WEEKLY RECAP

From Hawaii Family Forum, April 10, 2021

Suicide Education Prevention Resolution Passes

On April 5, 2021, The committees on JHA recommend that HR 57 HD1 be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The resolution designates September as Suicide Prevention and Action Month.  Hawaii Family Forum supported this resolution.

The votes were as follows: 

9 Ayes: Representative(s) Nakashima, Matayoshi, D. Kobayashi, LoPresti, Lowen, Nakamura, Takumi, Todd, Ward; 
3 Excused: Representative(s) Ichiyama, McKelvey, Tokioka.

TAKE ACTION!

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act: We Need your Kokua

URGE HAWAII'S REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS TO PASS H.R.619

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R. 619) has again been introduced in Congress to protect babies from infanticide.

On the local legislative scene, Hawaii legislators (other than a few Senate members like Sen. Fevella) are unwilling to take action.  Meanwhile, on the national scene, efforts to bring the bill to a vote in the House are being blocked. Your action is needed to urge your Representative to sign a discharge petition that would allow this vote to occur.

Both Rep. Case and Rep. Kahele have gone on record supporting abortion rights, but we should raise our voices anyway because they represent the pro-life community too!

While Hawaii shies away from doing anything, some states have passed laws to expand abortion and to repeal laws providing specific protections for babies born alive after surviving an attempted abortion. The Born-Alive Act would provide these specific protections nationwide to help prevent newborns from being killed or left alone to die.

As pro-life people, we must continue to push Congress to pass the Born-Alive Act, so babies born alive following an abortion attempt are treated the same as any other newborn baby. PLEASE ACT TODAY!!!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

Upcoming Legislative Deadlines

APR 15 - SECOND CROSSOVER (BILLS) - Deadline for bills to pass third reading in their non-originating chamber and to "cross back" to the originating chamber. 

APR 15 - LAST DAY FOR THE ORIGINATING BODY TO DISAGREE WITH BILL AMENDMENTS - The deadline for the originating chamber to disagree with changes made to its bills by the other chamber. When the Senate and House disagree on a bill, members from each chamber can meet in conference committees to reconcile their differences. 

APR 16 - DEADLINE FOR FINAL FORM OF BILLS PROPOSING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS - A proposed amendment's final form must be provided by written notice to the Governor prior to passing final reading by a 2/3 vote in each chamber. Once adopted by the Legislature, the proposed amendment is submitted to the voters, in the form of a 'yes or no' question on the ballot, for ultimate decision. 

APR 19 - SECOND CROSSOVER FOR CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONS - Deadline for passing amended concurrent resolutions in the nonoriginating chamber in order to "cross back" to the originating chamber. 

APR 22 - FINAL DECKING OF NON-FISCAL BILLS - Deadline for submitting non-fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. 

APR 23 - FINAL DECKING OF FISCAL BILLS - Deadline for submitting fiscal bills for final reading by both chambers. Fiscal bills include appropriation or spending bills, tax credits, etc., or any bill with a House Finance or Senate Ways and Means referral. 

APR 29 - ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE - In Latin, "sine die" means "without a day specified" for future meeting. Adjournment sine die occurs on the last day of a Regular Session and indicates a suspension of the business of the legislature indefinitely. Next, the Legislature will certify the bills whose form both chambers have agreed to and will transmit or "enroll" those bills to the Governor. Contact the Public Access Room (PAR) for information regarding the Governor's deadlines: (808) 587-0478, par@capitol.hawaii.gov .

UPCOMING EVENTS

Important Issues Related to Medications and Memory Loss in Older Adults

With Expert Speaker: Valisa Saunders, MN, APRN, GNP-BC

Friday, April 16, 2021, 10-11:30am

Sorry, no CEs or certificates are available for this session

Please register at this link

This session will cover:

Normal changes in aging related to cognition
How dementia as a diagnosis is distinguished from normal aging
Risk factors for dementia
How medications can interfere with memory function
What strategies can be used to reduce adverse drug reactions
How can caregivers help

Valisa Saunders, MN, APRN, GNP-BChas been involved in care of the elderly for over 35 years in Hawaii. She is a graduate of the UCLA School of Nursing Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Program, and is adjunct faculty for the UH Schools of Nursing and Medicine. She has worked with the Rehab Hospital of the Pacific, Kaiser Permanente, Leahi & Maluhia Hospitals, the UHM Nurse Practitioner program, and The Queen's Medical Center. She worked as a manager and nurse practitioner in acute care, outpatient clinical settings, home visits, post-acute and long-term care. She built the first nurse practitioner/physician team program for long-term care at Kaiser Permanente in 1991 and replicated this thriving program for Queen's over the past 4 years. She has been a clinical preceptor for most of the geriatric APRN students throughout her career in Hawaii. 

Valisa has vast experience in Polypharmacy issues. Polypharmacy, or the use of multiple medications for different conditions "is an area of concern for elderly because of several reasons. Elderly people are at a greater risk for adverse drug reactions (ADRs) because of metabolic changes and reduced drug clearance associated with aging: this risk is furthermore exacerbated by increasing the number of drugs used...Polypharmacy can lead to ADRs, mostly due to over-the-counter medications." (Download from Internet)

Valisa has also been involved in nursing practice legislation since 1985 and served on the Hawaii State Board of nursing, 1995-2001. She remains involved in policy and legislation related to nursing, aging and end of life care, and is on the APRN committee for the Hawaii State Center for Nursing. Recently retired, Valisa is spending more time on her passion for open ocean swimming and is the Ambassador for such at the Waikiki Swim Club. 

These Zoom workshops are made possible by a grant to Catholic Charities Hawaii from the Administration for Community Living/Administration on Aging for the Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative. The dementia sessions are sponsored by Catholic Charities Hawaii (CCH) Circle of Care for Dementia, in collaboration with Hale Kuike Memory Care Homes.

If you wish to find out more about Catholic Charities Hawaii's Senior Services, please go to this page or call the Senior Services Intake Line on Oahu (808) 527-4777.

Faith in Politics Podcast

Watch Current Episode

In this episode of Faith in Politics, we discuss the first part of the results of our recent survey.  We are dealing with the first two questions of the survey which deal with vaccinations and passports.

The entire results of the survey will be made available on our website after the final episode.  You can view the results of the first two questions at this link.