Bill extends GET support on Oahu, raises TAT one percent, provides needed accountability Honolulu, Hawaii – In order to provide the City and County of Honolulu with the funding to complete its $8.2 billion rail project House and Senate Committee Chairs have drafted a bill to be considered during a special legislative session next week. The proposed bill will: Extend the general excise tax surcharge on Oahu for three additional years, from December 31, 2027 through December 31, 2030. This will provide $1.046 billion. Raise the hotel room tax charged to visitors (Transient Accommodation Tax) by one percent from 9.25 percent to 10.25 percent for 13 years, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2030. This also applies to timeshares. This will provide $1.326 billion. The current method of collecting the hotel room tax remains the same. It is collected statewide and goes directly into the general fund, not to the island where it is collected. Each county receives a specified amount of the tax regardless of total amounts collected. Raising the tax does not change that amount. Permanently increase the counties’ share of the TAT from its current $93 million base to $103 million. Reduce the State Department of Taxation’s administrative fee on the GET surcharge from 10 percent to one percent. Require a state run audit of the rail project and annual financial reviews. The bill also provides that funds collected for rail go into a new Mass Transit Special Fund and rather than simply give the money to the City, the State Comptroller will review and disburse the funds to the City for its costs as the project moves forward. This will allow the state to keep track of both spending and construction progress. Currently, the GET surcharge is automatically transferred to the city on a quarterly basis without any oversight. This bill will change that practice to ensure accountability and transparency by having the Comptroller review and approve the expenses before the City and HART are reimbursed. It also establishes better internal control and ensures that waste and fraud does not occur. This bill addresses the immediate rail construction shortfall by collecting funds upfront through a modest TAT increase instead of adding additional years of GET surcharge on the back end. This will likely reduce the financing costs of the project by hundreds of millions of dollars. A rail bill that relies solely on GET will continue to tax the poor and increase the cost to taxpayers in the long term. By including the TAT, visitors will now bear a significant portion of the financing burden. Having these two funding sources for the City and County’s rail project also provides greater security for the project in case either the GET or TAT does not perform as expected. House Speaker Scott K. Saiki (Kakaako, Downtown) said the $2.378 billion funding shortfall package will fund the rail project through Ala Moana and will not jeopardize the $1.55 billion in federal funding. “By working with our colleagues in the Senate, the Legislature has come up with a concrete plan to fund the rail project that will reduce the overall costs while shifting some of the regressive tax burden away from our residents, who are struggling to make ends meet,” Saiki said. “This plan will not have a direct impact on neighbor island county budgets. “We have taken a long look at the rail project and have heard the concerns of residents during our joint public hearing on rail funding this month. This is a critical infrastructure project for Hawaii. We are not giving the City a blank check but instead insisting on audits and financial reviews and expenditures to provide complete transparency for our taxpayers.” Senate President Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau) said, "I want to thank my colleagues and their respective staffs for all of their efforts in developing this proposed compromise draft bill that includes a permanent increase in the counties' share of the TAT from its current $93 million base to $103 million. I am hopeful that this compromise legislation will satisfy the FTA's construction cost concerns as testified to numerous times by the City and County of Honolulu. ### #rail #ronkouchi #DonovanDelaCruz #ColleenHanabusa #HonoluluRail #Rail #KirkCaldwell #ScottSaiki #GET #TAT #brianschatz

