I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving! While our state faces big challenges with the high cost of living, homelessness, and traffic congestion, we are still blessed by living in one of the most beautiful places on earth with people who value and perpetuate our spirit of aloha.
As always, feel free to contact me at 586-6830 or email sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
The 2016 Legislative Session will kick-off on January 20, 2016. Leading up to that date, I'll be working on bills to introduce with the goal of improving our quality of life. I'm also interested in getting ideas from you on things we can do at the Legislature to make positive changes. Please contact my office if you'd like to weigh in. It doesn't have to be a fully fleshed-out concept. All we need is a few bullet points to get the process going.
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We're finalizing the details for the West O‘ahu Education Town Hall Meeting, December 1st from 7pm to 9pm at the UH West O‘ahu Multipurpose Room. The event is being sponsored by myself, Senator Espero, and Senator Nishihara and will focus on the Ewa, Kapolei, and Waipahu communities.
The general theme of the Town Hall will be to inform the community about the situation with public K-12 school facilities, including electrical upgrades and AC, planned new schools, and curriculum. We'll also have leaders from UH West O‘ahu talk about the long range plans for the university, its innovative programs, and its role in serving the broader community. One of the most exciting things being highlighted is the partnerships that are being forged between the Department of Education and UH West O‘ahu.
Here's our speaker line up:
• Suzanne Mulcahy, Assistant Superintendent of the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Student Support - Department of Education
• Dann Carlson, Assistant Superintendent, Office of School Facilities and Support Services - Department of Education
• Kathy Wong-Nakamura, Interim Vice Chancellor for Administration - UH West O‘ahu
• Doris Ching, Interim Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs - UH West O‘ahu
There will also be ample time for Q & A from the community. I hope you can make it!
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I had the opportunity to surprise Ezra Mo‘o with an Honorary Certificate from the State Senate at the Makakilo Stake of the LDS Church on October 28th. Ezra was recognized as part of his Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
Ezra is the son of proud parents Tehina and Lori, and is a natural leader who is kind, giving, and respectful as well as being full of ambition--the good kind. At the age of 14, Ezra began his own DJ business. He started off with a pair of golf clubs that he used to barter for most of his music equipment. For the past four years he has owned and operated EM Productions. While he was a student at Kapolei High School, Ezra participated in the Marine JROTC program where he earned the Kings Guard Award for his participation in exhibition riflery and later received the Non-Commissioned Officers Award. He served as the Commander over the Exhibition Riflery for all four years and as a Platoon Sergeant for three of his four years. At the end of his senior year, Ezra held the rank of Marine JROTC 1st Lieutenant.
The scouting program has been an important part of Ezra's life since the age of 8 when he joined the Cub Scouts. Ezra has been an Assistant Patrol Leader, Patrol Leader, and Senior Patrol Leader. He is a recipient of the Arrow of Light Award, which is the highest award in Cub Scouting. For Ezra's Eagle Scout project, he coordinated all the work and equipment needed to paint multiplication charts on three flights of stairs at Maukalani Elementary. Outside of Scouts and church, Ezra loves to fish, dive, and body board and dreams of one day owning his own fishing boat. After he returns from a two year mission for the LDs Church, Ezra plans to enlist in the Marine Corps and become a dog handler. We wish him all success.
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Join Senators Mike Gabbard, Will Espero, and Clarence Nishihara for an evening focused on Ewa, Kapolei, and Waipahu schools and UH West O‘ahu, with special guest speakers and a Q & A session.
December 1st, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
UH West O‘ahu Multi-Purpose Room
91-1001 Farrington Highway
Kapolei, HI 96707
Our recent heat wave has brought into full focus the fact that many of our public schools don't have air conditioning. It's critical that we, as legislators, put the needed funding toward the electrical upgrades, air conditioning, and innovative low-cost solutions, like "cool roofs" to solve this problem sooner, rather than later. There's no excuse for our keiki suffering in hot classrooms that make it difficult to learn.
I plan to host an Education Town Hall Meeting in our district by the end of the year. We'll have presentations by education experts and also allow folks to weigh in. I'll be getting the word out to the community in the coming weeks and will definitely include an announcement in my November newsletter.
As always, feel free to contact me at 586-6830 or email sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
Last year, the state and counties came together to launch what is called the Aloha+ Challenge, a shared statewide commitment to 6 interconnected sustainability targets to be achieved by 2030. These include:
The average age of farmers in our state is 60. So we need new blood in this very important profession. The good news is that this fall the new bachelor of applied science in sustainable community food systems was established at UH West O‘ahu (UHWO). I met with Dr. Albie Miles, an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at UHWO, on September 23rd to learn more. He was instrumental in getting this program going. The new concentration incorporates problem-based and hands-on learning to develop food system professionals who value ecological sustainability.
The UHWO Student Organic Garden is one of the cool resources used by the program, which is a living laboratory where students directly apply the theoretical knowledge taught in the classroom. UHWO happens to be the only UH campus that is offering this degree. Here are some of the careers that graduates with this degree program can consider: natural resource management, agriculture and food policy, sustainable inputs and value-added food businesses, social enterprise and non-profit organization management, certified organic agriculture production and research, social work, and K-12 education. I'll be collaborating with Dr. Miles on potential sustainable agriculture legislation in my role as the Chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee.
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Rep. Ryan Yamane, Chair of the House Water and Land Committee and I went on a Kaua‘i site visit with a team from the Department of Land and Natural Resources on September 28th.
The site visit focused on locations that demonstrate watershed forest protection, public hunting opportunities, rare species restoration, timber management, invasive species control, and post-fire restoration. We took a helicopter to view the Alakai Boardwalk Trail, Kula Natural Area Reserve, and the Kokee Post-Fire Restoration area. The information we gathered will be critical as I work on legislation for 2016 in my role as the Chair of the Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee.
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It was a little belated, but I finally got the opportunity to surprise 2015 American Renaissance Academy valedictorian with an honorary certificate from the State Senate on September 27th at the Kapolei Costco. Christina is an only child and lives in Wai‘anae with her proud parents, Joe and Lacri. Christina is now studying at Chaminade University, taking classes in biology, anatomy, and chemistry. She plans to pursue a career in radiology and definitely has a bright future ahead of her. I wish Christina the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
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We fortunately escaped hurricanes Guillermo and Hilda, but were hit with some heavy rains by Tropical Depression Kilo, which found its way into my living room floor via a leaky roof. Hurricane Ignacio is weakening and Jimena is still looming farther to the east in the Pacific Ocean. Please keep emergency preparedness at the top of mind given that hurricane season doesn't end until November 30, 2015. This is why the Get Ready Ewa Beach - 5th Annual Emergency Preparedness Fair is an important event to attend. It's free and provides information on preparing for emergency situations. It will be on September 5th from 9am to 1pm at the Ewa Makai Middle School. For more information, email getreadyewabeach@gmail.com or call 682-0111.
I won't be hosting my Listen-Story meeting in September and October, but please stay tuned for future meeting dates.
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I met with Suzanne Case, the Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, on August 19th to discuss an issue that has come up regarding the site for the future East Kapolei High School.
In 2013, the State Legislature appropriated $5 million for the planning and design of the school. The Department of Education's plan is to build the school off Farrington Highway across the street from Tokai International College and UH West O‘ahu. This is a great spot because it will encourage collaboration between the high school and the neighboring colleges.
There's been some back and forth on whether DLNR would commit the 77-acre parcel of land for the high school, given that there could be commercial uses for the land. A big mahalo to Ms. Case, because she informed me at our meeting that DLNR is willing to give the DOE at least half of the 77-acres. This will make the school a reality and will help address overcrowding at area high schools and allow for continued growth of our community.
Our next task will be working to get the construction funding for the high school in the state budget.
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I spoke at the 23rd annual Hawaii Conservation Conference on August 6th at UH Hilo. This event brings together over 1,000 natural and cultural resource managers, scientists, community members, students, and educators who work together for the protection and stewardship of Hawaiian ecosystems.
As the new Water, Land, and Agriculture Committee Chair, I'm doing site tours across the state to see DLNR programs up close. On August 7th, I went on a site tour of the Big Island and visited the Hilo Forest Reserve & Nene Recovery Site, Upper Waikea Forest Reserve/Timber Mgt. Area, and Kulani-Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area Reserve.
On August 18th, I visited the Super Sucker in Kaneohe Bay with the DLNR Aquatic Resources team. In 2005, The Nature Conservancy partnered with DLNR to develop the Super Sucker, which can remove more than 1,000 pounds of invasive algae an hour; it has removed more than 1 million pounds of algae from Kaneohe Bay since it came online.
Here's how it works: two divers equipped with a 100-foot hose go below the ocean surface and feed the invasive algae into a vacuum, which sucks it up to a sorting platform where it is placed into bags, dried and distributed to local farmers for fertilizer. The Super Sucker crew then seed the reefs with native sea urchins that feed on the algae and keep it from growing back. It was fun jumping in the water and seeing them sucking up "smothering seaweed" which multiplies very rapidly and destroys coral reefs.
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I got the opportunity to surprise some "old tennis buddies", Vailima and Jerry Watson, with an honorary certificate from the State Senate at the Kalihi District Park tennis courts on August 13th.
In 1991, Ms. Watson stepped forward to help launch the Kalihi Youth Tennis Program at Kōkua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services (KKV) to help the young people in that community. For 25 years, Vailima and her husband, Jerry Watson, have mentored over 1,000 youth of all ages, providing the attention, and care Kalihi youth need and deserve. Through tennis, they uplift each participant's talents and greater potential, against a backdrop of sportsmanship and fun.
Since 2006, the Watsons have also coached the Farrington High School tennis team. With their "no cut" policy, all youth are welcome and no one is turned away from the opportunity to learn, practice and compete. Partnering with schools, parks, and athletic leagues and clubs, the program has produced USTA Jr. Team Tennis teams known for their sportsmanship. Youth are provided with character-building experiences through health education, social development lessons, and community service. Team members are expected to keep up their grades, fulfill team commitments, and help out in community service projects year-round.
Mahalo to the Watsons for their accomplishments in nurturing and preparing the future leaders of our community. Their humility, grounded in faith and love, is a model to inspire us all.
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I hope you're enjoying the waning days of summer. The fall 2015 public school year began on July 29th, so we unfortunately need to plan for more traffic in the coming weeks. Please feel free to contact me at 586-6830 or email sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next Listen-Story meeting will be at the Kapolei High School Teacher's Lounge on Saturday, August 22nd, from 9am to 10am. If you can't make it, send me an email and I'll get you the notes.
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I took a tour of the new Ho‘okele Elementary School on July 22nd, at the corner of Ft. Barrette Rd. and Kapolei Parkway. It's the first design-build school in the state, which allowed the school to be built in 16 months! It opened on July 29th with 500 students and will have a capacity of 750 preK-5 grade students. The school principal is Laureen Dunn. To help alleviate additional traffic in the area, the state Department of Transportation and city Department of Transportation Services recently repainted the lines on the left turning lanes in each direction on Kapolei Parkway to allow vehicles to go straight through the intersection.
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My wife, Carol, stood in for me in presenting an honorary certificate from the State Senate to celebrate the dedication of Savaliolefilemu Message of Peace church in Ewa Beach on July 25th. Faafetai tele to Senior Pastor Tuli Amosa and Assistant Pastor Sai Amosa for your heartfelt efforts to build a strong, positive, and blessed church for the benefit of the community and in the honor of H.C. Seu Galuega Afuola Tagavailoa. I wish you all success in sharing your message of peace.
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Happy 4th of July! This marks the 239th birthday of our great nation. While there have been recent tragedies, like the Charleston church shooting, which create heartbreaking pain and sorrow, we'll always strive to rise above these challenges and stand as one nation. Please take a moment this 4th of July to reflect on our country's values of liberty and justice, as you celebrate with your friends and family.
And as always, please feel free to contact me at 586-6830 or email sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next Listen-Story meeting will be at the Kapolei High School Teacher's Lounge on Saturday, July 25th, from 9am to 10am.
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The situation at Red Hill continues to be a huge concern, given that the Navy has a facility there with 20 underground fuel tanks capable of holding 12.5 million gallons of fuel each. Each tank is 250 feet high, by 100 feet wide. These tanks are located 100 ft. above 25% of the island's drinking water and have leaked on many occasions.
The latest leak involved 27,000 gallons of fuel which occurred in January 2014. This is a huge concern because our precious drinking water is irreplaceable. On June 18th, I presented testimony at a Public Comment meeting at Moanalua Middle School to discuss the proposed Administrative Order on Consent (AOC). This legally enforceable document includes the governing principles on the expected operation of the facility going forward. It would require the Navy and Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), the entity that owns the fuel, to evaluate and implement structural upgrades to the tanks at the Red Hill Facility, implement improved leak detection technologies, evaluate and update the groundwater monitoring network and to perform a risk and vulnerability assessment to determine the level of risk the Red Hill Facility may pose to the groundwater and drinking water aquifers in the areas surrounding the Red Hill Facility.
This is a first step, but the problem is that the Navy has two years to do a study and 20 additional years to make the needed improvements. One thing that I and many people in the public are feeling is that there's a lack of urgency in moving forward with these needed improvements. I'm suggesting that in addition to the initial two-year study put forth in the AOC, the Navy and DLA move as quickly as possible to upgrading the fuel release prevention and detection at the facility. This is urgently needed to calm public fears and to show good faith that the Navy and the DLA are serious about being good stewards of our precious environment. Without an additional commitment, it's unlikely that the AOC will gain widespread community support.
This session I authored SCR 57 which passed the Legislature. It will continue the work of the Red Hill Fuel Leak Task Force established by SCR 73 in 2014 and will also expand its mission to not only include the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage facility, but also add the additional 26 underground storage tanks owned by the U.S. military. It will also add the Congressional delegation as members of the Task Force. I'm committed to working on this issue to ensure our precious drinking water is safe.
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I spoke as part of a panel at the Hawai‘i Environmental Court Symposium: "Our New Island Court in a Global Context at the UH Law School" on June 26th. Other panelists were Rep. Chris Lee, Marty Townsend of the Sierra Club, and Chris Wollaway of Keep Honolulu Beautiful.
In 2014, as Energy and Environment Committee Chair, I helped secure passage of SB 632, which creates an environmental court within the State Judiciary at both the district and circuit court levels. It's pretty cool that we're the second state in the nation, after Vermont, to create a statewide environmental court (EC) system.
A 2009 report authored by George and Catherine Pring called "Greening Justice: Creating and Improving Environmental Courts and Tribunals" has found that there are over 350 environmental courts/tribunals in 41 countries around the world. To be clear, I'm not talking about a separate bricks and mortar environmental court. An EC creates a "calendar" separate from other court cases so that judges can get in-depth experience in deciding on environmental cases and the system will have specialized training for the judges and attorneys in this area.
The EC will be taking cases involving issues, such as illegal dumping, water & air pollution, noise pollution, trespassing at Kaho‘olawe, littering, illegally harvesting in forests, fishing in restricted areas, overfishing, shark finning, damaging coral, etc.
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I presented an honorary certificate from the State Legislature at the Grand Opening of Wakea Gardens in Kalaeloa on June 30th. The Bachelor Officers' Quarters (BOQ) at Hornet and Roosevelt in Kalaeloa was built in 1958 as part of the former Naval Air Station Barbers Point. The building hasn't been used for housing since the closure of the base in 1999. Hunt has converted the BOQ to 100 one-bedroom, 490 square foot units. The apartments will feature split AC systems, energy efficient refrigerator/freezers, microwave ovens, and double insulated low-e glass windows. Other property amenities include an outdoor courtyard, community recreation room, workout facility, lounge, laundry room, barbecue area, and assigned parking. Rents will average at $1,300.
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I completed my 9th session as your State Senator on May 7th. Some of the big news from the session is that we passed legislation to extend the general excise tax for the rail project, to create dispensaries for medical marijuana, and to allow for the preservation of 665-acres of land at Turtle Bay. Congratulations to the 2015 graduates of Kapolei High, James Campbell High, Waipahu High, Island Pacific Academy, and American Renaissance Academy. Also, a big congratulations to players and coaches of the James Campbell High School boys baseball and girls softball teams for both winning the Hawai‘i State High School Championship!
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My next Listen-Story meeting will be at the Ewa Mahiko District Park Meeting Room on Saturday, June 20th, from 9am to 10am.
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This was my 7th session as the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee (ENE). Here's a quick overview of some of the key bills I championed that passed the Legislature:
• HB 623 - requires the state to get 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. This is a first in the nation law and makes us the most populated set of islands in the world with an independent grid to establish this goal.
• SB 1050 - requires our electric utilities to apply with the Public Utilities Commission by October 1, 2015 to establish a community-based renewables program. This will allow people to hui up, find a piece of land, and purchase or lease however many PV panels they want and then get a credit on their electricity bill for the energy they produce. This will benefit our renters and those without roof space, because they too can now lower their electricity bills and do something good for our environment.
• SB 349 - establishes a tax credit of up to $3 million per year through 2020 for the production of renewable fuels, such as methanol, ethanol, hydrogen, biodiesel, and biogas, at a local facility. These renewable fuels can be made from feedstocks, such as algae, jatropha, palm oil, solid waste, and used cooking oil.
• SB 359 - expands the existing barrel tax on petroleum to also include coal and liquid natural gas to help fund energy & food security and emergency environmental clean ups.
• SB 717 - repeals the existing law that requires gasoline sold in the state to include 10% ethanol. This makes sense given that we are importing 45 million gallons of the ethanol from the mainland each year, which doesn't benefit our economy.
• HB 1150 - establishes a tax credit of up to $10,000 so that people with cesspools can upgrade to a septic system. This is a good idea because our state has close to 90,000 cesspools, which have a negative impact on our environment.
• HB 1509 - establishes a goal that UH become net zero as it relates to its energy use - this means they would produce as much electricity as they use. This will be huge for reducing their deficit, because right now the UH System's electricity bill is over $40 million a year.
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There was $90,445,000 in construction funding included in the 2015-2017 state budget for Senate District 20. Here's a breakdown of those projects:
• UH West Oahu (Administration and Allied Health Facility) - $24 million
• H-1 Makakilo to Palailai Interchange (Improvements) - $7 million
• Kapolei Middle School (New Bus Lanes and Drop Off) - $1.8 million
• Kapolei Middle School (Additional Parking) - $100,000
• Makakilo Elementary School School (ADA Compliance) - $1.045 million
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor (Fuel Pier Improvements) - $54 million
• Kapolei Community Development Corporation (Grant-in-Aid for Heritage Center) - $500,000
• National Kidney Foundation (Grant-in-Aid for Program Development Center) - $2 million
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I surprised Saiona Nifae Faumuina with an honorary certificate from the State Senate in recognition of him achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. The ceremony took place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kapolei on May 6th. Saiona is a 16-year old junior at Kapolei High School.
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Here at the Capitol, things are moving swiftly to a close as we approach the May 7 finish line for the 2015 Legislative Session. It's been an exciting month! Be sure to keep an eye out for my June newsletter next month, where I'll provide a complete Legislative Wrap-up!
Amidst the business of passing bills into laws, my eldest daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, got married April 9 to Abraham Williams, a fine young man who we've welcomed wholeheartedly into our ohana.
Also, in an effort to raise money for the Hawai‘i Foodbank, my office put on our third "Capitol Idol" and sold over 100 plates of veggie lasagna! Read all about how we earned MVP for 2015 by bringing in over $1400!
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next Listen Story meeting will be a "Legislative Session Wrap-up" held May 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kapolei High School cafeteria, next to the teachers' lounge.
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Recently, Rep. Chris Lee, Hawai‘i State Energy office's Mark Glick, and I held a lively conversation hosted by Civil Beat, called "Civil Cafe". The panel was moderated by reporter Nathan Eagle, and filmed "live" here at the State Capitol. The topic was on our state's goal to reach 100% clean renewable energy, and whether that's something that can really happen. Short answer? Yes!
So much money, $3-5 billion annually, is spent importing dirty fossil fuels that aren't good for the environment, our future sustainability, or our pocket books. Ke Akua has blessed our islands with abundant, renewable energy and we should be using these resources for the benefit of our people and the ‘āina. This is our chance to show the world that this can be done. House Bill 623 raises the state's clean energy goals to 100% by 2045 and the Legislature will vote on it May 5th! I'm very optimistic it will pass and be sent to the Governor's office by the time session is pau - allowing us to be the first in the nation to set a 100% goal. We will set the standard and be the model for other states - even nations - to follow. If we pull this off, we'll achieve the biggest energy turnaround in the country, going from 90% dependence on fossil fuels to 100% clean energy. I'm very excited about the progress we've made so far. It really is a "kakou thing." All of us, working together, can make this a reality.
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"Capitol Idol" is an entertaining fundraiser for the Hawai‘i Foodbank, founded by my office in 2012. Capitol Idol III kicked off on April 20 in the Capitol Auditorium. Members of the Senate, House, and Administration (with Governor Ige attending to show his support) vied for the audience's support in the hopes of winning the perpetual individual and team trophies, not to mention major bragging rights. Radio show host, actor, and former State Representative, Devon Nekoba emceed this year's event.
This year, there were 6 acts: representing the Executive Branch were Ryan Kalei Tsuji, Deputy Director of Protocol, who sang, "Feeling Good" accompanied by the Capitol Darling dancers - Jodi Leong, Dep. Director of Communications (and former co-anchor with KITV news) and Yasmin Dar, Digital Media Specialist. Ms. Leong also did a moving solo of "On My Own." Kekoa Kaluhiwa, Deputy Director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources with Colonel Kenneth Hara, Deputy Adjutant General, Hawai‘i State Department of Defense sang a heartwarming version of "Home."
From the Legislature, Representative Andria Tupola represented the House, belting out a beautiful rendition of the Italian opera, "Amarilli mii Bella." Senator Russell Ruderman played guitar and sang, "The Beauty of Mauna Kea" by Keola Beamer; and I did a medley of folk songs from the 1960s, including "Scarborough Fair," "Punky's Dilemma," and "Sounds of Silence" (Simon and Garfunkel), "The Motorcycle Song" (Arlo Guthrie), "The Times They Are 'A Changin" (Bob Dylan), and "Both Sides Now" (Joni Mitchell). Check it out on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/1GLP54s (See videos of past Idols, too!)
In 2012, the House won the team award, with the Execs winning in 2014. So, it was destiny (or good karma!) that the Senate won the 2015 group perpetual trophy, with yours truly taking home the individual award. And the best part? $707 was raised for Hawai‘i Foodbank!
We also, with the help of my wife, Carol, raised $700 for the Hawai‘i Foodbank by preparing and selling over 100 plates of our renowned vegetarian lasagna. As always, it was a huge hit! Combined with our "Capitol Idol" event, my office was awarded MVP by raising the most money on the Senate side - over $1,400!
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We're now more than halfway through the 2015 Legislative Session and as usual, it's been an exciting one. With hundreds of people coming out to testify on various issues, protests at the Capitol, and more, every day is unique and challenging.
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next Listen Story meeting will be a legislative session wrap-up held May 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Kapolei High School cafeteria, next to the teachers' lounge.
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There was a packed house at the State Capitol for the Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard launch on April 1! Hawai‘i Green Growth co-hosted this event, along with my Energy & Environment counterpart in the House, Representative Chris Lee and myself. Over 160 leaders attended, including Legislators, cabinet members, congressional delegation staff, Hawai‘i Green Growth members, and representatives across government, the non-profit sector, business, education, and the community. I believe Hawai‘i has a real opportunity to be an international leader in sustainability, and the Aloha+ Challenge Dashboard has the potential to help get us there.
The Dashboard is a new online tool that tracks how well we're doing achieving our sustainability goals, and will help decision-makers going forward to gauge Hawai'i's progress. It's designed to measure six sustainability targets (at state and county levels), set forth by the Aloha+ Challenge: clean energy, local food production, natural resource management, solid waste reduction, smart growth and climate resilience, green jobs and education. So far, just two targets clean energy and solid waste reduction are being tracked and measured. The other four are slated to launch in 2017.
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The Hawai‘i State Senate honored Permablitz Hawai‘i on March 24. Blitz, from the German word for lightning, means a focused application of energy. A Permablitz is when that energy is focused on installing a garden that's based on permaculture design principles for sustainable living and land use. It's an informal day-long gathering where a group of people come together to create or add to edible gardens at a home, school or other public space, while sharing skills related to permaculture and sustainable living. At the same time, the participants build community networks and have a lot of fun. Permablitz is a reciprocal volunteer network; if you help in three blitzes, you have an opportunity to get your own space, or a space of your choosing blitzed. Pretty cool!
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The State of Hawai‘i hosted the 3rd annual Hawai‘i Invasive Species Awareness Week (HISAW) during Feb. 22-March 2. HISAW shares information and promotes public engagement in what the Hawaii State Legislature has declared "the single greatest threat to Hawai‘i's economy and natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of Hawai‘i's people." An "Awards Ceremony" was held in the Capitol Auditorium on March 2. Several awards were presented (including one to Hawaiian Airlines) from the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council (HISC) along with joint Honorary Certificates from the Legislature.
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Recently, my colleagues and I in the Senate honored and congratulated the American Heritage Girls (AHG) as young wahine who are being trained to become women of character and integrity. The only two AHG troops in the state were at the Hawai‘i State Capitol during Session on March 16: Troop 1 and Troop 50. Troop 1, consisting of 40 girls, was the first troop formed in Hawaii, and is chartered by Calvary Chapel West Oahu. Troop 50 has 35 girls, and is chartered by Waipio Grace Brethren Church. Six girls were on the floor to accept the certificates on behalf of their fellow troops.
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So far, it's been a busy session tackling issues related to solar energy, hydrogen/ electric vehicles, biofuels, and invasive species. I've also been focused on sustainable agriculture, with legislation to move us forward on growing industrial hemp. Directing state funding to West Oahu for school and road construction is also a high priority.
