AGRICULTURE
SB774 HB509	Classification of Agricultural Lands; Taro Lands: Creates a classification of agricultural public lands entitled “taro lands”. Appropriates funds to the board of land and natural resources to create an inventory of lands classified as taro lands.
SB775 HB1427	Temporary Shelters; Agricultural Land: Permits temporary shelters on lands in the agricultural district.

COMMERCE AND CONSUMER PROTECTION
SB776 HB1266	Insurance; First Party Claims; Prompt Payment; Unfair Claim Settlement Practices; Makes an insurer's failure to pay a claimant, in a first party insurance claim, an amount the insurer deems fair within thirty days of a demand for payment of the claim an unfair claim settlement practice.
SB772	Public Utilities Commission; Disclosure Requirements: Requires utilities seeking to hire a public utilities commission employee or recent employee to file a notice of contact. Requires that commissioners' financial disclosure statements be posted on the commission website.
SB784	Public Agency Meetings; Notice Requirements; Persons with Disabilities; Accommodations: Requires public notices to provide information, including a point of contact, explaining how to request an accommodation in order to participate at the public meeting. Requires notices that are posted electronically to conform to the applicable provisions under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
SB994 HB380	HPIA; Mandatory Issuance of Policies; Removal of Moratorium: Requires member insurers of HPIA to offer a minimum number of policies proportionate to their market share on properties that are situated in the areas designated for coverage by the insurance commissioner and that have been previously and continuously insured since 06/01/2014. Prohibits HPIA from issuing or continuing a moratorium on issuing policies on those same properties.
SB1193 HB370	HPIA; Policy Renewals; Continued Coverage: Requires member insurers of HPIA to renew policies that were in effect as of 1/1/2014. Provides for continued coverage under an existing HPIA policy upon a transfer in ownership of the property.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
SB1325	Waste Disposal; Contracts; Payments: Requires that all contracts between private entities that include disposal of waste or solid waste include a requirement of proof that the waste was received and disposed of at a licensed facility before payment is made for those contractual services.
SB1323	Biogas; Renewable Gas Portfolio Standards: Requires the public utilities commission to direct public utilities that supply gas to the public to acquire biogas generated from nonfossil fuel sources. Establishes renewable gas portfolio standards for public utilities that sell biogas in the State.
SB777	Public Utilities Commission: Requires the public utilities commission to hold a public hearing prior to issuing an order relating to electric transmission lines in residential neighborhoods, electricity rate cases, and mergers involving electrical utilities.

HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS
SB778	Hawaiian Language Immersion Program; Student Assessments: Requires and appropriates funds for the department of education to establish procedures to develop an assessment of established statewide performance standards for students in the kaiapuni program. Requires reports to the legislature.
SB786 HB1380	Aha Moku Advisory Committee: Appropriates funds for the administration and operation of the aha moku advisory committee and for community outreach.
SB1191	Aha Moku Advisory Committee: Provides that the aha moku advisory committee shall appoint a chair and vice-chair. Permits the committee to hire an executive assistant in lieu of an executive director. Enumerates duties for the positions established.

HEALTH
SB768 HB864	In Vitro Fertilization Procedure Coverage; Infertility Disability: Provides insurance coverage equality for women who are diagnosed with infertility by making available to them expanded treatment options, ensuring adequate and affordable health care services.
SB990	Weed Whacker; Noise Regulations; Additional Restrictions: Makes it unlawful for any non-government entity or agent thereof to operate a weed whacker in or within one hundred feet of a residential zone, except between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on most days. Defines weed whacker.
SB787	Health Insurance; Infertility Procedure Coverage; Auditor: Appropriates funds to the auditor to conduct a study on the effects of requiring insurers to cover infertility procedures.
SB789 HB672	In Vitro Fertilization Procedure Coverage; Infertility Disability: Provides insurance coverage equality for women who are diagnosed with infertility by making available to them expanded treatment options, ensuring adequate and affordable health care services.
SB781 HB673	Embryo, Oocyte, and Sperm Cryopreservation; Insurance: Requires insurance coverage for embryo, oocyte, and sperm cryopreservation procedures to preserve the fertility of adults diagnosed with cancer who have not yet started cancer treatment.

