From Hawaii Family Advocates, March, 2016

Aloha,

As mentioned in our February newsletter, Hawai’i Family Advocates (HFA) has been closely monitoring the ill-conceived bills from the current State Legislative session. It looks as if many of the ill-conceived bills will not pass during this session.  

However, SB2615 passed in the Senate and will cross over to the House where it will be assigned committees and await potential hearings. We ask for you to sign a petition to let your voice be heard in opposing SB2615 by clicking on this link: PETITION

• SB2615 would usurp parents of their legal right to make decisions regarding counseling therapy if their children are battling with sexual identity issues. If this bill becomes law, professional counselors, pastors, faith based teachers, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers would be prohibited from counseling children about their sexual identity. Parents would be prohibited from allowing their pastors or any other counseling professional who has similar beliefs relating to sexual orientation and identity from counseling their children on matters that is based upon biblical and faith based principles and values.

HFA is monitoring HB2707 that would allow advanced practice registered nurses the ability to certify patients for medical marijuana use. 

As mentioned in our February newsletter, we at HFA had hoped elected officials would introduce bills addressing the greatest challenges facing our Aloha State such as the high cost of living. Instead, we are seeing the opposite with the raising of the General Excise Tax by .05%, Car Registration Tax by $15, Vehicle Weight Tax by $1, and Gas Tax by 3 cents (now making this tax the highest in the nation).

Hawai’i Family Advocates is in support of seeing these two bills pass the legislature:

• SB2569 establishes a community court outreach in the City and County of Honolulu that requires the judiciary to operate a mobile court that travels to community sites. Of note, a similar policy proposal from Duke Aiona during the 2014 Gubernatorial Campaign had the concept of a mobile court reaching out to homeless sites in the community. LINK: Aiona-proposes-homeless-court-and-outreach-to-vets-living-on-the-street

• SB2509 prohibits state low-income housing units from being passed along from one individual to another. The bill requires unemployed tenants, except elders and individuals with a disability, who live in state low-income housing to perform community service or enroll in classes in order to remain eligible for tenancy and the authority shall not select any applicant, except an elder, as a tenant for more than seven consecutive years.

In other news, Hawai'i Family Advocates in conjunction with Hawai'i Family Forum hosted a gala to Celebrate Marriage on February 18 at Kroc Center. Mahalo and Blessings to the 12 married couples that were honored and over 300 people who attended, in making it a memorable event.

Mahalo, as always, for your support and prayers during this critical period. Aloha Ke Akua!