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next Listen Story meeting will be held March 28 from
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Barbers Point Bowling Center, 91-1259 Saratoga Ave, across from the NEX Touch N Go.
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This bill would allow renters, non-profits, businesses, and those on saturated circuits to hui up and install PV panels at some offsite location and get a credit on their electricity bill. The utility would compensate participating ratepayers for their share of the energy produced. This is being tried in other states, including Colorado, New Mexico and Minnesota. The idea is to extend the savings of renewable energy to renters, non-profits, organizations and others left out of the popular net-metering photovoltaic program. This bill could also open the door to wind and other renewables. We got it close to the finish line last session, and I'm hopeful it will pass into law this time. It's a no brainer and a win-win for everyone.
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You may have heard that Hawai‘i's largest and longest-operating internment camp, the Honouliuli Internment Camp, was designated as a national monument by Presidential Proclamation on Feb. 19, 2015 by President Barack Obama. Located in Kunia, near Waipahu, the internment camp was open from 1943 to 1946. Its location was eventually forgotten until the late 90s when a volunteer from the Japanese Cultural Center began a search for it. She found it in 2002 by tracing an aqueduct in the background of an old photo.
During World War II, about 2,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated at the Honouliuli Internment Camp. The site of the former internment camp is located on land owned by Monsanto Hawai'i, which has stated that they are interested in donating the land. Congratulations to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i for all their hard work and dedication in helping to preserve the artifacts of this difficult chapter of our nation's history.
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I had the pleasure and honor of presenting an Honorary Certificate, along with Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, to Miss America 2014, Ms. Nina Davuluri on Feb. 27, 2015. She also recently met my daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, at Madison Square Garden in NYC at a function hosted by Indian Prime Minister Modi.
Nina, the first Miss America of Indian descent, was one of over 14,000 to compete for the crown and the $50,000 scholarship that goes with it. She plans to use the money to go to medical school. Over the year that Nina served as Miss America, she traveled over 250,000 miles across the country sharing her platform of "Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competency," speaking at over 20 colleges and universities. An advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education, she partnered with the Department of Education to bring awareness to STEM related fields, and served as the official National Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, visiting 12 hospitals across the nation to brighten the lives of sick children.
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The 2015 Legislative Session is well under-way! Many of you submitted ideas that have led to bill proposals that are now being heard. You can track the status of any bill here: www.capitol.hawaii.gov. See the back page of my newsletter for steps on how to submit testimony.
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
My next "Listen Story" meeting is on February 28, 2015, from 9 to 10 am at the Kapolei High School Staff Lounge, next to the cafeteria.
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There are a lot of hot topics on the table this session. Some of my committee priorities for the 2015 session are:
• Community-Based Solar (SB 1050)
• Barrel Tax (SB 359)
• Energy Storage (SB 1172)
• Invasive Species (SB 1046)
• Industrial Hemp (SB 375)
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Ever wonder how much energy we're using right now in Hawaii? Check out the Island Pulse! This gauge reports how much electricity the island of Oahu and various communities on Oahu are using at any given time. It also graphs the source of the energy: How much is solar? Wind? Biofuels? Coal and oil? Hourly data from HECO will be viewable on Island Pulse monitors at local establishments and online to help Hawaii residents see and understand our collective energy usage.
Feedback is a critical step in comprehending the impacts of our energy use. Conditions that affect consumption trends may include weather, time of day, day of week, holidays, or other events. Island Pulse charts will highlight current use and trends in eight neighborhoods and island-wide. These kiosks were recently put up by Blue Planet and are now at the Capitol. Pretty cool!
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Happy New Year to you and your ohana! It's that time again! Our 2015 Legislative Session kicks off on January 21st at 10am. At noon, please join me for refreshments in my office, Rm. 201, at the State Capitol after the ceremony.
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
My next "Listen Story" meeting is on January 24th at Ewa Mahiko District Park meeting room from 9am to 10am.
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You've most likely seen the news that a Florida-based company called NextEra announced on December 4th that they're buying HECO. This is of course huge news for everyone who lives in the state. There have already been a lot of concerns expressed about the sale, including at least two lawsuits filed by HECO shareholders who question whether they are getting a good enough deal.
At first look, the positives that come up with the deal are that NextEra is a huge company which brings a lot of resources and expertise to the table to help us modernize our grid and lower electricity costs. NextEra happens to be the largest developer of utility-scale solar and wind projects in the nation. At the same time, there are questions about NextEra's commitment to allowing customer choice as it relates to rooftop solar.
As the Senate Energy and Environment Chair, I have been and will continue to be a strong supporter of rooftop solar. The bottom line is that the NextEra deal will take over a year to finalize. In the meantime, I will be working with my colleagues at the State Legislature and the Public Utilities Commission to ensure that this deal is in the public interest.
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Rep. Chris Lee and I will be hosting an informational briefing at the State Capitol on January 13th at 10am in Rm. 225 to get an update on invasive species threats to our state. We'll be hearing from key state departments and organizations, such as the Nature Conservancy, the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Invasive Species Committees, and Watershed Partnerships. If you can't make it to the Capitol, you can view the briefing, streamed online on the Legislature's website.
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I participated in the groundbreaking for the Special Olympics Hawai‘i Sports and Wellness Center in Kapolei on December 18th. This facility will be an $11 million sports and wellness center to serve adults and children with intellectual disabilities. It will be located adjacent to the Kroc Center on 2.5 acres of land. It will serve more than 3,500 athletes from across the state and will offer sports training and competitions, physical examinations, oral health screening, vision testing, and sport skills assessments. I supported an appropriation of $1.5 million for the project from the State Legislature in 2011. They will start construction in early 2015 and should be completed in 18 to 24 months.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your ohana! Hope you're taking the time to kick back and relax with your family and friends. Our 2015 Legislative Session begins on January 21st. This will be my 7th session as Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee. I'll also continue as a member of the Judiciary & Labor Committee. My new committee assignments will be the Health, and Higher Education & the Arts committees. Let me know if you have any ideas for bills that you think could improve our community and state.
Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. Follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard :)
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held on January 24th at the Ewa Mahiko District Park meeting room from 9am to 10am.
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I'll be reintroducing a bill to establish a community-based solar program, which would direct the electric utilities to develop a community-based renewable energy contract for their customers. Last session, I introduced SB 2934. While close to the finish line, unfortunately, the bill didn't make it.
This legislation would have allowed utility customers, such as homeowners, renters, businesses, and non-profits to collectively own or lease a solar array where they generate electricity, and in return they would get a credit on their electricity bill. These projects make it easier for the utilities to interconnect to the grid, and they allow anyone to more easily benefit from solar power. This is great for folks in condos that don't have adequate roof space, or people who have shaded roofs, or who live on saturated circuits. You may know, UH Manoa is facing a deficit of over $30 million. Community solar is a viable option that they are now looking at to greatly reduce their electricity costs.
An added plus: in a community solar program, PV panels are installed at an off-site location that could be many miles from where a person lives. This allows us all to help with circuit saturation by focusing new PV on the least-used circuits. One example of this program in action is an 858 kW system near the Garfield County Airport in Rifle Colorado - where 3,575 panels are owned by Jimmy's Pizza, Montessori School, and various families and individuals.
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This upcoming session I'll also be working to make sure we keep the focus on invasive species. Whether it's little fire ants, coconut rhinoceros beetles, coqui frogs, or albizia, these pests are negatively impacting communities around the state.
A 2007 study by Gutrich et al. estimated that the establishment of red imported fire ants in Hawai'i would cost us $211 million. A 2010 study by Shwiff et al. estimated that if brown tree snakes became established in Hawai'i, the cost to the state could range from $593 million to $2.14 billion.
Last session, we dedicated $5 million to the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Committee (HISC) for the detection, prevention, control, outreach, and research of invasive species. This session I'll introduce legislation to direct additional funding to the Department of Agriculture and the HISC so they can continue this fight. The bill would also provide funding to the Legislative Research Bureau (LRB) to update the "Filling the Gaps in the Fight Against Invasive Species" study to provide a current assessment and recommendations related to invasive species in our state. LRB estimated in 2002 that the annual cost to address invasive species in Hawai‘i would be $50 million.
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I participated in the kick-off of the Live and Live/Drive Safe 4 Ewa Campaign on November 15th at the Kapolei High School. This is a month-long campaign dedicated to encouraging safe driving around the Christmas Holidays, a time when crashes, drunk driving, and road fatalities are at their peak.
As part of our efforts, I help to organize a poster contest each year, which involves West O‘ahu high schools. This year's winners were: 1st place winner Jazmin Balacy (a junior at Campbell High School); 2nd place winner Jamie Valdez (a junior at Kapolei High School); and 3rd place winner Kaitapu Pulesala (a junior at Nanakuli High & Intermediate School). There will be sign-waving in the coming weeks to bring more attention to driving safely, leading up to New Year's Day.
Here are the dates and times in my district:
• 12/09/14: Kapolei Parkway fronting Kapolei High School
• 12/12/14: Fort Weaver Rd. fronting Queen's Medical Center - West
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I just launched my new official "State Senate Facebook Page. If you're on Facebook, be sure to follow me at www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard! "Like" my page to keep up with all my daily activities as your State Senator. You can also post newsworthy items you think my "followers" might want to know.
On another note, a heads up that Farrington Highway, from Kualaka‘i Parkway to Old Fort Weaver Loop, will be closed from November 1st to the end of January 2015 as part of the rail project construction.
Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei High School teachers' lounge on November 29th from 9am to 10am.
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During my sixth session as Energy and Environment Chair I worked to pass SB 632, which became Act 218. This new law directs the Judiciary to establish an environmental court at the District and Circuit court levels by July 1, 2015. The bill also requires the Judiciary to set up a working group to look at the best way to implement the environmental court.
To give you some background, a report authored by George and Catherine Pring called "Greening Justice: Creating and Improving Environmental Courts and Tribunals" has found there to be 354 jurisdictions around the world with environmental courts. Vermont is the only statewide system in the country. Thirteen other states have environmental courts at the local government level: (Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia).
On October 24th, I gave a speech at the 2014 Hawai‘i State Bar Convention and Annual Meeting to share my thoughts on the legislative process which allowed the environmental court bill to move forward. Before the legislative session started in mid-January, the members of the Majority Party in both the House and Senate came together and agreed on a Joint Majority Package which identifies our major priorities for the session.
In 2014, the two major themes we decided on were protecting our kupuna and the environment. So having the environment front and center was key - the two pieces of legislation that we put in the joint package was a bill to dedicate $5 million to the detection, prevention, control outreach, and research of invasive species and a bill that put into place a Climate Change Adaptation Planning Law.
Another big factor in passing SB 632, in my opinion, is that we had several high profile environmental events that were in the minds of the public and especially legislators. These issues included illegal dumping in Wai‘anae, the Matson molasses spill, the Navy jet fuel spill at the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility, and the discovery of Little Fire Ants in Waimanalo. All in all, in the short and long term, the Environmental Court will be a very good thing for our island home.
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I've been getting feedback from my constituents in the Makakilo area, concerning the recent brushfire that put many homes in danger's way. Some of them suggested that the Honolulu Fire Department consider policy changes that could improve public safety. We've been communicating with Captain Brett Lomont of the Fire Prevention Bureau regarding this matter and I wrote Fire Chief Manny Neves on October 15th asking him to:
• Assess whether existing firebreaks are being sufficiently maintained to protect O'ahu neighborhoods from brushfires.
• Assess whether the current requirements for firebreaks are sufficient when the firebreaks are maintained.
• Consider whether the fire code should be amended to require firebreaks of more than 30 feet.
• Consider whether the HFD should as the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) require additional firebreaks of up to 100 feet as allowed by fire code.
• Consider whether more public education regarding brushfire mitigation and safety is needed for homeowners and owners of brush land adjacent to homes.
I hope to use the information we get back from the Chief to possibly craft legislation for the 2015 session to better protect public safety.
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I surprised Dr. T. Colin Campbell with an Honorary Certificate from the State Senate on October 14th at a Vegetarian Society meeting at the Ala Wai Golf Course. An impressive audience of almost 500 turned out to hear him speak.
Dr. Campbell is something of a rock star within the world of nutrition and wellness. He was educated in conventional Western medicine, but became fascinated with scientific studies that demonstrate that people who eat plant-based diets are less likely to be plagued by heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Dr. Campbell was trained at Cornell and MIT in nutrition, biochemistry and toxicology. He co-authored the book "The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health" in 2005 with his son, Tom.
"The China Study" became one of America's best-selling books about nutrition. Since its publication, Dr. Campbell has given more than 500 lectures both in the U.S. and abroad. More recently, he published "Whole: Rethinking the Science of Nutrition", as well as a new smaller book, "Low Carb Fraud." In 2007 Dr. Campbell founded the nonprofit, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, which, in collaboration with eCornell, began offering a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition. The certificate program has become a nationally-recognized nutrition education program, enrolling thousands of students who have gone on to use their knowledge in a variety of endeavors. I wish him continued success and good health.
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GREAT NEWS! (Drum roll, please!) On October 8th, the City will be opening the section of Kapolei Parkway next to the Kapolei Court Complex, connecting Ft. Barrette Ave. and Kamokila Blvd. This will be a huge addition in reducing traffic congestion in the community.
On a less positive note, Old Farrington Highway between Kualaka‘i Parkway and Old Fort Weaver Road Loop, is closed in both directions beginning Monday, September 29th, for work on the rail project. During the initial part of this 4 month closure, the eastbound lane of Farrington Highway will be open from 5am to 9am, Monday-Friday.
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei High School teachers' lounge on October 18th from 9am to 10am.
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This past session, a bill I introduced, SB 2175, was signed into law as Act 56. This law authorizes the Dean of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to establish a two year hemp remediation and biofuel research project. This has started us on the path of growing our own hemp, an incredible crop that is used in over 27,000 products. What about a cottage industry springing up selling Hawaiian Hemp Seeds, Honolulu Hemp Shampoo, and Hawai‘i Island Hemp Oil? We're spending about $550 million every year importing hemp products. That's dumb.
The latest update on our study is that UH professor Dr. Harry Ako has applied with the DEA to import hemp seeds. The seeds will be coming in from Kentucky, which gets them from Italy. The seeds are actually a Chinese variety that were found to grow well in Hawai‘i during a previous 1999 hemp study. My daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, is working with the DEA to get the hemp seeds approved for import as quickly as possible. Dr. Ako will be leading the research with a graduate student on a parcel of land at the UH Extension Site in Waimanalo. Dr. Ako tells us the project should commence very soon.
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I co-chaired an informational briefing on the solar interconnection issues at the State Capitol on September 19th. This hearing was in follow up to an informational briefing last October 14th, which was shortly after HECO's announcement on Sept. 6th policy changes that have greatly impacted the ability of folks to get solar PV up on their roofs.
While the meeting wasn't a slam dunk success, it was effective in getting HECO to share more information about their plans on how they're going to allow more solar PV onto the grid. Here are some of the take-aways from the meeting:
• HECO's action plans that were released on August 26th call for PV customers to pay $71 a month in fees (right now the minimum fee for PV customers is $17 a month), but they are also looking to grandfather existing PV customers
• PUC is accepting written comments through October 6th on HECO's action plans
• An organization called The Alliance for Solar Choices (made up of PV leasing companies like Sun Run and Solar City) has proposed an alternative to HECO's plans, which they call customer-based solutions, which include maintaining net energy metering (NEM), increasing minimum bill amount, implementing time of use rates, fast tracking PV systems that don't export to the grid, and a move to performance-based incentives for compensating the utilities
• HECO says they plan to triple PV from 300 MW to 900 MW and lower overall bills by 20% by 2030
• HECO has approved almost all NEM applications received before September 2013
• HECO has approved 9,600 NEM applications since September 2013
• HECO approved 5,200 applications in 2014
• There are approximately 4,500 pending NEM applications waiting for the green light from HECO to proceed
• The percentage of customers on each island with solar PV are: Kaua‘i (6.1%); O‘ahu (11%); Maui, Moloka‘i, and Lana‘i (9%); and Hawai‘i Island (8%)
• HECO is looking to raise circuit level limit from 120% to 150% daily minimum load (DML); this will allow another 1,000 customers onto the grid
• Testing began on September 22, 2014 at the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) in Colorado on a high penetration solar study funded by NREL, HECO, and Solar City; will be completed by the end of the year
• HECO is requiring 200 MW of PV solar systems to retrofit their inverter to improve grid stability; this will take 7-8 months to complete
• HECO's energy storage project should be in place by Spring 2017
• HECO is to looking to make it easier for those PV systems to hook up that don't export power back to the grid
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Last month, I provided information on the status of 18 Chinese Banyan trees along the western end of Roosevelt Avenue in Kapolei. All of the trees are infested with 4 types of pests (two species of Gall Wasps, Black Thrips, and Lobate Lac Scale).
I held a meeting on September 24th with representatives from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Hawai‘i Community Development Authority, Outdoor Circle, and the Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board to come up with a plan moving forward. DOT will be removing all the trees in the interest of safety, given that as the trees become more diseased there's a potential for the branches and the trees themselves to fall and impact traffic and potentially cause injuries. DOT will be replanting a fast growing native species called Dwarf White Tecoma.
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The House and Senate Energy/Environment and Consumer Protection/Commerce Committees held a joint Informational Briefing on Hawaiian Electric Company's changes to its solar photovoltaic grid interconnection policies on October 14 2013. Legislators pictured include Rep. Rida Cabanilla, Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Senator Rosalyn Baker, Senator Mike Gabbard, Rep. Chris Lee and Rep. Angus McKelvey. (Photo courtesy of Senate Communications)
Senate and House lawmakers have scheduled a hearing to get an update from the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and various solar organizations on the current status of solar interconnection and future plans for distributed generation.
Last September, HECO notified its customers of a policy change that would require permission from the company to proceed with the installation of a PV system. Since the policy change, many solar customers have been facing delays in getting their PV systems connected to the grid.
"There are a lot of moving pieces right now and we need to bring all stakeholders together to connect the dots," said Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Energy and Environment Committee. "We have solar companies and customers still very unhappy that they can't connect to the grid. The bottom line is we want to know more about what has already been done and what's planned for the future to ensure that solar continues to be an option for our residents."
The hearing is scheduled for Friday, September 19 at 1 p.m. in Conference Room 325 of the Hawaii State Capitol with Senate and House committees on energy and environment, and commerce and consumer protection. It can be viewed live on Olelo Channel 49.
The hearing notice can be found on the Legislature's website.
Hope you and your family are well. A big congrats to the Leeward Boom girls (13-14 years old) Kapolei soccer team for winning the AYSO U-14 Girls National Championship in California in July. Also, don't forget the 4th Annual Emergency Preparedness Fair will be at Ewa Makai Middle School (on Kapolei Parkway) from 9am to 1pm on Sept 6th. They'll be giving away $10,000 in free disaster preparedness merchandise, so "come on down."
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at Ewa Mahiko District Park on September 27th from 9am to 10am.
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You might have heard in the news that HECO submitted their responses to the April 28th Public Utilities Commissions' decisions and orders on August 26th. These filings lay out HECO's plans for ensuring that more solar PV can be connected to the grid and how they will reduce electricity prices and modernize the grid. Some of the high points that do look encouraging are that HECO plans to have 65% of our energy needs met with renewable energy and also lower our electricity costs by 20% by 2030. Of course, the devil may be in the details of this 2,700 page filing, because HECO also proposes to raise the cost for those who have or want to hook up solar.
I'll be co-chairing an informational briefing at the Capitol on September 19th at 1pm in Rm. 325 to hear more on HECO's plans for making sure that more people can get solar PV connected to the grid.
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If you're ready to get rid of that old clunker fridge, Hawaii‘i Energy, the state's energy efficiency program manager (minus Kauai), has a refrigerator/freezer recycling program called "Rid-A-Fridge", where Oahu residents receive $50, and Maui & Big Island residents receive $65 when they turn in their second refrigerator/freezer (full size in working condition). Hawaii‘i Energy will also pick up the refrigerator/freezer for no charge. Five hundred households can participate based on funding available. Residents who give up a second older refrigerator save $292 on Oahu, $314 on Maui, and $336 on the Big Island a year in electricity costs.
Here are the steps to participate.
Step 1: Call for a free pick-up. On Oahu, call 537-5577. On Maui and Hawaii Island, call toll-free 1-877-231-8222.
Step 2: Complete & send in application. You'll receive the application during the pick-up and it must be postmarked within sixty (60) days of the pick-up.
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I presented certificates from the State Legislature at Hawaii‘i Maoli's 5th Annual Ka Mana O ke Kanaka Awards on August 16th at the Ihilani Hotel in Ko Olina. This year's recipients of the awards were: Herb Lee, Jr. (Pacific American Foundation Executive Director and community leader), Admiral Robert Kihune (USN retired business leader and former Kamehameha Schools Trustee) and Paulette Kahalepuna (cultural practitioner).
In 1997, Kapolei-based Hawaii‘i Maoli was established by members of the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs as a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation. Members of Hawaii‘i Maoli are dedicated to the preservation of Hawaiian culture and traditions. It's the mission of Hawaii‘i Maoli to promote the social and economic self-sufficiency of Kanaka Maoli communities, the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, and individual Hawaiian Civic Clubs, in a manner that reinforces their cultural foundation. Hawaii‘i Maoli strives to provide for the education of Hawaiian citizens and those of Hawaiian ancestry, to preserve and cherish all sources and records of Hawaiian traditions, customs, language and historic sites, as well as to engage in economic development programs which benefit the social, health, and moral welfare of Hawaiian communities.
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Many of you know, as the Senate's Energy and Environment Chair, one of my top priorities is doing all I can to get us to kick our addiction to fossil fuels. That's why I was stoked when invited to give the closing remarks at the 6th Annual Hawai‘i Clean Energy Day on July 22nd. This special event brings together many of our energy leaders to discuss Hawai‘i's efforts to remain on the cutting edge in renewable energy. You can check out my speech here on my Senate webpage by scrolling down or clicking here.
On another note, a big congrats to the Makakilo Kapolei Youth Baseball League Mustang All-Stars (9-10 year olds) for winning the state championship on Kaua‘i last month!
As always, please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at Kapolei High Teacher's Lounge on August 23rd from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. If you can't make it, send me an email and I'll forward you the notes.
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L-R: Rep. Sharon Har; Shirley Swinney, President/Director Kapolei Community Development Corporation; Lt. Governor Shan Tsutsui; Jobie Masagatani, Chair of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Sen. Gabbard; and Sen. Brickwood Galuteria.
I spoke at the groundbreaking and o‘o ceremony for the Kapolei Heritage Center on July 24th. The Heritage Center is a community and cultural learning center being built by the non-profit, Kapolei Community Development Corporation, on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) land next to the DHHL headquarters in East Kapolei. KCDC is a collaboration of native Hawaiian communities working toward the betterment of the Kapolei homestead region. KCDC is comprised of beneficiaries from homestead associations in Malu‘ōhai, Kaupe‘a, Kānehili and the future East Kapolei 2.
I worked with my colleagues at the Legislature to help secure a $1.15 million grant-in-aid in the current state budget for the project. The first phase of the Heritage Center will include a certified kitchen, two classrooms, a storage area, and is expected to be completed in August 2015. Phase 2 will include a covered halau. Additional phases will possibly include affordable rentals and retail outlets.
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As an electric vehicle (EV) owner and Chair of Senate Energy and Environment Committee, I was happy to be the keynote speaker for the grand opening of the first DC Fast EV Charge station at the Shops at Mauna Lani on the Big Island on July 6th. This is the first electric vehicle charger of this type on the island of Hawai‘i and our state. The fact that it's capable of charging the different car manufacturers' EVs and can charge an EV in a little over 30 minutes is awesome. With the 9 fast chargers planned for Hawai‘i Island, EV owners will be set!
Charge Bliss, Inc., an energy management and smart grid technology company, in conjunction with Islandwide Solar, is responsible for this new level 3 charger. I'm very proud of the Shops of Mauna Lani, Charge Bliss, Islandwide Solar, and the Big Island EV Association for bringing businesses and the community together to give people the option of leaving their gas guzzlers behind, doing something good for the environment, and helping to create a clean energy economy.
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The "Get Ready Ewa Beach" 4th Annual Emergency Preparedness Fair will be taking place at Ewa Makai Middle School on Sept 6th from 9am to 1pm. This important event is being organized by the Ewa Beach Emergency Preparedness Committee. Participants will include the City Department of Emergency Management, State Civil Defense, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. They will be giving away $10,000 in free disaster preparedness merchandise. For more info, call the Ewa Beach Emergency Preparedness folks at 682-0111 or email them at GetReadyEwaBeach@gmail.com.
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(Download the PDF)
Aloha mai kakou... My trusty office manager, Rock, tells me the theme of today's program is "Getting Our Act Together" and this portion is called "View from the Leg: Next Steps". Well, here's my take on where we're going:
Friends, right now, so many of us are on pins and needles waiting for HECO to announce the findings of their 4 representative studies of the Oahu grid and their responses to the PUC decisions and orders. Based on what I'm hearing from around the state, in my view, we're in crisis mode!
And the big question that's looming? Is former U.S. DOE Secretary and Nobel Prize winner, Steven Chu's recent statement true that we're nowhere near the problem threshold in terms of distributed generation (DG) penetration or is HECO right in telling us that we need to slow it down in the interest of grid reliability? Or is this just a question of technical know-how?
In my humble opinion, we need to look to those whose creativity and talent allow them to imagine and build the future. In other contexts, these are people like Amazon's Jeff Bezos who didn't look at the dominance of Borders and Barnes & Noble in book sales and see strength-he saw weakness and opportunity. Or, Bill Gates looking at the computing industry-he didn't see the strength of mainframes, but saw their vulnerability, compared to desktop PCs. The list goes on and the point is clear and the outcome is inevitable to those with talent and creativity; and that is, that the regulated utility world looks like a bottomless pit of opportunity.
