Aloha!
This holiday season reminds us to give thanks for the ways in which our lives are enriched.
For many of us, our first thoughts are not about possessions, but about family and friends, a safe and secure living environment and the blessing of good health.
Not everyone enjoys even these good things. It's important to remember that and be ready to help so that the less fortunate might find reasons to be thankful.
One of the best ways to mark this time of year is to thank someone for being a part of your life. Hugs and a smile are easy to give - and receive, too!
Remember also that while Thanksgiving Day appears just once on our calendars, most of us can find good things for which to give thanks each and every day.
My hope is that you can count an abundance of blessings, and that you have many reasons to say "Mahalo!"
Happy Thanksgiving!
- Senator Michelle Kidani
(The following is an email by Sen. Kidani sent to constituents regarding the cuts in school bus service by the Department of Education, and is posted here for reference.)
Aloha All,
Immediately after the announcement of the school bus service cuts, I asked DOE to reconsider the cuts for the multi-track schools state wide since they begin school on Monday, July 9th. The DOE and BOE agreed and bus service will continue status quo until July 30 for all multi track students only. While this will give parents some time to look for alternate measures, I know it will not resolve everyone's problems. I advise you to call your child's school to get your questions answered.
I also attended the BOE meeting on Tuesday, July 3rd to ask for reconsideration of cuts to service where safety issues are major, such as having routes which must cross freeway on/off ramps. There was some reprieve in Mililani where Mililani Town Middle School students will still have bus service but Mauka Middle School students will not. For the same safety reasons, Mililani High School students living in Mauka will also have bus service and students living in lower Mililani will not.
There is one bus that services Melemano, Waipio, Kipapa Park route which will drop off students at Waena, MHS and MMS meaning that all grade levels will be on the same bus together. Parents of younger students need to be aware of this which may determine whether they want their younger children to take this bus or not.
The DOE has hired a consultant to review bus routes to determine whether there are more effective ways to rearrange service. I have asked the DOE to reconsider reinstating bus service until the consultant has reviewed the routes and needs. Therefore, I have also requested that DOE revise their District Exemption rules to include no bus service as a reason for a DE.
Thank you for your patience.
A copy of my newsletter detailing this year's legislative session is now online, under the "Documents and Links" section on the left side of this page. This newsletter was also mailed out to all homes in Senate District 17 last month.
On May 3, 2012 (the final day of the 2012 legislative session), the Senate voted on the supplemental state budget for fiscal year 2012-2013. As Vice Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, I am responsible for overseeing the portion of the budget covering capital improvement programs (CIP), which includes all major construction projects to be undertaken by the State of Hawaii to maintain and repair infrastructure and state facilities. Below is a video of a floor speech I gave on the highlights of this year's CIP budget.
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will be meeting tonight (April 25) at 7:30 PM, in the Mililani Town Recreation Center III (95-281 Kaloapau Street). Click here to see the agenda. Included in the agenda will be a public forum on the impacts of the new legislative districts laid out by the 2011 State Reapportionment Commission.
The Waipahu Neighborhood Board (No. 22) will be meeting tomorrow night (April 26) at 7:00 PM, in the Filipino Community Center (94-428 Mokuola Street). Click here to see the agenda. Included in the agenda is a presentation by the city's Department of Transportation Services and Oahu Transit Services, Inc. on the proposed changes in bus service scheduled to take effect this summer.
The Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board (No. 35) will be meeting Tuesday night (April 17) at
7:00 PM, in the Mililani Mauka Elementary School cafeteria (95-1111 Makaikai Street). Click here to see the agenda. Included in the agenda items are a liquor license presentation for the Mililani Mauka Tesoro 2GO convenience store, a presentation by Alexander and Baldwin about their plans for developing the Mililani Mauka Gateway property (near the Mililani Mauka McDonald's), and an update from the city about repaving roads in Mililani Mauka.
The Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technology (EDT) and the Committee on Ways and Means (WAM) voted in a joint hearing yesterday (April 3) to amend and pass HB2145 as the Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012. The original bill, SB2012, was passed by the Senate and sent to the House six weeks ago, but was never heard. To keep the repair and maintenance package alive, the contents of SB2012 were inserted into HB2145 at the joint hearing (see the proposed Senate Draft 1 presented at the hearing), and the new bill is now scheduled for a vote by the full Senate on Tuesday, April 10.
