March 13, 2015
Slot Machines Could Fund Airport Upgrades
Evans, D-North Kona, North Kohala, South Kohala, is sponsoring HB 91, allowing the installation of slot machines, first at Honolulu Inter-national Airport, and later, once international flights return to West Hawaii, at Kona International Airport. Evans sees the bill as an "outside the box" way to raise money for airport improvements. Kona International Airport, for example, needs about $52 million in upgrades and the creation of a safe holding area for international travelers before U.S. Customs will allow international flights to return.View full article
March 13, 2015
Big Island Lawmakers Hope to Give Terminally Ill Access to Experimental Drugs, Treatments
Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, North Kohala, South Kohala, learned about the "Right to Try" effort while at a national conference put on by The Council of State Governments. Evans, a self-described proponent of medical freedom and choice, said she introduced HB 92 because she thought it was worth more discussion. The proposed measure provides access for terminally ill patients to receive investigational drugs, biological products and devices that have not received final FDA approval.View full article
February 15, 2015
Push for Kua bay Lifeguards
Evans, D-North Kona, Kohala, has introduced a bill that would appropriate $200,000 for lifeguarding services at the increasingly popular and often dangerous North Kona beach. House Bill 527 would fund salaries, benefits, equipment, and other expenses related to bringing ocean safety officers to the state beach.Evans and her staff have requested emergency statistics on Kua Bay from the Hawaii County Fire Department, but the lawmaker said she doesn't want to rely solely on the data.
View full article
February 7, 2015
State Goes After Albizia
State legislators are taking dead aim at albizia trees in response to the devastation wrought by the invasive species following Tropical Storm Iselle.
A total of nine bills directly targeting albizia have been introduced for the 2015 session, including identical companion bills in the House and Senate seeking $2.1 million to remove the most dangerous trees that remain standing near Hawaii Island roadways.
The dangers of the albizia tree, which is the fastest-growing tree in the world but also highly unstable, have long been known by arborists and others impacted by the falling trees, but the general public was largely unaware until lower Puna roads, buildings, vehicles, utility lines were damaged by falling trees in the wake of Iselle's arrival in early August.
View full article