EDUCATION
SB991 HB258	University of Hawaii; College of Education: Requests the auditor to examine the University of Hawaii at Manoa college of education's management of Ho`okulaiwi and its other programs that have ended within the last five fiscal years and submit a written report to the legislature prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.
SB387 HB451	Affirmative Consent; University of Hawaii System: Requires the University of Hawaii system to establish and enforce an affirmative consent standard for all policies and protocols relating to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking as a condition of receiving state funds for student assistance.
SB1195 HB811	UH Hawaii Educational Policy Center: Appropriates moneys for two full- time equivalent graduate assistant positions at the Hawaii educational policy center at UH.

HOUSING
SB763 HB1265	Mobile Home Parks; Low-income; Alternative Housing: Requires and appropriates funds for the department of land and natural resources, in consultation with the department of human services, to establish mobile home parks throughout the State for individuals whose family income is no more than 250 per cent of the federal poverty level. Allows private sector to develop mobile home parks.
SB785 HB1379	Affordable Housing Credit; Hawaiian Home Lands: Makes permanent Act 141, Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, which requires the counties to issue affordable housing credits to DHHL. Makes permanent Act 98, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, which requires the counties to issue affordable housing credits for each residential unit developed by DHHL. Allows credits to be issued for rental units developed by DHHL on a two-credit per one-unit basis and to satisfy affordable housing obligations imposed by the counties, regardless of the date of enactment thereof.
SB1192 HB371	Foreclosures; Asset: Prohibits a mortgage creditor from executing on any asset of the debtor beyond the asset that is secured by the mortgage.
SB392	Women's Legislative Caucus Package; Income Tax Credit: Amends income tax credit for low-income household renters to adjust for inflation. Applies to taxable years beginning after 12/31/2015.

HUMAN SERVICES
SB1327 HB1239	Compacts of Free Association; Health Care: Requires the State to pay costs assessed on low-income Compacts of Free Association residents and other lawfully present legal permanent residents who receive health care through the Hawaii Health Connector and would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid except for their citizenship status. Requires the Department of Human Services to engage in community outreach.
SB992	Native Hawaiians; Child Welfare Act; Child Custody: Creates the Native Hawaiian Welfare Act establishing the na kupuna tribunal which is granted exclusive jurisdiction over child custody proceedings involving Native Hawaiian children. Establishes a one-year pilot project prior to full implementation of the Act.

HUMAN SERVICES

SB1327

HB1239

Compacts of Free Association; Health Care: Requires the State to pay costs assessed on low-income Compacts of Free Association residents and other lawfully present legal permanent residents who receive health care through the Hawaii Health Connector and would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid except for their citizenship status. Requires the Department of Human Services to engage in community outreach.

SB992

Native Hawaiians; Child Welfare Act; Child Custody: Creates the Native Hawaiian Welfare Act establishing the na kupuna tribunal which is granted exclusive jurisdiction over child custody proceedings involving Native Hawaiian children. Establishes a one-year pilot project prior to full implementation of the Act.

JUDICIARY
SB764 HB309	Instructions to Jury: Allows the court to instruct the jury that the jury shall consider the prosecution's failure to disclose information or materials as required by the Hawaii rules of penal procedure as relevant in its deliberations to determine whether or not there is reasonable doubt.
SB779 HB1157	District Courts; Civil Actions: Raises the district courts' jurisdictional limit for civil actions involving specific performance.
SB1194 HB567	State Ethics Commission; Online Access: Requires the electronic filing of lobbyist disclosure statements. Requires that the filed statements be posted online.

