WEEKLY RECAP

From Hawaii Family Forum, March 5, 2021

Hawaii Senators Poised to Pass Recreational Marijuana

Hawai'i Does Not Need Recreational Marijuana

A joint committee of the Senate Judiciary and the Senate Committee on Ways and Means passed SB 767 SD2 out of committee on Wednesday with only two Senators voting no.  Republican Senator Kurt Fevella had voted no in his committee on Public Safety, but this time changed his vote to yes with reservations.  The bill has been amended again to add "safeguards" to protect keiki from use.  Hawaii Family Forum strongly opposed this bill and we appreciate the "no" votes of Senator(s) Inouye and Moriwaki.

STATUS:  On March 3, 2021, the joint committee of the Senate Ways and Means and the Senate Judiciary 

The votes in WAM were as follows:
8 Aye(s): Senator(s) Dela Cruz, Keith-Agaran, English, Kanuha, Shimabukuro, Taniguchi;
Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Kidani, Fevella ;
2 No(es): Senator(s) Inouye, Moriwaki; and
1 Excused: Senator(s) Wakai.
The votes in JDC were as follows:
7 Aye(s): Senator(s) Rhoads, Keohokalole, Acasio, Gabbard, Kim, Lee; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Fevella

ACTION:  The bill will now move to the full Senate for a vote.  Please take a moment and send a message to your Senator and ask them to VOTE NO on SB767 SD2.  Vaping is already an epidemic among our youth.  There is no way legalized marijuana will evade them.  The potential of tax revenue should not be a catalyst for legalizing a drug that brings with it so many societal ills.

Hawaii House Members Say "Yes" to APRN Abortion Practice

APRN's and Abortion: "We can do it."

On Thursday March 3, 2021, after two days deferral on decision making, the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs passed HB 576 HD2, the bill to allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to provide abortions.  Hawaii law currently only allows abortions to be done by physicians.  We remain concerned that although physicians continuously refuse to do abortions (for good reasons), proponents want to work around them by finding providers who will do the procedures.

Rep. Gene Ward, the only member who voted against the bill, reminded legislators that there are still a great many people in the community who are pro-life and that access for APRNs most likely will turn into access for other medical professionals.  Hawaii Family Forum opposed this bill.

STATUS: On March 4, 2021, the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs recommended that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows:
9 Ayes: Representative(s) Nakashima, Matayoshi, Ichiyama, D. Kobayashi, LoPresti, Lowen, McKelvey, Nakamura, Todd; 
1 Noes: Representative(s) Ward;
2 Excused: Representative(s) Takumi, Tokioka.

ACTION:  The bill will now move to the full House for a vote.  Please take a moment to send a message to your Representative and ask them to vote no on HB 576 HD2.  

FROM AROUND THE NATION

H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2021 Passes U.S. House

Voting Rights Bill on the Way to Senate

House Democrats passed a sweeping "voting rights" bill called H.R. 1, (791 pages) or "For the People Act," that seeks to implement automatic voter registration among other election reforms, as well as adding reforms to campaign finance.  This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government.

Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls.  Hawaii Representatives Case & Kahele voted yes on the bill.

From the text in the bill its purpose is:

To expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement other anti-corruption measures for the purpose of fortifying our democracy, and for other purposes.

Conservatives have warned that the bill would be disastrous for election integrity and effectively chill speech by expanding the definition of "political speech."  On the other hand, both Moderates and liberals say the measure is necessary to combat voter suppression for people of color.  The bill is now on the way to the Senate.  

H.R.5 - Equality Act: Senate Soon to Act

The Senate plans to vote within the next few days.

H.R. 5 prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation.

The bill expands the definition of public accommodations to include places or establishments that provide (1) exhibitions, recreation, exercise, amusement, gatherings, or displays; (2) goods, services, or programs; and (3) transportation services.

The bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity.

ACTION:  You can send a message to your Congressional Leader in the Senate by clicking this link.    The Senate leadership has indicated that this vote may take place within the next few days, so act today.

Faith in Politics Podcast

NEW EPISODE

Click to watch this episode.  Topics include; Freedom of Speech, Election Reform and Hawaii Election Reform bills.

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Focus on the Family and the Family Policy Alliance

Watch this online interview of Jim Daly of Focus on the Family by CEO Craig DeRoche of the Family Policy Alliance.

Earlier this year, Twitter blocked a Focus on the Family-owned account over a tweet that correctly identified Biden administration pick Dr. Rachel Levine as a biological male.