Government Affairs Update
April 4, 2008
Friday, April 4 is the second "decking deadline" whereby a bill must be passed out of the final committee before the House and Senate discuss the merits and work out their differences.
Refer to the testimonies section to see which bills are still alive and which are no longer viable for passage.
BILLS OF INTEREST
Sunrise Analysis of Creating a Condominium Commission
In 2007, Senate Concurrent Resolution 160 requested that the Auditor conduct a sunrise analysis of creating a condominium commission in the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA). The Auditor's report and recommendation have been published.
View the report:
http://hawaii.gov/auditor/Reports/2008/08-07.pdf
Restricting Uses on Agricultural Lands
S.B. 546 was revived from the 2007 session and was slated for a hearing. HAR submitted testimony in opposition to provisions in the bill that 1) changes the minimum lot size from one-half acre to one acre in rural districts; 2) Establishes a minimum lot size of five acres in an agricultural district; and 3) Allows for the clustering of dwelling units in rural and agricultural districts as long as the maximum density limitation for each respective district is not diminished.
The committee passed the bill with amendments, which is more palatable.
2008 ELECTION FEVER
Another news, thanks to the Honolulu Advertiser.
Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23rd (Käneohe, Kahuku), picked up an important endorsement from Unite Here! Local 5, which represents about 12,000 hotel and healthcare workers.
Reb Bellinger, a former state representative and vice president of Makai Ocean Engineering, has pulled papers for a potential primary challenge against Hee.
For the most current and detailed information on bills, go to http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov for bill status and descriptions.