January 24th was the cut-off deadline for the introduction of bills. The bills for the 2013 Session are now all in the "hopper." The Legislature's home page has a wealth of new tools available to the public. Scroll through the Hearing Notices that have been posted -- you'll see them in the lower-center of the screen on the Legislature's homepage.Click... Read More Hearings are Underway...
The election's pau! At the Capitol, legislators are getting organized and into their offices. The Senate has elected leadership and formed committees. We're still waiting for the House to publish all the leadership positions and committees. Meanwhile, where do you go to find the latest contact information? Visit the Legislature's website and click on the "Legislators" icon. Read More Who’s where?...
Saturday, August 11th, 2012 is the primary! Need information on where to vote, the candidates or how to register for the next election? Visit the Hawaii Office of Elections website at https://hawaii.gov/elections . As always, feel free to call the Public Access Room at 808/587-0478 (or email us at [email protected]) and we'll be happy to help you find what you're looking... Read More Vote!...
The House and Senate have posted their joint 2012 Conference Procedures on the Legislature's homepage. Have questions about this stage of the process? Feel free to contact the Public Access Room at [email protected] or 808/587-0478. Read More Welcome to Conference...
We've just passed a major deadline -- First Crossover. The majority of bills introduced will have failed to make it this far, and you can access a quick report that will show you the bills that have survived, their current descriptions and status. It's a great time to scan what's still alive to make sure you're aware of the legislation that's... Read More First Crossover. What’s Survived?...
The booklets have arrived. The incredibly handy, pocket-sized “Hawaii Directory of Public Officials 2012″ (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. Come on by (Room 401, State Capitol) and pick up a copy —... Read More They’re in!...
Aloha, and Happy New Year! The 2012 Legislative Session Calendar has now been established and the Public Access Room has created a color-coded version. It helps distinguish “bill,” “resolution,” and “budget” deadlines from one another. As ever, useful information relating to all the various deadlines appears on the reverse side. Download it from here: https://hawaii.gov/lrb/par/fyi/calendar12.pdf . Read More 2012 Legislative Session Calendar...
The Public Access Room’s (PAR’s) November 2011 newsletter walks you through the changes to the Hawaii State Legislature’s website, and highlights the new features. Take a moment and explore the changes now, before the Session starts up in January. It's available on the PAR website. And remember, PAR’s there to help – don’t hesitate to call (808/587-0478) or email ([email protected])! Read More PAR’s November Newsletter — A Guide to the Legislature’s Website...
The Hawaii Legislature's website, www.capitol.hawaii.gov, has been re-designed and is better than ever for folks wanting to easily and effectively participate in the State legislative process. New features include the ability to set up your own measure tracking list and a dashboard style homepage that allows you to immediately access information without having to navigate through additional pages. Check it... Read More Hawaii Legislature’s Website: New and Improved!...
The Public Access Room's free workshop, "We the Powerful," comes to Maui September 12th through 15th. Learn how to help shape Hawaii's laws! Find the schedule on the PAR workshops page. Read More FREE Workshop on Maui...