The state Department of Education believes its overhaul of how bus companies bid on servicing schools is paying off. Since 2012, the DOE changed how it bid out the school bus contracts. The department said it dramatically reduced the student transportation bill. "Bids came in substantially lower because of the competition in the market," DOE Facilities Assistant Superintendent Dann Carlson said. This year the department is paying nine bus companies $60 million, down $12 million from just a few years ago. But some parents say the savings doesn't make up for big inconveniences this year as driver shortages spurred route consolidations. "It's crazy," said mother Lorena Kashiwamura. "I don't know why DOE does not just figure out something for the safety of our kids. Still, Carlson said the state is now in the driver's seat when it comes to bus contracts. "We tell the contractor these are the routes we want you to drive. It's their job to figure out how to fill them in," he said. In 2012, lawmakers pressured the DOE to slash the cost of bus service by getting more companies to bid. Senator Jill Tokuda was education chair. "We wanted to see increased competition," she said. "We wanted to see good services for our students. That was the bottom line." The DOE is utilizing another tool to trim the bus bill. Daily passenger counts show which routes can be consolidated. "If I have two buses running side-by-side and they are both at 30% capacity it behooves us to combine those and make it into one route," Carlson said. Roberts Hawaii president and CEO Percy Higashi said the DOE's new request for proposals process allowed its bid evaluators to consider other factors besides price. "Yet all of the bidders from the mainland offers were higher than those of the local contractors," he said. Still, Carlson believes the greatest cost savings came from the low-bid system because it brought mainland companies into the mix. One holds a contract for a cluster of routes on the Big Island. "I know that people don't like to hear that we are opening up to the mainland. What it did do is force people to get competitive and to sharpen their pencils," Carlson said. Last year, more than 31,000 public school students in the state rode a school bus every day. The DOE is still tabulating this year's ridership. #LorenaKashiwamura #DOE #PercyHigashi

The Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce ​announced​ it is taking reservations ​for the ​11th Annual Hui Holomua Business Fest, which will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017​.​ This year’s conference will explore the new federal Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act and it’s potential to expand local tourism, spur economic growth and educate visitors about Native culture and history. The keynote speaker at this year’s event will be US Sen. Brian Schatz. Sen. Schatz will address this year’s theme “Ka ʻIkena ʻŌiwi: Native Wisdom,” and the importance of Native-Led Tourism. He will be joined by Native American speaker Ben Sherman, Chairman of the World Indigenous Tourism Alliance; Native Alaskan speaker Celeste Ferguson, Executive Director of the American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association; and Native Hawaiian speaker Ramsay Taum, Founder of Life Enhancement Institute of the Pacific. Hawaiʻi State Senator Brickwood Galuteria will be offer opening remarks about the potential for indigenous tourism programs to increase Native Hawaiian well-being. The NATIVE Act is a bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and John Thune (R-S.D.), that enhances and integrates native tourism, empowers native communities and expands the nation’s unique cultural tourism opportunities. https://mauinow.com/2017/08/14/mnhcoc-accepting-reservations-for-hui-holomua-business-fest/ #MauiNativeHawaiianChamberofCommerce #NativeAmericanTourismandImprovingVisitorExpe #BrianSchatz #WorldIndigenousTourismAlliance #BrickwoodGaluteria #HuiHolomuaBusinessFest #RamsayTaum

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING DATE: Wednesday, August 16, 2017 TIME: 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 noon PLACE: Conference Room 229 State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street A G E N D A The purpose of this joint informational briefing is for local, private and non-profit developers to provide information on past and current projects, challenges faced or facing, and any ideas where the state could assist in building more affordable housing. The following participants are invited to speak: Stanford Carr, President & CEO........................................ Stanford Carr Development David Z. Arakawa, Executive Director............................... Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii Kevin R. Carney, Vice President, Hawaii.......................... EAH Giovanni Mola, Vice President........................................... Coastal Rim Properties Christine Camp, President & CEO..................................... Avalon Group Karen Seddon, Regional Vice President............................ The Michaels Development Company If you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the informational briefing (i.e. ASL or foreign language interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the committee clerk at least 24 hours prior to the briefing so that arrangements can be made. For further information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6360. COMMITTEE ON HOUSING Senator Will Espero, Chair Senator Breene Harimoto, Vice Chair Sen. Kaiali‘i Kahele Sen. Clarence K. Nishihara Sen. Maile S.L. Shimabukuro COMMITTEE ON HOUSING Rep. Tom Brower, Chair Rep. Nadine K. Nakamura, Vice Chair Rep. Henry J.C. Aquino Rep. Joy A. San Buenaventura Rep. Mark J. Hashem Rep. Bob McDermott Rep. Sean Quinlan #Housing #StanfordCarr #DavidArakawa #KevinCarney #GiovanniMola #ChristineCamp #KarenSeddon #kaialiikahele #willespero #breeneharimoto #clarencenishihara #maileshimabukuro

Several neighbor island mayors and county council members told state lawmakers Monday they are opposed to the Legislature taxing their residents and visitors to pay for the over-budget Honolulu rail project. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the City Council leaders said they want the state to allow them to extend Oahu’s half-cent general excise tax surcharge, or GET, another 10 years to 2037 so they can pay for the rail themselves. Still, many members of the state Legislature seemed intent on spreading the cost of Honolulu’s beleaguered rail project to the neighbor islands through an increase in the 9.25 percent statewide surcharge on hotels and lodging of less than 180 days, known as the transient accommodations tax or TAT. During a joint session of House and Senate money and transportation committees, many state lawmakers saw an increase in the TAT as more palatable than GET because it’s paid by tourists more than residents, and hits the poor the least. No decisions were made during the informational hearing Monday. The state is trying to help Oahu make up a $1.4 billion shortfall in the $10 billion project. The Legislature plans an Aug. 28-Sept. 1 special session to try to work out a plan, after House-Senate compromise attempts failed in the regular session earlier this year. A TAT increase of 1 percent statewide could trim more than $1 billion off rail financing costs by allowing less borrowing, said House Finance Committee Chairwoman Sylvia Luke, a Punchbowl Democrat. The rail project’s price tag has ballooned from $3.6 billion in 2006 to $8.2 billion now, or more than $10 billion with the bond costs. “I just don’t get it,” Luke said, apparently exasperated by Caldwell’s insistence that the GET is the better choice. Caldwell and other city officials said they prefer the GET instead of the TAT because it’s a more stable funding source, and also because it’s already approved by the Federal Transit Administration as the rail’s funding source. The FTA is chipping in $1.55 billion for the project. “I support GET and I haven’t wavered from that,” Caldwell said. A statewide increase in the GET surcharge earmarked for the rail didn’t come up during Monday’s discussion, although it was listed as an option in a slideshow for the meeting and could be floated during the special session. Last session, all Big Island House members voted in favor of a conference bill increasing the TAT by 1 percent statewide and giving the money to the Honolulu rail project while raising the cap on the counties’ share to $103 million. The Senate wanted to keep the $93 million cap while allowing Oahu to raise its GET. Maui County Council Chairman Mike White disputed state lawmakers’ contention that a TAT increase wouldn’t hurt county budgets. The issue of TAT already is a sore point for counties, which saw their share capped during the recession and never returned to earlier levels. “Most visitors have a fixed budget for their vacation, and an increase in the room tax will simply lead to less spending on restaurants, retail and activities,” White said. A 1 percent increase in the TAT would send approximately $26.7 million to the state instead of remaining in neighbor island communities, White said. Kauai, Maui and Hawaii counties generate 51 percent of TAT revenues, or $247 million, while Oahu generates 49 percent, or $237 million, according to White. The percentage coming from neighbor islands actually could be much higher. Outrigger Enterprises Group, for example, reports TAT for all its Hawaii properties from its Oahu headquarters, said spokesman Ed Case. That means TAT revenues from seven Oahu properties, six on Maui, four on the Big Island and three on Kauai are all counted as coming from Oahu. It’s not known if other hotel chains also attribute all their TAT as coming from Oahu. Sen. Kai Kahele, D-Hilo, who participated in the hearing, said afterward