Senate Committee on Labor and House Committee on Labor & Public Employment yesterday held a joint informational briefing to explore questions that have arisen over the Hawaii Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) and Hawaii Occupational Safety & Health Division’s (HIOSH) investigation into the death of a worker in the collapse of a Hawaiian Cement tower at Campbell Industrial Park in May, 2009.

HIOSH issued $750 fines each to AG Transport, a contractor hired to demolish the tower, and the general contractor Sans Construction of Hawaii, for violating safety rules.

In a letter to DLIR director Darwin Ching dated May 11, Senate Labor chair Dwight Takamine and House Labor & Public Employment chair Karl Rhoads said, “Such fines appear rather small, considering that statutorily you have the authority to fine up to $7,000. Moreover, we are concerned that these small fines will fail to act as a deterrent to others that endanger worker safety.”

“We want some clarity on how the DLIR and its director determined the fine,” said Sen. Takamine. “The companies failed to provide a required, written engineering survey of the tower that they were supposed to have before starting work. The result was a fatal accident. How does this warrant a $750 fine?”

“One purpose of the statutory fine is to encourage contractors to follow the safety rules,” said Rep. Rhoads. “A small fine is not a deterrent, particularly when you consider that their failure to follow the established safety standards apparently led to exactly the kind of accident the standards are intended to protect against.”

“DLIR, HIOSH and Director Darwin Ching may have their reasons for imposing a fine far below the maximum allowed by law,” Senator Takamine concluded, “but their reasoning is not clear to us. We think they should explain their decision, for the sake of Hawaii’s workers, for the man who lost his life, and for his family.”

Killed in the May 2009 collapse was Juan Navarro of California, who was preparing the 168-foot tower for demolition at the time of the collapse. He was an employee of AG Transport.

Senators Hanabusa and Taniguchi presented the `Iolani School Orchestra with a certificate of achievement

The Senate and House of Representatives today honored the `Iolani School Select Middle School Orchestra on the floor today during their respective sesssion.

`Iolani School Select Middle School Orchestra recently took top honors at the American String Teacher’s Association’s 2010 National Orchestra Festival in Santa Clara, California. `Iolani was one of six middle school orchestras from around the nation that were chosen to compete in the Middle School Orchestra division.  This was their first application to a national event.

The National Orchestra Festival is an annual event bringing together orchestras from around the nation and providing a performance opportunity in a national setting.  Seventeen orchestras from several states attended this year’s competition.

The ‘Iolani orchestra is under the direction of Orchestra Director Katharine Hafner and Assistant Orchestra Director Joan Wehrman.

Parents against furlough Fridays Rally at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, October 23, 2009.

Senate President Colleen Hanabusa today announced that a Special Committee of the Hawai‘i State Senate will convene to consider the options available to address the question of teacher furloughs.

“I am proud that my colleagues are stepping up with a battery of ideas to solve the teacher furlough problem,” said Senator Hanabusa, “but every option raises questions. We need to look at not only whether money is available, but how we can ensure that any money we appropriate gets released by the governor and goes to education. We also need to answer some fundamental questions about whether any action we take will interfere with a collectively bargained agreement between the state, the DOE, and the teachers’ union. The right to collective bargaining is guaranteed in our state Constitution, so this is a significant concern.”

Hanabusa added that, “The worst thing we can do is build false hopes. We need to act responsibly. This is a complicated situation and a lot of different parties will have to come together to work out a solution. But this committee will get the ball rolling.”

The Senate Special Committee on Education Funding will be chaired by Senator Brian Taniguchi, and include Senators Will Espero (Vice-chair), David Ige, Dwight Takamine, Jill Tokuda, and Shan Tsutsui, along with Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings. “If other Senators would like to sit in on the committee hearings, they may,” Hanabusa said.

Senator Hemmings is looking forward to working with the committee. “I am most pleased as Senate Minority Leader that the Senate President is looking for ways to get kids back to school. I think this is certainly an issue where reasonable people can work together to find reasonable solutions.”

Senator Espero, the committee’s Vice-chair, believes immediate action is required. “The loss of seventeen classroom days is unacceptable and embarrassing,” he said. “We have a responsibility to take action and address the situation for the sake of our children, and I believe we have the means to do so.

The committee’s primary goal will be to review the variety of approaches that have been proposed to end the teacher furloughs. The committee will also consider whether to recommend that the legislature return for a Special Session before the regular session that will convene in January.

“The Senate cannot call a Special Session on its own,” Hanabusa said. “That takes the concurrence of two-thirds of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. But we can make a recommendation, and I believe the committee will do so.”

Hanabusa also pointed out that a successful Special Session would rely on the cooperation of other interests. “We need to keep in mind that given the threat of a veto and potential legal challenges to any interference in a contract that is the product of collective bargaining, a Special Session only makes sense if we can get all parties—the administration, the DOE, and the HSTA—to the table and agree, at least in principle, with what we plan to do. Otherwise, we would be raising false hopes and expending state resources on a futile effort.”

The committee will release its hearing schedule at later this week.

