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...
Check out the Legislative Reference Bureau's (LRB's) Supplemental Information Relating to Bills Passed. This LRB report is helpful in tracking the measures that have been sent to the Governor. It includes a subject index, a list of the HRS sections affected by bills that have passed, and even a summary of the total appropriations included in the executive budget bill. Read More LRB’s Latest Report is a Great Resource...
The 2011 Regular Session is pau -- adjournment sine die was on May 5, 2011. Of the 3,224 bills introduced, a total of 252 bills passed out of the Legislature and were sent on to the Governor. The following table provides an overall number of Bills, Acts, and Vetoes (as of May 9, 2011). Updates on these statistics -- which... Read More Legislative Statistics for Regular Session of 2011...
The Conference Procedures have been agreed upon, and they're conveniently located on the Legislature's home page. Take a look here! While both the House and Senate rules discuss conference committees to some extent (from www.capitol.hawaii.gov, go to “House” or “Senate” then “Rules”), these “procedures” clarify specific agreements on items such as public notice, what to do if a quorum isn’t... Read More Conference Procedures...
Today's the First Crossover deadline, and it's a great time to take a look at what's still alive. Only about 20% of the bills introduced make it this far, and some of them have changed considerably since their initial drafts. The folks at the Legislature's website have created a great list of bills that have passed first crossover -- it... Read More Time to take another look — First Crossover!...
Pocket-sized directory published by HIPA The booklets have arrived! The incredibly handy "Hawaii Directory of Elected Officials 2011" 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!...