The Invest in Hawaii Act contains a proposed $500 million package to raise bonds to pay for various repair and maintenance projects throughout the State of Hawaii, and the state hosted a press tour to show examples of needed repairs at state facilities such as Farrington High School and Leahi Hospital.
"Educators show need for 'Invest in Hawaii' construction money" (Hawaii News Now)
"Farrington High School at top of list to receive funding" (KITV News)
"Senate eyeing facility repair backlog, aims to create jobs" (Maui News)
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will be meeting Wednesday night (Mar. 28) at 7:00 PM, in Mililani Town Recreation Center III (95-281 Kaloapau Street). Click here to see the agenda (PDF). The board will be holding a public forum on the impacts of the new legislative districts set by the 2011 Reapportionment Commission, which are effective beginning with this year's elections. The board will also consider a resolution regarding restrictions imposed on the Honolulu Fire Department as a result of the 16-ton weight limit on the Kamehameha Highway Kipapa Gulch Bridge set by the state Department of Transportation.
I will be attending both meetings, and you are welcome to come and discuss any bills or other business currently in the Legislature.
The Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board (No. 35) will be meeting Tuesday night (tomorrow,
March 20) at 7:00PM, in the Mililani Mauka Elementary School cafeteria (95-1111 Makaikai Street). Click here to see the agenda.
The Waipahu Neighborhood Board (No. 22) will be meeting Thursday night (March 22) at 7:00PM, in the Filipino Community Center (94-428 Mokuola Street). Click here to see the agenda.
I will be attending both meetings, and you are welcome to come and discuss any bills or other business currently in the Legislature.
Yesterday, the Hawaii State Senate hosted a floor presentation honoring the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, the landmark Congressional law barring gender discrimination in all educational programs receiving federal funding, which was authored by the late Congressmember Patsy T. Mink. The floor presentation was a part of a number of events at the Hawaii State Legislature happening this week as part of Education Week.
Five individuals were invited to the State Senate both as beneficiaries of Title IX and as contributors in support of gender equality:
Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, Assistant Athletic Director at UH-Manoa and a former member of the Wahine Volleyball team, who is also the Senior Women Administrator for the Athletics Department where she has worked for 23 years.
Jennifer Solidum Rose, Gender Equity Specialist at UH-Manoa. Last year, she honored by the Hawaii State Bar Association as their 2011 Champion for Social Justice as a career advocate for social justice for women.
Sabrina Shizue McKenna, Associate Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court and former member of the Wahine Basketball team. Her distinguished career as a lawyer and a judge began when she graduated from the Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii, an opportunity made possible by Title IX.
Jill Leilani Nunokawa, Civil Rights Specialist at UH-Manoa and a former member of the Wahine Basketball team. As part of her duties, she provides counseling and assistance to students and staff to prevent and resolve disputes involving racial and gender equity, including invoking Title IX's protections when it becomes necessary.
Catherine Betts, Executive Director of the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women. As director, she oversees and coordinates the Commission's efforts to advocate for women's equality.
The Hawaii State Senate will be having a floor presentation next Tuesday, March 13, honoring the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, the landmark gender equality legislation championed by the late U.S. Representative Patsy Mink. Session will convene at 11:30 AM at the Capitol. As with all State Senate sessions, the public is welcome to attend.
Copies of my February 2012 Neighborhood Board Reports are now online. Please see the "Documents and Links" section on the left side of the page.
Yesterday, the Hawaii State Senate voted on the Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012. The bill was passed with unanimous support from the whole chamber, with senators from each of the counties and from both parties speaking in favor of the bill on the Senate floor. SB2012 now moves into the House for their consideration, and my colleagues and I ask them to act as quickly on the bill as we in the Senate have.
Click here for a video of Senator Kidani's floor speech on SB2012.
Click here for the text of Senator Kidani's floor speech on SB2012.
The Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board (No. 35) will be meeting tonight (Feb. 21) at 7:00 PM, in the Mililani Mauka Elementary School cafeteria (95-1111 Makaikai Street). Click here to see the agenda. The board will be honoring the outgoing commander of the Hawaii National Guard's 29th Infantry Brigade, Keith Tamashiro, who is also a member of the Mililani Mauka board.
