How They Voted: Gay Marriage Passes Second Read 30-18
VIDEO: Shouts of ‘Let the People Vote’ Fill House Chambers
No Blackout: RevoluSun Exposed
Hawaii Health Connector stories -- thank you!!
Labor Unions May Get Health Law Tax Relief
TomTom: Honolulu 6th Worst Traffic in N. America
Realtors Assn: Honolulu 3rd Most Expensive Real Estate
Survey: Kailua 20th Most Unaffordable Real Estate in USA
Hoku: "One of Idaho's Greatest failures" -- Hawaii's Too!
IJS: JH Kelly, the Washington-state-based general contractor for the construction of the Hoku polysilicon plant in Pocatello has submitted the high bid of $5.273 million for the property as a whole after an effort to sell the plant in pieces only generated $4.78 million.
The federal trustee for the Hoku bankruptcy recommended that the federal court accept the bid. A decision will be made Nov. 12....
“If we are successful in acquiring the facility through the bankruptcy process, our intent is consistent with the announcements we made earlier in the fall,” states a news release from JH Kelly. “We want to work with the city of Pocatello and the Bannock County Economic Development Commission to mitigate the sting of Hoku/Tianwei's broken promises, help them attract a new user to the property and to recoup as much as we can of the monies that we are owed.” ...
“It’s one of Idaho’s greatest failures,” said Roger Chase, Pocatello’s former mayor....
NYT: Idaho Town Struggles After Pinning Hopes on a Failed Factory
read ... One of Act 221's Greatest Failures
Hosjijo Outlines Plan to Force Gay Government Marriage on Churches, Individuals
HNN: As the House considers SB1HD1... "It doesn't apply to outside vendors, individuals, private businesses, but it does apply to the church," said Bill Hoshijo, Hawaii Civil Rights Commission Executive Director.
Private companies and businesses separate from a church still cannot turn down a same sex couple even if they are members of a church and it's against their own personal belief. That was the case even before this special session and will remain in place no matter what the outcome is on the same sex marriage bill.
"If they offer goods, services, etc. to the public then they can't discriminate," said Hoshijo.
The Hawaii Civil Rights Commission is already trying to think of all the different scenarios that come up....
Some say same sex marriage is not a civil rights issue but Hoshijo, who hears civil rights complaints says it is.
"Both in the court's view and the legislature's view sexual orientation discrimination is a civil rights issue," said Hoshijo.
If a church has a café for example and a gay couple came in for lunch the church cannot refuse to serve them. That would be a violation. The exemptions are only for marriages ceremonies and celebrations.
read ... Orwellian Civil Rights
SA: We Prefer the Original SB1 Version
SA: Hawaii's Senate has approved the measure we prefer, the original SB1, which bestows to same-sex couples the full rights and responsibilities of marriage as heterosexual couples now hold. SB1 does not infringe on religious freedom — clergy would not be forced to perform same-gender weddings — and does maintain the core integrity of Hawaii's public-accommodations law, which prevents discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion or sexual orientation at establishments generally open to the public.
The House's amended version of the bill expands the exemption for clergy — which is explicitly stated in SB1 and recognizes religious freedom protected by the U.S. and state constitutions — extending it to religious organizations and to nonprofits aligned with religious organizations.
Under the House version, those entities would be exempt from the public-accommodations law and could refuse to provide goods, services, facilities or grounds for weddings or wedding celebrations that violate religious beliefs. The House version is modeled after Connecticut's 2009 same-sex marriage law, considered to hold one of the broadest religious exemptions in the country.
We much prefer the Senate version of the bill and hope it prevails....
As the House continues its work, and then reconciles its version with the Senate's, we remain hopeful that marriage equality will soon rule....
read ... We Want Government Religion
SB1HD1 Passes 30-18 2nd Read After Motions to Amend Fail
OnTop: As Wednesday's session got underway, a large crowd of opponents gathered outside the House chamber chanting “Let the people vote!” and later “Kill the bill,” disrupting the debate going on inside.
