We've moved into the conference process -- and it can be a bit of a challenge trying to follow all of the action. Take a look at the March 2014 PAR Newsletter for an overview of the process, the deadlines, and some helpful resources.Feel free to contact PAR (587-0478 or [email protected]) with any questions. Read More In Conference...
Hear ye! Hear ye! On Tuesday, April 8th, we’ll see plenty of speeches on the floor of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Numerous bills will be debated prior to undergoing their Third Reading votes. To survive, a bill must pass its Third Reading vote by the Second Crossover deadline (April 10th). While you can follow the action by coming down to... Read More Third Reading / Second Crossover...
The budget worksheets are posted. Go to the "Legislative Information" page -- you'll find the link on the upper right-hand side of the Legislature's website, capitol.hawaii.gov -- and select "Budget Worksheets." The HB1700 HD1 worksheets highlight the differences between the initial version of the Executive Budget (HB1700) and the amended version (HB1700 HD1) which just crossed over to the Senate from the... Read More The Budget Worksheets are Posted...
Mid-way through Session is a good time to take another look at the landscape of bills being considered. Some of the bills may have changed considerably from their initial drafts. What started out as a bill that didn't cause a blip on your radar may now be of great interest to you. It's easy to find the list of surviving... Read More Time to Take a Fresh Look...
The incredibly handy, pocket-sized “Hawaii Directory of Public Officials 2014″ (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. Once again, they’ve provided a mobile app as well. Come on by (Room 401, State Capitol) and... Read More The handy directories have arrived...
The 2014 Legislative Session is underway, and new bills are being introduced and referred to committees. Here we go! Time to start asking committee chairs to schedule bills for hearings and to offer testimony on measures already scheduled to be heard. But first off: where are the bills that have been introduced? The "Reports and Lists" button can be found... Read More New Bills being Introduced — Where to Find Them...
If you look at the "Current Hearings" section on the Legislature's homepage, you may find an informational briefing that has something to do with the budget. The Senate Ways and Means Committee and the House Finance Committee started out on 12/18/13 with a joint informational briefing that included presentations regarding the Governor's financial plan and the Council on Revenues' revenue... Read More It’s beginning to look a lot like Session…...
Update: The 2014 Session Calendar is here: https://lrbhawaii.org/par/fyi/2014cal.pdf . It's that time of year! Folks are starting to call the Public Access Room looking for the 2014 Legislative Calendar. We'd provide it if we could, but it hasn't been issued yet. The Calendar will be jointly issued by the Senate President and House Speaker sometime before Session starts on January 15, 2014. On... Read More Where’s the 2014 Calendar?...
The 2013 Second Special Session is underway, and measures being considered and their hearing notices are posted on the website. Please let the Public Access Room know if you need help finding anything, or have questions about the legislative process. (808/587-0478 or [email protected]). The bill regarding same sex marriage, SB1 Relating to Equal Rights, is now scheduled for a third reading... Read More 2013 Second Special Session Underway...
A bill regarding same sex marriage (SB1 Relating to Equal Rights) and its first public hearing notice are now posted on the Second Special Session's webpage. The Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor (JDL) has scheduled the hearing for Monday, October 28, at 10:30 a.m. in the Capitol Auditorium (located on the Chamber level). Information on submitting testimony is available... Read More Special Session Hearing Scheduled...