The Hawai‘i State Senate will open its doors for April’s First Friday event, inviting the public to view “Art at the Capitol,” works of art that are a part of the State’s Art in Public Places program. Visitors will have an opportunity to view over 175 works of art, while also enjoying entertainment featuring the Hawaii Youth Symphony. This marks the first time the State Capitol will participate in a First Friday event.

“We have some outstanding art in the Capitol,” said Senator Brian Taniguchi, who has led efforts to open the Capitol on First Friday. “Most are in places where the public sees them on a day-to-day basis, but we wanted to make it more convenient for people to come in and see them all at once, to get the full impact of our collection.”

Ronald Yamakawa, Executive Director of the Hawai‘i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, also sees the Art at the Capitol event as a way to expand public appreciation of art in various environments. “We have a lot of art installed at the Capitol,” he said, “which not only enhances the building’s atmosphere, but also shows that the experience of art can be an everyday event. This is a great opportunity for the public to view these works in the context of working offices.”

The Art at the Capitol event will also feature an opportunity to meet some of the artists whose works are on display, including renowned painter and scupltor Satoru Abe.

Works of art are placed in public areas of the State Capitol as part of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts’ “Art in Public Places” program, which seeks to enhance the environmental quality of state public buildiings and spaces for the enjoyment and enrichment of the public; cultivate the public’s awareness, understanding and appreciation of visual arts; contribute toward the development and recognition of a profressional artistic community; and acquire, preserve, and display works of art expressive of the character of the Hawaiian Islands, the multicultural heritage of its people, and the various creative interests of its artists. The program was establlished in 1967, and was the first program of its kind in the nation.

WHEN:     First Friday, April 3, 2009  @  4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

WHERE:    Hawaii State Capitol
Senate offices on the 2nd & 4th floors
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

ADMISSION:   FREE

For more information, contact Senator Taniguchi’s office at (808) 586-6460.

On Thursday, February 26, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Senators Brian Taniguchi and Carol Fukunaga, Representatives Scott Nishimoto, Scott Saiki, and Isaac Choy, and Councilmember Duke Bainum will conduct a meeting at the McCully-Moiliili Public Library, 2211 South King Street.

On Saturday, February 28, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Senator Brian Taniguchi, Representative Isaac Choy, and Councilmember Duke Bainum will meet with the public at the Noelani Elementary School, 2655 Woodlawn Drive.

SB 1086 Relating to Pet Animals
Amends the family court temporary restraining order statute to include care and treatment of pets.

SB 488 Relating to Animal Cruelty
Prohibits the tethering or restraining of companion animals unless certain circumstances exist.

SB 1194 Relating to Offenses Against Public Order
Prohibits possession of gaff designed to be attached to gamecock or other fighting fowl.

SB 763 Relating to Cruelty to Animals
Repeals existing prohibition against dog fighting and enacts more comprehensive prohibitions of dog fighting and related conduct. Provides enhanced penalties.

SB 1176 Relating to Dangerous Dogs
Prohibits the owner of a dangerous dog from allowing the dog to roam freely without supervision. Authorizes an animal control officer to investigate complaints regarding dangerous dogs, to pick up freely roaming dangerous dogs, and to issue citations. Establishes penalties for owners who fail to adequately supervise dangerous dogs. Requires owners of dangerous dogs to obtain liability insurance if the dog is found to be inadequately supervised.

SB 1188 Relating to Animals
Prohibits the unreasonable or unsafe restraint of dogs and cats.

SB 1222 Relating to the Humane Treatment of Pet Animals
Prohibits the confinement of a pet animal on public property (with certain exceptions) and amends the law on animal hoarding.

Senator Brian T. Taniguchi yesterday hosted and recognized eleven members of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly at the State Capitol. President Toshihiro Hiyama of the Hiroshima Prefectural Assembly and his fellow members are in Honolulu this week to promote their sister-state relationship with the State of Hawai`i.

Nearly twelve years ago, on May 30, 1997, a sister-state relationship was formed to promote friendship, cultural ties, and goodwill between our state and the Hiroshima Prefecture. Since then, leaders in the sister states have worked collaboratively to strengthen this bond through numerous cultural, educational and commercial exchanges.

Senator Taniguchi, whose paternal grandparents hail from Hiroshima, recalls spending one year following sixth grade living with his grandfather in a small town called Tanna. He applauded Mr. Hiyama and fellow members’ efforts to explore future exchanges and stated, “We are looking forward to meeting to discuss potential initiatives which we can jointly support.”  

The measure follows on the heels of two recent pit bull attacks this year. Just yesterday, a woman was taken to the hospital for injuries she suffered from an alleged attack by two pit bulls in Kapolei. Two weeks ago, a police detective reported an attack from a 70 pound pit bull that was released by its owner during an altercation in Kapahulu.

Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who introduced SB 79 Relating to Dogs “by request”, admits that she does not think this will be a bill with a high priority this session. SB 79 has been referred to the Judiciary committee, chaired by Senator Brian T. Taniguchi, and has yet to be scheduled.

While opponents of the bill understand the intent of this bill, they say it will set a dangerous precedent. They also say that pit bulls are not the vicious attack dogs they are made out to be but instead, suffer from a bad reputation.  

Other options could include looking at tougher leash laws.

For your perusal, here is an article in the Advertiser and the full text of SB 79.