02-09-2015, 05:32 AM
FYI: (*Snipped - More at link)
HONOLULU — The proposed merger between Hawaiian Electric and NextEra will continue to be a focus for lawmakers. There’s a push for more oversight of the deal, and a bill moving in the House of Representatives would require the Public Utilities Commission to hold hearings about the transaction. Aside from the merger, here are three things to keep an eye on this week at the Legislature:
UNDER-SEA CABLE — The Legislature began paving the way for an interisland, high-voltage electric transmission cable several years ago. It was seen in part as a way to share the energy produced on neighbor islands with population-dense Oahu. But community members raised concerns about the idea of an under-sea cable, saying it would be costly and that it could reduce the adoption of renewable energy sources. Now lawmakers are considering a bill that would strip the Public Utilities Commission of its authority to start the process. The bill will be heard Tuesday morning in the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection.
ETHICS LESSONS — Whether they’re accused of not living in the districts they represent or caught using campaign funds for a personal car, lawmakers have been in the spotlight recently for some ethical conundrums. One Senate bill would require the state ethics commission to boost its ethics classes for elected officials. That bill will be heard this morning in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
POLICE OVERSIGHT — The Women’s Legislative Caucus wants police departments to post their policies on domestic violence, and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs wants county mayors to be able to remove their chief of police if there’s just cause. The Senate public safety committee will hear those and other officer-conduct bills on Tuesday afternoon.
See more at: http://westhawaiitoday.com/community-bul...FzYW3.dpuf
HONOLULU — The proposed merger between Hawaiian Electric and NextEra will continue to be a focus for lawmakers. There’s a push for more oversight of the deal, and a bill moving in the House of Representatives would require the Public Utilities Commission to hold hearings about the transaction. Aside from the merger, here are three things to keep an eye on this week at the Legislature:
UNDER-SEA CABLE — The Legislature began paving the way for an interisland, high-voltage electric transmission cable several years ago. It was seen in part as a way to share the energy produced on neighbor islands with population-dense Oahu. But community members raised concerns about the idea of an under-sea cable, saying it would be costly and that it could reduce the adoption of renewable energy sources. Now lawmakers are considering a bill that would strip the Public Utilities Commission of its authority to start the process. The bill will be heard Tuesday morning in the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection.
ETHICS LESSONS — Whether they’re accused of not living in the districts they represent or caught using campaign funds for a personal car, lawmakers have been in the spotlight recently for some ethical conundrums. One Senate bill would require the state ethics commission to boost its ethics classes for elected officials. That bill will be heard this morning in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
POLICE OVERSIGHT — The Women’s Legislative Caucus wants police departments to post their policies on domestic violence, and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs wants county mayors to be able to remove their chief of police if there’s just cause. The Senate public safety committee will hear those and other officer-conduct bills on Tuesday afternoon.
See more at: http://westhawaiitoday.com/community-bul...FzYW3.dpuf