Happy (Belated) International Women’s Day!

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Happy (Belated) International Women’s Day (Tuesday, March 8)  

Senators San Buenaventura, Moriwaki, Kanuha, Kim, and DeCoite wear purple for International Women’s Day—purple denotes justice, dignity, and hope.

Tuesday, March 8 was International Women’s Day. The theme this year is #BreakTheBias—a gender equal word free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination; diverse, equitable, and inclusive; a world where difference is valued and celebrated.  

In honor of the people of Ukraine: State Capitol to be lit in blue & yellow. 

The Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be lit in blue and yellow for one month as the State of Hawaiʻi stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. The Capitol will be lit starting tonight from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and will continue for the next 30 nights through April 8. Mike Gangloff and the Show Aloha Challenge are spearheading the special art installation at the Capitol, while Hawaiʻi Stage and Lighting are donating the lights. 

The Capitol lights for Ukraine are being staged at no cost to the state under a Special Use Permit issued by the Department of Accounting and General Services.

Contents

 

Legislative Updates and Information on the Process 

First Crossover
Only about 25% of the bills introduced typically survive the First Crossover deadline. It may be a good idea to take a look at what remains for the rest of the session. Ask for hearings for those bills you support, and offer testimony on scheduled bills that you care about. To find all bills that have survived the First Crossover deadline (March 10th), click on the “Reports and Lists” button on the Legislature’s website (capitol.hawaii.gov), and then scroll down to the “First Crossover” section. You have a choice of whether you want to see all House or Senate bills that are still alive (2021 and 2022 bills) or want to see only the bills that have seen action so far this session (“with Action Taken in 2022 Only”).

Substantive Resolutions—Single or Concurrent
March 11– was the deadline for offering “Substantive Resolutions” –single or concurrent. Single resolutions are adopted by only one chamber; concurrent are adopted by both chambers and express the will or intent of the entire legislature. HCRs and SCRs are “offered” by their introducers and then referred to committees in the same manner as bills; and, after succeeding in all its committees in the originating chamber, it comes to the floor for a vote to adopt. If successful, it crosses to the other chamber for consideration, again being referred to committees and ultimately to the floor of that chamber for adoption. Only if adopted by both chambers, it is adopted and will be sent to those who are directed to act (see the last paragraph of the resolution to see where certified copies of the resolution will be sent).

The Executive Budget
The budget bill for FY 2021-2023 is HB1600. In the second year of a biennium, like 2022, the budget bill specifically amends the budget enacted in the first year of the biennium. After HB1600’s initial introductory pages, you’ll basically be looking at the content of last year’s Act 88, SLH 2021, with any changes noted. Any text or numbers to be changed or deleted will be indicated by brackets and strikethroughs [like this], and new text and numbers will be underlined. The House Draft of the budget crosses over to the Senate by March 16th. Need a little help deciphering the budget bill? Check out our handout, call with questions, or attend the budget workshop listed below.

March Workshops
Join on Zoom to attend one (or all) of the legislative workshops. Register below: 

  • The Budget Bill’s Journey, Wednesday, 3/16, 6 p.m. Register
  • Floor Sessions & Orders of the Day, Wednesday, 3/23, 6 p.m. Register
  • Odd Things Happen: Unlikely Scenarios, Wednesday, 3/30, 6 p.m. Register 

For more information, visit the Public Access Room Website.

Women’s Legislative Caucus Bills:
The following Women’s Legislative Caucus bills passed in the Senate and are crossing to the House. To see the Women’s Legislative Caucus Package click here. 

  • SB2634 SD1 appropriates monies to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months following the end of pregnancy.
  •  SB2635 SD2 requires insurers and mutual benefit societies to cover mandated services for mammography at least as favorable as coverage for other radiological examinations.
  •  SB2637 SD1 mandates that there be a community-based work furlough program for all incarcerated women in the State. Monies will be appropriated.
  • SB2638 SD2 requires the Department of the Attorney General to provide annual reports to the Legislature on available data pertaining to the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Monies will be appropriated.   