LABOR
SB766 HB215	Workers' Compensation; Independent Medical Examination: Requires that a physician selected and paid for by an employer to conduct a medical examination for workers' compensation purposes shall be actively treating at least ten patients in a one-month period; be actively treating at least 50 per cent of the physician's total patient load in a one-month period; and possess medical malpractice insurance. Defines "actively treating."
SB780 HB35	Taxation; Employee Benefits; Deduction: Limits the amount that an employer may deduct for benefits provided to an employee to 50 times the State's median household income.
SB1324 HB1370	Employees' Retirement System Benefits; Direct Payment to Former Spouse; Divorce: Provides statutory authority for the employees' retirement system administrator to make direct payment to a former spouse of a member of benefits or portion thereof pursuant to valid court judgment, order, or decree.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
SB783 HB1381	Mental Health; Firearm Permit Requirements; Psychological Clearance Requirements: Specifies that an additional penalty for refusal to submit to a breath, blood, or urine test and requires the surrender of all firearms and ammunition within possession. Requires firearms permit application forms to be accompanied by an affirmation that neither the applicant nor any family or household member is or has been diagnosed with or treated for certain mental disorders and that if the applicant or family or household member is subsequently diagnosed, the applicant shall lock and secure or surrender all firearms and ammunition within 48 hours. Requires payment of a fine of $50 per day of noncompliance with the requirement to lock and secure, or surrender, firearms and ammunition within 48 hours. Specifies failure to pay child or spousal support as a good cause for revocation of a firearm permit or license.
SB771 HB310	Law Enforcement Search Powers; Voluntary and Informed Consent: Requires law enforcement officers and officers of justice to request and obtain a person's voluntary and informed consent prior to conducting a search of the person, the person's belongings, the person's residence, or the person's vehicle when conducting the search without a search warrant. Provides an exception for law enforcement officers or officers of justice who have probable cause to believe that a person is armed and presents a danger to the officer's safety.
SB773	Animal Cruelty; Slaughter or Trafficking of Pet Animals for Human Consumption: Prohibits the slaughter or trafficking of pet animals' for human consumption. Specifies that a "pet animal" shall include all dogs and cats.

TRANSPORTATION
SB769 HB1446	Farrington Highway; Feasibility Study: Appropriates moneys for the director of transportation to conduct a feasibility study regarding the establishment of a fifth lane of travel on the ocean side of Farrington highway in Nanakuli from Kahe point to Mohihi street, to be used for contraflow during rush hour and requiring relocation of the existing railroad.
SB770	Farrington Highway Realignment: Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriates funds for planning and construction for the realignment of Farrington highway mauka of the Makaha beach area of Oahu.
SB767 HB646	Motor Vehicles; Reconstructed: Repeals the requirement for special inspection and certification of reconstructed vehicles prior to operation upon a public highway.
SB765 HB216	Uninsured Motorist; Underinsured Motorist; Prompt Claims Payment: Requires an insurer in a claim under uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage to pay to the claimant an amount the insurer deems reasonable within thirty days of a demand for payment of the claim. Requires any undisputed amount paid to a claimant to be disclosed to the arbitrator or judge and deducted from the amount of any judgment or award.

Opening Day 2015 Photos: Senator Maile Shimabukuro

The Opening Day of the Twenty-Eighth Legislature was held on January 21, 2015. Staff, friends, family, and supporters joined Senator Shimabukuro to celebrate the occasion. Former aide, Wally Inglis, who worked with the senator for most of her political career, stopped by to say hello. Longtime family friends Rolando and Susan Cruz, who now live in San Diego, also stopped by with their granddaughter, Ciena Jadu, who is now attending UH-Manoa.

NANAKULI HIGH SCHOOL GOLDEN HAWKS PARADE OF CHAMPIONS

Sen. Maile Shimabukuro to present Senate congratulatory certificates

The Nanakuli community on Saturday, November 22 will come together to congratulate the Golden Hawks champions and achievement players at the Parade of Champions scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The parade will start at Nanakuli High School and Intermediate (NHIS) parking lot, through Nanakuli Town-Farrington Highway, ending at Lualualei PVT Landfill Company.

Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, who represents the Leeward Coast, will present two congratulatory certificates on behalf of the Hawaii State Senate to NHIS Golden Hawks Varsity Football Team and NHIS Lady Hawks Junior Varsity Girls Softball Team, both winning their respective 2014 Oahu Interscholastic Association Division II Championships.

