This archive contains past news articles preserved for reference, research, and recordkeeping purposes only. Archived content is presented exactly as it appeared at the time of archiving. No updates or revisions have been made since it was archived.
Second Decking Friday, April 5th is the Second Decking deadline. That's the date by which a bill must be filed with the non-originating chamber's Clerk for 3rd reading. The Hawaii Constitution, Article III, Section 15 states in part, "No bill shall become law unless it shall pass three readings in each house on separate days. No bill shall pass third or final... Read More “Second verse, Same as the first!”...
The budget worksheets have been posted on the Legislature's website. (On the right-hand side of the page, select "Legislative Information" and then the "Budget Worksheets" for 2013.) The worksheets provide detail and explanation of the changes made from the previous version of the bills. Interested in the changes the House made to the Executive Budget submitted by the Governor? Click... Read More Budget Worksheets are Posted...
To help make sense of the budget discussions next week, the Public Access Room's posted its latest information sheet -- Budget Overview. Budget Decking is Monday, March 11th, and Budget Crossover is Wednesday, March 13th. (Check out the 2013 Session Calendar for other upcoming deadlines.) Read More Diving into the Budget...
March 7th is the deadline for bills (other than the budget) to crossover to the other chamber for consideration. It's a great time to take a look at what's still alive. How? Just go to the Legislature's website, click on "Reports and Lists" and under the "First Crossover" section view the Senate Bills Crossed Over to the House or the House Bills Crossed... Read More First Crossover — Time to take a Fresh Look...
Last Friday, February 15th, was the First Lateral deadline -- now all bills must be in the last committee to which they've been referred in their originating chamber. Otherwise, barring extraordinary measures, they're dead. (Or, more accurately, "zombified" until next year's session.) You can take a look at which've survived -- and how they've morphed -- by going to the... Read More First Lateral — 58% Survive...
The incredibly handy, pocket-sized “Hawaii Directory of Public Officials 2013″ (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. And this year, they’ve provided a mobile app as well. Come on by (Room 401, State Capitol)... Read More The HIPA Booklets Have Arrived...
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...