What do I mean? Take PUC's document "Inclinations on the Future of Hawaii's Electric Utilities", where it's clear that a lot of thought and work was put into giving the utilities some direction on what they expect for creating the utility of the future. In the document, there's talk of modernizing the grid to integrate more clean energy including both utility scale and distributed generation, lowering the cost of electricity, investing more in energy storage and demand response, development of microgrids and smart grid technologies, retirement of old fossil fuel plants, getting the utilities out of generation, and the development of a new regulatory incentive structure.
Of course, all these things make sense. But if we achieved them, which is by no means guaranteed, we'll still be left behind, as the electric power industry embraces relentless de-regulation and technological innovation that will lower costs by integrating the lowest cost sources of energy and grid services, which today comes from PV and demand responses. So, I'd like to add something to the conversation. What I'd like us to do is embrace the bottom-up revolution that is democratizing our energy system.
Bob Graves of the Governing Institute described it this way, "Monopolies, like monarchies, have inherent flaws, not the least of which is that the vast majority of people prefer to have a say about how they run their lives. Simply put, we prefer choices." And consider this: Is the model that is essentially the same one Thomas Edison created with the Pearl Street Station, which started generating electricity on Sept. 4, 1882, to power a few hundred lamps for about 90 customers in New York City, the right fit for meeting our electricity needs in 2030 and beyond? And should these entities continue to exert such enormous control over people's lives?
How about this? Why not think out of the box for a moment and consider a post-utility world? And when I say post-utility, I don't mean the utilities are going to shut down tomorrow or that there won't be a place in the energy mix for them .But folks, the fact is, that the Elon Musk's and other titans of Silicon Valley are doing their very best to figure out a way for us to totally revolutionize our energy systems, and my bet is that they're going to be the first ones to cross the finish line.
But don't just take my word for it. David Crane, CEO of NRG, a Fortune 500 energy company says, "We're sort of where long-distance, fixed line telephony was in 1985. Right now it's about the time where you can say it's the end of the long-distance fixed-line world. Let's just call it game over, cell phones won. But it took 25 years. If we assume the pace of change accelerates, I definitely think there's going to be a significant decline in the significance of big power plants. But they're still going to be around as the backbone of the grid for another 20 years. I think what's more interesting, long term, is that ultimately does the grid just become a backup system the way the post office is effectively a backup system for Federal Express and UPS for high-value mail? Or do we actually get to the point where we are tearing down the grid because it's actually not being used at all?"
The fact is Hawai‘i is being looked at as the model for creating a truly clean energy economy. But the verdict is still out on whether we're going to get there. My point is that we really need to ramp up this conversation of what the future holds for this battle that is waging between the traditional vertically integrated utility driven electricity system on the one hand and the new consumer driven distributed generation model that is evolving at a lightning pace on the other.
Next steps? I think we should take the conversation one step farther and imagine a post-utility world where the consumer is in charge, much like what's happened in the telecommunications and computer industries. My friends, as I gaze into my crystal ball, in my view, this is likely our future. Mahalo.
Happy 4th of July! Have a great celebration remembering the significance of what it means to be an American. But please stay safe and don't let your friends and family drink and drive! Carol and I will be visiting our daughter Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard in July in Washington D.C. and also attending the wedding of my nephew, Mike Gabbard.
As always, please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at Kapolei High Teacher's Lounge on July 26th from 9am to 10am.
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During the 2012 session, as the State Senator for the Kalaeloa area, I included a $5 million request for the Kalaeloa East Energy Corridor among my top 3 construction project requests to Senate Ways and Means-our money committee. In the end, the project received $3.5 million in funding which is now being used to construct the Energy Corridor.
In reviewing the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and obtaining additional information from HCDA, Hawaiian Electric, and area residents, I continue to see this project as a positive for our community.
To be clear, this is a 12-kV power line that will be constructed along Essex Road (on the east side of Barbers Point Golf Course). It will replace an existing Navy power line. The bottom line is that we need to bring Hawaiian Electric power into the district because the Navy wants out of Kalaeloa. The project will benefit the Coast Guard, Barbers Point Golf Course, the future Kalaeloa Regional Park, and solar farms, as well as development in the area.
The deadline for public comments on the draft EA was extended to July 15th. If you'd like to submit written comments, please email them to Joanne Hiramatsu at Belt Collins Hawai'i Inc.at jhiramatsu@beltcollins.com.
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I attended my first meeting as a newly appointed non-voting member of the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council (HISC) on June 26th. HISC brings together various state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health, Office of Planning, and UH, to address our invasive species problem.
Going into the budget making process, there were 4 main priorities that grant applicants were told to focus on: Little Fire Ant detection and research, coconut rhinoceros beetle detection and research, biocontrol research, and early detection and rapid response capacity. HISC received a total of 60 grant applications requesting $10.4 million in funding. However, HISC was forced to whittle that amount down to $5.75 million.
I tasked the HISC staff with working with the community to come up with legislative recommendations for the 2015 session to improve interisland biosecurity. We need to develop a better system for preventing Little Fire Ants from hopping on Hawaiian tree fern logs that are sold by nurseries and end up spreading from island to island.
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I took a tour of the Kalaeloa Heritage Park on June 21st. The park is being managed by the non-profit, Kalaeloa Legacy and Heritage Foundation, on 77-acres of land off Coral Sea in Kalaeloa. Their vision is to uncover and preserve the cultural artifacts found on the land, including burials, hales, karst caves, and native plants.
The conceptual plan for the park was approved by the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority, which oversees the redevelopment of Kalaeloa, at their June 18th meeting. When completed, the park will have an interpretive area with cultural sites, a Kauhale (village), greenhouse and aquaponics, a 16,300 square foot cultural center with solar PV panels, and a farmer's market.
The Kalaeloa Heritage Park's draft Environmental Assessment will be posted on the Office of Environmental Quality Control website on July 8th. Comments on the EA can be submitted to Gabrielle Sham of Townscape, Inc. at gabrielle@townscapeinc.com.
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I completed my 8th session as your State Senator on May 1st. It was also my 6th session as the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee (ENE). I continue to do all I can to move us forward on our clean energy goals and to protect our precious environment.
A big congratulations to the 2014 high school graduates from James Campbell High School, Kapolei High School, Waipahu High School, Island Pacific Academy, and American Renaissance Academy. And a special shout-out to Waipahu Principal Keith Hayashi for being named Principal of the Year. I also want to welcome Queen's Medical Center - West in Ewa into the community. As of May 20th, we are very fortunate to have our hospital back!
Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
- Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at Ewa Mahiko District Park on June 28th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. If you can't make it, please email me and I'll send you the notes.
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One of my top priorities this session as the ENE Committee Chair was to make sure we dedicated more resources to addressing the huge problem we have with invasive species.
As you've most likely heard, Little Fire Ants have recently been discovered in Waimanalo, which is a huge cause for alarm given the impact they've had on the Big Island. So, this session I worked closely with Rep. Chris Lee, Chair of the Energy and Environmental Protection Committee in the State House, and my other colleagues, to get invasive species funding legislation included in the Joint Majority Package. I was stoked to see HB 1716 pass the Legislature. The bill will dedicate $5 million to the detection, prevention, control, outreach, and research of invasive species.
I was also very pleased to be appointed by Senate President Donna Kim as a member of the Hawai‘i Invasive Species Council (HISC), which is an interdepartmental collaboration of government agencies that work together on this major problem. As a member of HISC, I'll have a direct hand in making sure this funding is spent wisely.
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If you're looking to hop over to a neighbor island this summer, look no further than the Kalaeloa Airport to get to your destination. That's because Mokulele Airlines is launching flights from the Kalaeloa Airport starting on July 1st. They will begin with three round-trip passenger flights from Kalaeloa Airport to Kahului Airport in Maui. Departing flights from Kalaeloa will be at 7:35 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6:20 p.m. Returning flights from Kahului will be at 6:15 a.m., 11:40 a.m., and 5 p.m. They will use 9 passenger Cessna's for their flights.
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On May 8th, the National Park Service released a study which is proposing that the former Honouliuli Internment Camp in Kunia be added to the National Park System as a National Historic Site. During World War II, about 2,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated at the Honouliuli Internment Camp. The site of the former internment camp is located on land owned by Monsanto Hawai‘i, which has stated that they are interested in donating the land.
A series of statewide public meetings are being held to get input on key findings of the study. Public comment on the study, which can be accessed at www.nps.gov/pwro/honouliuli, will be accepted until July 15th. Comments can be emailed to pwr_honouliuli@nps.gov. Congratulations to the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i for all their hard work and dedication in helping to preserve the artifacts of this difficult chapter of our nation's history.
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The 2014 Legislative Session came to a close on May 1st. One of the big news items was that we passed legislation to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2018. We also included $40 million in funding to preserve 665 acres of land at Turtle Bay on the North Shore. I was especially pleased that we were also able to include $5 million in the budget for the Hawai'i Invasive Species Council, which will be dedicated to the detection, prevention, control, outreach, and research of invasive species. As you know, little fire ants have been a big concern since news broke earlier this year that these vicious little creatures were found in Waimanalo. Here are some other things from the session I'd like to share with you.
Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov or 586-6830.
- Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting, a legislative session wrap-up, will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) at 9am on Saturday, May 10th. If you can't make it, send me an email, and I'll send you a summary of the meeting.
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I was very pleased that the Fiscal Years 2013 - 2015 State Budget included $175,022,000 in construction projects for District 20 schools, UH West O'ahu, roads, non-profits, and other infrastructure. Here's a rundown of those projects.
Transportation
• Kualaka‘i Parkway Extension - Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt Ave. - $15,001,000
• H-1 Westbound PM Contraflow Lane - $55 million
• H-1, Modification of Makakilo to Palailai Interchange - $5.7 million
• H-1 Kunia Interchange Improvements - $780,000
• Oahu Bikeways - Waipio Point Access Road to Lualualei Naval Road - $11,932,000
UH West O‘ahu
• University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu Science Technology, and Creative Media Facility - $2 million
• University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu Allied Health Building - $28.8 million
• University of Hawai‘i - West O‘ahu Road B - UHWO to Kualaka‘i Parkway - $3.5 million
Schools
• East Kapolei High School - $5 million
• East Kapolei Middle School - $3 million
Grants-in-Aid to Non-Profits
• Kapolei Community Development Corp. Grant in Aid (Heritage Center - $1,150,000
• Seagull Schools Childcare Center Grant in Aid (Kapolei Elementary School) - $1.2 million
Kalaeloa Infrastructure
• Kalaeloa Enterprise Energy Corridor - $7 million
• Youth Challenge Academy, Building 32 Repair and Improvements (Kalaeloa) - $340,000
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor New Fuel Pier - $3 million
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor Turning Basin and Entrance Channel - $400,000
• Army Aviation Support Facility - $31,219,000
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I'm very pleased to announce that the State Senate confirmed Jessica Wooley to be the next director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC) on April 29th. OEQC has the responsibility of helping to stimulate, expand and coordinate efforts to maintain the optimum quality of the state's environment. There was considerable interest in her nomination since she was a sitting legislator and Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture at the time of her nomination and her confirmation. When the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, which I chair, heard her nomination (GM 585) on April 10th, all of the testimony that we received was in support.
Jessica Wooley has earned a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley and worked for three years as a Deputy Attorney General representing the Hawai‘i Department of Health's Clean Water, Drinking Water, and Wastewater Branches. She has served in the state House of Representatives since 2008, including as chairperson of the House Committee on Culture and the Arts from 2010 to 2012 and chairperson of the House Agriculture Committee since 2012. Jessica Wooley is well qualified to be director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control, and I believe that she will do a great job. I wish her much success in this new role.
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Four bills that I authored made it through to the end of the legislative process. SB 2175 was already signed into law. The other bills are in the Governor's hands. He has until June 23rd to decide whether he'll sign them, allow them to become law without his signature, or veto them. Here are short descriptions of those bills.
• SB 2175 (Act 56) - authorizes the Dean of the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to establish a two year hemp remediation and biofuel research project. This starts us on the path of growing our own hemp, an incredible crop that is used in over 27,000 products. (I highly recommend a short documentary called, Bringing it Home, if you're interested in finding out more about the potential of this amazing plant.)
• SB 2196 - would extend the barrel tax to 2030, which was scheduled to end in 2015. Some of these funds are dedicated to energy and food security. The bill would also reinstate the Energy Systems Develop Special Fund, which assists the UH based Hawai'i Natural Energy Institute secure federal funding for their important research.
• SB 2657 - would set procedures for the continuation of roof guarantees and warranties when solar PV panels are installed on the roof of a home. There have been disagreements in some situations in the past and this will make things work more smoothly.
• SB 2658 - would allow solar projects to be located on parcels of Class B & C lands greater than 20 acres as long as a special use permit is obtained through the Land Use Commission. A provision in the bill requires the solar developers to lease additional lands to farmers at 50% lower than the market rate to make it easier for agriculture to thrive.
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Blake Oshiro, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Neil Abercrombie, and the executive branch team take home the perpetual trophies with an exciting performance of "Last Dance" at Capitol Idol II, a government fundraiser for the Hawaii Foodbank hosted by Sen. Mike Gabbard. (Photo courtesy of Senate Communications)
The Capitol Idol II: The Return of Capitol Idol, a government talent show, raised over $1,700 for the Hawaii Foodbank. In 2012, the event raised $1,400.
Members of the executive branch and legislature didn't hold anything back to win the coveted individual and team perpetual trophies. However, Blake Oshiro, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Neil Abercrombie, and his backup dancers outshone everyone with "Last Dance."
Sen. Mike Gabbard organized the fundraiser and comedian Champ Kaneshiro volunteered as emcee.
"We all had a lot of fun for a good cause as we approach a hectic time during the legislative session," said Gabbard. "We surpassed what we brought in last year and it's all thanks to our guests and the performers."
Performers included:
Team Executive Branch: Linda Rosen, Director of the Dept. of Health; Keali‘i Lopez, Director of the Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Maria Zielinksi, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Accounting and General Services; Audrey Hidano, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation; Keone Kali, Chief Information Officer; Joshua Wisch, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Taxation; Jesse Souki, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources; and Blake Oshiro, Deputy Chief of Staff
Team House: Reps. Lauren Cheap Matsumoto and Ken Ito
Team Senate: Sen. Russell Ruderman, backed by Sens. Rosalyn Baker, Will Espero, Mike Gabbard, Michelle Kidani and Suzanne Chun-Oakland; Sen. Mike Gabbard; Sen. Malama Solomon with back-up singers Sen. Brickwood Galuteria and senate staff; and Da Kolohe Bruddahs, consisting of Sens. Mike Gabbard, Brickwood Galuteria and Russell Ruderman.
View more Capitol Idol II photos here, courtesy of Senate Communications.
Everyone's got talent, right? We'll see about that at Capitol Idol II: The Return of Capitol Idol, a government talent show fundraiser for the Hawai'i Foodbank, featuring a handful of brave government leaders from the executive and legislative branches. Members of the Senate, House and executive branch will sing, dance, and showcase other talents to win the applause of audience members on Monday, April 14 from 5-7 p.m. in the Capitol Auditorium. Admission is FREE. The event is hosted by Senator Mike Gabbard, with Champ Kaneshiro, of The Champ Show on OC16, emceeing.
The first Capitol Idol was held in 2012, with Rep. Marcus Oshiro (aka "Madame Moshiro") stealing the show. People are still talking about the lady in the red dress today. However, the word lingering about Capitol hallways is that the Senate will definitely be rocking the House this year. Individual and Senate/House perpetual trophies are at stake, but more importantly, bragging rights go to the winners for a year.
"We hope to see lots of smiling faces in the audience this year," said Gabbard. "We want to surpass what we raised last year and encourage everyone to dig deep and support this very worthy cause. You won't be disappointed in the show."
Competing from the executive branch are Linda Rosen, Director of the Dept. of Health; Keali‘i Lopez, Director of the Dept. of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Maria Zielinksi, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Accounting and General Services; Audrey Hidano, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation; Keone Kali, Chief Information Officer; Joshua Wisch, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Taxation; Jesse Souki, Deputy Director of the Dept. of Land and Natural Resources; and Blake Oshiro, Deputy Chief of Staff.
In the House's corner, Reps. Lauren Cheap Matsumoto and Ken Ito will take the stage on behalf of their 51 members.
Representing the Senate are Sens. Russell Ruderman, Mike Gabbard and Malama Solomon. In addition, a group called Da Kolohe Bruddahs, given their name, will surely rouse laughter in the auditorium. The group wishes to remain anonymous, so the only way to find out who they are is to attend.
Although this is a FREE event, it is also a fundraiser to raise money for the Hawaii Food Bank. Therefore, state employees are encouraged to donate $1 for a scrip worth one vote. Per the State Ethics Commission, only state employees can purchase scrips.
Votes (scrips) from the audience will determine the winner. Scrips can be picked up in Gabbard's office, Capitol Room 201, until 5 p.m. on Monday, April 14. After 5 p.m., scrips can be picked up in Capitol Room 016 until 15 minutes after the end of the show. There is no limit on the number of scrips that a state employee can purchase. And people can vote for their favorites as much as they wish.
In last month's newsletter, I included an article about how the Environmental Assessment for Kapolei II Elementary School had been completed. I'm stoked to inform you that I just received an invitation for the April 2nd groundbreaking of the school, which will open at the intersection of Ft. Barrette Road and Kunehi Street in Kapolei in the Fall 2015. Is that cool, or what?
Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov or 586-6830.
- Mike
Mark your calendars! Game on! Capitol Idol returns on Monday, April 14, 2014, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in the State Capitol Auditorium as a fundraiser for the Hawai‘i Foodbank. Three teams from state government - the Senate, House, and Executive Branch - will be working together for a great cause, so save the date. You won't want to miss it!
In 2012, Capitol Idol raised $1,400 for the Hawai‘i Foodbank - we hope to surpass that this year!
View the flyer for more information.
My next "Listen Story" meeting, a legislative session wrap-up, will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) at 9am on Saturday, May 10th. If you can't make it, send me an email, and I'll send you a summary of the meeting.
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Great news! The Queen's Medical Center West O‘ahu will open on May 20th. I'm very pleased that our community will once again have a hospital. The facility will open with 80 acute care beds, but that number will increase to 135 in the future. It will feature 23 emergency room bays, 4 operating rooms, and 2 procedure rooms. There will be approximately 470 employees working at the hospital. Queens has invested $70 million to make this hospital a reality for our community. You can learn more about this state-of-the-art facility by checking out their website.
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At the request of a constituent, I introduced SB 2194 this session to require all birthing facilities in the state in perform a pulse oximetry screening on every newborn prior to discharge. I authored this bill in collaboration with the Hawai‘i chapter of the American Heart Association.
A pulse oximetry test is a non-invasive test that costs about $1 and measures the blood oxygen saturation levels of newborns. Pulse oximetry is effective at detecting critical, life-threatening congenital heart defects, which otherwise can go undetected by current screening methods. Already more than 30 states around the country make the pulse oximetry test a requirement. This test is just common sense. What I've been told is this test is easy to administer and can be easily done along with other standard tests on newborns. I'm aware of cases where parents didn't find out their kids had heart defects, until it was almost too late. This is a good thing to do to ensure that newborns born with heart defects get the emergency care they need as quickly as possible. SB 2194 is still alive and I'm hopeful it becomes law in 2014.
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The state Department of Transportation held a public meeting on the Leeward Bikeway project at Ewa Elementary School on March 20th. I'm very happy its moving forward, as this will improve the quality of life for thousands of bicyclists and pedestrians who are likely to take advantage of this community amenity.
The project is back on track after being delayed for a number years due to historical preservation issues. Plans are to extend the 14-mile bikeway from Waipio Pt. Access Road in the Pearl Harbor area to Lualualei Naval Road in Nanakuli. For much of the route, the bike path will follow alongside the existing OR & L railway and be 8 to 10 feet wide. The total cost: $23 million with 80% of those funds coming from the federal government and 20% from the state. Design for the project is underway. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2015 and it should be completed by third quarter 2016.
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Hope you and your ohana are well. It's that time of year. For all you folks procrastinating on doing your taxes... a non-profit, Free File Alliance, is partnering with the IRS to offer free e-file tax preparation services. Taxpayers who earned $58,000 or less in adjusted gross income in 2013 are eligible and can visit www.IRS.gov/freefile to prepare and file their federal tax return at no cost.
Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov or 586-6830. Here are a few things I'd like to share with you.
- Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at Kapolei Starbucks on Farrington Highway, next to the Chevron gas station at 9am on Saturday, March 29th. If you can't make it, send me an email, and I'll send you a summary of the meeting.
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I visited David Wong's 200-acre natural farm and piggery in Wai‘anae Valley on February 18th with my wife Carol and daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Seventy-five acres of this farm will soon host a 15 MW solar array to be built by NextEra. When completed by 2016, it will be one of the largest solar farms in the state.
What makes David's farm so special is that he has incorporated Master Han-Kyu Cho's Korean Natural Farming methods, which don't require the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and uses 40% less water than conventional farming. Mr. Wong lets Mother Nature do the work for him by culturing the naturally occurring indigenous micro-organisms in the ground to revitalize his soil. Some of the crops he's currently growing are dry-land taro, ginger, moringa, and bananas. It's very exciting to see this innovative agricultural system taking root in our islands. And I'm also stoked that he's helping us meet both our renewable energy and food security goals by combining the farm with the solar project. This is a truly a win-win and what sustainability is really all about!
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I introduced SB 2175 this session to legalize the production of industrial hemp. (Just so you know, hemp doesn't contain significant THC, so it can't get people high by smoking it.) Hemp is an incredible agricultural crop that's used in food, soap, car materials, insulation, and construction materials. The problem is that right now the U.S. is importing all these products, when we could easily grow it here. Ten states around the country have passed similar legislation (California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia).
My bill was amended by the Agriculture and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs committees to be a two-year hemp research project at UH. The U.S. House recently approved language in the Farm Bill to allow hemp research at universities. States can also apply for waivers from the federal government to allow for hemp production. I recommend the documentary, Bringing it Home, if you're interested in learning about the history of hemp in our country. Fascinating!
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Good news! The draft environmental assessment (EA) for Kapolei II Elementary School has been completed. This brings us another step closer to seeing this long-awaited school become a reality in the Fall 2015.
The preliminary findings of the EA is that the construction of the school will have no significant negative impact on our environment. The school will be located at the intersection of Ft. Barrette Rd. and Kunehi Street, across from Kapolei High, next to the Mehana subdivision. It will feature a Twenty-First Century Learning Environment with an expected enrollment of 750 students. There will be 100,000 sq. ft. of indoor space and 122,000 sq. ft. of outdoor physical education space. The school is planned for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification and will promote sustainability by minimizing energy consumption, incorporating renewable energy sources, providing daylighting, and reducing water usage. The total construction cost will be $38.3 million.
The deadline to make comments on the online EA is March 10th. Comments can also be sent to: Joane E. Hiramatsu, Belt Collins Hawai‘i LLC, 2153 North King Street Suite 200, Honolulu 96819.
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The 2014 Legislative Session opened on January 15th and will conclude on May 1st. On page 4 of this newsletter, I've included a how to guide on submitting online testimony. I encourage you to get involved in the political process.
Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov or 586-6830.
- Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Ewa Mahiko District Park at 9am on Saturday, February 22nd. If you can't make it, send me an email, and I'll send you a summary of the meeting.
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This is my 6th year as Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee. In addition to focusing on kicking our addiction to foreign oil and using more clean renewable energy, I'm also putting more emphasis on protecting the environment. I'm specifically concerned about invasive species, such as the little fire ant, coconut rhinoceros beetle, miconia, albizia, coqui frogs, and many others.
During the last several months, I've participated in tours led by the managers of the island-based Invasive Species Committees on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Kaua‘i, Maui, and Moloka‘i to see up close the impact that invasive species are having on our environment. On January 8th, I co-chaired an informational briefing where we got an update on invasive species threats to Hawai‘i. Little fire ants have recently been discovered on O‘ahu in hapuu logs (Hawaiian tree ferns) that came from Hawai‘i Island. Additionally, we were able to get invasive species included in the Joint Senate/House Majority Legislative Package as SB 2343 with a proposed appropriation of $5,000,000 in General Funds for invasive species prevention, control, outreach, research, and planning for Fiscal Year 2014-2015. The Governor also stated in his State of the State address that he endorses this plan.
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Here are a few of the priority bills I've introduced for the 2014 session.
• Barrel Tax (SB 2196) - Right now, 70 cents of the barrel tax ($1.05) is going to the General Fund, even though the purpose of the tax is to clean up oil spills and to support energy and food security. This bill would direct that 70 cents back to funding the programs it was originally intended to serve.
• Grid Modernization (SB 2656) - In light of the recent policy changes made by Hawaiian Electric which have greatly slowed the growth of the solar industry, this legislation would require Hawaiian Electric to make the necessary grid upgrades to ensure that people can continue to install solar PV in a timely manner.
• Energy Storage (SB 2932) - One of the big roadblocks to us moving forward with more solar and wind on the grid is that this type of energy is intermittent and is hard for the utilities to manage. The answer is to have energy storage so we can store the energy created during the day and use it at night (or vice versa). This legislation will set goals for our utilities to meet as it applies to energy storage.
• Hawai‘i Community-Based Renewable Energy Program (SB 2934) - This bill would establish a community-based solar program to enable folks to purchase PV panels at an off-site location and receive a credit for the energy generated to lower their electricity bill. This one is especially cool and similar to what they have in Rifle, Colorado, where they have an 858 kW system near the airport with 3,575 PV panels owned by Jimmy's Pizza, Montessori School, and various families and individuals.
