Energy

• DATE: Monday, February 13, 2012
• TIME: 1:15 p.m.
• PLACE: Conference Room 229, State Capitol, 415 South Beretania Street

The court held that "parents have a constitutional right to discipline children...."

the Schools Repairs check-off garnered $66,406 during fiscal year 2011 which was down from the $72,200 it picked up in the previous fiscal year 2010. Designated check-offs for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse dropped from $134,445 in fiscal 2010 to $129,045 for 2011.... 

His problem is with the "prohibitively high cost" of US-built ships and the impact of those costs on freight rates. The high costs of other aspects of a US-flag operation, such as the cost of an over-manned US-citizen crew with all its fringe benefits, get no mention....

UHPA's board acted on the recommendation of its political endorsement committee, who interviewed Case and Mazie Hirono extensively....

...this morning, several bills were passed which would have long-lasting impacts on the integrity and preservation of our environmental resources; the Republican Committee members, Representative Cynthia Thielen and Representative Gil Riviere, were the sole voices in opposition....

On Monday February 13, 2012 the House Transportation Committee will hear House Bill 2277, which includes many of the proposals, previously introduced by Representative Marumoto

After passing through today's hearing, HB2865 will be voted on in a future House Session before it continues to the Committee on Finance.

On Monday, the House Tourism Committee will hear HB 2788 (Relating to Gaming) that grants a twenty-year license for one stand-alone casino in Waikiki (not in a hotel). This problematic bill also establishes the Hawaii Gaming Control Commission.

"The people of Hawaii know we've seen this type of inconsistent, ineffective behavior from Mazie before."

The NRA thanks all of our members for communicating with the members of the PGM Committee. As a result of your efforts, this bill was deferred by the committee....

...with Galileo K-12 Online technology in place and intervention plans implemented, the school saw a 31 percent increase in the percent of fifth grade students passing the statewide assessment in math....

As Budget & Finance Director Kalbert Young testified on February 3, 2012, before the State Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, the depleted reserved funds led to the downgrading last year of the State’s credit rating....

Attorney General David M. Louie on Thursday formally joined a landmark $25 billion joint federal-state agreement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers over foreclosure abuses and fraud....

See the Chamber's ad here ....

“I’ve reviewed the Hawaii law, and it’s not much of a compromise. The Hawaii contraceptive mandate has many of the same features as the new federal mandate.”

"...governments have perversely immoral incentives to make sure as many smokers keep smoking as possible, because governments are hooked on cigarette tax revenue...."

To correct the threats to religious liberty and rights of conscience by the Obama administration, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act has been introduced in Congress (H.R. 1179, S. 1467).

On Feb. 6, 2012, the Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) delivered to Governor Neil Abercrombie's office a list of candidates for the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents ....

“People always opt for more information,” says Giddings, “whether or not they have any idea what it means, or how they might use it.”

...we would otherwise be obligated to pay $50 million to Tianwei this quarter....

...Herkes was visibly not thrilled when citizens from all islands called and emailed committee members over the weekend to register deep and wide dissatisfaction with HB2652....

Rep. Gene Ward (R-Hawaii Kai – Kalama Valley) introduced HB 2240, which would offer a tax credit equal to 50 percent of the costs for a qualifying company to relocate its headquarters to Hawaii....

...permission to spend up to $184.7M on rail design build contracts....

• Senate: STOCK Act
• House: Fiscal Responsibility and Retirement Security Act
• House: Pro-Growth Budgeting Act of 2011
• House: Baseline Reform Act of 2011
• House: FAA Modernization and Reform Act

Marshall, who oversees the think tank’s Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, took her presentation on the road. During a three-day tour of Hawaii she spoke to political science students at BYUH and to TEA Party groups in Kona and Hilo.

...the proportion of Hawaii residents identifying as conservative has increased by 3.4% to 31.0%....

U. S. Senate candidate Ed Case (D‐HI) today called out his Democratic opponent, Mazie Hirono, for false and misleading claims in her current television ad.

... we can be 100% free of our dependence on foreign oil within 10 years if we set our minds to it, by using our most abundant renewable energy source, geothermal energy, for our base load energy, sun, wind, and ocean, but HECO keeps stifling these technologies, especially geothermal energy, so it can continue burning oil and bi-oil for another 20 years to preserve its profits ....

Hilo 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11 Dept. of Education Annex, 450 Waianuenue Ave. Bldg. C, Hilo, HI 96720

Abercrombie has signed into law House Bill 608, which appropriates state funds to The Queen’s Medical Center to perform kidney and liver transplants and to the National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii to maintain its chronic kidney disease management program....

...the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Hawai'i County as a primary natural disaster area resulting from ongoing drought conditions....

... down the drain ...

One would think that in an election year lawmakers would shy away from raising taxes and imposing new fees, but that is just not the case down at the state capitol building in Honolulu....

Schools, public agencies, and private nonprofit organizations may apply to be SFSP sponsors. Sponsoring organizations receive reimbursements for serving healthy meals and snacks at approved sites to children and teenagers (18 years and younger). Sponsors are encouraged to provide educational or recreational activities.

The University of Hawaii is considering whether to provide funding for the Planned Parenthood abortion business to start doing abortions on Kauai inside the Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapa’a....

Released January 31 by the Thomas B Fordham Institute, “The State of State Science Standards 2012” doesn’t pull punches in its analysis of the Hawaii Department of Education’s much-ballyhooed ‘academic standards’.

Hawaii GOP Chair David Chang said: “We are pleased that all of the front running Republican Presidential candidates are now on the ballot. The Hawaii Republican Caucus gives voters a real choice and a real voice in the Presidential race.”

Hawaii Republicans are meeting to select delegates for the upcoming State GOP Convention May 12 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu.

The Board of Directors for Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, which operates the hospital, has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, February 21 at 6:00pm to discuss the clinic.

The Hawaii news and opinion site, Civil Beat, was offline February 2-4.

Senate Bill 2975 is slated to be heard in the Senate Public Safety, Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee (PGM) on Thursday, February 9th at 2:45 p.m. in conference room 224.

Former Hawaii Governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Linda Lingle released today a new video spot highlighting her commitment to bipartisanship. 

Governor Neil Abercrombie today announced the appointment of Dean Seki as State Comptroller to the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS)....

Participants Will Aid in Hawai'i’s Broadband Initiative ....

WHAT: HB 2318

Where and When: Thursday, February 02, 2012 Room 309 9:00 A.M.

The Judiciary submitted the following testimony to the 2012 Legislature....

Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) is up with her first ad in her Senate race, and seeks to tie both her primary and general election opponents to former President George W. Bush.

Evidence is mounting that the Aloha State could offer the biggest surprise of the cycle. Former Gov. Linda Lingle flexed her fundraising muscles with a $1.7 million quarter....

Ed Case renews his debate challenge to Mazie Hirono ....