he supports rail, but he is more convinced than ever that the neighbor islands shouldn’t be funding it. Kahele hosted a public event Saturday in Hilo and said his constituents are strongly opposed to the concept. “They don’t want to go to Kona and stay in a hotel and pay a higher TAT and it go to the rail,” Kahele said. “Taxing all for the benefit of one is not fair,” said Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim in written testimony. “We cannot burden our citizens any more for something that will not benefit them.” Kim, who did not attend the meeting, asked that the Legislature restore some of the county share of the TAT. Just bringing the cap up to $103 million would more than pay for the county’s entire Civil Defense Department, he said. The TAT allocations to the four counties were capped at $93 million annually, with Hawaii County receiving 18.6 percent, or $18.3 million of that amount. Kim’s words were echoed by Kauai County Council Chairman Mel Rapoza. “We don’t have a rail on Kauai,” Rapoza said. “We’ll never have a rail on Kauai. But we do have a homeless problem.” Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa said his county already pays for services that are technically the responsibility of the state. “This is basically a City and County of Honolulu rail system,” Arakawa said. “We spend an extraordinary amount of money, time and resources to do a lot of what the state agencies should do in our county.” All of the Big Island’s House members voted in favor of a 1 percent statewide TAT increase for Honolulu rail in the bill that deadlocked during the recent legislative session. Rep. Cindy Evans, D-Kona, the House majority leader, thinks spreading the rail cost throughout the state is appropriate. Evans, who didn’t speak during the meeting, said Friday that it’s important to look at the big picture. Just as West Hawaii is the economic engine for the county, generating almost 70 percent of the county property tax base, so is Oahu the economic driver for the state, she said. In addition, supporters of the TAT increase say, the state pays for airports and seaports, roads and other facilities within counties. “Rail may appear to be an Oahu issue,” Evans said. “But it will end up helping determine the health of the whole state.” Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com. #AlanArakawa #CityandCountyofHOnolulu #HarryKim #KaiKahele #CindyEvans #MelRapoza #MikeWhite #KirkCaldwell #SylviaLuke

Residents and businesses in North Kona will have to deal with an emergency water restriction for at least a week after another pump failed over the weekend. A contractor started pulling up the massive motor and pump from the Honokohau Deepwell that stopped working on Sunday, affecting nearly 30,000 customers. Since January, four other wells in North Kona have been out of service due to broken motors or pumps. "What's really baffling us is that they're failing in such a short period of time. we don't have an answer," said Keith Okamoto, manager-chief engineer of Hawaii County's Department of Water Supply. "But what we do know is that we can't have pumps and motors only lasting between six months to two years. The latest breakdown means all North Kona customers must restrict their water use to drinking, cooking and hygiene needs only. DWS officials are also suspending accounts for temporary service and irrigation. "For coffee farmers and those that use water for their essential daily needs, no watering during the day, minimize any water overuse," said Okamoto. The community faced the same severe water restriction in late June when the Keauhou Deepwell failed and emergency repairs took place. "There's no excuse to have 5 out of 13 wells down. I don't care what the system is. That's just not something we can tolerate," said state Sen. Josh Green (D-Kona, Kau). Once the damaged equipment from the Honokohau well reaches the surface in a couple of days, crews will install spare parts diverted from a project in Waimea. Okamoto said if nothing else goes wrong, the emergency restriction could be lifted on August 20 or 21. "They're going to have to devote all of their resources to fixing up water for West Hawaii. It won't be cheap, but the consequences of not doing it would be catastrophic," said Green. #HonokohauDeepwell #KeithOkamoto #Honokohau #NorthKona #joshgreen