Other bills of interest to the Senate Women’s Legislative Caucus that passed third reading are:

  • SB2821 SD2 requires the Department of Education to provide menstrual products free of charge to all students on all public and public charter school campuses.
  • SB2640 SD2 appropriates monies to train incarcerated women to be GED tutors for their peers, provides college correspondence courses, and reentry and transition services to continue their education post-incarceration.
  • SB3294 SD2 funds reentry planning circles for incarcerated women.
  • SB3295 SD1  establishes the Women’s Corrections Implementation Commission within the Department of Public Safety to provide oversight over state correctional facilities and community correctional centers that incarcerate women, receive and investigate complaints from incarcerated women, monitor progress in implementing reforms. 

State News 

Mask Mandate ends March 25th
Gov. David Ige announced that the statewide indoor mask mandate will end when the current COVID-19 emergency proclamation expires –11:59 p.m. on Mar. 25. However, state health director Dr. Elizabeth Char, strongly recommends that you should still wear masks indoors if you are over age 65, with compromised immune systems, aren’t vaccinated, or care for people at risk of severe illness – and especially important in crowded settings. Settings where masks are still recommended indoors include:

  • Schools
  • Hospitals and health care facilities
  • Long term care facilities
  • Shelters
  • Correctional facilities
  • Other congregate living settings 

While the mandate ends, please know that organizations and businesses may still opt to continue asking employees and customers to wear masks for an extra layer of caring for each other.

Are Feral Chickens a Nuisance In Your Neighborhood?
Are feral chickens in your yard, at a park near you, or keeping you up at night? Private property owners are responsible for nuisances or violations created by keeping feral chickens on their properties.

  • Call HPD (9-11) Non-Emergency) for noise nuisance or excessive number of poultry (max allowed by ROH 2 per household)
  • Call the state Dept. of Health vector control at (808) 586-4708 to report health nuisances caused by feral chickens. 

For resources and information, visit: bit.ly/FeralChickens.

10 Warning Signs of Dementia
Alzheimer’s and other dementias cause memory, thinking and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. The Alzheimer’s Association® developed the new 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s education program to us recognize common signs of the disease and know what to watch for in themselves and others.

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. Register here. 

District Happenings 

Traffic Alert
Major sewer work continues on South Beretania Street between Pawaa Lane and Artesian Street. This may cause partial lanes closures and traffic slowdowns throughout the day. 

Waikiki Pedestrian Safety Sign-Waving Event
The District 6 Community Policing Team, the community residents, Representative Tam and I participated in a sign-waving event to make Waikiki’s streets safer for both motorists and pedestrians. Mahalo to all the wonderful community volunteers!   

Mark Your Calendars

March 17: Makiki Neighborhood Board Meeting at 6:00PM (Virtual)
Some of the topics up for discussion include the bulky item pickup program, Cartwright Park improvements, and illegal fireworks. For the full agenda and link, click here.  

Weekend Waysides

March 1-31:  “Women’s Change Makers” Virtual Reading Challenge
Join the “Women Change Makers” Virtual Reading Challenge and celebrate Women’s History month by reading stories of inspirational creators, brave leaders, and bold champions.  To complete this March 2022 challenge, participants must read at least 600 minutes and read at least one book from the challenge reading list in Beanstack.   

Sign-up or log in at librarieshawaii.beanstack.org or use the Beanstack App on your mobile device.  Once you are signed-up, simply use Beanstack to log reading minutes, and participate in activities or challenges.  Open to all ages! For more information, contact or visit your local public library.  

Our office will continue to be here to serve you. If you enjoy our newsletter, it’s always appreciated to share it with a family, friend or community member.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to respond to this email or email me here: my inbox is always open. You can also give our office a call at (808) 586-6740. Mahalo for waking up to our newsletter! Have a great day!

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