” … it will be the seventh time in 10 days that conferees have met on the budget … The hold up, sources tell Civil Beat, is the insistence of House Speaker Calvin Say that the Senate accept Senate Bill 755, a measure granting temporary exemption to environmental law in order to expedite state and county construction projects. There are controversial bills every session, obviously, but SB 755 arguably wins the prize this year. … two lawmakers and a third source well-known in legislative circles say that Say has made passage of SB 755 his No. 1 priority and is playing hardball.”

    For whatever nefarious reason(s), Speaker Say really wants this onerous legislation passed and we must do everthing in our power to defeat this SB755.

  • GMO Labling

    Tuesday April 3 9am C&C committee on Safety, Economic Development and Government Affairs – Resolution 12-57 is to be heard that tries to get foodstuffs that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) properly labeled so consumers know what they are buying- so they have a choice – so they can make an informed decision on such purchases. It is simply called, “The Right to Know.” The right to know is not about making a claim GMO’s are good or bad, rather, it is about advancing consumer rights.

  • Farm Land in double jeprody

    Posting courtesy of Laura Thielen.

    Please read this, and if you are concerned about what is happening, cut and paste the email addresses at the bottom and send an email to the Legislature TODAY.

    The Legislature is poised to pass two bills that will eradicate more high quality farmland than Ho’opili.

    SB 2341 allows vacation rentals on agricultural lands, including the highest production lands.  Even worse, vacation rentals can be the primary use, no farming is required.

    SB 2350 doubles the number of houses permitted on agricultural lots with one ohana dwelling for each farm dwelling.*

    If these bills pass, the number of houses built on agricultural lands will dramatically increase and agricultural lots will be priced for their vacation rental value, not their farming potential.

    The expansion of tourism has already transformed other areas, like Windward Oahu.  The density of some communities doubled when ohana units were allowed.  The vacation rental market dominates many neighborhoods, affecting home prices.

    Nearly 16,000 acres of farmland on Oahu’s North Shore are being marketed for great views or access to the ocean.  These qualities aren’t relevant to farming; they’re relevant to tourism.  The bill permitting vacation rentals as a primary use will destroy any ability to assure these lands remain available for agricultural production.

    The price of Oahu farmland is nearly out of reach for food farms today.  These bills will make it impossible for food farms to operate.  The vast majority of Oahu’s food is grown on rented land.  Will landlords force farms to close when neighboring vacation rentals complain about noise, or when they realize they can increase their rental income by transforming all or some of the property to vacation rentals?

    The Department of Agriculture, Office of Planning, and City and County of Honolulu have all testified against these bills and the Farm Bureau has raised serious concerns.

    Our Constitution requires the State to assure the availability of agricultural lands for agriculture.  The law requires directing non-agricultural uses away from the best farmland.  Several bills before the Legislature this session support increasing local food production.

    How is it that the Legislature on one hand says it supports agriculture, but on the other hand takes action to pass laws that will transform the agricultural district into the rural tourist district?

    The Senate unanimously passed both bills.  They are now at the House Committee on Water Land and Ocean Resources.

    Contact legislators at the links below and tell them to stop SB 2341 and SB 2350.

    Email addresses for Chair Jerry Chang, Vice Chair Sharon Har and Committee members:

    repchang@capitol.hawaii.gov; rephar@capitol.hawaii.gov; repcabanilla@capitol.hawaii.gov; repcarroll@capitol.hawaii.gov; repcoffman@capitol.hawaii.gov; repherkes@capitol.hawaii.gov; repito@capitol.hawaii.gov; repkawakami@capitol.hawaii.gov, repnakashima@capitol.hawaii.gov, repriviere@capitol.hawaii.gov, repthielen@capitol.hawaii.gov

    * While the ohana unit bill was amended to take out Oahu, it just as easily can be put back in, now or next year.

  • The Dirty 8 + a few

    I signed a petition against the bills to gut our environmental reviews.  SB755 now contains many of the exemptions, but other exemptions are in separate bills.  County Plans and Zoning will be able to be ignored and citizen participation is minimized.  SB 2927 allows for development projects in vicinity of rail and bus hubs to be exempt from county planning and zoning.  The environmental laws enacted in the 1970s are under attack, and your help is needed.  Please keep up the pressure.

    The administration is doing everything possible to eliminate all impediments to State projects the Governor wants to implement in the name of jobs.  The proposed legislation in these bills will eliminate environmental review and county plans and zoning and even building codes.  These projects will be implemented with no opportunity for citizen review or oversight.

    Many of these bills have been slipped into the process at the last minute.  SB755 was a gambling bill that was gutted and the permit exemption language was inserted.  It would have snuck through unnoticed except for Henry Curtis and Rep Thielen who alerted the environmental community.

    SB755 is referred to FIN. Email Rep Oshiro at repmoshiro@capitol.hawaii.gov or call his office at 586-6200 and ask him to hold SB755.  If the bill is scheduled for a hearing you can submit testimony by going to capitol.hawaii.gov.  Enter SB755 in the bill search box, then click on testimony and fill out the form.

    Remember who voted for these terrible bills when it comes time for you to vote.

    Bill Sager