Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureates Recognized in the Legislature

FLOOR ACTION – MARCH 8, 2013 – SESSION DAY #27

Junior Achievement of Hawaii, Inc., announced its Hawaii Business Hall of Fame Laureates for 2013 They were honored at the State Legislature and at an awards banquet, on Friday March 8.

This year’s awardees include: Ralph S. Inouye, owner of Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd.; Randal M. Hiraki, Commercial Plumbing, Inc. and Russell Oda, Oda McCarthy Architects, Ltd. (Flemming Co.).

Senator Slom presented the honorees with certificates as they were recognized in the State Senate.

JA Hawaii was founded in 1957 and the Hall of Fame began here in 1990. The JA mission is to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and economics to improve the quality of their lives.

Roz Burton-Torres is JA president and Ben Nakaoka is the Chairman of the Board.

Photos: (Top) – Hawaii Business Hall of Fame inductees (L – R holding framed certificates) include Russell Oda, Ralph S. Inouye and Randal M. Hiraki. Also shown is JA President Roz Burton-Torres and State Senator Sam Slom. Signed certificates were presented in both the State Senate and State House of Representatives during their respective floor sessions. (Below) – The honorees with their families and associates; photos taken at the Senate Chamber, Hawaii State Capitol, March 8.

Also in session that day, a number of the Governor’s appointees to various boards and commissions were voted on by the full Senate. Also confirmed was Jobie Masagatani (GM 586) as Chairperson of the Dept. of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL).

Legislature in Recess – Hearings & Decision Making Still in Progress

The State Legislature is in the middle of its mandatory 5-day recess that started on February 21. The recess period will be over after February 27 with regular session days resuming on February 28. In the meantime several hearings tackling decision making on many of the money and judicial bills are being held in the Ways & Means and Judiciary & Labor committees. Senator Slom has been spending several hours per day at Ways and Means hearings where decisions are being made (or delayed) on bad bills such as SB 69 and SB 894.

The State Land Mammal Bill Passes Out of Committee

SB 775 which would designate the Hawaiian Hoary Bat as the official state land mammal passed out of the Senate TEC committee on February 21 unamended with a 3 to 0 vote. The bill which was introduced by Senator Slom should be heading to the Senate floor for a full third reading vote.

In the photo above: Senator Slom, Legislative aide Matt Rapoza (in the bat t-shirt), Senator Clarence Nishihara and a Dept. of Land & Natural Resources official. Photo by Cassie from the Senate Communications Office.

Reapportionment: Hearing Scheduled for Bill Defining “Permanent Resident”

Last year’s reapportionment did not count large numbers of the residing population in Hawaii which includes the military and some college students. SB 286 is a bill that should fix the problem and bring Hawaii into line with the rest of the United States.

SB286
Reapportionment; Definition of “permanent resident”

RELATING TO REAPPORTIONMENT.
Defines “permanent resident” for legislative reapportionment as any individual counted as a usual resident in the last preceding U.S. census within the State of Hawaii.

(S ) 2/22/2013 - The committee(s) on JDL has scheduled a public hearing on 02-26-13 10:00AM in conference room 016.

LINK TO THE HEARING NOTICE

Send testimony to: JDLtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

Next on “A Better Day” with Senator Slom

Senator Slom and Senator Donovan Dela Cruz on the set of “A Better Day”. The next show is in the can with the next new episode airing in March on Olelo Cable TV. Senator Dela Cruz is the chair of the Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing Committee. Senator Slom is the committee’s vice-chair. The PLDC will be among the subjects discussed. The program lasts about 28 minutes.

Bills to Repeal the PLDC Move Forward

Two bills aimed at abolishing the Public Land Development Corporation (PLDC) have progressed through the legislature this week. SB 707 SD2 which “repeals chapter 171C, HRS, relating to the PLDC…” passed out of the Economic Development, Government Operations & Housing (EGH), Water & Land (WTL) and Ways & Means (WAM) committees this week to set the bill up for a full Senate floor vote (Third Reading) next Tuesday, February 19 at 11:30 am. Everyone is invited to the Senate Gallery on bill voting day.

Senator Sam Slom voted in the affirmative on the bill to repeal the PLDC in all 3 committees – EGH, WTL and WAM. He will be voting in favor of the  measure when it comes up for third reading on Tuesday.

