State Legislation

Legislative Reference Bureau workshop Līhu‘e, Kauai

kauaibrad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:24:55 -0700

Start: Nov 12 2008 - 6:30pm

End: Nov 12 2008 - 8:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

KAUA‘I WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY “THE INFORMED CITIZEN” IN 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Honolulu, HI, October 28, 2008 – Starting next week, free workshops designed to educate and encourage public participation in the State legislative process will be offered at numerous Kaua‘i locations. The workshops will be hosted by former Kaua‘i resident Suzanne Marinelli, the current Public Access Coordinator at the Public Access Room (PAR), a division of the State of Hawai‘i’s non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

Schedule of workshops on Kaua‘i:

Wednesday 11/5/08 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Princeville Public Library
Thursday 11/6/08 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Hanapēpē Public Library
Saturday 11/8/08 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Koloa Public Library
Monday 11/10/08 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Kapaa Public Library
Wednesday 11/12/08 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Līhu‘e Neighborhood Center

Ms. Marinelli’s workshops are engaging and interactive, and will focus on understanding how to participate in the legislative process without having to leave Kaua‘i; tips on writing good testimony (and ensuring it gets in the right hands at the right place and the right time!); and experienced advice and encouragement on the importance of participation by informed citizens. Participants will leave with useful resources and renewed inspiration.

Legislative Reference Bureau workshop Kapaa, Kauai

kauaibrad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:14:58 -0700

Start: Nov 10 2008 - 6:30pm

End: Nov 10 2008 - 8:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

KAUA‘I WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY “THE INFORMED CITIZEN” IN 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Schedule of workshops on Kaua‘i:

Legislative Reference Bureau workshop Koloa, Kauai

kauaibrad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:10:08 -0700

Start: Nov 8 2008 - 3:30pm

End: Nov 8 2008 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

KAUA‘I WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY “THE INFORMED CITIZEN” IN 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Schedule of workshops on Kaua‘i:

Legislative Reference Bureau workshop Hanapepe, Kauai

kauaibrad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:35 -0700

Start: Nov 6 2008 - 6:30pm

End: Nov 6 2008 - 8:30pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

KAUA‘I WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY “THE INFORMED CITIZEN” IN 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Schedule of workshops on Kaua‘i:

Legislative Reference Bureau workshop Princeville, Kauai

kauaibrad — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:55:08 -0700

Start: Nov 5 2008 - 6:00pm

End: Nov 5 2008 - 8:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

KAUA‘I WORKSHOPS DESIGNED TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION BY “THE INFORMED CITIZEN” IN 2009 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Schedule of workshops on Kaua‘i:

Gary Hooser: Hawaii Energy Proposal -- Transformational

kauaibrad — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:00:28 -0700

From Gary Hooser: http://garyhooser.livejournal.com/25661.html

Hawaii Energy Proposal - Transformational

The recent agreement reached between the State of Hawaii and HECO, the State’s primary energy provider has the potential to fundamentally transform the future of energy in our state.

Unfortunately the local newspapers chose to focus only on the sexy, expensive and potentially controversial proposal to lay an undersea cable between Maui County and the City and County of Honolulu.

The Honolulu Advertiser http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081021/NEWS01/810210358/1001

The Honolulu Star Bulletin http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20081021_Isles_power_up_clea...

Totally missing from the stories covered in local media were the provisions on decoupling and feed-in tariff. Also missing from the local news was the lifting of net metering caps, the raising of the Portfolio Standards, the removal of “efficiency savings” from the Portfolio Standard definitions, the restriction against the development of new fossil fuel generators, and numerous other innovative and forward thinking proposals.

This agreement represents the culmination of years of groundwork that has been set into place by the legislature and the recent efforts and very productive collaboration between the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism and the U.S. Department of Energy.

A summary of the agreement:
1) Agreement to an additional 1,000 MW of renewable energy resources on Oahu

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION PUBLIC FORUM

andrea — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:11:46 -0700

Start: Oct 3 2008 - 2:00pm

End: Oct 3 2008 - 4:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-10

FROM: League of Women Voters of Kaua'i County

MEDIA CONTACT: Carol Bain 246-2111

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION PUBLIC FORUM

OCTOBER 4

KAPAA LIBRARY: 2:00 TO 4:00

Coordinated by: League of Women Voters of Kaua`i

As William Shakespeare’s Hamlet once pondered

TO HOLD … or … NOT TO HOLD

THAT IS THE QUESTION

WHETHER THE BEDROCK GOVERNANCE PRINCIPALS OF THE STATE OF HAWAII adopted at the last constitutional convention in 1978 need revisiting and revising…IS THE QUESTION

Nov. 4, election day, voters will be asked for their answer. This year’s ballot asks for a vote as to whether a Constitutional Convention (ConCon) should once again be convened. How voters answer that question is extremely important and will have significant far-reaching impacts on our State’s future.