"These young athletes, led by their dedicated coaches, persevered both on and off the fields this season," said Shimabukuro. "We are all so very proud of them and their victories, in academics, in sports and in their teamwork."

HPD CHIEF CANCELS MEETING WITH HAWAII WOMEN'S LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS AND WOMEN HONOLULU CITY COUNCILMEMBERS

The Hawaii Women's Legislative Caucus today announced that they received a call from the Honolulu Police Department's (HPD) Chief of Police's office canceling Thursday's meeting with the Women's State Legislative Caucus and three women members of the Honolulu City Council.

A representative of the Women's Caucus spoke with the office of Chief of Police Louis M. Kealoha to ask that the commitment to meet with the women on Thursday be honored.

"The purpose of Thursday's meeting was for the Women's Legislative Caucus and the three women city councilmembers to have the opportunity to speak with Chief Kealoha directly," said Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, a member of the Women's Caucus. "We hoped to work cooperatively with the police to strengthen efforts to end domestic violence and keep victims safe. We wanted to discuss concerns and questions about HPD's internal policies and procedures regarding domestic violence cases, especially when one of their own officers is a suspect that has been brought to us by victims' service providers."

"The Women's Legislative Caucus and women Honolulu City Councilmembers asked for the opportunity to discuss these issues with Chief Kealoha prior to the public informational briefing so that he could be prepared to respond fully in public, and to, hopefully, open the door to improved partnerships and outcomes in domestic violence cases," said Senate President Kim.

A representative of the Women's Caucus was told the meeting was cancelled because the internal investigation was not yet completed. "We made it clear that the Women's Caucus understands that personnel investigations are confidential and that we have no intention of interfering in that matter," stated Senator Laura Thielen, a member of the Women's Caucus. "We told Chief Kealoha's office that our concern and our meeting is to be focused on the broader HPD policies and response to domestic violence incidents."

The cancellation was completely unexpected. "Many of us rearranged our schedules to suit the Police Chief's requested meeting date and time. We are disappointed at his unexpected cancellation," stated Senate President Kim. "We sincerely hope this is not a sign of the lack of importance the department places on the issue of domestic violence. But it's perplexing to us why he would cancel such an important meeting with so many women leaders."

View the news release

Hawaii Women's Legislative Caucus calls for accountability of HPD in extreme domestic violence case involving its officers

Following the public release of a surveillance video showing a Honolulu Police Department (HPD) sergeant allegedly brutally beating his girlfriend in a Waipahu restaurant, the Hawaii Women's State Legislative Caucus and the three women members of the Honolulu City Council are calling on HPD to explain its policies and procedures for handling criminal actions involving its own officers and how the failure to act that occurred earlier this week is not repeated.

According to reports, HPD officers responding to the scene did not arrest the sergeant, nor did they file any reports of the incident that night. It was only on the following day, after a citizen provided HPD and the press with the surveillance video, that HPD took action to remove the sergeant of his police powers and begin an internal investigation into the incident, according to a Hawaii News Now report.

The Joint Women's Legislative Caucus and City Council members released the following statement:

"We are calling for a meeting with the Chief of Police, followed by an informational briefing with the Honolulu Police Department and Police Commission. The public has a right to know the department's policies and procedures for response to domestic violence or any other crimes when the offender is a police officer, particularly one who serves in a supervisory role.

"HPD officials must explain to the public why the alleged assailant was not charged and arrested given evidence of probable cause, including multiple witnesses who had to come to the woman's aide and a video surveillance depicting the appalling domestic violence assault.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that HPD officers chose not to enforce our domestic violence laws. The fact that the woman denied the incident is to be expected under the circumstances. Indeed, the responding officers' failure to take action clearly communicated that her safety will not be protected by them. If similar situations have occurred in the past, any victim of violence would deny it out of fear of retaliation.

"This incident sends a dark message to victims of domestic violence and all residents of Oahu, that members of HPD, who are supposed to serve and protect, may turn a blind eye to domestic violence or other criminal acts committed by of one of their officers.

"The integrity of HPD has been mired and trust has been lost. We demand public accountability."