The State House of Representatives voted to pass HB 1133 which also “repeals the Public Land Development Corporation” on a third reading floor vote of 49 to 0 on February 14. That bill has crossed over to the Senate.

FLOOR ACTIONS (Feb. 13, 14, & 15)

Senate Session Day 20: Senator Slom acknowledged in a short floor speech on Feburary 15 that 1/3 of the 60-day legislative session passed with no meaningful bills enacted. The following bills were passed on Third Reading votes: SB 913 (Time Shares, discolosures); SB 507 (Community Associations); SB 531 (Warning signs / alcohol consumption); SB 404 (Corrections Population Management Commission); SB 886 (Constitutional Amendment question to increase the mandatory age of retirement for State Judges and Justices). Senator Slom voted with the majority on all bills, 22 – 0 (3 excused). Senator Slom also awarded Senator Russell Ruderman with the “Tie of the Month” award.

Senate Session Day 19: The State Senate advised and consented the appointment of Ted Sakai as the Director of the Department of Public Safety (GM 582). The Senate also passed the following bills on Third Reading: SB 1001 (Enhanced 911 Board); SB 1230 (Government Motor Vehicles); SB 1079 (Health Insurance); SB 1075 (Physical Therapy) and SB 423 (In Vitro Fertilization insurance coverage). All measures passed with a vote of 24 to 0, Senator Slom voting in the affirmative. (Photo from Senate Communications office)

Senate Session Day 18: Two bills were passed by the Senate on Third Reading; They were SB 1014 (Forensic Identification); and SB 1015 (Production of Records; Out of State Process). Both bills unanimously passed third reading 25 to 0.

FROM THE FIELD: SB 789 DEFERRED

SB 789 Was scheduled to be voted on today (Feb. 13) in the education committee. This bill would allow home schooled students to participate on an equal basis in extracurricular activities offered at the public school they would otherwise be required to attend.  Senate Education Chair Jill Tokuda recommended that they turn the bill into a resolution creating a task force made up of various interest groups i.e. Teachers, principals, parents of home schoolers etc. They would be charged with researching how school districts throughout the US are dealing with this subject and come up with recommendations and solutions to present to the Legislature before next year’s legislative session.  - Colleen Rose Meyer

QUICK TAKES

Senator Slom offered words of advice in regards to keeping vigilent on issues this group from Lanai are concerned with. They came to discuss the latest status on “Big Wind” (they and Senator Slom oppose it) and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s recent purchase of Lanai island and upcoming plans for the community. Photos taken at Senator Slom’s office Feb. 13, 2013.

Floor Action: Days 6 and 7

Floor Action Day 6 – First reading on SB 1303 to 1388. Several other bills referred to various committees.

Floor Action Day 7 – Full Senate adopts SCR 25 “Awarding the Hawaii Medal of Honor to United States military service members with Hawaii connections killed in action while serving in dangerous, volatile, and unstable areas of the world, including Iraq and Afghanistan.” The resolution has gone to the House.

Committee Hearings – TIA January 28 – A bill (SB 337) relating to “Dangerous Wheels” passed out with a 9 to 0 vote. Senator Slom voted in the affirmative. The bill “makes it a violation to drive a motor vehicle, trailer, or semi-trailer equipped with dangerous wheels. Defines dangerous wheels.”

WTL / ENE January 29 – Dozens of fishermen showed up (photo set above) at Room 225 to testify against SB 26 in the Senate Water & Land Committee. SB 26 “Requires applicants for aquarium fish permits to specify in their application the species to be collected and the collection areas. In the case of indigenous species, the issuance or renewal of aquarium fish permits is prohibited unless a population survey has been conducted and the department has determined that the population of the indigenous species to be collected is sustainable in the collection areas specified in the application.” More than 200 pieces of testimony were submitted in opposition to the bill. Some of the fishermen who testified came from the neighbor islands.

In the end the two committees voted to unanimously “hold” the bill. SB 26 would have essentially killed the aquarium fish industry in Hawaii say testifiers.

Elsewhere several tax bills were heard in the Ways & Means committee on January 29. The day before a number of collective bargaining bills passed out of the JDL committee. Union leaders and members “booed” Senator Slom after he voted against all of the collective bargaining cost item appropriation bills.