Rep. Marcus Oshiro, a Democrat, introduced 8 floor amendments to the bill, all of which were voted down. One amendment attempted to extend the bill's religious exemptions to include individuals and businesses.
Representatives also rejected a referendum on the issue proposed by Oshiro with a 28 to 19 vote. The amendment's failure provoked opponents in the House gallery to erupt with chants of “Let the people vote!”
A separate amendment by Rep. Bob McDermott, a Republican, also sought a popular vote on the issue. It was also rejected.
Rep. Gene Ward, also a Republican, introduced three amendments. One sought to allow parents and teachers to opt out of instruction on homosexuality. Ward said that it was needed to “inoculate” children from such teachings. Another amendment would add a “conscience exemption” for individuals. Ward's final amendment sought to exempt churches from the state's public accommodations law. All three amendments were defeated by voice vote.
Before the vote was called, McDermott made a motion to delay it indefinitely, arguing that lawmakers needed more time to consider the issue. The motion failed 30-18.
read ... OnTop
Lesbian Rep Jo Jordan Endorses Gay Marriage Then Votes 'No' to Keep Position of Power over Waianae
AP: One lawmaker, Democratic Rep. Jo Jordan of Waianae, said on the floor that she would oppose the bill — despite her thoughts and beliefs and gay marriage potentially benefiting her personally.
"No, nobody's going to beat me up. Nobody's going to throw me out of my (LGBT) community — I'm not quite sure of that," Jordan said. (Even she admits arrogant gays will attack 'no' votes.)
But Jordan said she set aside her beliefs when she listened to five days of testimony during a joint committee hearing and listened with an open heart. Much of spoken public testimony during the hearing came in opposition to the bill.
"I might vote against something that I personally believe in. I personally believe I should have the right," Jordan said. "You know how hard it is for me to say no? I have to say no."
Think Progress: Meet The First Openly Gay Lawmaker To Ever Vote Against Marriage Equality: Hawaii’s Jo Jordan
Towleroad Comments: As they win, Mainland Homosexuals Squeal With Hatred, Spite
read ... Wants to keep her seat
Public school test scores above average
SA: Hawaii public school fourth-graders exceeded the national average for math on a national standardized test -- the first time Hawaii has surpassed its national peers in any subject on the National Assessment of Educational Progress since state results began being recorded in the 1990s.
Overall, Hawaii's fourth- and eighth-graders made gains in reading and math on the exam this year, compared to 2011, the last time the test was given. But eighth-grade math and fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores in the islands remained below the national averages.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan touted Hawaii, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., as a top performers "who've knocked the ball out of the park."
The results -- released this morning -- come as the Hawaii's public school system continues implementing a host of educational reforms aimed at improving student performance, turning around low-performing schools and boosting teacher effectiveness.
Duncan said a lot of people scoffed at the U.S. Education Department's investment in Hawaii through a $75 million Race to the Top grant that proposed sweeping education reforms.
"I think Hawaii, to their tremendous credit, has proved a lot of skeptics wrong,"he said ....
Results: NAEP Test Results Released: Feds Tout Hawaii as RTTT Success Story
read ... Higher than Average
Hawaii Legislators Pressure UH Trustees to be More Involved HC: Rather than impeaching trustees for asking questions, the legislatures in Pennsylvania and Hawaii are pressing trustees to be more involved. The Pennsylvania Legislature and auditor general demanded the end of the Penn State president's voting rights and expansive powers. The Hawaii Senate Committee examining the university outlined its expectation that "the Board of Regents … be diligent in its duties and responsibilities … to question the university's administration when necessary … it should not merely approve all of the university administration's recommendations without conducting its own due diligence."
Legislators in Hawaii and Pennsylvania aren't fooled: They understand that there is an imbalance in power on our campuses that impedes proper oversight. Tenured faculty, let us remember, last forever, but trustees only for a designated term. And university presidents? They wield immense "patronage" power - the football box, tickets, alumni awards, membership in professional associations - that allows them to call in chits when they are challenged. Indeed, that appears to be what is happening.
read ... Legislators not Fooled?