View the news release

Maile in the News

Lawmakers consider extension to child sex abuse lawsuit deadline (KHON2)

By Jai Cunninghman | Read this story on KHON2.com

A large amount of legal paperwork is being filed seeking civil damages in sex assaults alleged to have happened decades ago.

The court filings come as the deadline approaches for an exemption on the statute of limitations regarding a victim of child sexual abuse to file a lawsuit against his or her alleged abuser.

"The window closes on April 24, and so I'm sure that's why these plaintiffs are scrambling to get lawsuits filed in time," said state Sen. Maile Shimabukuro (D-Waianae, Makaha, Makua).

The clerks office at Circuit Court has processed six lawsuits filed in the last two days.

"It does concern me that with the deadline closing tomorrow, that there are many, many more out there, who are just going to run out of time," said Shimabukuro.

Lawmakers are now mulling over extending the deadline.

"What we may end up having to do is give the Governor two different options - one that is more conservative, two years, and the other one that is five or more years extended on," Shimabukuro said.

Shimabukuro says going forward, the legislature is also hoping to set an age limit as to when victims can no longer file a sex assault lawsuit, possibly at 55 years old.

"Many people feel as if that is too young," Shimabukuro said. "Many of the victims who are filing are in their 70s, 80s because it has taken them so long to come to terms with the abuse that occurred... We're hoping for some kind of age that is reasonable and gives victims enough time to be able to have the courage to come forward."

Related links: HB2034 | SB2687

Art at the Capitol 2014: What's on Your Wall, Senator Shimabukuro?

Join us for the 6th Annual Art at the Capitol on First Friday in April

Friday, April 4, 2014 | Hawaii State Capitol | 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

The Legislature is opening its office doors for an evening of art, culture and history during downtown Honolulu's First Friday in April. View over 500 works of public art, purchased through the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, showcased in state lawmakers' offices. Talk story with your state lawmakers, mingle with original artists and enjoy entertainment from Hawaii Youth Symphony. Featured artist: Otto Piene, kinetic sculptor who created the "Sun" and "Moon" chandeliers in the House and Senate chambers. A pre-recorded interview with Piene will be shown in Room 423.

4:30 p.m. - Program will start on the 3rd Floor
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - Self guided tour of the participating offices
Admission: FREE

For more information call (808) 586-6460 or email artatthecapitol@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Capitol Commentary: Senator Maile Shimabukuro

Opening Day 2014 Photos

Kamehameha Schools students participated in the ku‘i kalo (poi pounding) at the Capitol on Opening Day.
Left to right: Isaiah Sabey, Mikah Bertelmann, Sen. Shimabukuro, Hi‘ilani Fujihara-Nagamine, Hulukoa Nunokawa, Kahulu Nunokawa. Hi‘ilani is from the Wai‘anae Coast.

Click here to see Senator Shimabukuro's Opening Day 2014 Photos.

Legislative Committees to Receive Updates on Issues Related to DHHL and OHA

Legislative Committees to Receive Updates on Issues Related to DHHL and OHA

Honolulu- The Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs and the House Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources, and Hawaii Affairs will be conducting a series of informational briefings to receive updates on several emergent issues being addressed by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA).
The briefings will be held on Thursday, November 21, 2013, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the State Capitol conference room 329.

During the briefing the committees and departments will discuss:

Bills signed into law: SB68 (Act 280) and SB1265 (Act 286)

Senate Committee for Tourism/Hawaiian Affairs Split

(AP/Honolulu Star-Advertiser) - The Hawaii State Senate is splitting its committee on tourism and Hawaiian affairs into separate committees for each subject.

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim said in a statement today that the new assignments will give lawmakers better flexibility to focus on the subject areas.

The Tourism Committee will be led by Sen. Gilbert Kalehe, while Sen. Maile Shimabukuro will head the Hawaiian Affairs Committee.

Senate Majority Leader Brickwood Galuteria had been chairman of the combined committee. He says he'll be more effective as a majority leader with his understanding as a committee chairman.

