02-02-2019, 04:38 AM
I don't know about any of the humbug dan d goes on about regarding Big Island Sen. Kai Kahele, but he made the news this morning because he introduced Senate Bill 1140, which if passed, would fund a wide range of initiatives related to invasive species and biosecurity during the next two fiscal years.
This is a long time in coming, and I appreciate Kai's efforts on our behalf.
From this morning's Trib...
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/201...ity-bills/
State Senate unveils package of biosecurity bills
Three bills dealing with invasive species and their relationship to food security and biosecurity are being considered by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 1140, introduced by Big Island Sen. Kai Kahele, if passed, would fund a wide range of initiatives related to invasive species and biosecurity during the next two fiscal years.
The measure, which was co-sponsored by fellow Big Island Sens. Russell Ruderman and Lorraine Inouye, on Friday passed the Water and Land Committee, which Kahele chairs. The vote was unanimous, with Maui Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, the committee’s vice chairman, excused.
The bill now goes to Ways and Means, the senate’s money committee.
“I think there’s a very strong chance it makes it through,” Kahele said. “I think the governor was clear in his message about how the state needs to take biosecurity a lot more seriously than it has in the past. And with cases of rapid ohia death showing up on other islands, with little fire ants showing up in Kaneohe, and the whole range of invasive species that are showing up in our communities, we’ve got to do something dramatically different than what we’ve done in the past.”
The legislation would provide up to $972,000 per year “for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to support research and interagency projects” and $500,000 each year “for rapid ohia death response.”
The measure also would provide an unspecified amount to fund 10 full-time positions for the Department of Land and Natural Resources “to respond to invasive species in Hawaii’s protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries.”
This is a long time in coming, and I appreciate Kai's efforts on our behalf.
From this morning's Trib...
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/201...ity-bills/
State Senate unveils package of biosecurity bills
Three bills dealing with invasive species and their relationship to food security and biosecurity are being considered by the state Senate.
Senate Bill 1140, introduced by Big Island Sen. Kai Kahele, if passed, would fund a wide range of initiatives related to invasive species and biosecurity during the next two fiscal years.
The measure, which was co-sponsored by fellow Big Island Sens. Russell Ruderman and Lorraine Inouye, on Friday passed the Water and Land Committee, which Kahele chairs. The vote was unanimous, with Maui Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, the committee’s vice chairman, excused.
The bill now goes to Ways and Means, the senate’s money committee.
“I think there’s a very strong chance it makes it through,” Kahele said. “I think the governor was clear in his message about how the state needs to take biosecurity a lot more seriously than it has in the past. And with cases of rapid ohia death showing up on other islands, with little fire ants showing up in Kaneohe, and the whole range of invasive species that are showing up in our communities, we’ve got to do something dramatically different than what we’ve done in the past.”
The legislation would provide up to $972,000 per year “for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to support research and interagency projects” and $500,000 each year “for rapid ohia death response.”
The measure also would provide an unspecified amount to fund 10 full-time positions for the Department of Land and Natural Resources “to respond to invasive species in Hawaii’s protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries.”