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING DATE: Monday, August 14, 2017 TIME: 10:00 a.m. PLACE: Auditorium at the State Capitol 415 South Beretania Street A G E N D A The purpose of the informational briefing is to allow the legislature to obtain information and facts regarding the City and County of Honolulu's rapid transit system. Due to the increasing skepticism over the management of the rail system and the credibility of the information provided to the legislature, this will be an open meeting to provide pertinent information in preparation for the legislative special session. Public testimony will be accepted however, please avoid repetitive and duplicative testimony. Testimony must be submitted via email to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy at: TRETestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov. Testimony may be submitted. If you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the informational briefing (i.e. ASL or foreign language interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the committee clerk at least 24 hours prior to the briefing so that arrangements can be made. For further information, please call the Committee Clerk at 586-6697. COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND ENERGY Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair Senator Will Espero, Vice Chair Sen. J. Kalani English Sen. Maile S.L. Shimabukuro Sen. Breene Harimoto COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL, AND MILITARY AFFAIRS Senator Clarence K. Nishihara, Chair Senator Glenn Wakai, Vice Chair Sen. Rosalyn H. Baker Sen. Laura H. Thielen Sen. Les Ihara, Jr. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS Senator Donovan M. Dela Cruz, Chair Senator Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran, Vice Chair Sen. J. Kalani English Sen. Michelle N. Kidani Sen. Brickwood Galuteria Sen. Gil Riviere Sen. Breene Harimoto Sen. Maile S.L. Shimabukuro Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye Sen. Glenn Wakai Sen. Kaiali‘i Kahele COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION Rep. Henry J.C. Aquino, Chair Rep. Sean Quinlan, Vice Chair Rep. Tom Brower Rep. Joy A. San Buenaventura Rep. Mark J. Hashem Rep. Bob McDermott Rep. Nadine K. Nakamura COMMITTEE ON FINANCE Rep. Sylvia Luke, Chair Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen, Vice Chair Rep. Romy M. Cachola Rep. Nicole E. Lowen Rep. Isaac W. Choy Rep. Nadine K. Nakamura Rep. Lynn DeCoite Rep. James Kunane Tokioka Rep. Cedric Asuega Gates Rep. Sean Quinlan Rep. Daniel Holt Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita Rep. Jarrett Keohokalole Rep. Andria P.L. Tupola Rep. Bertrand Kobayashi Rep. Gene Ward Rep. Matthew S. LoPresti

A joint legislative committee conducted a hearing on the status of federal funding for impoverished residents throughout the state. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports. The Community Services Block Grant – CSBG -- was created by Congress in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty. The state’s Office of Community Services receives $3.7 million in federal funding annually. OCS executive director, Rona Suzuki, says the state’s application is completed but the funding is uncertain. “This is one of the programs that is not included in the President’s budget at this point in time. But this money is important to Hawai’i. It’s been a steady source of funds to support the low income community more effectively and to support our partner agencies. If it does not get funded, it’s not pretty. We will have to reduce services and that’s what’s gonna happen.” Suzuki says programs differ from island-to-island. They include social services as well as funding for the Big Island’s Hele-On bus service. “It’s primarily a county contract but CSBG funds do help support the bus service because not all contracts will necessarily pay for administrative costs and so CSBG funds are more flexible and so we’re able to do different things with this money.” The OCS distributes the federal funds to 4 nonprofit Community Action Agencies in the counties. The Honolulu Action Program receives more than $2-million each year and employs 300 workers. Director of Community Services,Tehani Diaz, says federal funding cuts have not been formally announced but the impact would be program-wide. “We have 5 different district centers, one is in Wai’anae, another one is in Ai’ea, one is on the windward side, we have one in Palolo Valley and then the Kalihi area. Agency-wide we serve about 20-thousand individuals and families throughout the year. So it would probably impact the types of programs and services that we are able to provide in the community.” A joint House and Senate Committee was briefed on the state’s application to the U-S Department of Health and Human Services. Senate Labor Committee Chair, Jill Tokuda, says CSBG funds impact tens of thousands of the most vulnerable individuals and families. “The big concern I have, really, is 5-thousand miles away in Washington DC. Three-point-seven million may not sound like much in the guise of a $750 million overall