The Senate also announced smaller changes to its commerce and water committees, with Sen. Brian Taniguchi to serve as vice-chairman of the commerce committee and Galuteria to be vice-chairman of the water committee.

Hawaii Women Lawyers' Annual Awards Ceremony on April 5, 2013

On April 5, 2013, Senator Maile Shimabukuro was honored by the Hawaii Women Lawyers (HWL) as the 2012 Outstanding Woman Lawyer of the Year. The following is an excerpt from the HWL event program:

"HWL recognizes Senator Maile Shimabukuro as the 2012 Women Lawyer of the Year for her introduction and passage of significant legislation which will assist victims of childhood sexual abuse. In 2012, Senator Shimabukuro introduced legislation which would extend the statute of limitations for civil actions brought by persons subjected to sexual offenses as a minor against the person who committed the act. Signed by Governor Abercrombie on April 24, 2012, the act now gives some measure of hope and remedy for individuals who were victimized and traumatized by abuse in their formative years...and have been forced to bear this burden far into adulthood. It increases the time limit to bring these civil lawsuits going forward to 8 years from when the victim turns 18, or 3 years from when the victim realizes his/her injury is due to sexual offense. It also created a civil window for victims of child sex abuse until April 2014 to file a lawsuit without regard to the statute of limitations.

"The passage of the act received national attention, including mention in an editorial in the New York Times, which stated that, Governor Cuomo's "strong leadership will be needed if New York is to match Hawaii's accomplishment any time soon." "

Maile with family and friends. Front row, L-R: James Nakano, Maile holding her son Keani, Shayne Sakoda holding his son Tyce and daughter Jaedyn; 2nd row, L-R: Jennifer Waihe‘e-Polk, Mihoko Nakano, Nalani Fujimori Kaina, Kurt, Kekai Sakoda, Brittany Hamilton, Chris Sakoda, Dawn. 3rd row, L-R: Kristine Yoo, Mark Forman, James Kaina, Jay Waihe‘e-Polk

Hawaii Women Lawyers President Nalani Fujimori Kaina, Maile, and Adriana Ramelli, Executive Director of the
Sex Abuse Treatment Center

Senator Governor Neil Abercrombie congratulated Maile (Photo courtesy: Gov. Neil Abercrombie)

WAI‘ANAE HIGH SCHOOL'S SEARIDER PRODUCTIONS DIGITAL MEDIA PROGRAM HONORED BY LEGISLATURE

The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that are recognized centers of educational excellence and leadership. The selection of Waianae High School's Searider Productions Digital program highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful, innovative implementations of technology.

Speech delivered by Senator Shimabukuro on 4/2/13:
Aloha and good morning!

Today I am honored to recognize Wai‘anae High School's Searider Productions' Digital Program, which recently received Apple's Distinguished Program Award.

The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that are recognized centers of educational excellence and leadership. The selection of Searider Productions' Digital program highlights its successes in enhancing and extending teaching and learning with thoughtful, innovative implementations of technology.

Through the implementation of Apple technology, students have been provided with innovative and highly interactive learning opportunities that focus on mastering contemporary digital media and computer technologies.

Searider Digital students are able to explore areas such as video production, internet journalism & social media, graphic arts & design, 2D & 3D computer modeling, and interactive media creation & design.

A key organizing principle is the integration of real-world work assignments into the learning experience and formal curriculum. Students have had the opportunity to work on projects for private, public and non-profit organizations.

Students have also entered various digital media contests and have been recognized nationally and locally for their work.

Although the Searider Productions program is constantly growing and incorporating new and innovative approaches to stay current, it always remains true to its original roots and its ultimate goal of preparing students for success in school, work and life. Through the implementation of innovative Apple technologies, students are able to showcase their digital media skills and are better prepared for higher education, employment and entrepreneurship in digital media-related industries.