To educate and encourage discussion, pro and con, on the upcoming 2008 ConCon Ballot question LWV of Kaua'i public forum will encompass:

ConCon 2008 Ballot Question overview, by JoAnn Maruoka, LWV Honolulu

Pro & Con Panelists

Q & A / Reception to follow

DATE: Saturday, October 4, 2008

TIME: 2:00 – 4:00 pm

PLACE: Kapa’a Library

Kuhio Highway, Kapa’a, Kauai

PLEASE JOIN IN ON THIS OPEN, FREE, LIVELY AND IMPORTANT DISCUSSION

League of Women Voters, founded in ……… , is dedicated to citizen participation in government decision making and welcomes both men and women members. For more information about League in Hawaii, visit http://www.lwv-hawaii.com

‘Ferry-free Kaua‘i’ celebrated

SaveKauai — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:28:45 -0700

‘Ferry-free Kaua‘i’ celebrated

But some residents call for ship’s return

by Michael Levine - The Garden Island
*

NAWILIWILI — Dozens of residents gathered yesterday afternoon at Nawiliwili Park to show solidarity and commemorate the one-year anniversary of their victory over Hawaii Superferry, an inter-island catamaran that has inadvertently divided the community.

“It’s the one-year anniversary of Kaua‘i being ferry-free,” said Rich Hoeppner, chairman of the nonprofit People for the Preservation of Kaua‘i. “It’s the one-year anniversary from the day when we blocked them and made them turn around and go back to O‘ahu, and they haven’t been back since. That requires a celebration.”

Hoeppner helped organize the protests on Aug. 26 and Aug. 27, 2007, which first delayed and then eventually turned back the Kaua‘i-bound Superferry on its inaugural trip to the Garden Isle. The demonstration played a prime role in yesterday’s festivities, which included live music, a pot luck meal, a water parade of surfers and paddlers and other activities.

“That was an incredible event, and it’s been an incredible thing for the island of Kaua‘i because it’s kept cars from bringing invasive species and it’s kept whales from being killed between here and O‘ahu,” Hoeppner said.

Jonathan Jay, who met many friends during last year’s protests, said the anniversary of such a surprising and empowering event was worth commemorating.

“People realized ‘Hey, they were coming in, we told them to stop and they did,’” he said.

Court appeal hangs over Superferry

SaveKauai — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:54:03 -0700

http://starbulletin.com/print/2005.php?fr=/2008/08/24/news/story02.html

Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Sunday, August 24, 2008

Court appeal hangs over Superferry

Three groups are challenging a law that allowed the ship to begin interisland trips

STORY SUMMARY »

Superferry officials are touting increased ridership, but one year after a state Supreme Court ruling nearly scuttled the interisland service, they face another legal challenge that is threatening to return the ship's fate to the same court.

On Aug. 23, 2007, the court ruled in favor of anti-Superferry environmentalists in a decision that triggered a flurry of activity, including Kauai protesters blocking the 350-foot ferry Alakai from docking at Nawiliwili Harbor and a Maui judge issuing a ban on the ship sailing to Maui's Kahului Harbor.

A state law passed in October allowed the service to resume, but the Sierra Club and two Maui groups are challenging that law as unconstitutional.

If they persuade the Hawaii Supreme Court to strike down the law, the groups contend the Superferry must again halt its operations until the state conducts a new environmental impact statement, a process that could take months.

Tom Fargo, Superferry president and chief executive officer, declined to say what would happen if the groups prevail. A court decision isn't expected for weeks.

FULL STORY »

By Ken Kobayashi
kkobayashistarbulletin.com">kkobayashistarbulletin.com

Women’s caucus debates a ‘con-con’

andrea — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:08:26 -0700

http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/05/19/news/news02.txt
Women’s caucus debates a ‘con-con’

by Rachel Gehrlein - THE GARDEN ISLAND

Representative Mina Morita, D-District 14, spoke yesterday at the Kaua‘i Democratic Women’s Caucus meeting about whether a constitutional convention should be held in 2010.

The constitutional convention, or ‘con-con,’ is a process that allows revisions to be made to the state’s Constitution. Voters will decide this fall if a con-con is needed to review and possibly revise the state’s founding document. The Constitution calls for voters to be polled every 10 years on whether to call a con-con. The last one was held in 1978.

“It is my personal belief that a con-con is not warranted,” Morita said. “I don’t believe there are any pressing issues that can’t be resolved on the ballot.”

Morita wondered what was so flawed with the Constitution to need a review in 2010.

As an example, she pointed out that in the 221 years the U.S. Constitution has been around, not too many changes have been made to that document.

“I just haven’t heard too many compelling arguments as to what is wrong with our constitution,” Morita said.

“We have to ask, ‘What needs to be fixed that goes beyond putting a question on the ballot?’ If it isn’t broken, what is there that needs to be fixed?”

Equality of rights and the right to privacy are articles in the constitution that Morita sees as “take away.”