July 8, 1999
Report to the Ewa Neighborhood Board No. 23
Governor Nominates Earl Anzai to be Attorney General:
Although confirmation hearings for Mr. Anzai will likely be amusing, the solution is to elect the Attorney General. I and my fellow House Republicans support giving the people the right to choose who will be the Attorney General. We will again introduce a bill to propose an amendment to the Constitution allowing the people to elect the Attorney General.
Special Session of the Legislature:
The House and Senate leaders again today could not agree as to what bills would be considered in a special session of the legislature. So, for the moment, it appears there will not be a special session. This is unfortunate, since the legislature did not do its job during the last session. I support a special session if we can do some good and justify the cost of meeting. The House of Representatives position is that at least two bills need our immediate attention:
Economic Stimulation – Senate Bill 1325 was intended to increase tourism by providing a tax credit for renovating hotels. However, the House and Senate could not agree as to what percentage tax credit was appropriate, and left the amount blank. The Governor vetoed this meaningless bill. We need broad tax relief for everyone to stimulate our economy and create jobs. This bill is a start and we need to take action now.
The other bill is an emergency appropriation to pay $2.1 million to the federal government for refunds from the Hawaii Public Employees Health Fund -- otherwise the state would owe Washington $200,000 to $300,000 in interest.
Personally, I would like to attempt to override the veto of Senate Bill 1119 – "Reubyne’s" Bill. This bill would have shifted the burden of proving mental or emotional distress to the defendant in murder cases. If the defendant establishes they were under an extreme mental or emotional distress, the crime is reduced to manslaughter. The Governors veto leaves the burden of proving that the defendant was not under mental or emotional distress on the prosecution.
Village Park and West Loch Fairways Water and Soil Concerns
Act 192 (House Bill 1138) appropriate $220,000 for soil testing in Village Park and West Loch Fairways. Over the years a number of residents have complained about possible pesticide contamination and severe health consequences in these communities.
Village Park residents have received a health survey form to help find out whether there is an above average amount of cancer, birth defects and learning disabilities in their community. A law firm who is trying to determine whether they can bring an action for damages on behalf of injured persons against pesticide users and manufactures is sponsoring this survey. Council Member Mansho, Senator Kanno, and Representative Moses held a joint press conference to publicize this survey and support finding the true facts. If you used to live in Village Park and didn’t get a survey, contact Audrey Hyrne at 522-9111, or call my office.
Ewa-Kapolei/Makakilo Environmental Meeting
Hawaii’s Thousand Friends is sponsoring a meeting called "How can the Ewa-Kapolei/Makakilo Residents Address Environmental Issues Better?"
Friday, July 9, 1999
Child and Family Services West Oahu Center, Room 162
91-1841 Fort Weaver Road, Ewa Beach
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Contact Carolyn Weygand-Hildebrand at 681-0999.
Kalaeloa (Barbers Point) Open to the Public
The beaches and other areas of Kalaeloa - Barbers Point are now open to the public. Some people have told me the beach areas were trashed over the July 4th weekend, and that people were driving around causing trouble. I would appreciate hearing from constituents on problems at Kalaeloa. Call 586-8500.