budget for the federal program but to Hawai’i, the nonprofits, to the people that they serve on every island, these are serious issues when you look at the potential cut or elimination of funds.” Tokuda intends to work with OCS and the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to look at ways to minimize the potential impact of federal budget cuts. Executive Director Suzuki says the OCS and its Community Action partners are also being proactive. “We’re working with our Congressional Delegation, we’re working with our National Association in order to ensure our continued funding for this program.” Audio Link: #StanleyChang #JillTokuda #DanielHolt #WayneYoshioka #HPR #HawaiiPublicRadio #HawaiiSenate #HonoluluActionProgram #TehaniDiaz

By Ferd Lewis July 28, 2017 “The long and the short of it is that UFC is very, very interested in having a (Max Holloway) fight here and having it at Aloha Stadium,” state Sen. Glenn Wakai told the Aloha Stadium Authority Thursday. Wakai (D, Kalihi, Salt Lake, Aliamanu) said he and Aloha Stadium manager Scott Chan took part in a recent conference call with Peter Dropick, UFC senior vice president event development and operations, and the prospects were good for a Holloway fight in the spring or summer of 2018. “The only thing that could mess things up is if Holloway gets injured,” Wakai said. Waianae’s Holloway, the UFC featherweight champion, is expected to fight later this year, and Wakai said “whether he wins or loses that fight, as long as he doesn’t get injured” the chances for a fight were promising. Holloway has campaigned to bring a title fight here and Wakai has become what stadium authority chairman Ross Yamasaki called, “our point man,” in exploring the possibilities. Earlier this month UFC President Dana White told MMAjunkie.com the prospects of holding a fight at open air Aloha Stadium were not good. “It’s tough, it’s a tough one to pencil,” White said. Wakai, a frequent critic of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said he has approached the HTA about whether it would be willing to “pony up some money to support the fight” and came away doubting the HTA’s interest in a UFC event. But HTA board chairman Rick Fried said, “We’d certainly be very open to considering having the UFC bring a fight here. We have a strict process for proposals and contracts…we need to follow.” Fried said, “We get tons of proposals but we’ve never had one from the UFC.” Wakai said third party data for a 2014 UFC event in Las Vegas showed that UFC fans “generated $190 million in economic activity and spent almost three times what average visitors spent.” Moreover, they stayed an average of 4.9 nights compared to 3.3. Yamasaki said, “I’m really interested in hearing what the (UFC’s) requirements would be. But we’d have to see how it pencils out and that’s always the toughest part.” #GlennWakai #MaxHolloway #Waianae #MMAJunkiecom #HTA #HawaiiTourismAutority #UFC #RossYamasaki

Funds will provide parallel route, highway widening, emergency access roadway HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – Wai‘anae Coast residents can anticipate much-needed traffic relief as several projects are being planned with millions of dollars in funding provided for traffic improvements including creating a parallel roadway for daily use, highway widening, and improving our emergency access roads. A meeting held earlier this week regarding traffic relief for the Wai‘anae community was coordinated by State Senator Maile Shimabukuro (Dist. 21 - Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko ‘Olina, Nanakuli, Ma‘ili, Wai‘anae, Makaha, Makua) and State Representative Cedric Gates (Dist. 44 - Wa‘ianae, Makaha, Makua, Ma‘ili). Also in attendance were representatives from the office of Honolulu City Councilwoman Kymberly Marcos Pine and the office of Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, the Department of Hawaiian Homelands (DHHL), the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT), and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation to discuss how best to use the funds to benefit Wai‘anae Coast commuters. “Solving traffic congestion is a challenging and complicated matter, so this collaboration between city, state and federal officials shows there is a team of people who understand the needs of our community and are working together towards improving the quality of life for residents on the Wai‘anae Coast,” said Sen. Shimabukuro. “It’s heartening to see the support we’re getting to ease the traffic congestion our community has to deal with on a daily basis,” said Rep. Gates. “By addressing the traffic problem from a variety of angles with meaningful solutions, Wai‘anae residents will hopefully soon have a