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!...
You can now register to vote online! You can also update your registration, confirm your registration address, and request to vote by mail. Just visit the Office of Elections Register to Vote page. If you have questions, contact the Office of Elections at 808/453-8683 or [email protected]. If you're not registered, do it today. And spread the word. Read More Register to vote online...
Mark your calendars: Session gets underway again next year on the third Wednesday in January -- January 20th, 2016. The 2015 Regular Session ended Thursday, May 7th. A total of 252 bills passed the Legislature this session! All but one (SB143, a proposed Constitutional Amendment that will appear on the 2016 ballot) have gone off to the Governor for possible enactment. Find the... Read More Adjournment sine die (Session pau for now)...
So the bill you're interested in has survived both the House and the Senate... only trouble is, they've each passed different versions of the bill! What next? Your bill is most likely destined for conference committee -- where assigned Representatives and Senators will attempt to negotiate a final version of the bill. Numerous other bills in this situation are also being worked on... Read More Moving into Conference…...
The incredibly handy, pocket-sized “Hawaii Directory of Public Officials 2015″ (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. There's a handy mobile app as well (d.hipaonline.com). Stop in (Room 401, State Capitol) and pick up a copy... Read More Handy Pocket Directories are Here...
From January 21st through January 29th, we'll see thousands of bills introduced… Here's how to find them... On The Hawaii State Legislature's website, click on the "Reports and Lists" icon that appears near center screen. You'll be interested in the first two links that appear on the right: House Bills with Action Taken in 2015 Only Senate Bills with Action... Read More 2015 Session has Started! Where are the Bills?...
If a committee hearing or informational briefing aired as part of the Legislative Broadcast Project, you can watch it at your leisure by going to the Senate and House broadcast pages. Here's how to navigate to those pages: On the right-hand side of the Legislature's website, go to the box under the picture of the Capitol and find the Broadcasts link.... Read More Miss the recent informational briefing? Watch it whenever you like...
In addition to the candidates we'll be selecting on Election Day (11/4/14), voters will be asked whether or not five proposed changes should be made to the Hawaii Constitution. The Questions The questions that will appear on your ballot can be found on the Office of Elections website. Go to the "Factsheets" page, then select "Constitutional Amendment Questions and County... Read More Interested in the Proposed Constitutional Amendments?...
The Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) has published its handy report, "Supplemental Information relating to Bills Passed by the Hawaii State Legislature, Regular Session of 2014." While the title's a mouthful, the report itself is concise, and offers timely and useful information. Note that while the bills listed (there are 245 of them) have passed the legislature, only those showing an act number... Read More An Index to the Bills that Passed the 2014 Legislature...
The 2014 Legislative Session came to a close on May 1st, but the process continues. If a bill you were interested in passed the legislature, you may want to let the Governor know if you think he should sign or veto it. See PAR's April newsletter for the Governor's deadlines and contact information. Unsure of what actually passed? Check out the... Read More Session’s Pau! (What now?)...