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will be meeting tomorrow night (Feb. 22) at 7:30 PM, in Mililani Town Recreation Center III (95-281 Kaloapau Street). Click here to see the agenda. Wayland Baptist University, which recently opened a new campus in Mililani, will be giving an introductory presentation. The board will also be honoring the late former State Representative Sam Lee, who passed away on February 10. There will be a public forum with myself and other Mililani-area state legislators about bills and issues being considered by the Hawaii State Legislature this year.
The Waipahu Neighborhood Board (No. 22) will be meeting Thursday night (Feb. 23) at 7:00 PM, in the Filipino Community Center (94-428 Mokuola Street). Click here to see the agenda. The board will be honoring Waipahu resident Tevita Apina (also known by his stage name Hikariyama Torao), winner of the KZOO Radio Karaoke Contest. Mr. Apina will be travelling to Japan in May to appear in the NAK - Nippon Amateur Kaiosai Grand Prix karaoke competition.
Last week Friday (February 10), the Senate Ways and Means Committee (responsible for overseeing bills involving the State's fiscal matters) voted unanimously to pass SB2012, also known as the Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012. The bill allocates $500 million from state bond sales to pay for repair and maintenance projects at state facilities, taking advantage of historic lows in bond interest rates while providing jobs to the state's construction industry. The bill includes $150 million for projects at state public schools, $90 million for the University of Hawaii's Manoa and Hilo campuses, and $60 million for facilities maintained by the Department of Accounting and General Services.
Video of comments by Senator Kidani
Senate Majority press release
We're currently 3 weeks into the 15 weeks of this year's legislative session, with the First Lateral deadline coming up this Friday. All bills that are not ready to be heard by the final committee referred to will die on that date.
The following are some of the bills that I have introduced that are making progress (links go to the bill's status page):
• SB226 (Provides that the county may impound vehicles used in the commission of street prostitution in specified zones as established by the counties.)
• SB2484 (Authorizes a state income tax credit for certain expenses paid or incurred by a school teacher during the taxable year (SD1).)
• SB3054 (Requires a financial and management audit of department of public safety commissary operations and out-of-state commissaries where Hawaii inmates are confined.)
The Senate also honored Mililani resident Scott Kaneshiro last Wednesday (February 8) for his winning design for Hormel Foods' special Hawaii Edition SPAM can label. (Click here for a Civil Beat article.)
Yesterday, the State Senate and the State House passed two bills that were carried over from the 2011 session, SB239 and SB809. SB239 allocates money from the Hawaii tobacco settlement fund to the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) under the University of Hawaii, to ensure it can continue to educate and train future medical doctors. SB809 authorizes the University of Hawaii to issue $100 million in bonds to pay for construction and repair projects across UH system campuses. (The bonds will be paid for with revenue generated by UH such as tuition, dorm rent income, and parking fees.)
Click here to view the Senate Majority press release
Click here to view a video of the press interview
This year's Hawaii Children and Youth Day will be this Sunday, October 2, at the State Capitol District in town. Events will be held at the Hawaii State Capitol and elsewhere in honor of Hawaii's children. The website for this event is at http://www.hawaiicyd.org.
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will be meeting Wednesday, September 28, 7:30 PM at Mililani Recreation Center III (95-281 Kaloapau Street). The meeting agenda is available at http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb25/11/25sepag.htm.
All neighborhood board reports and news letters from May through September are now online and available in the "Documents and Links" section.
I will also be attending an informational town hall meeting held by the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation about the rail project at Kapolei Hale (1000 Uluohia Street) on Tuesday, September 27, 6:00 PM. If you are unable to attend this meeting, HART will host another meeting on Thursday, September 29, 6:00 PM at the Highlands Intermediate School cafeteria (1460 Hoolaulea Street, Pearl City). A flyer with meeting information and other meeting locations and times is available at http://honolulutransit.org/media/25821/2011railtownhallflyer.pdf.
The Mililani Town Association will be sponsoring "National Make A Difference Day" on Saturday, October 22. Activities include painting out graffiti, collecting canned food donations for the Hawaii Food Bank, and collecting recyclables in conjunction with Aloha Aina Earth Day. People interested in volunteering can contact the MTA at 623-7300 to sign up.