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On September 9, 2013, an estimated 233,000 gallons of molasses leaked from a break in a corroded pipe owned by Matson and spilled into Honolulu Harbor. At least 26,000 fish died and it also caused bleaching of marine corals. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently investigating the spill.
Rep. Lee, Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, and I held a news conference on January 27th to announce that we had introduced legislation in the hopes of preventing future spills. One of my bills, SB 3016, would update a 1996 oil spill report conducted by the UH Sea Grant College, and another, SB 3017, would create the Coral Reef and Marine Life Conservation Special Fund to direct fines and mitigation compensation for the benefit of marine resources.
The bottom line is that both industry and government were unprepared to deal with this type of environmental accident. We need to do our best to make sure these spills don't happen again, but if they do, we should have the necessary laws in place to act as quickly as possible to clean up the mess.
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Representative Chris Lee and Senator Mike Gabbard have introduced measures in both houses addressing issues relating to ocean-harbor spills in the aftermath of the September 2013 molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor and will be holding a joint press conference. The bills address emergency response, reporting, and oversight responsibilities for state agencies involved in marine spills.
The press conference will be held on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. on the 4th Floor Lanai of the Hawaii State Capitol.
View the media advisory.
Happy New Year to you and your ohana! The 2014 Legislative Session kicks off on Wednesday, January 15th, at 10am. It's also my 66th birthday, so stop by my office at Rm. 201 at the State Capitol to talk story and have some toffee and cake. Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov or 586-6830.
- Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Pray Eat Love Café (533 Manawai Street #304, Wai‘anae side directly across from Kapolei High School) at 9am on Saturday, January 11th. If you can't make it, drop me an email, and I'll send you a summary of the meeting.
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I've been working with a constituent from Kapolei on some important legislation to help late-born keiki who don't currently meet the age cut-off for entering kindergarten. In 2012 we, at the Legislature, passed SB 2545, which was enacted as Act 178. This law eliminated junior kindergarten, which means starting in 2014 that keiki have to be at least 5 years old by July 31st. It's estimated that this change will negatively impact about 5,000 keiki who will turn 5 after the July 31st deadline. These keiki would have to wait another year before they could enter kindergarten.
To remedy this situation, I plan to introduce legislation that would do the following:
• Would give the Early Learning Advisory Board the power to determine whether a child who is ineligible for kindergarten due to age, but will be 5 by December 31st of the school year, should be allowed to attend kindergarten.
• It directs the Early Learning Advisory Board to establish procedures by which a parent may seek their determination.
• The Early Learning Advisory Board's determination shall be based on appropriate assessments based on the child's academic, physical, social, and emotional abilities.
• The Early Learning Advisory Board's determination shall be final and shall not be appealed.
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It's great news that the Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park is now up and running after 4 years of development and construction. The project was officially placed in service on November 22nd and a blessing was held on December 16th.
The 5MW, utility-scale solar park includes approximately 20,000 solar panels on 20-acres of land leased by Hunt Development Corporation in Kalaeloa. The project will supply power to roughly 1,000 homes. Scatec Solar North America, which acquired the project in 2012 to facilitate development will operate the facility for a period of twenty years. Based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates, Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park will produce enough power to prevent nearly 11,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Hanwha Q Cells USA, owner of the Kalaeloa Renewable Energy Park, is part of the South Korean Hanwha Group, one of the world's leading photovoltaics companies that offers a wide range of high quality photovoltaic solutions from solar cells and modules to power plants. PNC Energy Capital facilitated this project by providing sale-leaseback financing.
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I offered testimony in support of Resolution 13-273, CD1, which was heard by the Honolulu City Council on December 11th. This resolution passed by a unanimous vote and approved the City's list of projects for consideration in the Fiscal Years 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is an important document that contains all the transportation projects that are eligible to obtain federal funding.
I was very pleased that Farrington Highway Improvements, Kapolei Parkway Extension, and Makakilo Drive Extension were all included in the list. These projects will have a huge impact on increasing the mobility and connectivity of Kapolei area residents. In my testimony, I singled out the importance of the Makakilo Drive Extension because it's critical to the health and safety of thousands of Makakilo residents who currently only have one way in and one way out of their community.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your ohana! May this season bring you peace and happiness. Our hearts go out to the victims and all their ohana and friends who have been impacted by Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines on November 8th. You can send monetary donations to the American Red Cross at 4155 Diamond Head Road, Honolulu, HI. 96816 and the Filipino Community Center at 94-428 Mokuola St. #302, Waipahu, HI 96797. Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Pray Eat Love Cafe (533 Manawai Street #304, Wai'anae side directly across from Kapolei High School) at 9am on Saturday, December 7th.
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The Hawaiian Homes Commission (HHC) held a special meeting on November 14th to consider extending the option to lease for Hawai'i DeBartolo LLC's Ka Makana Ali'i shopping mall. This project will be located at the corner of Kapolei Parkway and Kualaka'i Parkway on 67-acres of DHHL land and will be the 3rd largest mall on the island. I submitted testimony which in part said: "...during the last few months, I have received input from both businesses and community members who have concerns about DeBartolo's actions. While I do support this one-year extension, I will withhold my support of the final approval of the lease agreement until I'm assured that DeBartolo has made good on its promises to DHHL beneficiaries and the community. DeBartolo should make a renewed commitment to engaging the community and ensuring that pending issues, such as "community benefits", the Hawaiian Railway Society, and the Kualaka'i Parkway Extension, are all resolved in a fair and appropriate manner." The HHC voted to approve the extension by a 7-0 vote. DeBartolo is planning to begin construction on the mall in August 2014.
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I was happy to receive a letter from Governor Abercrombie on November 19th letting me know that he had released funding for the UH West O'ahu campus. Those projects are:
| • Road B - UH West O'ahu to Kualaka'i Parkway | $3.5 million |
| • Minor Repairs and Improvements | $41,000 |
On July 25th, Senate President Donna Kim sent all the Chairs of Senate Committees asking that we identify an interim committee work project. As the Chair of the Energy and Environment Committee (ENE), I chose to focus on the problem of invasive species. You might not know this, but in 2003 Act 85 was enacted which stated that the silent invasion of Hawai'i by insects, disease bearing organisms, snakes, weeds, and other pests is the single greatest threat to Hawai'i's economy and natural environment and to the health and lifestyle of Hawai'i's people. For example, a 2010 study by Shwiff et al. found that if brown tree snakes were introduced to Hawai'i, cost to the state in lost tourism, health costs, and damage to the power infrastructure could total $2.14 billion a year. During the last several months, I've participated in tours led by the managers of the island-based Invasive Species Committees on O'ahu, Big Island, Maui, and Moloka'i (I'm visiting Kaua'i on Dec. 12) to see up close the impact that invasive species are having on our environment. In addition to these site visits, I was also interviewed for TBN's "Joy In Our Town" television show on October 8th. During this 30-minute show, there was a 15-minute segment where I focused on the invasive species issue. The interview was shown 4 times on TBN and is posted on the network's Facebook page. On January 8th, Rep. Lee, Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, and I will be co-hosting an informational briefing on invasive species from 10am to 12pm in Rm. 225 at the State Capitol. Additionally, I'm introducing a bill in 2014 to appropriate $5,000,000 in General Funds for invasive species prevention, control, outreach, research, and planning for Fiscal Year 2014-2015.
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and your ohana. I hope you enjoy the official start to our holiday season. Here are a few updates I'd like to share with you. A special congratulations to my son, Jai, who got married in Australia on November 5th. I wish him a life of joy and fulfillment with his wife, Jayde. Please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Pray Eat Love Café (533 Manawai Street #304, Wai‘anae side directly across from Kapolei High School) at 9am on Saturday, December 7th. If you can't make it, send me an email and I'll get you the notes.
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The 2014 Regular Session is just around the corner and will begin on Jan 16th. One of the key ways I get good ideas for legislation is from the community.
One constituent from Waipahu approached me several months ago to express his concern about an issue with his medical records. He said that he had gotten a letter in the mail from a law firm in California after the closure of Hawai‘i Medical Center - West (HMC-West). They notified him that due to the bankruptcy of HMC-West he would have to pay close to $50 to obtain his medical records from the hospital. He contacted my office because he thought it was a scam. We got in touch with the state Attorney General and were able to determine that this was allowed under the bankruptcy court's decision.
The constituent suggested that I look at legislation to better protect seniors and the disabled who were put in hardship over the situation. So I've drafted a bill for introduction to require that before any hospital can declare bankruptcy, they must first contact all their patients and provide them with their medical records free of charge. I'm hopeful this consumer protection legislation moves forward. Please let me know if you have any ideas for legislation that you'd like to see introduced.
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In July, the Navy, which buys electricity from Hawaiian Electric Company and provides power to both the Kalaeloa community and Waterfront at Puuloa in Ewa, announced they would be significantly raising the electric rate from $263.47 per MWH to $587.43 per MWH, a 133% increase, starting on October 1st.
I wrote Admiral Richard Williams on July 15th asking him to do everything he could to avoid the electricity increase. I received a letter on July 29th from the Navy informing me that the rates would be going up as planned from October 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2014. The Navy explained that although HECO's rates increased between 2008 and 2012, the rates the Navy charged to its Kalaeloa customers did not increase. This resulted in financial losses for the Navy. We were also informed that since this rate increase was included in President Obama's Fiscal Year 2014 budget submission, the rates can't be lowered without the express approval of the Secretary of the Department of Defense. I was also notified that the Navy is looking to transfer the electrical utility to HECO as early as Fiscal Year 2017/2018.
Mahalo to both Carmel Partners and Hunt Development for stepping up and not passing along this electricity increase to their tenants. Carmel Partners made the decision to absorb 100% of the increase for their residential tenants. Hunt is paying for 70% of the increase for their commercial tenants.
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The 2013 Drive Safe 4 Ewa/Kapolei Live & Let Live Traffic Safety Awareness Campaign will kick-off at the Kapolei Police Station on November 23rd at 9am. You might be familiar with this Campaign, which features crashed cars placed on the side of the roadways and sign waving. The goal of the program is to increase driver safety during the Christmas Holiday seasons. This is the 6th year for my office to coordinate the poster contest for the Campaign. This year Kapolei, Nanakuli, and Wai‘anae High schools all submitted student posters for consideration. Here is this year's sign waving schedule for the Ewa and Kapolei communities, if you'd like to participate. For more information, contact Sgt. Antone Pacheco at 723-8411.
| Ft. Weaver Road (fronting Ewa Beach Boys and Girls Club) | 12/02/13, 7:00-7:45am |
| Kapolei High School (Kapolei Parkway and Ft. Barrette) | 12/03/13, 7:00-7:45am |
| Kaimiloa Elementary School | 12/05/13, 7:00-7:45am |
| Ft. Barrette and Farrington Hwy | 12/09/13, 3:30-4:30pm |
| Ft. Weaver Rd. and Laulaunui Drive | 12/11/13, 3:00-4:30pm |
| Ewa Makai Middle School | 12/17/13, 3:00-3:30pm |
| Ft. Weaver (fronting Ewa Beach Boys and Girls Club) | 12/18/13, 2:00-2:30pm |
I hope you and your ohana are doing well. The 20th Annual Children and Youth Day will take place at the State Capitol on October 6th from 10am to 3pm. This is a great event for families to enjoy games/rides, entertainment, guided tours, and food/drink vendors. There will be free parking at all nearby state and city parking lots, Central Middle School, and the Alapai Transit Center. For more information, call 586-6130 or visit www.hawaiicyd.org. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen-Story" meeting will be held at the Ewa Mahiko District Park meeting room (91-1161 Renton Road) at 9:00am on Saturday, October 26.
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I was happy to see that construction for the rail project was restarted on September 16th. As a result, Farrington Highway from Kualaka‘i Parkway to Kahi Mohala was closed on September 16th, so that the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) could relocate a major water line and do column work.
I got a lot of feedback from the community on how this greatly increased traffic on the H-1. Councilmember Pine, Rep. Har and I have been working on a solution to this traffic problem. The City has modified the signalization at the Kualaka‘i/Farrington intersection to improve traffic flow getting on the H-1. And on October 27th there will be a second left hand lane added to allow drivers to turn left at that intersection to get on the H-1. We got word from HART on September 30th that they reopened one lane of Farrington Highway in the eastbound direction to reduce the traffic. The road will stay open until their column work begins closer to the end of the year.
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As you most likely know, on September 9th a leaking pipe used to transport molasses onto Matson ships spilled 233,000 gallons of molasses into Honolulu Harbor and Keehi Lagoon. The spill has killed 26,000 fish and a vast stretch of coral. I toured Honolulu Harbor with my colleagues at the Legislature and representatives from the Department of Land and Natural Resources on September 16th to survey the damage. Matson CEO Matt Cox has apologized for the spill and said they will pay for the clean-up without passing the cost on to their customers. Now, information has come out that the Department of Transportation had alerted Matson to the fact that this pipe was leaking molasses going back to 2012. As the Senate's Energy and Environment Chair, I'm working with my colleagues to get some answers and to make sure this doesn't happen again.
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On September 6th, HECO announced it was making changes to its solar PV interconnection process on O'ahu. Up to that point, homeowners had been allowed to get their PV system connected to the grid automatically, if it was 10 kW or smaller (average size is about 5 kW). However, HECO is now requiring homeowners and businesses to contact HECO for approval before they install any sized PV system. HECO contends that they have to do this because the circuits on the grid are filling up with solar and if more PV is added, it could cause grid reliability problems.
This is causing big problems for the solar industry: 1) it's causing delays in people being able to get solar because they have to wait for HECO to give them the ok, 2) there are a lot of people who've already got PV on their roofs and are now being denied permission to get connected because of this rule change, and 3) it's causing layoffs and could force companies to go out of business.
HECO should have reached out to the solar industry in a more collaborative fashion before making this change and should have considered the potential negative ramifications. We'll hold a hearing at the Capitol soon in the hopes of getting the solar industry and HECO to reach a compromise that's in the best interest of our overall goals of moving to a clean energy economy and lowering our electricity bills.
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Whew, what an intense couple weeks. Law enforcement caught the guy stalking and threatening our daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. Thanks to the Capitol Police, FBI, U.S. Marshals, county police departments and the sheriff's office. The Gabbard ohana are indebted to you all. Then, on Labor Day, I walked my youngest daughter Davan, a deputy U.S. Marshal based in DC down the aisle at Ko Olina. It was truly a sweet wedding. Nice to have all our family in town, including Tulsi and our 3 sons Bhakti, Jai, and Ryan, who always come to town intent on kicking their dad's okole on the golf course and tennis court. Congrats Jai...you're the golf champion until our next reunion in 2015. I thought I taught you to respect your elders, especially your dad?
Hope you and your family are all well. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen-Story" meeting will be held at the Pray Eat Love Café (533 Manawai Street #304, Wai‘anae side directly across from Kapolei High School) at 9am on Saturday, September 21st. If you can't make the meeting but would like to see the notes, please send me an email.
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The Senate Transportation and International Affairs Committee, which I serve on, got an update on upcoming H-1 and H-2 freeway projects on July 25th. The two projects in our district that were discussed were the H-1 PM Contraflow Lane and the Kapolei Interchange, Phase II. Construction on the H-1 PM Contraflow Lane began in June 2012 and is expected to be completed by August 2014. The project will cost a total of $82 million with $16.4 million coming from the state and the rest from our the federal government. The Kapolei Interchange, Phase II will include the construction of the Wakea Street overpass and the on- and off-ramps. Construction of this project will start in September 2014 and is expected to be completed by September 2017. The total price tag will be $48 million with the federal government kicking in $38.4 million of that amount.
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I hope you're surviving the "Beat the School" jam. As you're most likely painfully aware, on August 26th about 52,000 college and private school students began their fall semester. Our state Department of Transportation (DOT) is making several efforts to lessen the impact of the flood of new traffic on our roads. DOT did postpone its construction related lane closures during the week of August 26th and has also created a new GoAkamai App to help provide traffic congestion information for iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile device users. The App is available on the Android and iPhone App stores. But please be sure you're not using the App while driving. J
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Hawai‘i Habitat for Humanity will hold its Seventh Annual Build-a-thon event from September 13th to 15th. The goal of Habitat for Humanity is to utilize the self-help model of homeownership to provide decent, affordable housing for low-income families. The organization is the 6th largest homebuilder in the U.S. and is one of the 10 most well-known and respected non-profits as well. The Build-a-thon event allows the 7 local offices to generate funds and help raise awareness about the need for housing opportunities in our state.
The Habitat for Humanity Leeward O‘ahu folks will be meeting at 91-1200 Kaneoneo Street in Kapolei on September 14th from 8:30am to 2:30pm to help build 2 homes in the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands Kanehili Subdivision. If you'd like to participate, please contact Jo Bautista of Habitat for Humanity Leeward O‘ahu at 696-7882.
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Ah yes, it's August, which means school is back in session. As a former high school English teacher, I can almost smell those inquisitive minds hard at work in our public and private schools. Mahalo to everyone who is working hard to make sure it's a great year for our students and teachers. I was recently appointed to the Senate Education Committee and will be working with the Department of Education, Board of Education, and community to improve the education of our keiki this school year. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Ewa Mahiko District Park meeting room (91-1205 Renton Road) at 9am on Saturday, August 24th. Come for coffee and a chance to talk about your ideas and concerns, or just to listen and meet your neighbors from surrounding communities.
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My daughter Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and I presented commendations to the Kinimaka ‘Ohana at their 2013 family reunion. This event brought together over 400 members of their family from across Hawai‘i and the mainland. The celebration took place on July 6th at ‘Iolani Palace.
The Kinimaka family goes back 17 generations in Hawai‘i and is descended from Hawaiian royalty. One accomplished Kinimaka was none other than Brevet Lieutenant Colonel David Leleo Kinimaka, the son of Chief Keaweamahi and Pai Kinimaka (High Chief of Honolulu). Lt. Colonel David Leleo left us the legacy of strength, integrity, humility, and a fierce loyalty to the monarchy that has forever cemented his place in Hawaiian history, as a man who brought much ho‘ohanohano (honor) to the Kinimaka name. Another well-loved member of the ‘ohana is the High Chiefess Kahikoloa of Maui who is responsible for the historic state seal featuring the warriors Ke‘ei‘moku and Kamanawa, who were uncles of Kamehameha I. She married Ka‘pa‘iwi Kinimaka. Their son, Keaweamahi Kinimaka, and his wife Pai Wahine raised King David Laamea Kalakaua and Queen Liliuokalani who, as we all know, later became the king and queen of Hawai‘i. Nani Kinimaka-Davis was one of the event's main organizers and lives in Makakilo.
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Last month, I included an update of the key state road projects in my newsletter. This month I'm doing the same for the City roads.
• Makakilo Drive Extension - Mayor Caldwell released $3 million for Phase 1 Design earlier this year. There will need to be a Phase 2 Design as well before construction could begin. The extension, as planned, is 4,300 feet long and has an 880 foot bridge to span the gulch. The estimated cost to construct the extension is $85 million. With the Honolulu Joint Traffic Management Center funded for construction between FY 2014 and FY 2016 at a cost of $60 million, the Makakilo Drive Extension would not likely see construction until at least FY 2016.
• Kapolei Parkway (open field next to the Court House) - started construction in Nov. 2012 and is scheduled to be completed by Jan 2014.
• Kapolei Parkway Urban Core 4A (the Kama‘aha Ave intersection and connection up to Uluohia St) - contract was recently awarded to Delta Construction. The contract time is 6 months and is anticipated to be completed in early 2014.
• Farrington Highway Improvements (from Kapolei Golf Course to Fort Weaver Rd.) - City has started the planning process for improvements to Farrington Highway. They have hired Group 70 to do the environmental assessment (EA) planning document. The EA has to look at all the alternatives, such as widening and even a "no build" alternative. It's likely that the project will widen the road and add bike lanes and sidewalks in accordance with the City's "complete streets" policy. Group 70 expects that the City will be eligible for federal funding, so they will do the EA to meet NEPA (federal EA) requirements. The goal is to have a draft EA done by the end of 2013, have a second public meeting, and then publish final EA by the 2nd quarter of 2014. The posted speed limit during the improvement work will most likely be 35 MPH.
• Kamokila Blvd. Resurfacing (Zippy's to 500 Ft. from Makakilo Drive) - will be resurfaced in FY 2014.
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My wife Carol and I joined thousands of other O‘ahu residents at the 2013 Hawai‘i Farm Fair on July 14th at Kualoa Ranch. While checking out the different booths on display, I talked story with Wendy Loh, who introduced me to the "Tower Garden", a state-of-the-art aeroponic growing system that is perfect for people who live in condos and apartments, or have small yards. The "Tower Garden" allows people to grow a variety of local greens, herbs, and flowers on rooftops, patios, balconies, and terraces, basically anywhere as long as there's sun available. I was especially impressed with the design, given I have my own organic garden at my home in Kalaeloa.
For more information about the "Tower Garden", contact Wendy at jpaloha@hawaii.rr.com or
744-8888.
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Governor Neil Abercrombie signed into law today a measure to encourage renewable energy generation on rental and leased property.
Senate Bill (SB) 19, enacted as Act 261, removes the barriers for landlords and lessors to install renewable energy systems for their tenants and lessees by removing them from the definition of what constitutes a public utility.
"I'm a big supporter of distributed generation - generating electricity where it's used. That's why I introduced SB 19 to get rid of the barriers to allowing renters to also access PV. Renters make up 40% of our population, so it's huge that they'll now be able to lower their electricity bills but without having to pay the upfront cost," said Senator Mike Gabbard, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and the Environment.
SB 19 will allow landlords and lessors to install renewable energy systems on their property and then sell that electricity to their tenants or lessees on the premises. The bill requires that the electricity rate charged must be lower than that charged by the utility and be included as a provision in the lease.
Gabbard continued, "These energy savings will greatly benefit our renters, including those in Kalaeloa who are faced with a steep electricity hike recently announced by the Navy. It will also open up a great investment opportunity for places like Ala Moana Center that could put up a big PV system and then sell the electricity to the different stores in the mall."
The bill went into effect immediately upon receiving the signature of the Governor today. View the media release.
Happy 4th of July to you and your ohana. You may have seen the article I wrote in my June newsletter about the possibility that USPS could close the Kapolei Postal Station. I've been doing my best to get the word out and encourage folks to let USPS know how they feel. I recently got notice that due to an administrative error USPS has decided to postpone the comment deadline from July 4th to August 25th. So please keep sending in written comments to Janice Shimizu, 3600 Aolele Street Honolulu, HI 96820-9998. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Pray Eat Love Café (533 Manawai Street #304) at 9am on Saturday, July 20th. It's on the Waianae side directly across from Kapolei High.
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At my May 4th Listen Story meeting, one of my constituents brought up the need for UH West O‘ahu to allow seniors to audit classes (sit in and listen to a course of interest without actually taking the class and paying the fees). We contacted the UH West O‘ahu Chancellor's office to see if this would be a possibility. I was very happy to get an email on June 18th from Dr. Eun Ahn, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UHWO, notifying me that they will be establishing procedures to start a senior citizen program at UHWO beginning as early as the spring of 2014. So for all you seniors in the West O‘ahu area, please give this some thought as another opportunity for "lifelong" learning in your community.
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I was very pleased to learn that Governor Abercrombie released $134.7 million in funding for schools across the state on June 20th. Included in this amount were these three key projects for Senate District 20:
• $40 million - Construction of Kapolei II Elementary
• $4.65 million - Design and construction of locker rooms at Kapolei High School
• $375,000 - Design and Construction of a portable classroom at Makakilo Elementary School.
The release of the funding for Kapolei II Elementary is especially important given the rapid growth of our community. Kapolei II Elementary will be located at the corner of Kapolei Parkway and Ft. Barrette across the street from Kapolei High School. The school is expected to accommodate up to 750 students and is planned to be completed by the fall of 2015. This past session we appropriated funding for two other new schools in the district.
• $5 million for the planning and design of East Kapolei High (will most like be located at the corner of Farrington Highway and Kualaka‘i Parkway on what is now DLNR land)
• $3 million for the planning and design of East Kapolei Middle (will most likely be located behind the Kroc Center off Kualaka‘i Parkway)
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I took a tour of the former site of the Honouliuli Internment Camp site in Kunia with Senator Espero, other lawmakers, and representatives from the Japanese Cultural Center on June 20th. The Camp site is located on Monsanto lands across Kunia Road from the Royal Kunia community. During World War II the Honouliuli Internment Camp was one of thirteen internment sites in Hawai‘i. It opened on March 1, 1943 and was located on 160 acres of land. The camp was built to hold up to 3,000 people, but never reached more than 320. Most of the internees were males of Japanese ancestry, but there were also a few Germans, Italians and prisoners of war. They lived in wooden barracks and tents, which were surrounded by barbed wire fences and patrolled by armed guards. Two of the most prominent Japanese Americans interned at the camp were former territorial Rep. Thomas Sakakihara and former territorial Sen. Sanji Abe. Since October 2009, the National Park Service (NPS) has been working on a special resource study focused on evaluating whether the Camp should be added to our national parks. The study is supposed to be released in the fall of 2013 with the NPS' recommendations. At that point, the plan would be for NPS to acquire the more than 100 acres of Monsanto land. Monsanto has stated they are willing to donate the lands for this purpose. Congress would then need to take legislative action to implement the NPS recommendations to establish the park.
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Governor Neil Abercrombie signed into law today Senate Bill (SB) 1087, which establishes a green infrastructure financing program.
Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment, issued this statement in response to the enactment of SB 1087:
"This innovative, first in the nation legislation allows us to do something unprecedented and that's to join bond financing with on-bill repayment," said Senate Committee on Energy and Environment Chair Mike Gabbard. "This program is going to be huge in providing lower and middle income folks with greater access to PV and other energy efficiency improvements, allowing them to borrow the money at extremely low interest rates and then repay the loans over time on their monthly their electric bills. Laws like this will make our state the model for the world to follow."
View the media release.
