news-message

July 2008

Stories:
Accomplishment of 2008 Legislature
Scholarship and Award Recipients
2008 Survey Results
Procurement Investigation
Photos: Active and Involved

Highlights and Accomplishments of the 2008 Legislature

Sustainability:

With our State population growing in numbers we must comprehensively address a number of pressing issues such as adequate infrastructure, affordable housing, energy independence, environmental protections and a need for a strong economy. We as responsible citizens must question and look at the long term limits to growth in our State while being cognizant of the fact that we cannot stop progress or growth in Hawaii. My colleagues and I this session began the first legislative steps to begin planning and setting into action the State's 2050 Sustainability Task Force recommendations which will ensure that our State has a sustainable economy and lifestyle for Hawaii's future generations'. The following are a few of the sustainability measures that were passed and sent to the Governor:

SB 2833 Relating To Sustainability

Requires the University of Hawaii at Manoa public policy center to review the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan and report to the legislature on specific legislation for its implementation.

SB 2646 Relating To Important Agricultural Lands

Provides incentives and protections to establish and sustain viable agricultural operations on important agricultural lands, and provides for the designation and identification of important agricultural lands on public lands.

SB 2196 Relating To Land Conservation

Provides a tax credit to encourage the preservation and protection of conservation land in the State.

SB 871 Relating To Food Waste Recycling

Requires the department of education, in partnership with the department of health to establish a three year food waste recycling pilot project in one or more public schools. Allows the departments to enter into a public/private partnership to establish and operate the pilot program.

SB 644 Relating To Energy Resources

Directs the public utilities commission to establish standards for solar water heater systems. Prohibits issuance of a building permit on or after January 1, 2010 for single family residences that do not include a solar water heater system that meets these standards.

HB 2238 Relating To Public Housing

Requires public housing projects and affordable housing funded by county or state funds to remain affordable in perpetuity.

Economy:

The closure of Aloha Airlines and ATA Airlines definitely signaled an economic down cycle for Hawaii. Thus the legislature took steps to help many of these displaced workers and their families in the short term while working to keep our State's economy strong in the longer term, which will help all of the working class families of our State. The following are a few measures that the 2008 legislature passed:

HB 2500 Relating To The State Budget

The State budget is essentially a policy statement of the legislature of its shared goals, principles, and priorities for a two year period. The 2008 legislature during this tough economic cycle in our State, crafted a budget that was honest, responsible and sustainable. This budget clearly preserved the essential health and safety funding of the State budget while still funding our State's numerous educational priorities. The following are a few of the highlights of the 2008 budget:

· $310 million for repair and maintenance and new construction for K-12 educational facilities statewide.
· $173.3 million for repair and maintenance and new construction for all University of Hawaii campuses.

SB 2542 Relating To Public Health

Ensures continued community based primary care for the uninsured, underinsured, or Medicaid recipients by helping the community health center system to remain financially viable and stable in the face of the increasing numbers and needs of this population.

HB 2781 Relating To Small Business

Establishes the Small Business Bill of Rights. Requires agencies to perform a more rigorous examination and justification of rules that impose standards stricter than comparable federal, state or county law. Directs the small business regulatory review board to convene a working group to study and make recommendations addressing concerns in chapter 201M, HRS, and report to the 2009 legislature including any recommended legislation.

HB 2770 Relating to Bridge To Hope Program

Expands the Bridge To Hope Program to enable all heads of households receiving financial assistance and participating in the first to work program to pursue education beyond the federal limit of one year of vocational education.

Procurement:

Procurement is the rules and laws that govern how government spends your tax dollars. It is imperative that this process be open, transparent and fair in order too ensure the public that contracts are awarded for best value to the State. This session the Senate established a Special Investigative Committee to look into the improper awarding of an $8.7 million procurement contract by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, of which I am the chair of the committee. This committee after over 60 hours of testimony and over 10,000 subpoenaed documents found that improvements were sorely needed to the way the State implements and monitors its procurement laws. From these hearings the following measures were passed to address those problems:

SB 2824 Procurement Audits

Requires 2 audits a year for State Agencies to be randomly selected or based on a pattern of agency noncompliance. (While audits are in the law currently, none have ever been done by the procurement board.)

SB 2825 Procurement Corrective Actions

Requires agencies to comply with corrective action directives from the State Procurement Office within 30 days. Allows State Procurement Administrator to extend the 30 days.

SB 2826 Procurement Mandatory Training

Provides that initial training be mandatory for all State Procurement Officers and the need for follow-up training sessions for those officers based on history of compliance or as determined by the State Procurement Office.

SB 2827 Public Contracts Bid Protest

Requires that the electronic posting of contracts awards of $5000 or more for professional services include the numerical ranking. Requires the purchasing agency to notify in writing all offerors of their non-selection no later than the day of the posting of the award, including specified information. Increase the time for protesting an award from 5 to 7 days.