smoother commute and more quality time with family.” In the 2017 Legislative Session, Rep. Gates secured $3 million towards creating a parallel route for daily use for the Wai‘anae Coast. A portion of these funds will be used for planning and design, including environmental studies for a parallel road between the entrance to Nanakuli and Lualualei Naval Road. This would include a bridge over Nanakuli Stream. This effort to reduce traffic congestion on the Wai‘anae Coast will likely be phased over several years. “The need for a secondary access way to serve the roughly 51,000 residents of the Leeward Coast is long overdue and sorely needed. I fully support efforts to alleviate the traffic burden and address the safety risks that the status quo poses. This funding is a positive step forward,” said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (Hawai‘i -02) In a joint effort, Sen. Shimabukuro and Councilwoman Pine were able to secure $6 million which was allocated in 2016 to extend and improve the Wai‘anae Coast Emergency Access Road (WCEAR). DHHL is taking the lead in a study to build a WCEAR extension road which connects Helelua Street to Haleakala Avenue, via the Pu‘u Heleakala recreational park and Door of Faith Church. DHHL has met with the Pu‘u Heleakala Board and Door of Faith Church to discuss this plan. Officials are also considering amending the Environmental Assessment for WCEAR to allow for its use during planned roadwork lane closures. Currently, this practice is only allowed after a lengthy process and is technically considered an exception to the allowable use. “I’m a firm believer that it takes a team effort to make positive changes,” said Councilwoman Pine. “By working together, we can ensure that the money allocated toward mitigating traffic is used in the most efficient and effective way. I am pleased we are moving in that direction.” Sen. Shimabukuro and Rep. Gates were able to secure $3 million in Highway Revenue Funds in 2017 to widen Farrington Highway by extending the fifth lane which is currently being constructed at the beginning of Nanakuli to Hakimo Road. HDOT proposed this project as part of an Ige Administration directive to support cost-effective operational improvements and Rep. Gates and Sen. Shimabukuro will continue to work to obtain funding to support this much-needed relief. At the completion of the project to add the fifth lane, the intersections between Helelua Street and Nanakuli Avenue will have closed circuit connectivity to the traffic management center, as well as new thermal detectors to improve the efficiency of traffic flow. Since August 10, 2016, HDOT has been operating a westbound contraflow lane in Nanakuli from Piliokahi Avenue to Lualualei Naval Road in an attempt to reduce the daily commute time for the more than 51,000 residents that live along the Wai‘anae Coast. This federally funded project allows for additional capacity to Farrington Highway and has resulted in an average time savings of 11-minutes for Wai‘anae bound commuters during peak afternoon traffic periods. With Administration and Legislative support, HDOT is considering an extension of the Nanakuli Contraflow, which was originally planned to end once construction on the fifth lane on Farrington Highway was completed. Other improvement projects currently in the works for the Wai‘anae Coast include the replacement of Maipalaoa Bridge and the resurfacing of Farrington Highway from Satellite Tracking Station Road (Kaena Point) to Kili Drive. Additional resurfacing and safety improvements along this corridor from Kahe Point to Hakimo Road and from Hakimo Road to Kili Drive are planned and HDOT is seeking community feedback on the safety improvement concept, which can be found at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2017/07/Farrington-Corridor-Safety-Study.pdf. “HDOT thanks Senator Shimabukuro and Representative Gates for the collaboration and their continued support for improvement projects along the Waianae Coast,” said HDOT Deputy Director for Highways, Ed Sniffen. “Our primary focus remains safety and preservation of our existing roadways, and we continue to support opportunities for cost effective projects that result in improved quality of life for Hawaii commuters.” Other traffic mitigation efforts currently being reviewed includes a possible extension of the contraflow lane on Farrington Highway, traffic cameras at Nanakuli intersections, tow truck service, LED lighting, resurfacing, bridge repair, WCEAR signage, pedestrian safety measures, bus stop relocations, and a bike path. # # # #MaileShimabukuro #Waianae #trafficcongestion #CedricGates #Nanakuli