I completed my 7th session as your State Senator on May 2nd. This legislative wrap-up will provide you with an overview of some of the key things that happened which will impact our community. A big congrats to all the 2013 high school graduates from James Campbell High School, Kapolei High School, Waipahu High School, American Renaissance Academy, and Island Pacific Academy. I wish them all the best as they chart their futures. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meetings will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, June 22nd at 9am and at the Pray Eat Love Café (533 Manawai St #304) in Kapolei on July 20th at 9am.
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Since session ended on May 2nd, I've been busy taking tours with staff of the Island Invasive Species Committees (IISC). The IISC are located on each major island and tasked with the control and eradication of invasive species, such as miconia, coqui frogs, pampas grass, little fire ants, etc. I've recently had the opportunity to participate in helicopter tours and hikes on O‘ahu, Maui & Moloka‘i. I'll also be visiting the Big Island and Kaua‘i in the coming months. My goal is to use the information gained to work with the appropriate stakeholders to develop ideas for improving our state policies, including funding levels, and public outreach to help us better address the threat invasive species pose to our environment. I'll also be chairing a hearing on this subject and collaborating with ENE members on next steps. These efforts will culminate in the introduction of legislation for the 2014 session.
One of the highlights of this past session was working with my colleagues at the State Legislature to help secure $1.15 million for Kapolei Community Development Corporation's Heritage Center (KCDC). For those who are not familiar, KCDC is a grassroots organization made up of the various homestead associations in Kapolei. Since 2007, they have been working on projects to support our local Native Hawaiian community. Their current project is called the Heritage Center and is envisioned as a gathering place where families can come together to foster self-sufficiency and cultural preservation. The Heritage Center will be located on leased Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) property mauka of the DHHL headquarters in Kapolei. KCDC's plan is to raise $3 million to complete the first two phases of the project. The 1st phase will include a certified kitchen, two classrooms, and a storage area. Phase 2 will include a covered halau. Additional phases will include the commercial piece which could be affordable rentals or retail outlets. A big mahalo to KCDC President Shirley Swinney, Vice President Joe Lewis, Treasurer Home Schaedel, Director Kaleo Keawe-Aiko, and Director Anolani Hanohano for all their hard work and dedication to making the Heritage Center a reality.
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Back in August 2011, USPS announced that they were considering closing thousands of post offices around the country. Kapolei Postal Station (KPS) was unfortunately one of those post offices on the list. Since that time, I've been working with USPS in the hopes of keeping KPS from closing and also looking for alternatives, such as having a contract postal unit at UH West O‘ahu. On May 3, 2013, USPS again gave notice that they're looking at closing KPS. Their plan is to move the more than 700 P.O. Boxes at KPS to the Barbers Point Station postal facility. As you know, USPS has experienced enormous financial troubles over the last several years and they are looking to cut costs. They estimate saving over $1 million if they closed our post office. I'm asking you to help send a message to USPS that we need to keep our post office open. Please send written comments to: Janice Shimizu, 3600 Aolele Street Honolulu, HI 96820-9998. The deadline to submit comments is July 4, 2013.
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Please don't forget all of the moms in your life on Mother's Day, May 12th. We finished the 2013 Legislative Session on May 2nd. Some of the highlights are that we didn't raise taxes, provided the necessary funding for the new teacher contract, deposited $50 million into both our Rainy Day Fund and the Hurricane Relief Fund, and balanced the budget. Here are a few things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, June 22nd at 9am.
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I was also very pleased that Senate District 20 was able to secure $91,750,000 in construction funding as part of the 2013 - 2015 budget. This funding will go toward improving our roads, university, schools, community groups, National Guard, and harbor. Here's a rundown of those projects:
• Kualaka‘i Parkway Extension - Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt Ave. - $15,001,000
• H-1 Westbound PM Contraflow Lane - $15 million
• H-1 Kunia Interchange Improvements - $780,000
• University of Hawai‘i - West Oahu Allied Health Building - $11.8 million
• University of Hawai‘i - West Oahu Road B - UHWO to Kualaka‘i Parkway - $3.5 million
• East Kapolei High School - $5 million
• East Kapolei Middle School - $3 million
• Seagull Schools Childcare Center Grant in Aid (Kapolei Elementary School) - $1.2 million
• Kapolei Community Development Corp. Grant in Aid (Heritage Center) - $1,150,000
• Mauka Lani Elementary Electrical Upgrades - $700,000
• Army Aviation Support Facility - $31,219,000
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor New Fuel Pier - $3 million
• Kalaeloa Barbers Point Harbor Turning Basin and Entrance Channel - $400,000
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I just completed my 5th session as the Chair of the Senate's Energy and Environment Committee. This year we passed several good pieces of legislation that will serve our community well. Here's a brief overview of several of those bills:
• SB 1087 - this bill is HUGE! It sets up a Green Infrastructure Financing Program that will help us leverage private investment to assist lower and middle income folks in purchasing solar PV and other energy efficiency improvements through very low interest loans, which they would pay back on their electricity bill.
• SB 19 - this bill will clarify the law to allow renters and commercial tenants to also gain access to the benefits of lowering their electricity bills through solar PV. This will greatly benefit the residents and businesses of Kalaeloa who are faced with a steep increase in electricity costs that was recently announced by the Navy.
• SB 1133 - this bill will close a loophole in our state's deposit beverage container program ("bottle law") that currently allows some energy drinks to evade this important recycling program.
• HB 899 - this bill will restore the exemption for the deposit beverage container special fund from the Department of Budget and Finance's Central Services Assessment fee. This fee drains $3 million per year from this fund. This exemption will help the Department of Health avoid raising the 1.5 cent administrative fee placed on beverages.
• SB 988 - this bill will make funding for Hawai‘i Wildlife Center a permissible use of the environmental response revolving fund (barrel tax). The Hawai‘i Wildlife Center is dedicated to rehabilitating wild birds from throughout the Hawai‘i archipelago that have been affected by oil spills.
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I had a chance to visit Island Pacific Academy (IPA) in Kapolei on April 15th. I spoke with 8th-grade exchange students visiting Hawai‘i from the Instituto Thomas Jefferson campus, a private school in Queretaro, Mexico which promotes international relations in their curriculum. Part of the two-week exchange program was to give students the opportunity to practice their second language of English and learn about the culture and life in Hawai‘i.
I also presented a certificate from the State Senate to the IPA team for being named a finalist in the 2013 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math education) Week of the Hawai‘i Association of Independent Schools Science Fair competition. Four outstanding IPA students, Jonathan Spangler-Sakata, Ling-Yi Tsiang, Megan Bobilin, and Meghan Rodick, were chosen for their innovative science fair projects to advance to the next level of competition at the Hawai‘i State Science and Engineering Fair.
Beyond future employability, programs in STEM also provide an invaluable experience to students by building a sense of self-confidence and igniting a lifelong passion for learning. To recognize and encourage student and teacher participation, STEM Week is a multi-day celebration of STEM education outreach across Hawai‘i, led by the Hawai‘i Academy of Science and supported by the Hawai‘i State Department of Land and Natural Resources. Major components include an industry exposition focusing on STEM career and job opportunities and a banquet featuring a STEM Institutional Awards ceremony. The goals of STEM Week are to unify the educational community while enhancing and sustaining STEM programs in Hawai‘i. IPA, since its establishment in 2004, has been successful in providing children with an academically challenging and developmentally appropriate educational experience led by talented and caring teachers in a nurturing and supportive learning environment.
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Sorry, no community meeting in April. It's crunch time at the Legislature. I'll be hosting my next "Listen Story" meeting at the Kapolei Starbucks on May 4th at 9am. This meeting will take place right after the Legislative Session, which ends on May 2nd. I'll be giving a wrap-up of all the session highlights (and lowlights J). Here are a few things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
Congrats to Governor Abercrombie, the Department of Education, and the Hawai̺i State Teachers Association for arriving at a tentative agreement for a new teacher's contract on March 24th. This is very good news, considering that the teachers have been working under a contract that was imposed by the Governor back in July 2011. The specifics include:
• 2013-2014 School Year - 5% pay cut restores, all teachers move up one step on the salary schedule (roughly 3% pay increase), teachers already at the top of the HSTA pay scale receive a one-time $1,500 bonus, teachers paid for 21 additional hours of professional development
• 2014-2015 School Year - all teachers receive a 3.2% increase
• 2015-2016 School Year - all teachers move up one step on the salary schedule, teachers at the top of the HSTA pay scale receive a one-time $1,500 bonus (excluding those who previously received it)
• 2016-2017 School Year - all teachers receive a 3.2% increase
The tentative contract will now need to be approved by a vote of our 12,000 teachers on April 17th. The Legislature will also have to appropriate the needed funds in the state budget we pass out by the end of session.
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I participated in the blessing for the Kalaeloa Solar Farm on March 8th. During the event, I had the opportunity to present certificates from the State Senate to Bright Plain Renewable Energy (BPRE), the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL), Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO), Keahole Solar Power, and SunPower Corporation for all their efforts in making this project a reality.
The Kalaeloa Solar Farm is the second largest solar farm in the state. It produces clean, renewable energy while preventing pollution and helping to preserve the Native Hawaiian culture. In December 2012, the 5-megawatt (MW) Kalaeloa Solar Farm began operations on DHHL lands across Boxer Road from Barbers Point Elementary. On what was otherwise unusable land, it now provides a revenue stream to DHHL from land rentals that will support the construction of new homes and other programs for Native Hawaiians. BPRE purchased the project from SunPower Corporation, which developed and constructed the project. HECO will purchase the output of the 5 MW plant from BPRE over the next 20 years. The Kalaeloa Solar Farm will provide enough power for roughly 1,000 Oahu homes, while contributing to Hawai‘i's renewable portfolio goals. Impressively, the Kalaeloa Solar Farm will prevent almost 9,500 tons of CO2 emissions per year from polluting our environment.
The Kalaeloa Solar Farm was completed at a critical time for the future of solar in Hawai‘i. With solar incentives under intense legislative pressure, the project demonstrates that solar can be a viable and cost effective source of energy. At the same time, it's generating a critical revenue stream to sustain DHHL in their efforts to support the self-sufficiency of Native Hawaiians, as well as ensuring adequate infrastructure and financial support to the occupants.
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I joined with Senator David Ige and Senator Jill Tokuda in honoring the Challenger Center Hawai‘i at Barbers Point during a floor presentation of the State Senate on April 1st to commemorate 20 years of operation at Barbers Point Elementary.
The Challenger Centers were founded by the families of the Challenger crew as a legacy of the seven members who lost their lives in the 1986 space shuttle disaster. Included in that historic crew was Hawai‘i's very own Ellison Onizuka whose legacy continues to live on in those who aspire to shoot for the stars. Their mission is to engage middle school students and teachers in dynamic, hands-on exploration and discovery opportunities that strengthen knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, inspire students to pursue careers in these fields, and provide an outlet to learn and apply important life skills.
The first learning center was opened in 1988 in Houston, Texas. The center at Barbers Point Elementary is the 14th in a global network of 48 learning centers located throughout the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea. Since it opened on April 8, 1993, Challenger Center Hawai‘i at Barbers Point Elementary School has hosted more than 96,000 students and trained more than 1,500 teachers from O‘ahu as well as the neighbor islands. A big mahalo to the Estate of James Campbell for all their efforts in the center's development. The Estate spearheaded Challenger Center Hawai‘i's fundraising and assisted the Leeward District in obtaining legislative and community support
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I'll be honoring the Kalaeloa Public Safety Team at the Capitol at 11:30am on March 15th for all their hard work in making Kalaeloa a safer place to live and work. Here are a few things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next meeting will be on Saturday, March 16th at 9am at the New Hope Leeward Ministry Center (94-050 Farrington Highway, Suite A1, Waipahu).
One of the key Energy bills this session is SB 1087. This proposal was put forward by Governor Abercrombie and would establish the regulatory framework for a Green Infrastructure Financing Program, better known as on-bill financing. It would provide a perfect avenue for low-income folks to reduce their electricity bills, because they would be able to get low interest loans to purchase clean energy systems, like solar, and pay it off over the long-term on their utility bills. It would also allow renters, churches and non-profits to potentially tap into the program. A recent OmniTrak Survey of Hawai'i homeowners found that 70% would make the investment if low-interest loans were available for energy-saving home improvements.
It's got the support of the PUC, HECO, and business, environmental, labor, and consumer groups. The seed money could possibly come from the Public Benefits Fee, which is a 1.5% surcharge that's tacked onto the electricity bill for Hawaiian Electric ratepayers and is now used by Hawai‘i Energy to administer our solar water heater rebate program and On Star rebate program. The state would use that seed money to leverage public and private capital for the issuance of revenue bonds to pay for the program which would be administered by a new green infrastructure authority. An initial $100 million bond issuance could finance between 5,000 to 10,000 PV systems. With this program, Hawai‘i would be the first in the nation to use a bond structure to finance a commercial lending program for solar.
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I gave a speech at the dedication of Auwahi Wind Farm at Ulupalakua Ranch (Maui) on February 22nd. Auwahi is a 21 MW joint project of Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and BP Wind Energy that includes 8 wind turbines. It will generate enough electricity to provide power for 10,000 Maui homes and has a 10 MW battery capable of storing 4.4 MW of energy. Construction on the project began in March 2012 and involved 180 workers. It will continue to employ 4 full-time workers.
Here's the text of my remarks:
I'd first like to say a big mahalo and congratulations to Sempra and BP for helping us get a step closer to reaching our energy goals. It's appropriate that we are here on the island of Maui to celebrate this wind project. Maui has world class wind which Ke Akua has fortunately blessed us with. According to Hawaiian legend, the demigod Maui built a kite larger than any house, but the wind could not lift it into the sky. So Maui called on the priest Kalei‘i‘oku, who had the calabash (ipu - a hollowed out goard) of the perpetual winds. Maui summoned the winds of Waipio and the winds of Hilo to come quickly and to come with power. The priest opened his calabash. The makani, the winds, heard Maui's call and rushed to him. The makani blew on Maui's kite so hard that it ripped out of his hands. However, Maui soon learned to harness the makani and used his kite to aid him in making swift voyages to different islands. Like the demigod Maui, you are learning to harness the makani to benefit the people here. Mahalo.
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I honored the Super Green Champions and the State Capitol building, as the winner of the Capital 10 Energy Challenge, during a floor presentation in the State Senate Chambers on February 15th. Our Green Champions are one of the main reasons why we're making great progress in reducing our energy load in state buildings.
Green Champions are 30 state employees who volunteered to lead energy conservation efforts within their departments. They were trained and supported by specialists with the Energy Conservation Through Behavior Change team from NORESCO, an energy services company contracted by the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS). The four Super Green Champions recognized were: Paulette Abe of the House of Representatives Sgt. at Arms; Jon Chin of the Department of Business, Economic Development, & Tourism; Roxanne Moore of the Department of Taxation; and Will Tungol of the Department of Human Services.
I launched the Capital 10 Energy Challenge in partnership with DAGS & NORESCO in January 2012 to further the conservation efforts already in place. The challenge was modeled after the EPA's "Battle of the Buildings", a nationwide event that challenged state offices to reduce energy consumption. Each of the ten Capitol District Buildings was asked to identify and adopt methods to maximize energy savings. After a year of participation, the ten buildings were able to significantly reduce their energy consumption by a combined 7%. The State Capitol building won the competition with a 16% energy reduction. Mahalo Green Champions for your efforts!
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I recently attended the swearing-in ceremony for my daughter, Tulsi Gabbard, who became the new U.S. Representative for Congressional District 2, which encompasses rural Oahu, including Makakilo, and the Neighbor Islands. I know she's going to do a great job by bringing fresh leadership to our congressional delegation. Here are a few other things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next meeting will be on Saturday, February 23rd at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) at 9am.
I just started my 5th legislative session as the Senate's Energy and Environment Chair. Newly-elected Hawai‘i Island Senator, Russell Ruderman, will serve as my Vice Chair. These are a few of the bills I introduced dealing with energy and environment issues that are noteworthy:
SB 11, SB 12, and SB 623 - these bills came out of a renewable energy tax credit working group that I put together last fall. The goal of the bills is to make sure the tax credit for solar photovoltaic (PV) isn't having too big an impact on the state's pocket book, but at the same time not crippling the solar industry or making it too expensive for homes and businesses to install PV.
SB 15 - expands the current 10% ethanol in gasoline mandate to include 10% biofuels to provide a market when the production of renewable gasoline becomes commercially viable in the state.
SB 19 - allows landlords to sell electricity generated from renewable energy systems on their property to the tenants or lessees on that property or adjoining property, provided that the rate schedule is established for the duration of the lease and agreed to by the tenant or lessee.
SB 1290 - requires that all genetically engineered whole foods (fruits and vegetables) intended for human consumption sold, offered for sale, or distribution in the state be labeled.
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I wrote a letter to the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority (HCDA) last month to thank and congratulate the Kalaeloa Public Safety Team for their important work and accomplishments over the last 7 years. HCDA formed the Kalaeloa Public Safety Team in 2006 to bring together federal, state and county agencies to focus on public safety issues in Kalaeloa. The group is comprised of representatives from police, fire, first responders, transportation, maintenance, military and other government agencies. Over six months ago, the Department of Defense (DOD) made the decision to discontinue patrols in the Kalaeloa community. This resulted in an increase of crime and illegal dumping in the area. As the Senator for the Kalaeloa district and a resident of the community, I was especially happy to learn that DOD resumed military police patrols of Kalaeloa on December 6, 2012. Since the patrols have been resumed, we've noticed a decrease in illegal dumping and I'm confident we'll also see a reduction in crime. I offer a special mahalo to Pearlyn Fukuba of HCDA for facilitating these important public safety meetings each month. I would also like to recognize Victor Flint and Thomas D. Muehlhauser for their efforts in advocating for the reinstatement of the DOD patrols.
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I presented a certificate from the State Senate to environmental hero and seed freedom warrior, Dr. Vandana Shiva, during her presentation at the Kroc Center in Kapolei on January 16th. Dr. Shiva was in Hawai‘i to share her extensive knowledge about seed and food freedom because our islands are currently the world's most significant center of biotechnology seed experiments. Dr. Shiva was born in 1952 in India. Although she intended to be a scientist, she found herself questioning the interconnectedness of nuclear physics, the environment, and living things. Dr. Shiva has authored many books that have been instrumental in shedding light on crucial issues, such as "The Violence of the Green Revolution", "Water Wars", and "Stolen Harvest". She is a founding board member of many important organizations such as the International Forum on Globalization and Diverse Women for Diversity. She received the Right Livelihood Award in 1993 and the 2010 Sydney Peace Prize. In 1991, Dr. Shiva founded Navdanya, a women-centered movement of seed keepers and organic growers across 17 states in India. Navdanya has been instrumental in setting up over one hundred community seed banks and training five million farmers in sustainable practices. Dr. Shiva and Navdanya volunteers are committed to raising awareness about the hazards of genetic engineering, biopiracy, and our declining food rights in the face of globalization and climate change.
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Happy New Year! I hope you can join me for refreshments in my office (State Capitol, Room 201) at Noon for the Opening Day of the State Legislature on Wednesday, January 16th. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. Here are some things happening in our community:
Mike
My next meeting will be on Saturday, January 12th at the Ewa Zippy's (91-1717 Fort Weaver Road) at 9am.
Aloha and Happy New Year to you and your ohana! Mahalo nui to Sharon Moriwaki, Mike Hamnet, and the whole Hawai‘i Energy Policy Forum team for putting together this Legislative Briefing and all the important public outreach they've done with the TV shows. Also, a big mahalo to all of today's speakers who shared their expert opinions on our energy future.
As the Legislative Session opens next Wednesday, it's important to reflect on what has taken place recently on the energy front in Hawai‘i. Of course, the biggest news has been the passing of our beloved Senator Dan Inouye, who was a tremendous advocate for the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative. Because of his efforts with our congressional delegation and the President, the total U.S. Department of Energy investment between fiscal years 2008 and 2012 for Hawai‘i was more than $175 million. With the huge loss of Senator Inouye, it's heartening to know that our new senior Senator Brian Schatz is also a big advocate for clean energy having been the Governor's point man on the issue during his service as Lieutenant Governor. We'll also be represented ably by our other new U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono and current Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa. Additionally, we have my daughter, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who I can assure you will be a champion for clean energy... (She better be or else...)
We did close the year with several positive announcements for our transition to a clean energy economy: Big Island Biodiesel sent its first shipment of fuel to the Hawai‘i Fueling Network on the Big Island; Sempra's 21 MW wind farm with a 10 MW battery at Ulupalakua Ranch on Maui came online; a 6 MW solar farm at Port Allen, Kaua‘i became the state's largest PV solar farm and also has a 3 MW battery system. The Kaua‘i project helps KIUC stay on track to be the utility with the highest percentage of solar energy on the grid in the nation by 2015.
As we look to the 2013 session, I know that Tesoro's announcement sent us a very powerful message for the need to diversify Hawaii's energy market and make us more energy self-sufficient.
First, our biggest priority will be fixing the renewable energy tax credit. There has been talk of the tax credit having a $174 million impact on state revenue. What's failed to be mentioned in the media is that this $174 million amount is based on PV permits issued and not on actual projects. We have to be clear that at this point-the Department of Taxation doesn't really know the real numbers and that doesn't bode well for our ability to set good policy.
Over the last several months, I brought together stakeholders from the solar & wind industries, economists, investors, other legislators, and state agencies with the goal of coming up with a workable solution. I'll be putting forth legislation, probably several bills, this session based on the input we got from the working group because it's critical that we balance both the need to protect state revenue without pulling the rug out from under the solar industry which now accounts for 9,000 jobs statewide. We also do not want to put solar out of reach for homeowners and businesses.
Many of you know that the PUC just released a consultant's report aimed at designing an on-bill financing program. I'm very happy the report concluded that there are several reasons that an on-bill financing program will be effective for Hawai‘i, including high energy costs, the ability of on-bill programs to serve renters, and the opportunity to promote capital intensive solar technologies.
The state also continues its leadership in the introduction of electric vehicles with 1,098 registrations as of Nov 2012 - making us 10th in the nation in EV registrations. We're also currently the nation's leader for public EV charging stations on a per capita basis.
In energy efficiency, I've been very encouraged by the lead-by example efforts of our state, as we are 1st in the nation for investment in energy savings performance contracting. This is huge in our efforts to increase energy efficiency and why I felt it was important to head up the Capitol Energy Challenge which has pitted 10 buildings in the Capitol District against one another to see which building lowered its electricity bill the most for the last year. I'll be honoring the Green Champions and the winning building for their efforts with a presentation in the Senate Chambers in February.
To wrap it up, call me a dreamer, but I for one am crossing my fingers that before too long the "game changer" will finally come to fruition-whether it's OTEC, wave, or a revolutionary energy storage system…or a very interesting project like a recent one I heard about involving wind energy 15 miles offshore of O‘ahu. But I guess I'll have to leave that up to all you engineers and entrepreneurs to make this happen. I want you to know my door is always open to help you in any way I can. As we ramp up to the legislative session, I ask for your continued input and involvement in keeping us on task to reach our clean energy goals. Laulima...many hands working together in cooperation and harmony...Let's do this. Mahalo and Imua.
On December 22nd, I joined other government leaders and members of the public at the State Capitol Rotunda for the Lying-In-State ceremony to pay our final respects to U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, an American hero who inspired many across the nation with his integrity and compassion. Senator Inouye also received the rare honor (only the 32nd person in U.S. history) of lying in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on December 20th. Senator Inouye passed away on December 17th due to respiratory complications at the age of 88. He was the most senior member of the U.S. Senate and the President Pro-Tempore -- third in line to the presidency. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 and was serving his ninth consecutive term when he died. Our community is reeling from the loss of our beloved Senator and our prayers and thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. Read More
I attended the fall 2012 graduation at UH West O‘ahu on December 8th. This was the first graduation held at the new Kapolei campus. In other related UHWO news, the UH Board of Regents approved the sale of 39-acres of land next to the UHWO campus to the Roman Catholic Church for $32 million on November 28th. The sale of land will allow for the development of a church and private school and will also include infrastructure development in the area. UHWO plans to use the proceeds from the land sale to construct a $6 million administration building. This is great news for educational opportunities in our community.
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I honored 13-year-old Lefolasalifa "Lifa" Alapati Taputu of Makakilo with a certificate from the State Senate at his Eagle Court of Honor ceremony at the LDS Chapel in Kapolei on November 28th. Lifa was recognized for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and for also being a candidate for the Boy Scouts of America Heroism Medal with Crossed Palms for rescuing his brother Lafotasilaumati. Grandson of Samuelu Taputu and Sa Taputu of Tula/Masausi and BBC Valovalo Aoelua and Lusila Aoelua of Afono/Aua and the oldest child of Faamati and Barbara Taputu, Lifa has been raised well to be a loving and contributing member of his community. If Lefolasalifa's first 13 years are anything like the next 13 years, he will undoubtedly be an amazing teenager and young adult who will accomplish great things.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your ohana! Don't miss the 12th Annual Kapolei City Lights Electric Light Parade and Celebration on December 8th. The parade starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes from the Kapolei Fairgrounds to Kapolei Hale. After that, there will be a Tree Lighting Ceremony and block party. Also, I won't be hosting my "Listen Story" meeting in December because of the holidays. My next meeting will be on Saturday, January 12th at the Ewa Zippy's (91-1717 Fort Weaver Road). Here are some other things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way.
