Words Have Power!

SENATE ANNOUNCES PLANS TO ADDRESS CORRUPTION

The Senate is announcing plans to advance legislation that would address fraud, white collar crime, political corruption and sex and human trafficking. SB 2930 SD1 gives the Attorney General the necessary tools to investigate and assist law enforcement agencies in the prosecution of these crimes.

The Senate Government Operations Committee introduced a short form bill (SB 2930 SD1) that aims to establish two new divisions within the Department of the Attorney General to address fraud, white collar crime, political corruption and sex and human trafficking. The measure would appropriate $834,000 for the operations of the Special Investigation and Prosecution unit and $754,000 to operate the Sex and Human Trafficking unit.

In working closely with the Attorney General and Senate Ways and Means committee chair Donovan Dela Cruz, we believe that establishing and funding these two divisions within the Department of the Attorney General will provide the State with the ability and jurisdiction to investigate wrongdoings by individuals who commit fraudulent crimes and exploit women and children. I believe this bill will reinforce the public trust in government that won’t be undermined by those who abuse their positions of power.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION 2022

These bills are continuing their progress through the legislative session. They represent issues that are important to families in our District and resulted from your input to our surveys and outreach efforts.

SB2126 – Relating to Transportation
Addresses the problem of vehicles making excessive noise by increasing the monetary fines for violations. This bill is on its way to the Judiciary Committee.

HB1669 – Relating to Sea Level Rise Adaptation
Focuses on community planning for sea level rise by establishing a working group to develop a Waikiki adaptation and resilience plan to address climate change and sea level impacts in the Waikiki special district. SB2724, is its Senate companion bill.

HB1672  – Relating to Special Improvement Districts
This is a bill long overdue to care for our environment in special improvement districts like Waikiki. It seeks to also fund environmental research, restoration, and maintenance; natural resource management; and natural hazard mitigation to improve environmental conditions and provide community benefits.

HB1826 – Relating to Homelessness
Addresses the need for rental assistance among kupuna 62 years and older who are homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless. The companion Senate bill, SB2677, passed the joint committees of HMS/HSG and now goes to WAM.

SB2381 – Relating to Technology Access for Individuals with Disabilities
This bill helps the disabled in our community. This bill establishes and implements standards for providing access to electronic information technology developed, purchased, and used by the State.

 How to participate in Session?
Questions about how to write testimony and the legislative process? Contact the Capitol’s Public Access Room Team of Virginia, Keanu, and Ashley! Visit their website or phone them at (808)587-0478 or email at par@capitol.hawaii.gov.

How to watch a hearing live or recorded?
You may watch and participate in hearings from anywhere in the world with internet connectivity! Please connect to the Hawaii State Senate’s YouTube Channel.

HEALTH & WELLNESS RESOURCES

February is American Heart Month!
This month, love your valentine even more by making sure your hearts are healthy! Be heart healthy! Click here for more information.

COVID-19 Resources:
Vaccine/Booster dose locations – click here
Testing locations – AlohaClear.com or hawaiicovid19.com 
COVID-19 Daily Metrics Updates from DOH – click here
State of Hawaii COVID Portal – click here

STATE & COUNTY NEWS

Who is Dumping Trash Bags in Our Ala Wai???
Who is polluting our District’s Ala Wai? All of us need to come together to stop it! The Ala Wai is being polluted with large, dark-colored trash bags filled with things such as feminine hygiene products and sharp objects. The smell from these bags is disgusting and large nets are needed to drag them out of the water. A number of these bags are getting all the way out to the open ocean. Whoever is doing this illegal dumping is endangering the health of so many people who work, paddle, swim in, and enjoy our ocean. Everyone, please help! If you have information or see anyone dumping trash, call the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement hotline at (808) 643-3567 or call 9-1-1.

Rental Housing Assistance Discrimination
Hawai‘i is among those jurisdictions that have not outlawed rental housing assistance discrimination, a practice in which landlords can refuse to accept housing applications from those receiving certain types of rental assistance. A policy brief released by the  Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness (HICH) calls for legal remedies to prevent rental assistance discrimination. Learn more here.

Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
The new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program will provide more than $17 million in Hawai‘i over the next five years to fund electric vehicle charging stations statewide. This will help Hawai‘i achieve our carbon net-negative goal! For more information on the federal program and the newly formed U.S. Joint Office of Energy Transportation please visit driveelectric.gov.

Missing an ʻokina or kahakō?
The City needs your help identifying any street signs that may be misspelled. Their project is called “Word on the Street and the goal is to get the community to help. Easy to do, simply snap a photo of a street sign and upload it to the Mayor’s Office of Cultural and the Arts’ Instagram @hnl_moca and hashtag #WordOnTheStreet – to share their findings. For more information, comments, or questions – please send via email to: moca-info@honolulu.gov.

HOLO Cards
Starting March 1, 2022, the City will be charging $2 for each new HOLO card. HOLO cards replaced paper bus passes last year in July 2021, and has been free of charge since 2018. On March 1st, the Adult, Youth, and Medicare HOLO cards will cost $2.00 for new card holders and for replacements. New Disability, Senior, and Low-Income HOLO card users will be able to obtain their first cards for free. Replacements after will cost $2.00. TheHandi-Van HOLO cards will not be affected by the card fee. Current HOLO card holders will not be affected, unless a replacement is needed. Learn more by clicking here.

Kids’ Film Festival
The University of Hawaiʻi KIDS FIRST! Film Festival celebrates the 30th anniversary of the national KIDS FIRST! with a virtual showcase of 100+ award-winning films from 25 nations made by and for children ages 2 to 18+. Programs focus on climate change and the environment, space and technology, social justice and tolerance, arts and culture…and just plain fun! It’s free! Learn more here.

Neighborhood Board Meetings 
The City and County of Honolulu’s Neighborhood Board System increases community participation in government. Please be sure to sign up to automatically receive information about the Neighborhood Board(s) you are most interested in – click here — very easy to do! Here are Neighborhood Boards in our District. Our office participates in their meetings and we look forward to seeing you there!

• The McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board convenes the 1st Thursday of each month.
• The Waikiki Neighborhood Board convenes the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
• The Makiki-Tantalus Neighborhood Board convenes the 3rd Thursday of each month.
• The Ala Moana-Kakaako Neighborhood Board convenes the 4th Tuesday of each month .

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