Reps. George Fontaine  and Angus McKelvey on Penal code HB141: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtyGMrN33eE

Excerpt from Capitol TV March 3, 2011. (Audio perfect – video transfers out of sync)

RELATING TO THE HAWAII PENAL CODE.

Report Title: Hawaii Penal Code; Concurrent Imprisonment Terms

Description: Authorizes retroactive application of the requirement that multiple terms of imprisonment run concurrently unless directed to run consecutively by law or court order. Effective January 7, 2059. (HB141 HD1) Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1; placed on the calendar for Third Reading with none voting no (0) and Cabanilla, Carroll, Ching, C. Lee, Mizuno, Morita, M. Oshiro, Saiki, Takumi, Thielen excused (10).

“This bill primarily affects property crimes and takes repeat offender status away from those kinds of crimes.  As a police officer I’ve dealt with this many many times where we’ve had people that have gone out and habitually burglarized homes, stolen cars all to fuel their drug habit….  And I feel that we need to have that repeat offender status for these kinds of crimes because of the fact that we do have these people that are just habitual criminals….”