Mike
I attended the kick-off event for this year's Drive Safe for Ewa/Kapolei Live & Let Live Traffic Safety Awareness Campaign at the Kapolei Police Station on December 1st. During the program, I recognized the winners of the poster contest that highlights the artwork of West O‘ahu high school students. The posters bring awareness to the dangers of driving intoxicated and recklessly during the Christmas holiday season. The winners were Kapolei High School senior Janel Tagalicud, Nanakuli High junior Dina Tuggle, and Waianae High junior Joshua Camalig. This year's poster contest was particularly relevant given the tragic death of Campbell High School sophomore Kawehi Adkins-Kupuka‘a, which was a result of another teen who was drinking and driving. My prayers go out to Kawehi's family & friends, and the Campbell High ohana. Read More
I honored internationally-renowned physician and health expert, Dr. John McDougall, with a certificate from the State Senate at the Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse on November 13th. Dr. McDougall was in town to make a presentation sponsored by the Vegetarian Society of Hawai‘i called "The Diet Wars: The Time for Unification is Now." Dr. McDougall has been studying, writing and speaking out about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 30 years. He is a veteran of the natural wellness movement and a best-selling author who has helped thousands improve their quality of life by helping them switch to a low-fat vegetarian diet primarily consisting of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. When he was 18 years old, Dr. McDougall suffered a massive stroke which he attributed to his standard American diet high in animal protein and fat. In the mid 1970s, while practicing medicine in Hawai‘i, he noticed that
his elderly Asian patients, who lived mainly on rice and vegetables, were trim and healthy compared to their offspring who adopted the American diet. In response, Dr. McDougall switched to a traditional Asian, heart-healthy diet for himself and became his own positive testimonial after shedding many unwanted pounds of harmful fat. Dr. McDougall is currently the Medical Director of the McDougall Program, a highly successful residential program of over twenty years located in Santa Rosa, California. Read More
On October 27th, everyone in Hawai‘i was startled to receive word of a potential tsunami coming this way. While many of us were scrambling to get gas, food, water and other supplies, the Hawai‘i Civil Air Patrol (CAP) was in the skies. Within minutes of getting a call from Civil Defense, eight CAP small-engine Cessnas were airborne - three on Kaua‘i, three on O‘ahu, one on Maui and one on Hawai‘i island. The flights were completed by 11:30 p.m., but the aircraft were kept fueled and on standby until 1 a.m. on Sunday in case they were needed for damage assessment. CAP's mission was to warn people who hadn't heard the sirens or news reports to quickly get to higher ground. Although the tsunami didn't damage any homes or cause any deaths, CAP volunteers should be commended. Their tsunami warning mission actually began 55 years ago. In 1957, CAP cadets are credited with alerting 300 to 400 Kaua‘i residents before a 32 foot wave arrived, causing enormous damage along a 15-mile strip of Kaua‘i's North Shore. This is why it's so important to support this important organization. I was able to participate in their Civil Air Patrol West O‘ahu Composite Squadron 5th Annual Awards Banquet on November 3rd. I presented certificates from the State Senate to two very special cadets. Cadet First Lieutenant Angelo C. Gascon, who joined CAP in 2008, is a graduate of Kapolei High School and will soon be joining the Air Force. He was selected for the prestigious recognition of Outstanding Cadet Officer of the Year. Cadet Master Sergeant Courtney Mundon, who joined CAP in 2011, is a Kapolei High School senior. She was selected for the prestigious recognition of Cadet Non-Commission Officer of The Year. Read More
To those of you who voted for me, mahalo for re-electing me to represent you at the State Legislature. To those of you who didn't vote for me, or didn't vote at all, I hope I can gain your trust. In either case, please don't hesitate to contact my office if I can help you in any way. I just got word that I'll be continuing as the Chair of the Senate's Energy and Environment Community. This will be my 5th year to serve in that role. The 2013 Legislative Session is fast-approaching and will kick-off on January 16th. I'm interested in getting your input on any ideas you have for legislation. It doesn't have to be a well-thought out concept, just something that you think should be changed or improved in our government. I'll consider turning these ideas into bills for introduction. Here are some other things I'd like to share with you. You can reach me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov
Mike
My next "Listen Story" will be held at the new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at the Kapolei Foodland (Wakea Street at Kapolei Parkway) on November 24th from 9am to 10am.
During my 6 years at the Capitol, I've been a strong advocate for GMO labeling and continue to support this cause. Since 2008, I've been introducing legislation to label GMO "whole foods", to label GMO fish, and to set up a farmer notification system so people would know where all the field tests are taking place. I've been disappointed that we haven't been able to get any of these bills passed into law. What I keep coming back to is that this is common sense. We have a right to know what we're eating. The GMO industry should do what the organic industry did on a shoestring budget back in the 1970s-and that is a national campaign promoting organics. I remember 5 years ago suggesting this in an ENE committee meeting to the GMO industry. If they think their product taste better and is better for us, then do a national media campaign and convince us to buy GMOs. I never got a satisfactory answer to this question. So, I'll ask again. Why not, Monsanto? I've been a part of the on-going efforts of Label It Hawai‘i to bring this issue to more people's attention. You might be aware that the people of California voted on Proposition 37 on November 6th, which would've required the labeling of GMO foods in that state. Unfortunately, that ballot initiative fell short with 47% of the vote, largely due to the nearly $50 million that was spent by the GMO industry to defeat the measure. The Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board voted to pass a motion in support of labeling of GMO foods at their meeting on October 24th. This song by Mike Adams is entertaining and also nicely shows us why this issue is so important: http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/gmos-genetically-modified-food-1/just-label-it.html
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Several of my colleagues and I congratulated Covanta and City officials with a certificate from the State Legislature at the H-Power facility in Campbell Industrial Park. H-Power recently added a third boiler to its existing waste-to-energy facility, which is managed by Covanta and owned by the City. The expansion added a second turbine-generator which will allow for combustion of a greater variety of waste, including bulky items. The expansion created 300 additional jobs during its construction period and was finished ahead of schedule and under budget. The additional boiler is capable of burning 300,000 tons of refuse per year, so H-Power will now process 900,000 tons of trash per year. H-Power provides power to approximately 65,000 homes and recovers 20,000 tons of metal for recycling each year. The third boiler cost an estimated $302 million. Read More
Rep. Sharon Har and I presented Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties a certificate from the State Legislature at the Grand Opening for their Kapolei office at Kapolei Commons, next to Down to Earth Natural Foods, on October 20th. Coldwell Banker is a leading residential real estate brokerage company in Hawai‘i operating 5 residential real estate offices on Oahu with more than 400 sales associates and employees. They are part of NRT LLC, the nation's largest residential real estate brokerage company. Read More
I just got the news that Foodland is set to open its Kapolei store on October 17th at 11am. Foodland was the first modern supermarket to open in our state in 1948 and is also our largest locally owned grocery retailer. This will give us yet another option for shopping for food in our growing city. Here are some other things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you in any way.
My next "Listen Story" will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on October 20th from 9am to 10am.
Mike
It was great news to hear that the City's Department of Transportation Services (DTS) made the decision to extend Route 40 bus service for UH West Oahu students starting September 7th. Before this happened, Route 40's last bus was at 5:47pm for westbound riders and 5:59pm for eastbound riders. This created a lot of hardship for students who take night classes. With the change, Route 40 now goes until 10:23pm for those traveling in the eastbound direction. No changes were made to the westbound direction. A big mahalo to DTS Director, Wayne Yoshioka, for stepping up for UH West Oahu students and the Kapolei community.
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I've received emails from residents in our community who are upset about the ridership requirement for the Zipper Lane being changed from 3 to 2 people. This is the latest response we've received from the Department of Transportation on the reason for this change.
"The decision to lower the required number of occupants from three to two was made with a great deal of thought to how we could maximize all of the available freeway lanes to their best potential. Since the ZipperLane first opened in 1998, the minimum ridership has been adjusted four times, each time to fine-tune how the lane could be best used to both promote carpooling and improve overall traffic based on current trends. In an ideal world, the perfect usage rate would be just under the lane's capacity, but achieving this precise rate is very difficult. The recent decrease in the requirements is a continuing effort to find this ideal point between overuse and under-use of the lane.
Cities across America also increase or decrease requirements to fine-tune their own HOV lanes. Our recent change from three to two occupants actually brings our ZipperLane into conformity with HOV lanes in other metropolitan cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco and Houston, among many others. Although this does mean more carpool vehicles are using the lane, it also means the lane is being used more during peak travel times.
We do appreciate the public's patience as our engineers continue to monitor the traffic flow data. Future ridership adjustments may still be made if we determine that the lane is being either overused or under-used and we will notify the public immediately of any such decision."
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I presented a certificate from the State Senate to Oka's Body Shop in Waipahu on September 10th. Oka's was one of three companies in the nation to receive the FIT Sustainability Award from the AkzoNobel Automobile & Aerospace Coatings Americas in San Antonio, TX on July 19, 2012. This was the third annual FIT Sustainability Award, an industry recognition program devoted to honoring businesses and organizations actively engaged in practices that advance the concepts of sustainability through "Focus, Innovation and Talent", the three key principles of FIT.
Eddie Okahara, the owner of Oka Auto Body for the last 47 years, has been dedicated to recycling the cardboard and other materials from his shop for many years. In 2010, Oka's Auto Body and contractor Hawai'i Energy Connections, LLC worked together to install a photovoltaic system that allows the shop to operate 100% off the grid.
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I got word that Governor Abercrombie released $92 million in construction funding on August 15th. Included in that amount were several projects that will continue improving the new UH West Oahu campus in Kapolei, which opened for classes on August 20th.
• $2.5 million - sitework to complete the campus' first phase, including the creation of the Kaloi Gulch Greenway and fencing to protect a photovoltaic panel array
• $1.25 million - construction of a 4-lane road that will serve as the main entrance to the campus
• $900,000 - design of the Academy of Creative Media Building
• $500,000 - design of the Allied Health Building
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Great news this month that the State Health and Planning Development Agency approved Queen's Medical Center's plan to purchase and reopen the Hawai‘i Medical Center - West (HMC-West) hospital in Ewa. As you know, HMC-West closed at the end of December 2011. This has left West Oahu without an acute-care hospital and has put a huge strain on other island hospitals to fill our emergency room service needs. Queen's will buy the hospital for $73.2 million and plans to have it open for business by August 2013. They also plan to hire roughly 400 workers. Read More
I attended the Surprise Luncheon for John Howell's Retirement on August 16th at the Easter Seals Hawai‘i's Makakilo office. John Howell served as the CEO and President of ESH for nearly 20 years.
Mr. Howell was born in Franklin, Virginia to William and Helen Howell. John, along with his older brother Billy and younger sister Janet, grew up amongst pigs, horses, chickens, and hunting dogs on his family's soybean and peanut farm. He first came to Hawai‘i briefly in 1970 as an Infantry Officer. Mr. Howell was quick to take an opportunity to return for good when he transferred with Xerox Corporation out of Atlanta, Georgia. It was at Xerox that Mr. Howell met his future wife, Wendy. Together they have 2 children, Michael and Samantha. Mr. Howell dedicated himself to supporting his kids' athletic pursuits in a way that exceeded most other parents. He attended each and every baseball, softball, volleyball, and basketball game as well as swim and track meets. Mr. and Mrs. Howell are especially proud of Michael and Samantha who have both recently graduated and are now gainfully employed.
After working for large corporations for the majority of his life, Mr. Howell was ready to lend his extensive skills to ESH, where he could give back to his community. ESH provides exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work, and play. Under Mr. Howell's watch, ESH now has 500 employees on five islands, with operating revenues of approximately $18 million and is one of the top-ranked affiliates out of the 78 Easter Seals facilities across the nation. Mahalo nui loa to John for his decades of aloha for Easter Seals Hawai‘i, and their extra special clients and employees. Read More
Hope you're all well and enjoying the summer months. Lots of excitement in the air about UH West Oahu opening up after so many years on the drawing table. Here are some things I'd like to share with you. Please contact me at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can ever help you or your family in any way.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on August 25th from 9:00 to 10:00am.
Just a quick reminder that the Grand Opening for the new UH West Oahu campus in Kapolei will be Saturday, August 18th from 11am to 5pm. The public is welcome to attend this free event. There will be entertainment, food trucks, and family activities. The address is 91-1000 Farrington Highway. Classes will begin two days later on August 20th. For more information, please call 454-4750. Read More
As you know, the Barbers Point Naval Air Station closed in 1999. For many years, Barbers Point (now referred to as Kalaeloa) lay dormant, attracting vandalism, overgrowth, and was in general disrepair. I've been a resident of the community since 2004. The Hawai'i Community Development Authority (HCDA) was given the task of redeveloping the area which includes housing, National Guard military installations, a Coast Guard facility, and an airport. Things were slow going for many years until 2006 when the Kalaeloa Master Plan was adopted. Since that time, we've seen many businesses popping up, the Tripler's Wounded Warrior medical facility opening up, solar farms on the way, and the new Pacific FBI headquarters soon opening its doors in September. HCDA is currently in the process of adopting the rules, which will establish special zoning districts in Kalaeloa. The plan is to balance commercial, residential, light industrial, and recreational uses in the community. There are two public hearings coming up that you might want to attend:
Dates: August 16th (presentation) and September 11th (decision making)
Place: Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hale Ponoi Conference Room (91-5420 Kapolei Parkway)
Time: 9am
If you'd like to take a look at the proposed rules, please go to: http://hcdaweb.org/plans-rules. You can email written comments before the public hearings to contact@hcdaweb.org. For more information, call 594-0300. Read More
I participated in the Convoy of Hope at the Kapolei Fairgrounds on July 28th. Over 5,000 West Oahu residents received free services, including getting lunch, groceries, a haircut, a family photo, a medical screening, and school supplies. This event is part of a nationwide effort called the "Day of Compassion" focused on distributing food, goods, and services to the needy. They also held simultaneous events in Kailua and Kalihi. The events were organized by the Assembly of God churches. Mahalo to Pastor Mel Corpuz (Leeward Site Coordinator), Kunia resident Danny Melton, and all the dedicated volunteers who made these important events a reality. Read More
Happy 4th of July! Please take a moment to reflect on how this day signifies our cherished freedoms and democratic way of life. Also, I hope you enjoy some quality time with your family and friends at the beach or in your backyard. Let me know if I can help you in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Mike
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Kamokila Community Park Meeting Room in Honokai Hale on July 21st from 9:00 to 10:00am. This will be my last community meeting in Honokai Hale, due to the fact that I will no longer represent that area if I'm re-elected in November.
Attention ladies...The planned Ka Makana Ali‘i Mall is coming to Kapolei in the near future. This is a DeBartolo project that will be built on 67-acres of Department of Hawaiian Home Lands property at the intersection of Kapolei Parkway and Kualaka‘i Parkway. At 1.1 million square feet, it will rival the size of Pearlridge Center and will include office buildings, a grocery store, and a hotel. The initial phase of the project will be 200,000 square feet and will be constructed starting in 2013. Tenant openings will be in 2014 and will include Walgreens, 24 Hour Fitness, Butterfly Ice Cream, McDonald's, State Farm Insurance, and Nailtek. Read More
You might have seen some of the latest news about how the Council on Revenues reported that state tax revenues were down a bit this past quarter. Surprisingly, the COR focused on the solar tax credit as being one of the main causes for the decrease in revenues. They claim that the state lost $70 million in revenue in 2011 because of the money invested in the solar tax credit. What the COR failed to mention is the importance that the solar industry now has in our economy. For example in 2011, solar accounted for 15% of the construction in the state. This is coupled with a recent study commissioned by Blue Planet Foundation and conducted by UH economist, Dr. Thomas Loudat, who found that for every solar tax credit dollar invested, $13.37 stays in Hawai‘i and generates $44.70 in additional sales, which means $3.17 in new tax revenue. Solar remains a very important way for homes and businesses to reduce their electricity costs and our dependence on fossil fuels. Opponents of the solar tax credit fail to mention that nationally from 2002 to 2008 our federal government subsidized the fossil fuel industry to the tune of $72.47 billion a year compared to $5.61 billion in subsidies for the solar industry. How are we going to ever make any real progress if we keep our head in the sand and don't face the reality that "big oil" continues to have a strangle hold on us here in Hawai‘i and across our nation? Read More
I was stoked to learn that Governor Abercrombie released $26.8 million in construction funding for schools across the state. Here's a rundown of the projects in Senate District 19:
• $2.5 million - East Kapolei Middle School - design of new school
• $1,938,678 - Kapolei High School, Kapolei Middle School, and Kapolei Elementary School - relocation or construction of temporary facilities (funding includes other schools)
• $179,000 - Kapolei High School - additional construction for temporary restroom facilities (includes funding for another school)
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I completed my 6th Legislative Session as your State Senator on May 3rd. Due to the changes made by the Reapportionment Commission, the district I currently represent will change from District 19 to District 20. My district will lose the communities of Waikele, Royal Kunia, Village Park, Honokai Hale, and a section of Ko Olina. I'll pick up portions of Waipahu, Ewa Villages, and West Loch. I'll also retain Kapolei, Makakilo, a large section of Kalaeloa, and a small area of Waipahu. To all those folks who will not live in District 20, it has been a privilege to serve as your State Senator. If I get re-elected on November 6th, to all the people in Ewa and Waipahu I'll now represent and the Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, and Waipahu residents I continue to represent, please let me know if I can ever help you or your family in any way. I can be reached at 586-6830 or at sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Mike
My next two "Listen Story" meetings will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, June 16th from 9:00am to 10:00am and the Kamokila Community Park Meeting Room in Honokai Hale on July 21st from 9:00 to 10:00am.
One of the biggest highlights of my time in the State Senate is seeing our new UH West O‘ahu campus in Kapolei finally come to fruition. Given that the first appropriation of $300,000 in planning funding for UHWO happened in 1966, it's huge that classes will begin on August 20th. The five building campus will open with 22 bachelor degree programs and 2,000 students, but will be expanding in the coming years. UH West O‘ahu will provide higher education opportunities for the people of West and Central O‘ahu and will also greatly reduce the traffic on the H-1. I hope you can make it to the public party at the new campus on August 18th from 11am to 6pm. Read More
This was my 4th session as the Chair of the Senate's Energy and Environment Committee. Here's a quick rundown of some of the key bills we passed this session:
• SB 2822 - establishes the Hawai'i Electric Device Recycling Task Force within the Department of Health to make recommendations for a workable recycling program for electronic devices.
• SB 2785 - sets up the regulatory framework through which the state Public Utilities Commission would regulate any interisland electrical transmission cable developer as a utility.
• SB 2746 - modifies existing state benefits for electric vehicle owners by making it so they have free metered parking for up to 2.5 hours and can use the HOV lanes, regardless of the number of passengers, through 2020.
• SB 2281 - allows applicants or agencies to bypass an environmental assessment (EA) and proceed directly to an environmental impact assessment (EIS) if the proposed project is likely to require an EIS anyway. This will save applicants time and money without compromising environmental protections.
• SB 2277 - extends the authority of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to issue incidental take licenses as part of habitat conservation plans and safe harbor agreements for endangered species through June 29, 2017.
• SB 2001 - amends the state Planning Act to promote the development of indigenous renewable energy resources, such as geothermal, that are located on public trust land as an affordable and reliable source of firm power for Hawai'i.
• HB 2593 - authorizes DLNR to adopt emergency rules if there is an imminent threat to natural resources.
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Congratulations to Kapolei High School Valedictorians: Sharon Cabjuan, Caitlin Cavarocchi, Madison Healy, Tyler Kushima, Gabryn Kam, Kristen Kuakini, and Aisha Tierra. Also, congrats to American Renaissance Academy Valedictorian Laurent Drui, and Island Pacific Academy Salutatorian Lynn Shin, Valedictorian Kianna Billman, and their Navigator Award (best all around student) winner Ciera Fleming. I wish all the 2012 high school graduates the best! Read More
My next two "Listen Story" meetings will be held at the Kunia Starbucks (Kunia Shopping Center) on Saturday, May 5th and at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, June 16th. Both meetings are from 9:00am to 10:00am.
Congratulations to the following District 19 residents who were nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate to serve on state Boards and Commissions. All of them deserve praise for lending their talents to make Hawai‘i an even better place to live.
• Shirley Swinney (Kapolei) - Hawai‘i Community Development Authority
• Rey Graulty (Makakilo) - Hawai‘i Health Authority
• Beverly Lee (Village Park) - King Kamehameha Celebration Commission
• Loraine Fleming (Makakilo) - State Board of Nursing
• Dave Rae (Makakilo) - Hawai‘i Tourism Authority Board of Directors
• Robert Martin (Waikele) - Hawai‘i Workforce Development Council
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Senate District 19 was awarded $59,979,000 in construction funding in the Fiscal Year 2013 supplemental budget. Mahalo to Ways and Means Committee Chair David Ige and Vice Chair Michelle Kidani in the Senate and Finance Committee Chair Marcus Oshiro and Vice Chair Marilyn Lee in the House for all their hard work in making this happen. Here are the specific projects:
• Kalaeloa East Energy Corridor - $3.5 million
• Kalaeloa Airport Utility Corridor - $500,000
• Kalaeloa Fuel Pier Facility Improvements - $2 million
• Kalaeloa Harbor Improvements - $25,150,000
• Kalei‘opu‘u Elementary (secondary ramp for campus evacuation) - $625,000
• Kapolei High (new locker room and showers) - $4,665,000
• Kualaka‘i Parkway (Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt) - $15 million
• Kunia Agricultural Park Improvements - $1 million
• Makakilo Elementary (special education portable building) - $375,000
• Malama Learning Center - $400,000
• Royal Kunia Elementary School (plans for a new elementary school) - $150,000
• UH West Oahu (campus-wide sitework and improvements) - $2.5 million
• UH West Oahu (planning and design for Allied Health building) - $995,000
• UH West Oahu (planning and design for creative media facility) - $900,000
• UH West Oahu (road to connect campus to Farrington Highway) - $1,250,000
• Waikele Elementary (expansion of cafeteria to include a performing arts stage) - $794,000
• Waikele Elementary (resurfacing basketball court and creation of playground concrete surface) - $175,000
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My office organized the Capitol Idol 2012 talent show at the Capitol on April 16th, where we raised $1391 for the Hawai‘i Foodbank. Members of the State Senate and House squared off in the hopes of winning the perpetual individual and team trophies, with local comedian Augie T volunteering as emcee. The House of Representatives came away with the team trophy, and Representative Marcus Oshiro performed a number in drag to the tune "I Will Survive" to win the individual prize. We got our okoles kicked by the House, but we'll be back next year. I mean how can you compete with a House Finance Chair who slinks, bumps and grinds around the stage belting out "I Will Survive"? Seriously, this was a great way to let off a little steam during the busiest part of the session and raise money for a very worthy cause. We hope to make this an annual event to showcase legislators' hidden talents. The five Senate acts included me singing/playing guitar and harmonica, Brickwood Galuteria, Josh Green, Pohai Ryan and Malama Solomon. House contenders were Representatives Tom Brower, Cindy Evans, Ken Ito, John Mizuno and Marcus Oshiro. Read More
This was my 4th session as the Chair of the Senate's Energy and Environment Committee. This is a quick rundown of some of the key bills we passed this session.
• SB 2785 - sets up a regulatory framework for an interisland undersea cable to be constructed in order to allow electricity to be sent from one island to another. This would ensure that, if a cable is built, it would be treated as a cable utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission.
• SB 2746 - modifies existing state benefits for electric vehicle owners by making it so they have free metered parking for up to 2.5 hours and can use the HOV lanes regardless of the number of passengers through 2020.
• SB 2281 - allows applicants or agencies to bypass an environmental assessment (EA) and proceed directly to an environmental impact assessment (EIS) if the proposed project is likely to require an EIS anyway. This will save developers time and money without compromising environmental protections.
• SB 2001 - amends the state Planning Act to promote the development of indigenous renewable energy resources, such as geothermal, which is located on public trust land as an affordable and reliable source of firm power for Hawai‘i.
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The 2012 Legislative Session wraps up on May 3rd. Please join me at my next "Listen Story" meeting at the Kunia Starbucks (Kunia Shopping Center) on Saturday, May 5th from 9:00am to 10:00am where I'll give a legislative wrap-up.
Great news! Governor Abercrombie released $7.48 million in construction funding for schools across the state on March 7th. Here's a breakdown of how those funds were allocated, which includes District 19 schools.
• $2 million - energy improvements (upgrades to AC systems and installation of data loggers and sub meters so that schools may track and manage their electrical use at a more detailed level) at Waikele Elementary, Kapolei Middle, and Kapolei High
• $1 million - special education portable classrooms at Makakilo Elementary
• $1 million - planning for new East Kapolei High School
• $500,000 - playground equipment and accessibility improvements at Waikele Elementary and Kaleiopuu Elementary
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I was honored to sponsor a floor presentation at the State Senate for the officers and directors of Kapolei Community Development Corporation (KCDC) on February 28th. KCDC was formed in 2008 by Kapolei homestead leaders. Their mission is to foster family and cultural preservation founded on the tenets of community, culture, education, and partnerships by leasing land and developing it in a way that benefits the community. Their goal is a family and educational center with space for offices, meeting areas, a certified kitchen, a hall for large gatherings, and storefronts for promoting homestead cottage industry products. By the end of 2010, KCDC's consistent work resulted in awards for both the funding to initiate planning and a 65-year general lease with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for a parcel of land for commercial development and revenue generation. Mahalo for the efforts of President Shirley Swinney, Vice President Paul Richards, Treasurer Homelani Schaedel, Director Clayton Brown, and Secretary Kanani Sang-Pereira to create a place for the community to thrive, learn, and strengthen their families. They are setting an inspiring example for what a small group of determined people can achieve for the betterment of the community by Kulia I Ka Nu‘u (striving for excellence). Read More
I'll be hosting a house party, co-sponsored by the Sierra Club, to show the movie "Revenge of the Electric Car" on April 17th at the Kapolei High Teachers' Lounge (next to the cafeteria) from 6:45pm to 8:30pm. The FREE movie focuses on exciting developments in the production of electric vehicles. Here's the trailer if you'd like to check it out.
