HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 13, 2001

Contact: Rep. Galen Fox Tel.: [phone]

GOP: Democrats Undemocratic!

Today, the House Republican caucus pulled an "Age of Consent" bill out of the House Judiciary Committee in order to bring it to the floor and debate the merits of the bill. Their efforts were foiled by some questionable rulings by House Speaker Calvin Say.

The Republicans had announced the day before that they intended to use their authority to "recall" an "Age of Consent" bill from the Judiciary Committee where its Chairman, Representative Eric Hamakawa, (D, Hilo) had not scheduled hearings for any proposal addressing the question. The Republicans argued that there was sufficient public interest in the bill and that it should be heard. They noted that many of Hamakawa's own constituents, including the Big Island prosecutor's office, supported raising the age of consent after trying a case involving a forty-four year old man and a fourteen year old girl.

After acknowledging that the legislation had been legally pulled, Speaker Say immediate entertained a motion to recommit the bill back to the Judiciary Committee. He made this ruling even though there was a Republican motion already on the floor to allow the "consent" bill to pass. The Republicans challenged Speaker Say's ruling but the Speaker used a partisan voice vote to support his ruling. The Republicans declared all they wanted was to allow the bill to have a debate. They directly asked for assurances from Chairman Hamakawa to schedule a public hearing if the bill were recommitted. Hamakawa would only say that he "may consider it along with many other bills before his committee."

The particular bill the Republicans recalled was actually sponsored by a Democrat, Rep. Marilyn Lee (Mililani). Rep. Lee awkwardly voted to recommit her own bill, where it will probably never see the light of day again.

"It seems as though the Democrat 'old boys' would rather bend the legislative and constitutional rules rather than to give an inch to the Republicans on this important issue," said Rep. Colleen Meyer (R-Laie, Kahaluu). "In their arguments for re-committing the measure, they said they were doing it only to give it a chance to have a public hearing. But they already had their chance and they failed to act. When given the opportunity to pledge a hearing at a later date, they refused to do so."

The House Republican caucus had pointed out in their press conference the day before that the present age of consent in Hawaii is fourteen years of age, the lowest in the nation. Many groups have urged the passage of a measure raising the age and increasing the penalties for adults who have sex with girls and boys under the age of consent.

Representative Meyer added that not only is teen-age pregnancy was a great concern for parents of 15-year-old daughters, but we also worry about children who are lured into drugs and then into prostitution to support themselves. Eventually these poor children are tossed out on the street when they become sick or pregnant. Said Meyer, "We need to resolve this question now. Already too many of Hawaii's children have suffered because society offers them inadequate protection."

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