For the first time in several years, Democrats in the Senate and House came together at the beginning of the legislative session to jointly issue a package of priority legislation.
This year’s majority caucus package includes measures to address kupuna issues and protect the environment.
“These shared priorities of seniors and the environment are important because they have sufficient support within both caucuses and address statewide issues of broad public concern at the forefront of the legislative session,” Senate President Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Moanalua-Halawa) said in a news release.
The proposed legislation aims to protect seniors from financial abuse, support healthy aging programs and provide resources to implement a long-term care awareness campaign.
To address key environmental issues such as the effects of climate change — particularly the effect erosion is having on Oahu’s North Shore beaches and homes — and invasive species, the majority package also include bills that would provide $5 million in funding for the Hawaii Invasive Species Council and resources for the Office of Planning to ensure Hawaii adapts to protect the public from the effects of climate change through 2050.
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ON THE WISH LIST
Some of the minority caucus’s goals this session include:
» Reducing Hawaii’s high cost of living by linking tax rates to the consumer price index.
» Limiting the government’s ability to increase fees while working to increase the public’s involvement in commenting on proposed fee increases.
» Requiring greater oversight and public input regarding Department of Education curriculum.
» Legalizing initiative and referendum, which would give voters the power to put issues on the ballot.
» Allocating funding to better coordinate the state’s mental health services.
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“The proposed legislation is the result of the tireless efforts of representatives from both houses, who helped pull together all the various interests and priorities to find mutual ground and commitments to serious concerns that are statewide and cross political boundaries,” House Speaker Joe Souki (D, Waihee-Waiehu-Wailuku) said in the release.
The House’s seven Republicans have also came together to push a package of legislation this session which emphasizes empowering residents to improve the state’s quality of life.
With the minority caucus now being relatively young, some members are working to increase the party’s presence online and in social media. For instance, the group released a video on YouTube last week highlighting its session goals.
“Now more than ever the people of Hawaii deserve to be heard by their government, and the Hawaii House Republican caucus is listening,” Minority Floor Leader Rep. Beth Fukumoto (R, Mililani-Mililani Mauka-Waipio Acres) says in the video.
“What we really wanted to do was make sure that we were listening to things that were out there in the public, and one of the things that consistently comes up, that’s an overarching theme, is just this notion of empowering people,” Minority Leader Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson (R, Fort Shafter-Moanalua Gardens- Aliamanu) said Friday.
Fukumoto said the goal of the package is to “address issues that maybe seem unique to one group of people, but actually, if you really look at it, it’s something that really affects the entire state.”
Sen. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Kahala-Hawaii Kai), the Senate’s lone Republican, said his No. 1 issue for the session also is voter empowerment and encouraging people who feel disenfranchised, especially following the state’s special legislative session on gay marriage last year, to speak out.
Slom said he also plans to again push for tougher penalties for child sex offenders and for greater fiscal responsibility.