Many of you may know I've owned an all electric Nissan Leaf for almost a year. Please call my office at 586-6830 to RSVP if you plan to attend. Seating is limited. Just so you know, the state extended the rebates for the purchase of new electric vehicles (up to $4,500) and charging stations (up to $500) through November 1st. There is currently $387,000 left in the program. The federal electric vehicle tax credit (up to $7,500) and charging station (up to $1,000) won't expire until 100,000 vehicles are sold. By April, there will be 140 charging stations at 100 locations around the state (including Kapolei Commons and Kapolei Shopping Center). As of January 2012, 663 electric vehicles are registered statewide. Read More
My next "Listen Story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to Chevron Station) on Saturday, March 24th from 9:00am to 10:00am.
I'm very hopeful that we'll get SB 2511 passed this session. You might have heard about this bill-putting a 10 cent fee on every plastic and paper bag given out by retailers. We got very close to passing similar legislation last year. If it becomes law, we would become the first state in the nation to charge a fee for these bags. This is a great way to clean up litter and protect our marine life. Neighbor Island counties have already taken a big step forward by banning plastic bags. What we're trying to do is take it one step further by putting a fee on paper bags that are expensive and unnecessarily kill trees. It's very rare and almost too good to be true to have retailers, like Safeway and Times, Retail Merchants of Hawai‘i and the environmentalists on board in support of SB 2511. It's an added plus this session that we're planning to dedicate funding to the Department of Land and Natural Resources to help with the Governor's Watershed Restoration program. This bill is a win-win and I'm making it one of my top priorities this session. I'm sorry if some of you have heartburn about this bill. The fact is we use 400 million plastic and 20 million paper bags each year, and as the chair of the Senate Energy and Environment committee, I'm doing everything I can to get us off foreign oil, plus keep the aina clean. For you pet owners and others who reuse your plastic bags, there are some exemptions to the bill, such as produce bags, meat/bakery bags, etc. Click here to view the bill.
I want to clarify that this is a fee, not a tax. If you bring your reusable bag to the store, you won't need to buy any plastic bags. As one constituent pointed out to me, he thinks it's a great idea. He said he plans to carry his cooler and a box in the car. When he goes shopping, he'll have the cashier put all the groceries back into his cart, then he'll wheel it out to the car, and load up! Read More
I requested Dr. Glenn Okimoto, Director of the state Department of Transportation (DOT), on February 6th , to check on the status of $15 million in funding that I had worked with my colleagues at the State Legislature to secure during the 2010 Legislative Session to extend Kualaka‘i Parkway from Kapolei Parkway to Roosevelt Avenue. This section of road is key, given that the planned Ka Makana Ali‘i Mall/Shopping Center will be located at the corner of these two roads. Since the funding was allocated, there have been discussions between the DOT and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands about which agency would actually be in charge of building the road. Due to the delay, the money didn't get released. Fortunately, Dr. Okimoto tells us the project is back on track and construction should begin in mid-2015. Read More
I joined U.S. Senator Dan Akaka, Lt. Governor Brian Schatz, and Mayor Peter Carlisle in giving a speech at the groundbreaking for the Kawailoa Wind Farm on the North Shore. The 69 MW project will feature 30 wind turbines and supply power to 14,500 homes. The wind farm will be constructed by First Wind and will be located on Kamehameha School's Kawailoa Plantation lands near Haleiwa, just mauka of Chun's Reef. The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Congratulations to First Wind CEO, Paul Gaynor, for helping us
get a big step closer to weaning ourselves from fossil fuels. Read More
The 2012 Legislative Session is in full swing. You may have seen on the news that the state Supreme Court ruled the Reapportionment Commission's new legislative districts plan was invalid because it counted too many of the non-permanent resident military and students. The Reapportionment Commission had a deadline of February 1st to come up with a new plan, but this didn't happen. This means none of us know what our districts will look like come 2013. I'll keep you posted!
Me ka pumehana,
Mike
My next "listen story" meeting will be held at the Waikele Starbucks (Waikele Shopping Center) on Saturday, February 25th from 9:00am to 10:00am.
I got word that the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) placed a new fire company, Engine 43, in service on January 22nd. The actual East Kapolei Fire Station, which will be located adjacent to the current Department of Hawaiian Home Lands headquarters, is still under construction. However, HFD has the new fire apparatus and crew stationed at the construction site where they will be housed in two portable trailers until the fire station is complete at the end of 2012. Engine 43 will be available for emergency response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The only difference is that walk-in services, such as blood pressure screening and fire education, won't be available while construction is still going on due to safety concerns. Read More
It was an honor to participate and offer remarks at the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority (HCDA) Kalaeloa Life Safety Projects Volunteer Appreciation & Blessing Ceremony on January 20th. Construction on these important road safety improvements began on January 17th and will take about 6 months to complete. It will consist of the installation of traffic signs and pavement markings, minor grading work, and traffic lane realignment at these five separate locations.
• Project Site 1: "S" curve on Coral Sea Road
• Project Site 2: Roosevelt Avenue and Philippine Sea Street intersection
• Project Site 3: Coral Sea Road and Eisenhower Road intersection
• Project Site 4: Coral Sea Road and Tripoli Street intersection
• Project Site 5: Roosevelt Avenue and Coral Sea Road
I've been a Kalaeloa resident for about 8 years and know that my neighbors and friends are very pleased that their trips to go surfing or swimming at White Plains will be that much safer. Mahalo to the Governor, HCDA, my colleagues at the Legislature, the Kalaeloa Community Network, and the Kalaeloa Safety Group for their efforts in making these projects a reality. Read More
I participated in the Commissioning Ceremony for the Kuehnle Agrosystems (KAS) Algae Production Demonstration site at the Chevron refinery in Campbell Industrial Park on January 10th. KAS employs an innovative system that uses recycled carbon dioxide waste streams and wastewater by-products from the Chevron to grow algae for food and feed. KAS will operate the 18-month demonstration project to cultivate and evaluate different strains of algae at production scale. During the ceremony, I was told that this is the only place in the world where an oil refinery is working hand in hand with a "green" company with the goal of producing renewable energy and agricultural products. Congratulations to KAS Chairman, Paul Zorner; Scott Frank of Chevron Hawai‘i; and KAS President and CEO, Heidi Kuehnle, for making this innovative project happen. Read More
My next "listen story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, January 14th from 9:00am to 10:00am.
I was honored to make a presentation at the dedication of the Gas Company's new Renewable Natural Gas Plant at Campbell Industrial Park on December 15th. The plant will have the capacity to process up to 1 million gallons of renewable fuel a year. Initially, the Gas Company will be using fish oil as its feedstock, but will also be looking at animal fats and vegetable oils. This plant was made possible in part by a $1 million grant from the Hawai'i Renewable Energy Venture. I commend the Gas Company and their CEO, Jeff Kissel, for taking this exciting step toward more sustainable, reliable, and efficient energy for our island businesses and homes. Read More
Back in June, Governor Abercrombie held his iConserve Rally at the Capitol to encourage state workers to conserve energy in the workplace. I was driving in from Kapolei for the event and was inspired. Being a former tennis pro and athlete, I thought why not have state buildings here in Hawai'i compete with each other to see who could reduce their electricity usage the most. During the past few months, I've been working with Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, and NORESCO (an energy performance contracting company) on setting this up. The goal is to have the 10 Capitol District buildings reduce their combined energy consumption by $100,000 during the next calendar year starting this month. We'll be measuring each one of the building's energy reduction using EUI - a unit of measurement that represents the energy consumed by a building relative to its size. DAGS will be posting monthly progress reports on the web at www.hawaii.gov/green. Read More
I presented an honorary certificate from the State Senate to Command Sergeant Major Iuniasolua Savusa at his retirement party at Ft. Shafter on December 19th. CSM Savusa began his career over 36 years ago as an Infantryman. Since then he has excelled in infantry, ranger, air assault, and airborne assignments. A gifted leader, he has been a team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, scout platoon sergeant, drill sergeant, senior air assault instructor, chief instructor light fighters infantry course, Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor, first sergeant, and operations sergeant major. CSM Savusa, now a Kapolei resident, is a native of American Samoa and has been stationed in destinations as far away as Kentucky, Louisiana, Italy and Germany. In support of the Global War on Terrorism, in 2002 he deployed to Afghanistan and served as the CSM, Task Force Rakkasan, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Operation Enduring Freedom I. In 2003, he deployed as the CSM, 3d Brigade, 187th Infantry Regiment (Rakkasan), 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Operation IRAQI FREEDOM I. In 2005, he again deployed with Southern European Task Force (Airborne) as the CSM, Combined Joint Task Force - 76, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM VI. CSM Savusa has earned many prestigious awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star Medal with "V" (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (4th Oak Leaf Cluster), and the Army Commendation Medal (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), among many others. His commitment to excellence and his dedication to being an outstanding leader has left an indelible legacy. Fa'afetai tele lava, CSM Savusa, for your service to our country. Read More
My next "listen story" meeting will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, January 14th from 9:00am to 10:00am.
We kicked off the 2011 Drive Safe 4 Ewa/Kapolei "Live & Let Live" campaign at the Kapolei Police Station on December 3rd. This is the 5th time my office has participated on the organizing committee for this important traffic safety event. If you're not familiar, this campaign is a month-long event dedicated to encouraging safe driving around the Christmas Holidays, a time when crashes, drunk driving, and road fatalities are at their peak. Drive Safe 4 Ewa/Kapolei is in its 8th year and the Live and Let Live campaign has been a tradition for the last 27 years. For the past two years, the two campaigns have joined together to "drive home" an even more powerful statement about the deadly consequences of carelessness on the road. You might have seen the severely crashed cars (usually looking just like mangled piles of metal and glass) that are placed at busy intersections as a startling reminder of what can happen as a result of drinking and driving. This simple yet memorable technique is coupled with several sign waving days that have community and youth participation. The focus is on increasing awareness of the dangers of speeding, as well as, reckless and intoxicated driving in communities from Ewa to the Waianae Coast.
In addition to showcasing crashed cars and sign waving about road smarts, the 2011 campaign included a poster contest for students from James Campbell, Kapolei, Nanakuli and Waianae high schools that my office spearheaded. The contest involves teenagers in the campaign in a creative way to encourage them to consider how drinking and driving, or other reckless activities behind the wheel, can affect not only the driver, but his or her passengers, family members, and others on the road. This year's talented winners were Candace Farris (Kapolei High junior) in first place, Zaneta Woods (James Campbell High senior) in second place, Saaga Tuono (Nanakuli High sophomore) in third place, and Deseree Borges (Waianae High sophomore) in fourth place. Each of these students received a cash award from the Waianae Military Citizens Advisory Council and certificates from the State Legislature, which I and other legislators presented to them at the event.
Here are the dates for the sign-waving portion of the campaign if you'd like to participate:
• December 6, 2011, 7:00am - 7:45am - Kapolei High School fronting Kapolei Parkway and Fort Barrette
• December 9, 2011, 3:30pm - 4:30pm - Fort Barrette and Farrington Highway
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I'm sure you're as happy as I am to see that Roosevelt Avenue was repaved in record time last month. This is a huge relief for many of you (and me!) who have had to put up with many potholes for years. The complete project boundaries were from Kamokila Boulevard (western boundary) to the Geiger Road guardhouse. The contractor striped the pavement with temporary tape for now. The road will be finished with thermoplastic paint and reflectors in the weeks ahead. Mahalo to the Department of Transportation for getting this important project done. Read More
We recently got word that the Department of Transportation is moving forward with repairing the H-1 lights between Kunia and Makakilo, which have been out for a while because of copper wire theft. The contractor for the project will begin work in January and the completion date will be April 7th. The project had been planned for an October start date, but was pushed back due to APEC restrictions and the Christmas holidays. This will be a welcome relief for many of us West Oahu commuters who've endured darkness on the H-1 for way too long. The lights on the H-2 will also be repaired after the H-1 lights are completed. Read More
I'm stoked that the Salvation Army's Kroc Center in Kapolei will be completed very soon. The Salvation Army is planning a soft opening in December and official opening in January 2012. They are already taking applications for membership, so please give their Member Services Manager, Jean Pfau, a call at 682-5505 ext. 213 if you'd like to get you and your family signed up. For those who aren't familiar with the history, our Kroc Center was made possible by a $1.8 billion gift from Joanne Kroc, the wife of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc. Kapolei had to compete with 19 other cities around the country to get our community center built. Our 200,000 square-foot facility cost an estimated $69 million to build. Here are some of the incredible amenities that will be available to our community:
• Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Education and Resource Center - computer lab, art, ceramic art, active senior learning, tutoring, summer day camp, banquet, conference and meeting rooms.
• Mary D. and Walter F. Frear Early Education Center - serving up to 150 children, ages 2-4.
• Health and Wellness Center - cardio, weights, circuit training, group fitness classes, dance classes, health assessment, massage, and personal training.
• Aquatics Center - recreational pool, water slides, Jacuzzi, competition pool.
• Jack & Marie Lord Worship & Performance Arts Center - church and church activities, music lessons, band, choir, children's theater, drama, dance, stage and prop production, video editing.
• Clarence T.C. Ching Athletic Center - basketball, volleyball, roller skating, and open gymnasium.
• First Hawaiian Bank Hale Ho‘okipa - dormitory for traveling teams, mission teams, and small group conferences.
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As Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, I led a listening tour to Lana‘i and Moloka‘i with Senator Kalani English, Rep. Denny Coffman, Rep. Mele Carroll, and Rep. Cynthia Thielen on November 2nd and 3rd. Back in January of this year, I held an informational briefing on the proposed 200 MW wind farms on those islands. The power from the wind farms would be transmitted via undersea cables to Oahu. During the hearings, I made a promise to the people of those communities that I'd visit to get their input on the wind farms. Read More
I honored the organizers of the Makeke Kapolei Farmers' Market at their Grand Opening at Kapolei High School on October 20th. Makeke Kapolei is a joint collaboration between Kapolei High School, Malama Learning Center, and Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. These organizations have joined together because of their interest in promoting locally grown food, healthy eating, and sustainable lifestyles among Leeward Oahu residents. Carol and I went and found wide selections of organic and conventional produce, pastries, coffees, plants, coconut peanut butter, and much more. Makeke Kapolei will take place every Thursday from 3-6:30pm, so please check it out. Read More
My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be held at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, October 22nd from 9am to 10am. If you can't make it, please drop me an email or call me at the office.
One of our neighbors in Makakilo, Kea Davis-Milo, needs your help. Kea is a professional singer and has a husband and two young children. She was recently diagnosed with a rare, neurological disease called Moyamoya. The only treatment for this disease is a high risk surgery that costs an estimated $1.5 million. Her insurance company will cover 85% of the cost, but that still leaves a $150,000 bill. If you'd like to make a donation to Kea, you can make a deposit at any Bank of Hawai‘i branch to the Friends of Kea Davis-Milo or do it online at this website: www.life4kea.com. You might also be interested in attending her Big Kokua Bash - An Extension of Life Concert for Kea Davis-Milo at the Waterfront at Aloha Tower on Saturday, November 12th from 6pm to 2am. To purchase tickets or to find out more information, call their hotline at 744-8769. Read More
Rep. Sharon Har and I presented a certificate from the State Legislature in honor of the groundbreaking for Honeywell UOP's Integrated Biorefinery at the Tesoro Refinery in Campbell Industrial Park on August 30th. This project will be a pilot-scale refining facility to convert biomass into green transportation fuels and will be made possible by a $25 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy. As a result of this project, UOP anticipates being able to replicate the facility on a commercial scale. Each commercial application would have the potential of producing 50 million gallons of fuels annually, while creating approximately 800 construction jobs and 1,000 permanent jobs. Locally, the Honeywell UOP Integrated Refinery in Campbell Industrial Park will provide 85 jobs during peak construction and around 40 sustained jobs. The facility will produce fuels that offer more than a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. (mahalo Senator Inouye!) Read More
My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be held at the Kamokila Community Park in Honokai Hale (91-015 Farrington Highway) on Saturday, September 24th from 9am to 10am. If you can't make it, and you would like me to address a concern or issue, please drop me an email or call me at the office.
Rep. Sharon Har, myself, and other West Oahu legislators will host a Townhall meeting focused on the new UH West Oahu campus on Wednesday, September 21st from 7-8:30pm at the Kapolei High School cafeteria. UHWO Chancellor Dr. Gene Awakuni will be giving a presentation on the current Kapolei campus construction which will be completed by April 2012. He'll also be talking about the 22 bachelor degree programs that will be offered. They'll have applications on hand for those young and old who want to get signed up for the Fall 2012 semester, when the campus officially opens. Dr. Awakuni will be joined by other UH West Oahu faculty and administrators to answer questions. Read More
Recently, we had a surprise visit at our home in Kalaeloa by the crew of Hawa‘i Five-O. They knocked on our door and asked if they could look around, and possibly do a shoot in our living room and bathroom. They liked what they saw, we agreed to the shoot, so they came back a couple weeks later to dismantle our home, moving all our stuff into the garage, and putting in their props and furniture, which included a piano. It was quite an experience getting an up-close look at the making of this hit Hollywood TV show. (One of the things I love about the series is the spectacular cinematography of familiar places we all know. A Gabbard family favorite is an aerial shot of Kapiolani Park by the tennis courts at dusk.) It's amazing to see the incredible detail that goes into the sets for the program. It was also neat seeing how many locals work on the crew. Shortly after the shoot at our home, I got the chance to make a cameo appearance in the filming of the premiere episode for the second season. On July 25th at 5 a.m., I showed up at The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) along with 180 other extras to shoot a couple scenes, which took about six hours. I'll appear as a captain in Navy whites, the grieving husband of the Governor who was assassinated in last season's finale. I won't spoil anything else. If you want to know "the rest of the story", you'll have to attend the second season world premiere at Sunset on the Beach (Queen's Surf Beach) in Waikiki at sunset on September 10th or when it airs nationally on KGMB, Monday, September 19th at 9:00pm. Read more in the Honolulu Civil Beat or in the September 2011 Newsletter.
Senator Michelle Kidani, Reps. Karen Awana and Ryan Yamane and I were among dozens of chaperones who volunteered to shop with students in need during Target's second annual "Back to School Shopping Spree" on August 9th at the Kapolei Target. The event was sponsored by Target and the Salvation Army KROC Center. Other chaperones included Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha and Miss Hawai'i Lauren Cheape. We were paired with keiki as they shopped for essentials such as school supplies, clothes and shoes with an $80 gift card. Fifty-one students from Kapolei Elementary and Kapolei Middle schools were given the opportunity to shop for back to school essentials. "Back to School Shopping Spree" is a national event, with 492 stores participating. The program provides more than 11,700 students in need with school supplies. Target began the event in Hawai‘i last year with each Oahu store (Salt Lake and Kapolei) hosting 50 children. This year each store hosted a total of 100 students. Mahalo to Target and Salvation Army for investing in our keiki and helping those in need. Read More
You may have heard the bad news that USPS has put the Kapolei Post Office on a list of 3,653 local post offices across the country which may close in January 2012. Given that Kapolei is one of the fastest growing areas of our state, it doesn't make any sense that they would be scaling back service for residents.
I've spoken to local USPS leaders and sent in testimony asking that they reconsider this decision. I'm also working with our Congressional delegation in the hopes they can help out with the situation.
USPS is offering a 60-day comment period to allow the public to weigh in. If you have the time, please send a letter to USPS District Office, 3600 Aolele Street, Honolulu, HI 96820.
Another option is to answer this easy online survey that I created at this link: Click here to take survey
I'll tabulate the survey results and send to USPS right before their deadline on September 30th.
USPS has notified me that they are open to public-private partnerships and are willing to look at another "contract postal unit" for Kapolei. (There is a small one already at Armac Printing in the Kapolei Shopping Center.) If you have any ideas for possible businesses for a "contract postal unit" or questions, please send me an email or give me a buzz.
Me ka pumehana,
Mike Gabbard
My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be at Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, August 20th from 9am to 10am. If you can't make it, please drop me an email or call the office.
As you may be aware, the Reapportionment Commission is currently going through the process redrawing the lines for the State House, State Senate, and Congressional districts based on the population changes which have occurred over the last 10 years. The 2010 Census numbers prove that we are growing very fast out in West Oahu. Senate District 19, which I represent, covers the area from Waikele to Ko Olina in the west. Our district saw the 3rd highest growth among the 25 Senate districts, adding 16,768 people to now total 63,053. As a reminder of the expected growth for the Kapolei area, we are projected to see the following changes from 2010 to 2025:
• Housing - 31,730 homes in 2010 to 51,500 in 2025
• Population - 101,440 in 2010 to 158,750 in 2025
• Jobs - 36,150 in 2010 to 63,680 in 2025
District 20, which is represented by Senator Will Espero and includes Ewa, was the fastest growing in the state. Senator Gil Kahele's District 2, which encompasses the Hilo side of the Big Island, was the second fastest growing. The Reapportionment Commission is expected to release its draft plan for public review sometime in August. If you'd like to learn more, please visit the Office of Elections website. Read More
I joined with Governor Abercrombie and Lt. Governor Schatz in speaking at the iConserve Rally at the Capitol on June 29th. The purpose was to launch the iConserve energy initiative which is intended to get state workers to significantly reduce energy consumption by taking 4 important steps: turning off the lights when not in use, turning off computers when not in use, removing or no longer using personal appliances, and shutting doors. We were also showing support for the State Capitol's entry in the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. To give you some background, in 2009 the state Department of Accounting and General Services executed an energy performance contract with NORESCO for 10 Capitol District buildings, including the State Capitol. NORESCO has been installing energy-efficiency improvements, such as improving air conditioning units, changing out light bulbs, and installing solar photovoltaic systems to lower our state electricity bill. These improvements are projected to save the state $64 million over a 20-year period. During the rally, I announced a challenge among the 10 Capitol District buildings to see which one can reduce energy consumption by the greatest percentage over the next year. I'll be working with the Governor's Administration to launch this competition.
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I was happy to take part in the dedication ceremony for Fujifilm Hawai‘i's new 320 kW solar electric system on the roof of its Waipahu headquarters on July 14th. I was joined by Reps. Henry Aquino, Ty Cullen, and Denny Coffman in presenting a certificate from the State Senate in honor of the occasion. Fujifilm partnered with Conergy and 21st Century Technologies to install this solar system which is one of the ten largest in the state, and the first Conergy PowerPlus plant in North America. The system consists of 1,455 PowerPlus premium modules, which will produce 483,391 kWh annually. This is equivalent to reducing CO2 emissions by 1.11 million pounds per year or powering 66 households per year. Mahalo to Fujifilm in Hawai‘i, 21st Century Technologies, and Conergy for their commitment to sustainability, energy conservation, and making our world a cleaner, greener place. I hope that they can inspire other companies to follow their example. Read More
My next "Listen-story" community meeting will be at Waikele Starbucks (Waikele Shopping Center) on Saturday, July 16th from 9am to 10am.
I was given a tour of the construction work on the new UH West Oahu campus in Kapolei by Chancellor Gene Awakuni on June 16th. Chancellor Awakuni explained how they are currently constructing the initial 5 buildings of the campus, which will in-clude the library, campus center, classroom building, laboratory building, and maintenance/mechanical building. The buildings will be completed by April 2012. Part of the tour was driving up a long dirt road mauka of H-1 on the 900 acre parcel UHWO owns, and checking out a 2.5 million gal-lon water tank. There's another reservoir the same size master planned for the fu-ture. This first phase of the campus will have a capacity of 2,750 students when it opens its doors to students in the Fall 2012. As I've said many times before, this pro-ject has been "a long time comin." It was 1966 when the Legislature made its first appropriation of $300,000 for planning. And here we are 45 years later, with the grand opening just around the corner. My prediction: there will be a massive cele-bration in our district before the fall semester opening next year. I'm stoked. Read More
As the Senate's Energy and Environment Chair, I will be joining with Rep. Denny Coffman, Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, in leading an informational briefing to discuss the prospect of using geo-thermal energy as a statewide resource for electricity production. The informational briefing will take place at the State Capitol in Room 325 on July 7th from 1pm to 3pm. We will have presentations by the Innovations Development Group, Mililani B. Trask of Indigenous Consultants, and the Geothermal Working Group. The great thing about geo-thermal energy is that it is "firm", as opposed to solar and wind which depends on favorable weather conditions. Both the Big Island and Maui have substantial geothermal resources that could be tapped to benefit those islands as well as possibly the whole state. I'm hopeful that we can look at expanding our use of geothermal in a culturally beneficial way and also give our host culture an "ownership" stake in its development. If you'd like more information, please contact my office at 586-6830. Read More
As a vegetarian for almost 40 years, I was very pleased to be a part of a sneak preview and traditional Hawaiian blessing for Down to Earth's new 10,000 square foot store at the Kapolei Commons on July 1st. This will be the flagship store for Down to Earth, which specializes in natural all-vegetarian foods. They have other stores in Pearl City, Kailua, and Moiliili on Oahu, Kahalui on Maui, and Hilo on the Big Island. I wish them many years of success in our community as Kapolei continues to grow into a world-class city. Read More
My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be at Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, June 18th from 9am to 10am.