State tax department questioned on contracts
HNN: The state's deputy chief information manager said Wednesday it's "disconcerting" that the State Tax Department wants to take the lead in hiring a contractor for upgrades to its troubled computerized tax collection system.
Between 1999 and 2011, the state tax department paid the company, CGI Group, $87.5 million to modernize the state's tax collection system. But the system was plagued with problems and crashed from time to time.
Now that the state is planning to spend at least $32 million more on upgrades to the tax computer systems.
"The state relies on the Department of Taxation to bring in $6 billion revenue to support operations, so it's so critical, we cannot afford to fail this time," said Robert Su, the information technology services manager at the tax department who said he is the tax modernization program manager.
But the state Deputy Chief Information Officer Randy Baldemor raised concerns that the tax department is trying to wrest control of management of the new tax system away from IT experts in his office.
Background: Obamacare Website Mess: 2010 Hawaii Audit Should Have Been ‘Red Flag’
read ... State tax department questioned on contracts
Kauai County to heighten security at meeting on pesticide bill
SA: Kauai County will heighten security at Thursday's special County Council meeting due to reported threats since Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr.'s veto of Bill 2491.
The 9 a.m. meeting will be held to officially receive the veto. No action will be taken on the veto. The Council might schedule a date for another meeting to consider an override.
The Council has 30 days from Oct. 31, the day Carvalho vetoed the measure, to override it.
read ... Luddites
UH Prof: 'GMO's Are Safe'
CB: This is a response to Hector Valenzuela's community voice, entitled: "The Science Behind Hawaii Island Bill 113".
I disagree with Hector on this topic but I suspect we otherwise have much in common. However, he is arguing that we should fear GM food, and some of his statements need to be disputed.
He incorrectly says: “No scientific consensus exists about the safety of GM crops.”
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest (more than 125,000 members) and most prestigious scientific society, issued the following statement:
“The science is quite clear: crop improvement by the modern molecular techniques of biotechnology is safe. The World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the British Royal Society, and every other respected organization that has examined the evidence has come to the same conclusion: consuming foods containing ingredients derived from GM crops is no riskier than consuming the same foods containing ingredients from crop plants modified by conventional plant improvement techniques.”
read ... Safe
Trucker in sludge controversy drew earlier allegations of illegal dumping
ILind: Rick Daysog’s reported on Monday that SER Trucking, the company that allegedly illegally dumped sludge dredged from the Hawaii Kai Marina on property along Waianae Valley Road is now facing a criminal investigation (“Police investigating sludge controversy“).
It seems the company is no stranger to charges of illegal dumping.
With a bit of checking, I came across a lawsuit in federal court against SER Trucking filed in March 2011.
read ... Sludge
Stabbing suspect is hospital escapee
SA: Seal was committed to the Kaneohe facility in 2002 after his acquittal by reason of insanity for the kidnapping and sexual assault of an 8-year-old Maui girl....
Seal, 34, has been at large since he scaled a 14-foot wire mesh fence at the Kaneohe mental hospital on Dec. 3, 2009. Seal had previously tried to escape twice....
Seal was a patient in a rehabilitation unit, the lowest of three levels of security, in the hospital's Guensberg building, the "least modern" in security features, said Fridovich, now Adult Mental Health Division administrator.
The state has made a number of improvements at the hospital after Seal's escape, resulting in the number of escapes falling to one this year and 2012 from a 10-year high of nine in 2005. Seal was one of eight escapees in 2009.
The hospital has made environmental changes, including routine fencing checks and repairs; procedural changes, "having the staff think through who's where, who's doing what and communicating that"; and has improved security cameras, monitoring and other security features, Fridovich said.
Except for Seal, all other escapees have been returned to the hospital through family, police, staff and others, mostly after a few hours, he said.
(Seal's ability to hide shows that he was never really mentally ill and should have been in a prison, not a hospital.)
read ... Escapee
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