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will recess for the month of April; the next meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 25, 2011.
The Waipahu Neighborhood Board (No. 22) will be meeting this Thursday, April 28, 7:00 PM at the Filipino Community Center (94-428 Mokuola Street). The meeting agenda is available at http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb22/11/22aprag.htm .
I would also like to extend my aloha and congratulations to the nine new appointed members of the Board of Education that were confirmed by the State Senate yesterday. Their presence brings a new wave of optimism to our teachers and students wanting fresh leadership for their schools.
The Mililani Mauka Neighborhood Board (No. 35) will be meeting next Tuesday, April 19, 7:00 PM at the Mililani Mauka Elementary School cafeteria (95-1111 Makaikai Street). The meeting agenda is available at http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb35/11/35aprag.htm .
All bills in the Legislature that are still alive for this year have passed Third Reading in both chambers. Most bills (where the House and the Senate passed differing versions) will now go to a conference committee, where members of the House and Senate negotiate a final version to be passed and sent to the Governor. Bills where the both chambers have already agreed on a final version will be sent directly to the Governor. Information on all bills in the 2011 session is available at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/.
My March 2011 Neighborhood Board reports for Waipahu and Mililani are now online. Please see the Documents and Links section to view them.
SB172 (Fireworks Labeling; Importation; Permit Revocation or Suspension): Scheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee (JUD) on Tuesday, 3/22.
SB224 (Lupus Working Group): Referred to the House Health Committee (HLT), hearing TBA.
SB640 (Wireless Enhanced 911 Fund): Deferred indefinitely by the House Public Safety and Military Affairs Committee (PBM) on 3/17.
SB643 (Excessive Speeding; Repeat Offender; Forfeiture of Vehicle): Deferred indefinitely by the House Transportation Committee (TRN) on 3/16.
SB1197 (Schools; Alternative Energy Design): Referred to the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee (EEP), hearing TBA.
SB1375 (Instructional Days; Multi Track Public Schools): Passed by the House Education Committee (EDN) with amendments on 3/16, now pending Second Reading and referral to the House Finance Committee (FIN).
Information on all bills in the 2011 session is available at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/.
The Mililani/Waipio/Melemanu Neighborhood Board (No. 25) will be meeting next Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 PM at MTA Recreation Center III (95-281 Kaloapau Street). The meeting agenda is available at http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb25/11/25marag.htm/ .
The Waipahu Neighborhood Board (No. 22) will be meeting next Thursday, March 24, 7:00 PM at the Filipino Community Center (94-428 Mokuola Street). The meeting agenda is available at http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb22/11/22marag.htm.
I will be present at both meetings, so please come if you have any questions or comments you would like to present to me.
SB172 (Fireworks Labeling; Importation; Permit Revocation or Suspension): Passed by the Judiciary and Labor committee (JDL) on 2/25 with amendments.
SB224 (Lupus Working Group): Passed by the Ways and Means committee (WAM) with amendments on 2/24.
SB640 (Wireless Enhanced 911 Fund): Passed by WAM with amendments on 2/24.
SB643 (Excessive Speeding; Repeat Offender; Forfeiture of Vehicle): Deferred by JDL to 3/1.
SB1197 (Schools; Alternative Energy Design): Passed by WAM with amendments on 2/24.
SB1375 (Instructional Days; Multi Track Public Schools): Passed by WAM with amendments on 2/24.
October 2010 - "Aloha! With the 2011 Legislative session just months away, my staff and I have been researching and preparing several pieces of legislation I plan to introduce: Bullying and cyber-bullying: Establish civil penalties for bullying and require anti-bullying policies in public schools...." -Senator Kidani
September 2010 - Aloha! It has been a busy few weeks at the Capitol. I was recently appointed as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs and we have begun our Illegal Fireworks Task Force meetings. Ways and Means Committee held several meetings during this interim, focusing on DOT.... -Senator Kidani
May 2010 - "Aloha! The 2010 legislative session adjourned on April 29. I've summarized key bills that the Legislature passed beginning on page 2. Unless indicated with an Act number, the bill is still under consideration by Governor Lingle and may still be vetoed. View a full list of all the bills passed..." -Senator Kidani