After Veto Threat, Green Signs Sara Yara Bill into law
from Rep Scott Saiki, July 5, 2024
I am pleased to share some fantastic news! Today, Governor Green approved a new law that increases the penalty for repeat unlicensed drivers to a Class C felony, which is punishable by up to five years in jail.
He also approved new laws to add speeding enforcement mechanisms to red light cameras and to make red light camera video acceptable in court.
The Legislature prioritized these new laws to increase safety on our roads. Motor vehicles cause too many deaths and serious injuries to people who are in vehicles, on sidewalks and in crosswalks. These laws ensure that drivers who don't follow the law will face serious consequences.
Thank you to everyone who supported this legislation. And thank you to residents who have participated in our Citizens Patrol group for the past years. They have made a tremendous difference in making our neighborhood safer.
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Sara Yara Bill to punish traffic scofflaws may face governor’s veto because Public Defender doesn’t want it
SA June 30, 2024: … A bill motivated by charges against a man who had no driver’s license and 164 traffic citations when he was arrested in the hit-and-run death of a 16-year-old McKinley High School student is on the list of measures that may be vetoed by Gov. Josh Green.
House Bill 2526 was introduced by House Speaker Scott Saiki (D, Ala Moana-Kakaako-Downtown) following the Feb. 15, 2023, collision that took the life of Sara Yara as she was walking in a marked crosswalk on Kapiolani Boulevard on her way to school.
Mitchel Miyashiro, 46, in December was charged with negligent homicide in the first degree and driving without a license, among other offenses. Miyashiro had 164 prior traffic citations, according to state court records, and had pleaded not guilty to driving without a license just nine days before he allegedly killed Yara.…. If it becomes law, House Bill 2526 would increase the penalty for a third or subsequent offense involving unauthorized driving or operation of motor vehicles to a class C felony and authorize the court to order the forfeiture of the vehicle used in the offense.
In a statement, Green cited the rationale for vetoing HB 2526 as its potential to increase caseloads for prosecutors, law enforcement, the Judiciary, the Office of the Public Defender, and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, without providing additional funding for enforcement. Implementation costs would also pose a feasibility issue with enacting the bill.
“Gov. Green positioned the bill for possible veto based on concerns from the Office of the Public Defender about elevating these offenses to the level of a felony, and whether we need to focus on enforcement rather than just increasing penalties in hopes that it becomes a deterrent,” Green’s office told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser….
(TRANSLATION: The criminals’ lawyers want this veto. Their workload matters more than your life.)
read … Bill on traffic violations may face governor’s veto
SA: Off the news: Traffic law gets tough on repeat offenders