I'd like to introduce the individuals representing the Searider Digital Program today, both on the floor and in the gallery. Please stand and be recognized when I announce your name, and I ask the audience to please hold their applause until the end of their introductions:

Michael O'Connor - Lead Instructor
Searider Digital student Jacoby Cid
Searider Digital student Schae-Leigh Nii

And, in the gallery:
26 STUDENTS FROM SEARIDER DIGITAL CLASSES
Searider Digital Teachers - Na‘a Makekau & Curtis Furumoto
Apple Representatives - Nani Daniels and Pete Vraspir
Searider Productions Executive Director - Candy Suiso
Wai‘anae High principal - Nelson Shigeta

Academy Vice Principal - Kevin Matsuba
Academy counselor - Shane Nakamura
Leeward District CAS - Ann Mahi

I ask my colleagues in the Hawaii State Senate and the audience to join me in applauding the teachers and students of the Waianae High School Searider Productions Digital program for their achievement in being designated as an Apple Distinguished Program.

U.S Navy Recognized for its Hawaiian Cultural Stewardship and Renewable Energy Initiatives

My Speech Honoring the Navy:

Aloha and good morning!

Today I am honored to recognize the United States Navy for their achievements in promoting environmental and Hawaiian cultural stewardship in the State of Hawai‘i, and leading the way to energy security through a number of renewable energy initiatives.

The Navy is thankful for the cultural sharing opportunities available by gratefully accepting invitations to and attending the Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo virtually every year since 1964. They also host Makahiki events at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam which the Navy has co-sponsored with the O‘ahu Council of Hawaiian Civic Clubs for the past ten years.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam partnered with City, State, Local Legislators, Army Corps of Engineers, Private Businesses and Community Based Organizations to mitigate flooding in Nanakuli and Kapolei, and to reduce dust and prevent fires in the area of Lualualei.

They continue their partnership with Ka‘ala Farm, Nanakuli High School, and Kamehameha Schools in clearing brush from Ni‘oi‘ula Heiau. They have rendered it visible and accessible, and allowed for the education and cultural awareness of the many students whose kupuna have lived there for generations.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam partners with the community, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Hawaii Air National Guard, military and Department of Defense families in the annual National Public Lands Day event. The group maintains the Halealoha Haleamau Burial Platform and removes invasive Pickleweed, and outplants native Hawaiian plant species at Ahua Reef.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam also partnered with various groups to beautify many areas surrounding Navy property, including the Pearl Harbor Bike Path, Nimitz and White Plains Beaches in Kalaeloa, and Pouhala Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary.

Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam further promotes environmental stewardship by utilizing photovoltaic arrays to lower energy costs in support of U.S. Navy and Department of Defense initiatives, and operating a fuel oil reclamation facility to reduce disposal costs and dependence on foreign oil. They were recently recognized as best in the Navy for energy and water efficiency.

The Kauai Pacific Missile Range Facility (or PMRF), and its partnership with Ke Kula Ni‘ihau O Kekaha sustains the educational display of habitat types that existed on the Mana Plain prior to western contact. The partnership also supports educational programs that include remotely piloted water craft and model rockets developed by Kaua‘i students.

PMRF has managed light sources to reduce potential for harm to the Newell's Shearwater and Hawaiian Petrel, both listed by the Endangered Species Act. They have combined wildlife protection and energy savings by replacing light fixtures that reduce both energy consumption and harmful distraction to birds. PMRF continues its partnership with numerous agencies and volunteers to enhance the survival of Laysan Albatross populations located at the facility.

The essence of "Aloha Spirit" is epitomized by the selfless efforts and leadership of our honored guests here with us today. On a personal note, I was raised in large part by my step-grandfather, Fred Calkins. Both he and his son, Fred Jr., served in the Navy for many years. So I am especially greatful for this opportunity to give much deserved recognition to the excellent community service provided by our Navy.

Will the special guests please stand when I announce your name to be recognized, and I ask the audience to please hold their applause until the end of all the introductions:

Window for Child Sex Abuse Cases

A new blog has been published (sb2588act68.wordpress.com) dedicated to news surrounding SB2588/Act 68, which I authored in 2012, which extends the statute of limitations for filing civil lawsuits for child sex abuse cases.

