2015 State Legislative Session Opens

[opihikao]

Tomorrow it begins. (1/21/15)

Do your homework on all issues pertinent for our island, and our Puna. Get your testimony ready, get involved, make your voice heard, if you so choose.

FYI: (*Snipped more at link)

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/27898...egislature


Wednesday marks the opening of the 2015 State Legislative session. Several hot-button issues will be taken by lawmakers.

State Senator Josh Green plans to introduce a bill on pesticide use and restrictions by February 1.

"All this bill does is it asks for us to have buffer zones around schools and health care facilities where we won't spray, and also transparency - who's using how much chemical," he said.

Green also said it'll be important to cleave the pesticide discussion from another polarizing topic; genetically modified organisms, or GMO's.

"I wanted to bring down the heat of the fight on GMO's. I wanted to find common ground and common sense legislation."

The Transient Accommodations Tax will be another hot topic. The tax is derived from income on hotel rooms, vacation rentals, and other short term rentals. The funds are then dispersed between the counties and the state.

"Last year the legislature capped the counties portions, which originally we should be getting 44.8%. With the cap, it really limits the funding we are receiving," said Hawaii State Association of Counties President Mel Rapozo.

An uphill fight is expected in getting more funding. However, those inside the issue say patience is key.

"If we get what they've promised for this year - we accept that, and look to next year to make the corrections in the percentages. So that's our hope, we're not going to press it real hard," said Maui County Councilman Mike Victorino.

One issue that will be pressed hard: a proposed extension of the half-percent general excise tax increase that's being used to fund rail, beyond the sunset date of 2022.

"It should not be extended. HART and the City have not been truthful to the taxpayers about the cost and the timing," said Republican State Senator Sam Slom.

The opening of the session begins at 9:45am. It is free and open to the public.

[ironyak]

Overview of issues and possible bills from island representatives. Some Puna focused details below.

http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...sion-begin

Sen. Russell Ruderman and Rep. Joy San Buenaventura will lead on the lava front.

Both will introduce bills to fund feasibility studies for a lower Puna harbor in case lava cuts transportation routes; provide emergency aid to the Puna Community Medical Center and charter schools impacted by the flow; and address property insurance needs.

The Puna representatives also are teaming up to improve elections following the closure of polling places in their districts during the last primary election following Tropical Storm Iselle.

San Buenaventura, D-Puna, said her bill will reduce the state chief elections officer’s term from four to two years. The freshman legislator said that will create more accountability.

Ruderman, D-Puna, Ka‘u, said his bills would require all-mail elections and that the state Election Commission have hearings on neighbor islands.

Additionally, San Buenaventura, an attorney, said she will introduce a bill to lift the cap on the counties’ share of the transient accommodation tax, reduce marijuana penalties, and require residents of private subdivisions to enter mediation with their homeowners associations prior to filing lawsuits.
...
Ruderman is taking a different approach to the issue. His bill would state the counties can adopt their own laws on GMO agriculture.

“That will be a fight both ways,” he said regarding the two bills.

Ruderman said he will introduce bills to require the state Agribusiness Development Corporation to offer half its new leases to “food-based farming” and not export crops, allow certain foods made at home to be sold and allow farmers to grow hemp.

Albizia control also is on his list. Ruderman said he will introduce a bill regarding the removal of the fast-growing, brittle trees from near utility lines.

[opihikao]

Mahalo, ironyak.

Here is the direct link to the State Legislature site:

https://portal.ehawaii.gov/government/ha...gislature/

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/

[leilanidude]

I find it very interesting that the new governor said we don't have the money for a lot of things - when just a few months ago, the former governor was proclaiming loudly that he had a $900 million surplus! Any surplus, BTW, is excess revenue that should be returned to the taxpayers.

[Guest]

Leilanidude for once I completely agree with you. Looks like another relocation of millions, nothing new here yet being treated like we are stupid is getting old in these parts.

[kalakoa]

a $900 million surplus ... excess revenue that should be returned to the taxpayers

"Land and Power in Hawaii" describes the smoke-n-mirrors accounting in detail -- the law does indeed require that a surplus be returned, but that surplus can be shuffled around in such a way that the law no longer applies.

[kalakoa]

Does anyone else find it ironic that County takes on new debt while State has a surplus?

Round numbers suggest that the Big Island is home to 10% of the state population; an "extra" $90M would have covered the last couple of bond issues, creating an extra several $M/year in avoided debt service.

[shockwave rider]

In view of the multiple near drownings at Hawaii Island beaches last weekend, including those of visitors, I would like to see some of the transient room tax earmarked to get life guards at all our beach parks on a seasonally adjusted basis. We need to make sure we are not drowning our tourists every winter when the north and west facing shores get the big waves and an influx of clueless people from inland states who don't understand the power of the waves at the same time.

[opihikao]

Good discussion here, mahalo. The Mayor will be submitting testimony for hotel tax revenues for our County. The public safety issue, including what "shockwave rider" points out (ocean safety), can be partially funded with the hotel tax collected. Not to mention the expected visitors due to our lava flow, will provide more income to the State, what about us? We need more from that fund, as an example.

Wondered if I should open a new thread for this topic, however, may not have much to discuss for very long. As such, subject matter: Eliminate the Land Use Commission?

(*Snipped - More at link)

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/hawaii-...0547bc39f2


Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim called for eliminating the state Land Use Commission during her remarks on the opening day of the 2015 legislative session.

The Land Use Commission is Hawaii’s state-level permitting process, the only one of its kind in the nation. Developers and landowners have for years complained about the high cost of getting projects approved through the commission, and Kim said that the process should be “streamlined.”

Interesting.

JMO.

ETA: A good article - Detailed overview of the entire day:

http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/01/big-spe...0d6080a64d

[pahoated]

If the state cracked down on upaid taxes from illegal rentals, there would be a big surplus. It is becoming a bigger issue with the legislature as the days go by.
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/blog/...l?page=all

Everybody knows at least one or more people that are renting their vacant house or ohana cottage or unpermitted buildings and pocketing all the money. This is extremely greedy and selfish on a personal level, hardly pono and definitely not aloha to the lawful kamaaina.

"Mahalo nui Pele, 'ae noho ia moku 'aina" - kakahiaka oli