TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE TO HEAR SB-2938 WITH LESS THAN 24-HOUR NOTICE TO VOTERS!

Aloha,

Your testimony, emails and phone calls are needed!!

In an unprecedented move, House Transportation Committee Chair Aquino requested an exception to the 48-hour rule for announcing a public hearing on the House floor today, which was granted, in order to push through SB-2938 without the voters knowing or having a chance to voice their objections.

SB-2938 Increases the state fuel tax, increase the state motor vehicle registration fee and increase the state motor vehicle weight tax.  All to put more money in the failing State Highway Fund.

The hearing will be TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) at 10:30am in room 309 at the State Capitol.

SB 2983 will only hurt the hard working families of Hawaii, while the State rakes in the cash that never seems to fix our highways!!

Please submit your testimony here NOW!!  If your unable to submit testimony online, please write all the member's of the committee via email to express not only your disgust for these shenanigans, but for the continued assault on the wallets and purses of the voters.

Members of the Transportation Committee are:

• Chair Henry J. C. Aquino at repaquino@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Vice Chair Matthew Lopresti at replopresti@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Har at rephar@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Ichiyama at repichiyama@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Johanson at repjohanson@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Keohokalole at repkeohokalole@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Nakashima at repnakashima@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Buenaventura at repsanbuenaventura@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Takayama at reptakayama@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Takumi at reptakumi@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Yamashita at repyamashita@Capitol.hawaii.gov
• Rep. Tupola at reptupola@Capitol.hawaii.gov

If email is not your thing, call Chair Aquino at 586-6520 or Vice Chair Lopresti 586-6080.

Please forward this to your friends and family, and ask them to do the same.

Warm Regards,

Friends of Bryan Jeremiah

SB2938: Text, Status 

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Taxation without Representation

From Horns of Jericho Blog, March 23, 2016

In a surprise move, House Transportation Committee Chair Henry Aquino has moved to hear the Senate’s Omnibus Transportation Tax bill (SB2938) during a committee hearing today at 10:30AM.  The late hearing notification is in clear violation of the rules that House members impose upon themselves and all but ensures public testimony will not be heard.  This dog and pony show will take place in room 309 at the Hawaii State Capitol.

It does not matter that you might oppose a tax increase, Henry Aquino does not care.  He does not want to hear it.

SB2938 increases taxes in the following ways:

• increases the county tax on gasoline by three cents per gallon (in increase from 16 to 19 cents),
• increases the motor vehicle registration fee by $31.50,
• increases the vehicle weight tax by one cent per pound, and
• increases the share of these taxes/fees deposited in the state highway fund.

This major increase in taxation was added with less than 24-hours notice ensures that concerned citizens will not have time to draft testimony or to take time off of work to testify before the committee.

For those who oppose the tax increase, and for those that care about open government, your feedback should be directed at the chair and vice-chair of the committee:

Rep. Henry Aquino (Waipahu, Chair, House Committee on Transportation)

• Email: repaquino@capitol.hawaii.gov
• Phone: (808) 586-6520

Rep. Matt LoPresti (Ewa Beach, Ewa – Vice Chair, House Committee on Transportation)

• Email: replopresti@capitol.hawaii.gov
• Phone:(808) 586-6080

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DN: Public notice cut short on hearing for controversial tax increase bill