Senate Spotlight Featuring Senator Maile Shimabukuro

Article: Repeal drug mandatory minimums

Maile introduced SB 68 Relating to Sentencing:
Allows judges discretion in setting incarceration terms when sentencing drug offenders in certain class B and class C felony cases to make the length of the sentence proportionate to the offense and related conduct. Excludes certain offenses.

Repeal drug mandatory minimums
(Originally published on StarAdvertiser.com, February 18, 2013)

Hawaii is one of the nation's safest states from violent crime but prison walls have been spilling over to Arizona because of another policy: mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses. A federal sentencing commission determined two years ago that such sentencing rules are "excessively severe" and studies in Hawaii agree. Putting offenders behind bars for a requisite period in drug cases is harsh, futile and expensive, and state legislators should put the mandate aside.

Congress approved mandatory minimum sentences as part of the "war on drugs" in the 1970s. Hawaii passed its mandatory minimum for drug offenders in 1986 and so did most other states. By the 1990s, then-U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist acknowledged that those measures were "perhaps a good example of the law of unintended consequences."

Mandatory minimum sentencing laws eliminate judicial discretion, testified Kat Brady of the Community Alliance on Prisons at the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, which voted to advance the bill last week. "These laws are problematic because they tie the courts' hands and mandate longer prison sentences, regardless of whether the court believes the punishment is appropriate, based on the circumstances and facts of the case."

In Hawaii, drug offenders convicted of possessing a certain amount of drugs, a Class B felony, are sentenced to the minimum prison term of five years for possessing a certain amount of "dangerous" drugs, while distributing it to a minor is a Class A, which would automatically end with 10 years imprisonment.

But is that offense such a danger to society? Actually, in a 2006 case study in Hawaii, 97.6 percent of the drug offenses were not violent or personal crimes. The average drug offender spends an average of 39 months in prison, costing taxpayers an average of $85,000 per drug offender, according to a 2009 study by Thomas E. Lengyel of the American Human Association in Denver and University of Hawaii-Hilo sociology associate professor Marilyn Brown.

Lengyel and Brown figure that the net cost to the state for the 197 drug offenders' total prison terms upon their release in 2006 had come to $15.6 million. "The cost of incarcerating drug offenders greatly exceeds the corresponding social benefit," they concluded.

Many states now recognize that an expenditure is better focused on substance abuse programs than on lengthy imprisonment. The National Council of Sate Legislatures has concluded that sentences should reflect "the harm caused, the effects on the victim and the community and the rehabilitative needs of the offender." Mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses don't do that and should be eliminated, in favor of judicial discretion and refining justice

Ka Pa‘alana Visits Capitol

On February 12, 2013, children and parents from Ka Pa‘alana traveling preschool visited the Capitol.

For more information about the preschool, click here.

K-9 Kokua Dog Rescue Adovcates Visit Maile on Humane Lobby Day

K-9 Kokua dog rescue advocates from the Wai‘anae Coast visited Maile on 2/8/13, "Humane Lobby Day." The advocates are supporting various animal cruelty and puppy mill bills, such as SBs 7, 8, 9, and 414. For more information, visit: http://www.k9kokua.org/.

Front Row: Catherine Lathrop, Kale Lyman, Sen. Shimabukuro.
Back Row: Jae Bonarek and Adam Moran.


Interns Ana (right) & Nohealani (left) giving the moment of contemplation before the start of session.	Senator Shimabukuro with Victor Flint, Community Plans & Liason Officer	Rear Admiral Fernandez L. 'Frank' Ponds, Commander, of the Navy Region Hawaii, handed me a Commander coin after todays floor presentation.

Senator Shimabukuro with Tom Clements, Public Affairs Outreach Manager	L-R: Grace Hew Len, Victor Flint, Janice Fukawa	Lunch is served. Catered by Mark Ka‘aha‘aina of Ka‘aha‘aina Cafe in Waianae

Left to Right: Lt. Col. Benito Barron, Master Chief David Aguilera, Chief Master Sgt. Charles Orf and Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Hurst	Commander coin	Guess which hat belongs to Rear Admiral Frank Ponds.

Senator Maile Shimabukuro's 2015 Bill List