HONOLULU - Deaths by drug overdose are at a new high in Hawaii. Governor David Ige introduced a new initiative in hopes of turning back the tide. The Governor's plan will allocate $10 Million to a collaboration of State health agencies to fight Opioid addiction. Drug overdose accounts for 23 percent of all fatal injuries according to the Department of Health. Hawaii ranks 43rd in the nation for these types of deaths but a collective of lawmakers and doctors think the problem could be subdued even further because of the Governor's initiative. "This is hitting families. It's tearing families apart. It really is ripping into all of our communities. So this is about getting ahead of the curve and making sure we can address this as from a multi-departmental approach," Sen. Jill Tokuda said. Lawmakers and Health experts agree that increasing the quality of education and treatment to drug addiction in Hawaii needs to improve in lieu of litigation. http://www.kitv.com/story/35873132/governors-plan-will-allocate-10m-to-fight-opioid-addiction #opiod #jilltokuda #DavidIge #drugaddiction #KITV

And now for some good news for anyone who values women’s health. Earlier this week Hawaii Governor David Ige signed SB 501 into law. Now known as the Act 200, the new law now requires so-called “limited service pregnancy centers (LSPCs)” to offer complete information about reproductive health services to any women who come in seeking help (click here for a story we published in February on this bill). Though they seem to look like standard reproductive health centers like Planned Parenthood, LSPCs (like Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui in Wailuku, pictured above) are actually a creation of abortion opponents–women who walk in their door seeking guidance and assistance on reproductive health instead get an earful of anti-abortion rhetoric. “We are thrilled that these protections are now the law of the state,” said Laurie Field, Hawaii Public Affairs Manager at Planned Parenthood Votes Northwest and Hawaii (PPVNH), which pushed hard for SB 501. “Women who enter LSPCs are walking into a trap. Thankfully, our elected officials recognized this and, in passing this law, ensured that everyone has access to accurate and private information about their bodies and their health care.” According to the Act 200 text, the law “Requires all limited service pregnancy centers to disclose the availability of and enrollment information for reproductive health services” and “Establishes privacy and disclosure requirements for individual records and information.” The new law also contains enforcement provisions and penalties. “Now, limited service pregnancy centers (LSPCs) in Hawaii must protect the privacy of health care information, ensure notification for consumers that publicly-funded family planning services are available through the state, and provide them with immediate pregnancy test results,” stated a separate July 13 PPVNH email to supporters. “LSPCs include anti-abortion organizations that promote themselves as health care providers and offer free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds but do not follow health care and privacy regulations.” Joy Wright, the executive director of Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui, declined to comment for this story, citing pending litigation. Earlier this year, she submitted testimony in opposition to SB 501. “Pregnancy centers do not charge for their services and clearly relay that they do not perform or refer clients for abortions,” Wright said in her written testimony. “Thus, the client is not mislead regarding services offered. Many pregnancy centers including the Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui are transitioning to operating under a state licensed Medical Doctor with a licensed nurse on staff. Pregnancy centers are nonprofit life-affirming faith based ministries that care about women holistically, the preborn, men, and the family unit.” As it turned out, SB 501 passed easily through the Hawaii Legislature (in fact, all three of Maui’s state Senators–Roz Baker, J. Kalani English and Gil Keith-Agaran–were listed as introducers for the bill). This is in marked contrast to the U.S. Congress, which is hell-bent on defunding organizations like Planned Parenthood. “While the U.S. Senate continues to fight over unpopular health care legislation with devastating consequences, Hawaii is forging ahead to ensure all women have access to accurate, comprehensive reproductive health care information,” said Field. Photo of Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui: MauiTime https://mauitime.com/news/health/hawaii-gov-david-ige-signs-pregnancy-center-protection-bill/ #jkalanienglish #RozBaker #malamapregnancycenter #maui #lauriefield #plannedparenthood #ACT200 #JoyWright #SB501