Our district was very fortunate to be the only one in the state to receive $40 million in construction funding for a new school in the 2012-2013 budget. This will make a big difference for our already overcrowded schools. Kapolei II Elementary will be located adjacent to DR Horton Schuler Division's Mehana residential project off Ft. Barrette Road, across the street from Kapolei High School. In 2009, we appropriated $3.5 million for the design of the school, which Governor Abercrombie is expected to release soon. These funds will allow the Department of Education (DOE) to begin the process of selecting a consultant, who will head up the planning and design of the new school. The DOE will also be working with the Leeward Oahu District Complex on the "visioning process" to determine what the school will look like. We are hoping for a 2015 completion date. Read More
I was interviewed recently for the Hawai‘i: The State of Clean Energy TV show. The 30-minute program is a 6-part series sponsored by the Hawai‘i Energy Policy Forum and Hawai‘i News Now. The focus of the program is to educate, excite, and energize viewers to action on our efforts to move toward a clean energy future. My interview focused on my recent decision to purchase a new all-electric Nissan Leaf car and my thoughts on how this relates to us meeting our goal of powering our economy through renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Clean Transportation Show will air on KGMB on June 22nd at 6:30pm and KHNL on June 23rd at 6:30pm. You can check out this link to see past shows and find out more information about the program: http://www.hawaiienergypolicy.hawaii.edu/hnn-clean-energy/index.html
I was very disappointed that we weren't able to get a bill I authored, SB 1363, to the finish line this past session. This bill would have required retailers to charge a 10 cent fee for every single use plastic or paper bag. The basic idea behind this bill is that both plastic and paper bags are bad for the environment and a wasteful product that we can do without. It's important to note that SB 1363 isn't a tax because all we have to do to avoid paying the fee is bring our own bags or use a shopping cart, like many of us already do at Costco and Sam's Club.
It's incredible to consider the fact that Americans go through 100 billion plastic bags each year. That translates to 12 million barrels of oil. Here in Hawai‘i we go through over 400 million plastic bags a year and also 20 million paper bags every year. Cities like Washington D.C. and countries such as Ireland have taken this step and have dramatically reduced their use.
What surprised me most about the failure of the bill is that both retailers and environmentalists were on-board. Another important fact is even with a 50% reduction in the use of plastic/paper bags, SB 1363 would have still generated $21 million. This money would have been helpful for us in balancing the budget. On a positive note, SB 1363 did pass both the House and Senate, and made it to Conference Committee. So we'll have another crack at it in 2012. I hope you'll join me in supporting this "green" bill.
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My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be held on May 7th at the Kunia Starbucks (Kunia Shopping Center) from 9:00am to 10:00am. Our session ends on May 5th, so this meeting will include a legislative wrap-up. My June meeting will take place at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on June 18th at 9:00am.
I was happy to participate in a bill signing ceremony in the Governor's Ceremonial Room on April 25th, where Governor Abercrombie signed SB 704 into law. I introduced SB 704 this session to help more people put solar photovoltaic panels (PV) on their roofs in order to reduce their electricity bills and our consumption of fossil fuels. Specifically, this bill allows solar companies to enter into long-term contracts with homeowners, permitting them to lease the PV systems without having to go through all the complexity of being considered a utility. In essence, homeowners will be able to pay a monthly bill for their PV system, instead of paying thousands up-front to purchase it. Right now, about 4,000 of the 267,000 homes in our state have PV. I'd like to see thousands more use this new law to lower their $200-600 electricity bills to the minimum $18 that HECO charges for hooking up to the electricity grid. Read More
I held a beginning tennis clinic, with an assist from local attorney, Rick Fried, at the Governor's tennis court at Washington Place on April 2nd. The purpose of the clinic was to raise money for the Hawai‘i Foodbank. The 2.5 hour clinic brought in $1,300 for this very worthy organization. You might not know, but I was formerly a collegiate tennis player and head tennis pro at Kuilima Hyatt (now Turtle Bay Resort) during the 1970s. A special mahalo to the following folks who participated: Mike Bale of Henkels and McCoy; Aaron Landry of Ku‘oko‘a; Mihoko Ito of Goodsil Anderson Quinn & Stifel; Kamil Schuetz of Ku‘oko‘a; Alissa Katada of Automated Health Care Solutions; Gary Slovin of Goodsil Anderson Quinn & Stifel; Cathy Wilson of Automated Health Care Solutions; Lance Inouye of Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd; and Kara Catlin of Ku‘oko‘a.Read More
Serendipity, good karma, or chance? Famous Hollywood actor meets local rock star wannabe.
It started after I read in the newspaper about a remarkable young man endowed with deep aloha. Patrick Gartside, who spends his days as a web developer and his nights as a rock musician, was recognized for his extraordinary concern for others, which compels him to give all he has, literally, every chance he gets. Since he was a young adult Patrick has been a reliable blood donor. In 2004, he selflessly underwent a peripheral blood stem cell procedure which made a life and death difference to a stranger. In 2008, Patrick was back in surgery. This time he donated one of his kidneys to a Maui woman he'd never met. This decision allowed the woman's ohana to have their tutu to hug for many more years.
Star Advertiser reporter Michael Tsai wrote about Patrick in a January 24th article stating: "When you're moving house, he's the guy walking backward downstairs holding the other end of your dresser... He's that dude you call in the middle of the night when you have only one phone call. Only, for the real Patrick Gartside, such everyday altruism is sundry stuff. What makes the 28-year-old programmer from Moiliili truly remarkable are the sacrifices he makes for people he doesn't even know."
On March 31, 2011, we, at the State Senate, honored Patrick in the Senate chambers for his selflessness and kindness toward others. During the honorary certificate presentation I said, "Many of us make donations of food, money, or our time to causes that are important to us. But how many of us would undergo major surgery or give parts of our bodies for the chance for someone else to survive? Hopefully, Patrick's story will inspire many others." I emphasized the importance of Patrick's benevolence by telling the audience that, "In the U.S. eighteen people will die today waiting for an organ transplant."
Coincidentally, the same time that I was commending Patrick, the cast from "Hawaii 5-0" was also honored. Alex O'Loughlin, aka Steve McGarrett in the hit CBS show, looked particularly interested in Patrick's story, as I gave my floor speech praising Patrick.
While I was speaking, I kept looking at Alex, who was smiling and nodding his head, staring at Patrick. There was a connection there that I didn't understand. After the ceremony, I was talking story with Patrick when Alex came up and said, 'Patrick, you're the most important person here. Thanks for all you do. I founded a non-profit (Alex O'Loughlin Fans for Donate Life), and I'd like you to please give your contact information to my assistant.'" Patrick shuffled his feet a bit with a "Gee, I'm nobody special" look on his face. Who knows? We may see them team up on future projects to save some lives.
In case you wonder what altruistic activities Patrick is engaged in now - while he isn't giving blood or on the operating table - he volunteers with the Hawaiian Bone Marrow Donor Registry helping with recruitment and with the National Kidney Foundation of Hawai‘i. Patrick also collects and distributes food and clothing to the homeless.
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My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be held on May 7th at the Kunia Starbucks (Kunia Shopping Center) from 9:00am to 10:00am. Our session ends on May 5th, so this meeting will include a legislative wrap-up.
It was a very emotional experience to surprise Jerrika Kalamau during her 9th grade Health class at Kapolei High on March 23rd. I presented Jerrika with a certificate from the State Senate for her commitment to success and excellence in the face of adversity. Jerrika was given up to foster care when her mother was going through a very difficult time in her life. Instead of harboring feelings of contempt, Jerrika displayed maturity beyond her years and found it in her heart to forgive her mother. More impressively, she has taken her experience as a foster child in stride, recognizing her childhood not as a liability, but as an asset that is integral to who she is. When she entered Kapolei High School last fall, Jerrika put her unwaveringly hopeful attitude to practice, and immersed herself in extracurricular activities. She is a member of the high school show choir, which counts as a singing and dancing extra credit course.
Perhaps most important, however, has been Jerrika's experience playing a musical instrument. In middle school, she fell in love with playing the clarinet. When she entered Kapolei High School, Jerrika joined the concert band, which has served as a conduit for her love and passion for music. Through her music Jerrika has found acceptance and it has facilitated her personal growth as an individual. This year, Jerrika's hard work and perseverance was awarded with the prestigious nomination to participate in the 2011 Macy's Day Parade in New York City on Thanksgiving Day.
Another proud Kapolei High 9th grade student, Cassius Alcantara, will be joining Jerrika and playing the trumpet at the Macy's Day Parade. We know both Jerrika and Cassius will represent Kapolei and all of Hawai‘i with aloha in the parade. Jerrika is currently raising money to help cover expenses for her trip to New York. If you'd like to help out, please contact her aunt, Marialena Kalamau, at 348-5956. Read More
I was very pleased to have received a letter from Governor Neil Abercrombie on February 25th saying that he had released $450,000 in construction funds for Mauka Lani Elementary as part of his New Day Work Projects. The funding will go toward providing an additional evacuation route for the school. This project will connect the sidewalk to 17 portable classrooms at the back of the school with an evacuation route through the adjacent Mauka Lani Neighborhood Park. The expected completion date is October 2012. Mahalo to the Gov for his efforts in improving the safety of our schools in Senate District 19. Read More
It was great getting the news on March 23rd that SunPower and HECO had announced an agreement for SunPower to sell them solar PV power over a 20-year period. The power will be generated by a 5 MW solar farm located on 40-acres of leased Department of Hawaiian Home Lands in Kalaeloa at Roosevelt and Boxer Road. (almost in my backyard!) The solar panels will be equipped with SunPower's tracker system, which will allow the panels to follow the sun's movement during the day and increase sunlight capture by up to 25%. SunPower plans to begin construction this year and complete the solar farm within 5 months. Read More
My next "Listen-story" community meeting will be held on March 26th at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) from 9:00am to 10:00am.
Rep. Sharon Har and I presented a certificate from the Hawai'i State Legislature to the founders and owners of the Cole Academy, Gina Mangieri and Doug Ewalt upon the ground breaking and blessing for their new Kapolei location on February 19, 2011. The Cole Academy, a Hawai'i early education and child development center, already has locations in downtown Honolulu, East Oahu, Kunia, and the Windward side. The objective of The Cole Academy is to educate the whole child while fostering intellectual, creative, social, and physical development, as well as ensuring low teacher-to-child ratios guaranteeing lots of individualized attention and care. The Cole Academy's newest location will be next to the Kapolei Library, Kapolei Regional Park, Island Pacific Academy, and many existing and upcoming commercial and business facilities. We welcome the Cole Academy with aloha to the Kapolei 'ohana. Read More
At the January 27th Waipahu Neighborhood Board meeting, a Kunia resident reported that a car which was drifting in the upper parking lot of the Kunia Walmart had slammed into the fence of his house. (Drifting refers to a driving technique where the driver intentionally over steers, causing loss of traction in the rear wheels through turns, while maintaining control at a high speed.) He voiced his concern about the safety problem of cars racing up to the upper level parking lot with no speed bumps to deter them. The next day, we contacted Walmart representatives to see what could be done to fix this problem. I received this email on February 4th from Angie Stoner, the Senior Manager for Public Affairs and Government Relations at Walmart. She informed me that they were fortunately working on a solution:
"Per my previous conversations with your staff I wanted to follow up with you directly regarding the recent traffic incident at our Kunia Walmart store and the actions we are taking to provide a safe environment for our customers and neighbors. Starting today we will have an extra Security Car and Guard placed at the top of the back drive during the hours we have the top lot open (4am-12am). This will be an additional guard specifically for this location until we are able to add long term improvements to our lot. It has been suggested that speed bumps be added to slow traffic in this location. We are currently evaluating the use and cost of speed bumps and have bids out on this work. We will be making a final decision and starting work in the very near future."
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I participated in the ground breaking ceremony for Honolulu's rail transit project at a ceremony on Kualaka'i Parkway in Kapolei. This long-awaited project is 44 years in the making, with former Mayor Neal S. Blaisdell being the first to envision a 29-mile rail line from Pearl City to Hawai'i Kai. The 20-mile rail line will connect Kapolei to Ala Moana and is scheduled to be completed by 2019. We stand to receive $1.55 billion from the federal government to bring the project to fruition. I support rail transit because it will provide another transportation alternative for our community, will create jobs and stimulate our economy, and will promote smart growth to make our communities more pedestrian friendly. A big mahalo to former Mayor Mufi Hannemann, current Mayor Peter Carlisle, and the City Council for getting this important project to this historic point. Read More
Senator Mike Gabbard and Rep. Sharon Har presented a certificate from the Hawai‘i State Legislature to the Founders and Owners of the Cole Academy, Gina Mangieri and Doug Ewalt, and their son Cole, upon the Ground Breaking and Blessing for their new Kapolei location on February 19, 2011. Pictured (L to R) are Rep. Har, Doug, Cole, Gina, and Senator Gabbard.
My next "Listen-story" community meeting will be held on February 19th at the Kamokila Community Park meeting room in Honokai Hale from 9:00am to 10:00am.
Recently, I checked out both 2 kW and 10 kW vertical axis wind turbines at Hickam Air Force Base. The wind turbines are part of a demonstration project, which interconnects wind energy to Hickam's hydrogen production facility. The wind turbines are virtually silent, have a lifecycle of 25 years and were manufactured by MicroWind Solutions, which is led by CEO and President Richard Figliuzzi. Don't be surprised if you start seeing these popping up around our state in the not-so-distant future. Read More
Many of you may know that I'm an avid tennis player, and in the 1970s, I was the head tennis pro at Kuilima Hyatt Resort at Turtle Bay. I live in Kalaeloa and frequently play at the tennis courts there. Since the Navy pulled out of Barbers Point, the courts have been slowly and surely losing their luster, because of normal wear and tear and also for lack of maintenance. Now that Hunt Development controls the courts, many in the community have seen an opportunity for those who use the courts to help maintain them. To this end, a new group called the Kalaeloa Tennis Association (KTA) has stepped up to try to keep the courts in playable shape. KTA plans to hold work parties and raise funds to improve the tennis courts to make it a nice place not only for families and friends to get some exercise, but also to just hang out and get some good, old-fashioned quality family time together. If you'd like to join KTA or would like more information, please contact the group's President, Makakilo resident Nick Young at makakilojones@gmail.com. Read More
I participated in the Grand Opening of the Royal Kunia Community Center on January 15th. This new 5,600 square-foot facility features a multi-purpose room, community association offices, restrooms, a kitchen, and a BBQ lanai for the use of the residents and their guests. The Center will accommodate up to 200 people and will be an important gathering place for the residents of Royal Kunia to bring friends and family, while enjoying a wide range of recreational activities. I congratulate the people of Royal Kunia for this great addition to their community. Read More
Senator Mike Gabbard gave a statement concerning water quality issues after the Health and Energy & Environment Committees' Informational Briefing on Chromium-6 in our water.
My next "Listen-story" community meeting will be held on March 26th at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) from 9:00am to 10:00am.
Rep. Mina Morita, the Chair of the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee and I held a mock hearing for the students of UH Professor Denise Antolini's Advanced Environmental Law Class at the Capitol on November 18th. This is the second time I've had the opportunity to co-host this event. This year the students prepared actual bills dealing with energy and environmental issues, such as plastic bags, Styrofoam, energy efficiency, cultural impacts, and environmental justice. During the mock hearing, we asked the students pointed questions to give them an opportunity to get the flavor of a real legislative hearing and to defend their work. Read More
We held the Kick-Off event for the Drive Safe 4 Ewa-Kapolei / Live & Let Live safety awareness campaign at the Kapolei Police Station on November 27th. I joined with other legislators in announcing the winners for the poster contest. Catherine Johnny, a senior at James Campbell High placed first and received a $100 award. Jordan Guillermo, a senior at Kapolei High School was second place and received a $75 award. Jaypee Carreon, a senior at Waianae High School was third place and received a $50 award. Robbie Sylva, a sophomore at Nanakuli High & Intermediate School, placed fourth and received a $25 award. The winners' posters will be displayed at the Kapolei Police Station through the end of the year. Mahalo to the Waianae Military Civilian Advisory Council for providing the students with their prizes.
Also a reminder there will be sign holding for the campaign in Kapolei if you'd like to join us:
• December 2nd - 7:15-8:00am at Kapolei High School (Kapolei Parkway/Ft. Barrette Road)
• December 9th - 3:30-4:30pm at Kapolei Fairgrounds (Farrington Hwy/Ft. Barrette Road
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I got a tour of the STARBASE Hawai‘i facility at the Keaʻau Armory on the Big Island on November 4th. STARBASE Hawai‘i is an educational program that focuses on teaching 5th graders hands-on math and science. They offer five day training classes during the school year and summer months, teaching students to build model rockets, "fly" airplanes on computer flight simulator programs, and perform science experiments.
STARBASE Hawai‘i is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and sponsored by the Hawai‘i National Guard. The program serves students primarily in the Kea‘au-Ka‘;u-Pahoa school complexes. This is truly an innovative way to get students motivated about learning. It's great to see our Hawai‘i National Guard stepping up with another great program for our youth.
For more information, please contact the STARBASE Hawai‘i Director, Bob Roman, at starbasehi@gmail.com.
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My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be at the Waikele Starbucks (Waikele Shopping Center) on Saturday, November 20th from 9:00-10:00am.
On October 20th 2008, our state signed an historic agreement with the Hawaiian Electric Companies to press forward with the goals of the Hawai‘i Clean Energy Initiative to meet 70% of our energy needs through energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2030. This happens to be the first state-utility agreement of its kind in the nation. As we hit the two year anniversary, it's important to reflect on the progress we're making. At the same time, it's critical that we continue to move forward as quickly as possible, since we happen to be the most oil dependent state in the country, where: oil supplies 90% of our energy needs and costs us $4-$6 billion each year.
Our district here in West Oahu is proof that we are making progress. For example, on October 27th, I spoke at the Ground Breaking for the Kalaeloa Solar One project in Kalaeloa. There are also plans to put in an additional 20-30 MW of solar farms in Kalaeloa over the next few years. Additionally, at the northern edge of my district in Kunia and Mililani will be a 20 MW solar farm headed up by Castle & Cooke. Not to mention that many families in our neighborhoods are getting solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels put on their homes every week to save on their electricity costs and at the same time do good for our environment. Read More
The start of the 2011 Legislative Session will begin January 19th. As we get closer to the date, I'll be working on legislation to introduce. One of the best sources for ideas to improve the laws in our state is YOU! So far, these are some of the ideas that constituents have suggested to me for possible legislation:
• Enhance penalties for "hit and run" drivers
• Create a state bank that would provide consistent capital lending regardless of the economic conditions
• Establish a "Couples on the Brink" program at UH to offer divorce reconciliation services to couples who are considering ending their marriages
• Place a moratorium on the construction of new landfills or expansion of any private landfills on the Leeward Coast as of August 1, 2011
• Establish a self-employment assistance program in Hawai'i to allow our state to tap into the benefits of the existing U.S. Department of Labor program
If you have any ideas that you think should be considered in the next go around here at the Legislature, please let me know. Read More
I participated in the Grand Opening celebration for the new Bank of Hawai‘i (BOH) Kapolei branch in the Kapolei Commons Shopping Center on October 16th. This is BOH's 71st branch in the state. In 2010, BOH was named America's Best Bank by Forbes Magazine. BOH has also been commended for its stability, strong performance despite the difficult economy, and for declining to accept money from the federal government's Troubled Asset Relief Program.
The new 4,861 square-foot branch features a BankLanai which provides 24 hour access to an enclosed space with ATMs and a business depository. Taking advantage of the latest technology and proving that they are concerned about our environment as well our money, the new building is equipped with roof rack mounted solar panels. Their photovoltaic system consists of 56 SunPower 315 watt photovoltaic modules and 3 SunPower 6000 watt inverters, which will allow them to produce a lot of energy from our plentiful Leeward sunshine.
Congratulations to President and CEO Peter Ho, Executive Vice President and Hawai‘i Branch Division Manager Darrick Ching, and Branch Manager Ryson Matsumura, upon the grand opening of the Kapolei Commons branch.
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Senator Gabbard presented a certificate from the Hawai‘i State Senate to Lindsey and Nakaniela Hanakeawe of Kapolei in celebration of the 1st birthday of their daughter, Millia. The party took place at Richardson Field.
My next "Listen-Story" community meeting will be at the Kapolei Starbucks (next to the Chevron Station) on Saturday, October 23rd from 9:00-10:00am.
My daughter, former State Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and I attended a very moving ceremony on the Battleship Missouri Memorial to mark the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 2nd. U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, USS Missouri Memorial Association Chairman Robert Kihune, and USS Missouri Memorial Association CEO Michael Carr all gave remarks. You might recall that General Douglas MacArthur presided over the surrender ceremony on the Battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945. As he approached the microphone on that historic day, General MacArthur said the following words:
"We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues, involving divergent ideals and ideologies, have been determined on the battlefields of the world and hence are not for our discussion or debate. Nor is it for us here to meet, representing as we do a majority of the people of earth, in a spirit of distrust, malice or hatred. But rather it is for us, both victors and vanquished, to rise to that higher dignity which alone befits the sacred purposes we are about to serve, committing all our people unreservedly to faithful compliance with the understanding they are here formally to assume.
It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion, a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past-a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice."
Shortly after the surrender documents were signed, General MacArthur broadcast this message to radios all over the world:
"Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won...
As I look back upon the long, tortuous trail from those grim days of Bataan and Corregidor, when an entire world lived in fear, when democracy was on the defensive everywhere, when modern civilization trembled in the balance, I thank a merciful God that He has given us the faith, the courage and the power from which to mold victory. We have known the bitterness of defeat and the exultation of triumph, and from both we have learned there can be no turning back. We must go forward to preserve in peace what we won in war..."
Listening to Senator Inouye and General Shinseki's remarks I looked around the crowd at the many veterans and their families who attended the ceremony. I held back tears as "Taps" was blown by a talented soldier. I thought of my father's service in the Air Force for 25 years, and of all Soldiers past and present and the sacrifices they have made to protect our freedoms. Mahalo nui loa for your service to our state and country. Read More
I was happy to see that Governor Lingle released $65.5 million on August 12th for the repair and maintenance of our schools across the state. There's $2.2 million in repairs for schools in Senate District 19. Here's the breakdown:
| • Barbers Point Elementary: | $646,000 |
| • Kaleiopuu Elementary: | $97,000 |
| • Kapolei Elementary: | $285,000 |
| • Kapolei Middle: | $332,000 |
| • Makakilo Elementary: | $364,000 |
| • Mauka Lani Elementary: | $302,000 |
| • Waikele Elementary: | $185,000 |
I attended the Parents and Children Together (PACT) open house for their new Kapolei Office and the Economic Development Center's "First to Work" Program at the Campbell Building in Kapolei on September 9th. PACT is a non-profit family services organization that focuses on early childhood education, child abuse and neglect prevention and treatment, domestic violence prevention and treatment, youth activities, community and economic development, and mental health support. Their "First to Work" program assists low to moderate-income individuals and families reach their economic goals by helping them improve their workplace and business skills. If you're interested in the programs PACT has to offer, you can reach their Kapolei office at 674-4233. Read More
Best news story of the decade? You guessed it. Construction on the new UH West Oahu campus officially began on August 18th. This was a special moment for our community considering that that the state set aside $307,000 in planning money for the campus in 1966. The first phase of the campus will cost roughly $100 million to build. The Governor has already released $48 million that we at the Legislature appropriated last session. The additional funding will be generated through a revenue bond issuance package that must be approved by the UH Board of Regents. The campus opening date is set for fall 2012 and will include an administration building, a library, 2 classroom buildings, and a student services center. Check out a 3D campus walkthrough video here. Read More
I attended the ceremony commemorating the renaming of the Kapolei Judiciary Complex to the Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex on August 27th. CJ Moon has served as the state Supreme Court Chief Justice since 1993 and is retiring at the end of this month. He did an outstanding job and is the first Korean American to become chief justice of any state Supreme Court in the nation. He was also presented with the Harry L. Carrico Award for Judicial Innovation by Texas Chief Justice, Wallace B. Jefferson, of the National Center for State Courts at the ceremony. The award honors a state chief justice who has inspired, sponsored, promoted, or led an innovation or accomplishment of national significance in the field of judicial administration.
Thanks CJ for your public service. Best wishes on your retirement. When you get bored, we'll be looking for your name seeking public office at the county, state, or federal level. Read More
It was great being a part of the Grand Opening of the Operating Engineers Local 3 Kapolei Office and the 3rd Annual Empowering Operating Engineers Event on August 29th. The Operating Engineers decision to come out to Kapolei reinforces the fact this is the place to be. We were told that they moved out here because a majority of their membership lives in Leeward Oahu and a lot of the future construction work is also out this way. The Operating Engineers Local 3 includes Northern California, Northern Nevada, Utah, Hawai'i, and the Mid-Pacific Islands. They have a membership of approximately 40,000 with about 3,200 here in the state. Most operating engineers are heavy equipment operators and construction workers. The office is located in the Kapolei Business Center and also houses the Operating Engineers Federal Credit Union. I wish them much success and many productive years in Kapolei. Read More
In 2007, the State Senate launched a paperless initiative to reduce its use of paper, save money, and adopt "greener" practices. From 2007 to 2010, the Senate has been able to reduce its paper use during the legislative session from 8,328,688 printed pages to 1,543,053 printed pages. This is a whopping 80% reduction and has saved us roughly $350,000. As a result of the Senate's efforts, the U.S. Senate has taken notice, resulting in a teleconference on July 21, 2010 between the Senate Clerk's Office and the U.S. Senate Chief Information Office on the planning and implementation of paperless office practices at their offices in Washington D.C... Read more
I participated in the ground breaking ceremony for the East Kapolei Fire Station on July 19th. The new fire station will be located across the street from the existing headquarters of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands at the corner of Kinoiki and Kamokuiki streets.
The fire station will be the Honolulu Fire Department's first regional fire station and will include an engine company and a ladder company with a total of 30 personnel. It will serve the eastern portion of downtown Kapolei, the Villages of Kapolei, Kapolei Knolls, Malanai, the Kapolei Golf Course, the Makakilo Quarry, UH West Oahu, East Kapolei (Phases I and II), the western portion of Ewa Villages, and the central portion of Kalaeloa... Read more
Roosevelt Avenue Improvements
A constituent recently contacted me to ask if there were any plans to improve Roosevelt Avenue, because he was noticing a lot of potholes. We checked with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on whether they had plans to resurface Roosevelt Avenue. The short answer is that DOT doesn't have plans to resurface this road. However, they do plan to do some improvements, including patching the potholes. Their crew has been reviewing the roadway since July and will begin work in September... Read more