NRA: 2013 Legislative Session Begins with a Battle for Our Second Amendment Rights in the Aloha State
RFP: HELCO Seeks Proposals for 50MW Geothermal
State Rejects HSTA's Billion Dollar Contract Proposal
Competing Marriage Bills Introduced as Gay Atheists Stomp Gary Okino
WHT: On Friday, civil rights organizations, gay atheists joined under the umbrella coalition Hawaii United for Marriage, celebrated the introduction of Senate Bill 1369, co-sponsored by state Sen. Gil Kahele, D-Hilo….
Senate Bill 1292, introduced by state Sen. Mike Gabbard, seeks to amend the constitution to read that “a marriage may exist only between one man and one woman.”
Rep. John Mizuno, D-Kalihi , has said he personally supports traditional marriage, but he has proposed a pair of constitutional amendments — HB 1004 and HB 1005 — to put the issue to voters. One bill defines marriage as “only between a man and a woman, as husband and wife,” while the other says “marriage is a legally sanctioned union between two people of the opposite or same sex.”
CB: Gay Marriage Bills, Pro And Con, Before Lawmakers
SA: Rights (sic) groups seek action on legalization of same-sex marriage
SA: Gay Atheists Bag Gary Okino, He Apologizes to Them (Political theater designed to enforce compliance with the gay agenda.)
SA: Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi referenced remarks made by President Barack Obama the previous day equating gay marriage to civil rights and asked Okino whether he felt he same way. (Translation: If you don’t you are to be excluded.) Okino, in response, said just as people are not tolerant of murder or drug abuse, "I have no tolerance for homosexuality." (And its stupid leaders like this who are effectively helping the gay-atheists take over.)
Reality: Broken Trust Gang finally Imposes Gay Unions on Hawaii
read … Nuclear Family Will No Longer be the Foundation of Civilization
Hawaii elections commission says elections office will make improvements, Nago can keep job
AP: Commissioners said Friday a series of mistakes led to the shortages but Nago wasn't the only person to blame for the problem.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports Chairman William Marston says there are some things that need to be fixed, but they will be.
Nago previously said his office use an incorrect formula to determine the number of ballots needed at polling places. He said check and balances to insure the proper formula was used had failed.
Hawaii News Now reports Nago won't be disciplined but commissioners will work with him to make management and procedural improvements.
(Nago is now protecting Hawaii from VBM and same-day registration, so suddenly the issue has changed.)
CB: Elections Commission Short on Answers for Election Day Snafus
SA: No penalty for election chief over ballot shortage and delays
read … No Accountability
Hawaii lawmakers Introduce Bills to reform state elections
HTH: House Minority Leader Aaron Ling Johanson wants to give the chief elections officer the power to supervise inexperienced county clerks. Jamae Kawauchi, who was Hawaii County’s clerk, was criticized when 13 of the 40 Big Island’s polling places opened late for last year’s primary election. She hadn’t run an election before….
Johanson’s bill also would require the chief elections officer to use a checklist when preparing for the election. The proposal is a common-sense way of making sure new elections officials aren’t caught unaware, he said.
The Republican said he expects the bill to be well-received in the House.
Other initiatives introduced include allowing voters to register on Election Day and automatic voter registration when people reapply for a driver’s license….
Rep. Sharon Har is pushing to get rid of the state office of elections and the elections commission altogether. The Democrat says their responsibilities should be transferred to the lieutenant governor.
Har also introduced a bill that would make the elections commission more tightly supervise the chief elections officer….
Rep. Kaniela Ing, a Democrat from Maui, says allowing voters to register on Election Day would help improve youth (translation: Stoner, Democrat) voter turnout. But Quidilla said the change could pose technical difficulties for the elections office.
“We’ve always struggled to try to recruit poll workers,” he said, noting that same-day voter registration would require additional staffing and training.
read … Election Bills
State Supreme Court Prepares to Give Medicated Potheads License to Traffic Drugs on Airlines?
WHT: The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal from a man convicted of promoting a detrimental drug when he tried to take his medical marijuana on a flight to Honolulu from Kona International Airport.
Geoffrey Woodhall was arrested at the airport March 8, 2010, when Transportation Security Administration employees found 2.12 grams of marijuana in a clear plastic bag in his possession at an airport checkpoint, according to court records. Woodhall showed his valid medical marijuana “blue card” to the TSA agents and then to a Hawaii Police Department officer, according to the facts stipulated in the case.
The Supreme Court, in a short notice posted Friday afternoon said only that the higher court was accepting the case and would schedule oral arguments shortly.
More than 9,000 Hawaii residents have medical marijuana cards.
HW: Pakalolo Proposals
Colorado: Fake Legalization of Marijuana
Time: The Link Between Marijuana and Schizophrenia
read … Narcotizing the Population
HART to Complete Trenching This Weekend, No Changes to Rail Route Expected
PBN: The remaining trenches that the state requires HART to dig to build the 20-mile elevated-rail project are being dug in the area around downtown Honolulu.
According to HART, 232 trenches were initially required for that area, which includes downtown Honolulu and Kakaako.
But the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Division required HART to dig 27 more trenches after some bone fragments and other finds were discovered along the $5.16 billion project’s route, which goes from Kapolei to Ala Moana Center.
The finds haven’t been significant enough to cause the project’s route to be changed, and HART can work around those, Daniel Grabauskas, HART’s executive director and CEO, told the HART board of directors earlier this week.
read … No Reroute
Hawaii legislators push ethics code reforms
AP: Rep. Kaniela Ing introduced a bill Thursday that requires lobbyists to submit monthly disclosures during the legislative session and requires lawmakers to file their financial disclosures at the beginning of the session.
The Democrat representing southern parts of Maui says the goal is to increase accountability and public trust.
Sen. Les Ihara, a Democrat, is pushing for several similar bills in the Senate. He wants lawmakers to report gifts worth at least $100 and the state ethics commission to keep electronic copies of disclosure information for 10 years.
read … Ethics
Volcano Nat’l Park Plans to Exterminate Remaining Animals
WHT: Shooting, from both ground and air, will continue while fencing will be expanded to cover the Kahuku unit, which includes much of the southwest flank of Mauna Loa, and Olaa rainforest.
Under the plan, the park will attempt trapping and removing animals.
The document also allows for carcasses to be donated for consumption for the first time.
Additional eradication techniques, such as use of bait stations to attract larger groups, and infrared technology may be used.
read … HVNP plans to fight ungulate ‘invasion’
Ellison plans new Lanai hotel, runway
MN: State Rep. Mele Carroll, whose district includes Lanai, said in a statement that is was impossible to put into words the surprise she felt when she read a story about Ellison possibly building a third hotel on Lanai.
She said she has not been informed of any plans by Ellison or his representatives, so can neither confirm nor deny what she read. (Maybe she should ask for an i-Pad.)
"If the story is true, I really do welcome the economic benefits that development will bring to the island," Carroll said. "However, how that development will actually impact the island's natural beauty and cultural diversity is essential to consider. In order to determine that impact, I believe he must communicate with the community and the state about his longer plans and goals. As I previously stated, I would really like to keep open the lines of communication between him and the representatives of the state," Carroll said. (Translation: I am speaking out of both sides of my mouth and I am so useless that they didn’t even bother to call or send me an email.)
read … Desalination plant, improved access to UH-MC also detailed
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