You've got just a few days left to ask that it gets on the Governor's "Intent to Veto" list, which is due to the Legislature on Monday, June 26th. How to share your thoughts with the Governor? Click on this link: governor.hawaii.gov/contact-us/comments-on-legislation. You can add your comments to the form, or attach your letter to it. Either way, it's your... Read More If There’s a Bill You’d Like to See Vetoed…...
We're almost at First Crossover -- which means successful bills must pass their Third Reading vote in their originating chamber by March 9th, in order to 'cross over' and be considered by the other chamber. On Tuesday, March 7th, there are several hundred bills that are scheduled to be voted on. The legislative broadcast project will be filming the activity... Read More Broadcasts as We Approach First Crossover...
The incredibly handy, pocket-sized Hawaii Directory of Public Officials (which lists contact information for Hawaii’s legislators) is here. And once again its publisher, the Hawaii Institute of Public Affairs (HIPA), has generously provided the Public Access Room with an ample supply for distribution to our patrons. Stop in (Room 401, State Capitol) and pick up a copy — and take a few more to distribute... Read More Handy Directories are Here!...
The 2017 Regular Session opens at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 18! The session calendar has been issued, and committees and chairs named -- check out PAR's Information Sheets page for convenient lists and handouts. Read More Gearing up for the 2017 Legislative Session...
If the Governor signs the bill early, you're all set. If not, you may have to wait until after June 27th. On or before then, the Governor will provide the Legislature with a list of the bills he may veto. Note, bills on this list may end up not being vetoed. However, any bill that is not on the list... Read More Want to know if a bill that passed the Legislature will become law?...
The Second Crossover deadline for bills is Thursday, April 14th -- to survive, a bill must pass its Third Reading ("vote") on the floor of its non-originating chamber (the House floor for Senate bills, and the Senate floor for House bills). Some bills have already passed that Third Reading vote, and are on their way to crossing back to their originating chamber.... Read More Large Volume of Third Reading Votes Makes for Long Session Day...
The First Decking deadline for bills is Friday, March 4th -- to survive, a bill must pass out of all the committees it was referred to in its originating chamber and be scheduled ("decked") for a Third Reading vote on the floor of the House or Senate chamber. Some bills have already passed that Third Reading vote, and are on... Read More A Long Session of Third Readings...
The First Lateral deadline for bills (February 19th) has come and gone -- bills are still alive if they've managed to get into the last committee they were referred to in their originating chamber. The Legislature's website has a convenient list of the bills that have survived First Lateral. To navigate to the list: Go to the Legislature's website (capitol.hawaii.gov).... Read More What’s Still Alive?...
The 2016 Legislative Session started on 1/20 -- it's the second year of the 28th Legislature. While bills that carried over from last year can still be acted upon, new bills are also being introduced. Where to find them? On the Legislature's website (capitol.hawaii.gov), click on the "Reports and Lists" button in the center column. There you'll find links to... Read More Session Begins! Where are the Bills?...
While we don't know exactly when the application for Grant-in-Aid (GIA) funds will be available, we do know the deadline to complete and submit them -- 4:30 p.m. on January 22, 2016. The GIA application and instructions will be posted on the Legislature's website (capitol.hawaii.gov) sometime the week of December 21st. To find them, just click on the "Legislative Information" bar on the... Read More Grants-in-Aid (GIA) Applications...