Curfew suggested
for young drivers
Lawmakers hunt ways to
prevent the traffic accidents
killing Hawaii's teen driversBy Craig Gima
Hemp bill passes major hurdle
Star-BulletinMaui police believe a car with four teen-agers was speeding when it skidded and hit a curb in Wailea. The car spun in the air, ejecting three of the boys.
The New Year's Day crash claimed the life of 16-year-old Kyle "Kamu" Kahui, who was not wearing a seat belt, and 17-year-old Jarett Tanaka. Both teen-agers played football at Baldwin High School.
Kahui's mother, Alexa, urged state senators yesterday to prevent future tragedies by passing a bill to require driver education classes for all new drivers, establish a new curfew for drivers under 18, and revoke licenses of minors convicted of traffic offenses.
"Since Kamu's death, my protective intuition has been elevated," Kahui said. "I feel inclined to keep youngsters close to me safe and secure."
The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to vote on the bill today.
"If only one life were spared, this law would prove its worth," said Janet Shimada, a vice principal at Baldwin High School.
About a dozen teen-agers, members of student Mothers Against Drunk Driving chapters, testified in support of the driving curfew that would prohibit minors under 18 from driving between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. unless they had written permission from their parents or an employer.
"I believe minors for their own protection should be in before 11 because of adults aged 21 and older who could be on the road late in the night after partying or drinking," said Anna Zarro, a sophomore at Maui High School. "I see at the intersection near my house people - adults - running red lights, not using signals, almost in accidents, yelling at each other over their incompetence," she added."These 'adults' lacked the training necessary as minors to become responsible adult drivers."
But the measure was not popular among teen-agers in the parking lot of McKinley High School yesterday afternoon. "I think that sucks. They give us too many rules already," said 15-year-old Sharlette Taba.
"Not all the time parents are able to get you to places you want to go," said her friend Melissa Orden, 14.
"I think they should make it (the driving curfew) under 16; 16 years and under they're more immature," said Donna Manalo, 17, who added that she and her friends are not coming home but are just starting to go out at 11 p.m.
"Most teen drivers without a license will drive anyway," 17-year-old Eunice Park said. "Their whole life they think, 'I want to drive. I want to drive.' "
"Requiring minors to have signed statements is completely unenforceable," said deputy public defender Ronette Kawakami. "If a person really wants to drive, a note may be forged."
After the hearing, Senate Judiciary Co-Chairman Avery Chumbley questioned whether police would be able to enforce the driving curfew since they cannot enforce the existing curfew between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. for minors under 16.
Chumbley (D, Kihei) also noted the bill would essentially suspend the driver's licenses for teen-agers for 18 months to two years for violations of the curfew and other traffic offenses and suggested that may be too severe a penalty.
But Chumbley said it does make sense to have mandatory driver's education. "Who's going to do it, who's going to pay for it, how expansive of a program is it are the unanswered questions," he said.
Chumbley also suggested private driving schools may be able to provide the training service, in addition to programs through the Department of Education. "There seems to be a market out there that someone could do well in," he said.
House approves bill to
By Craig Gima
allow industrial hemp
Star-BulletinA bill that would allow industrial hemp to be grown in Hawaii cleared a major hurdle today and is headed for the Senate floor next week.
Proponents say if the bill becomes law, Hawaii would be the first state in the nation to allow industrial hemp production and it could create a new industry.
Industrial hemp is a variety of the marijuana plant, but contains far less concentrations of the chemical that gives marijuana its "high".
"It could give you severe headaches and diarrhea, but it could not get you high," said Senate Judiciary Committee Co-Chairman Matt Matsunaga (D, Palolo).
Matsunaga said proponents convinced him that while the industrial hemp plant and the marijuana plant are of the same species, they look different and have different properties. He said the industrial hemp plants are tall and stocky, while marijuana plants are short and bushy.
Matsunaga said he expects the bill to face strong opposition on the Senate floor, but does not think opponents have the votes necessary to kill it.
Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D, Moanalua) expressed reservations in the committee today, noting that Honolulu police opposed the measure.
He said the Judiciary Committee added provisions to a House bill to involve law enforcement in the pilot project. He said growers would have to submit details of the project to police and that the project must get approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R, Kailua) and her son Peter have been lobbying for the bill for three years. Thielen said a company has already committed $200,000 to fund a pilot project to determine what varieties of industrial hemp would grow best in Hawaii. She said the project could begin at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, by January and full-scale commercial production could begin in two years. She said hemp could be grown for building materials, food, or oils, or burned for energy.
Pay freeze idea gets
By Craig Gima
chilly response
Star-BulletinA House proposal to freeze unionized public worker salaries and benefits for the next four years is unconstitutional, says Gary Rodrigues, state director of the United Public Workers union.
A hearing on Senate Bill 4, HD 2, was scheduled for today in the House Finance Committee. If the bill passes, public worker unions would not be able to negotiate for increases in wages and benefits beginning July 1 until July 1, 2003.
"You're trying to rip off the worker to balance the budget," said Rodrigues, who noted the state constitution protects the right of workers to organize for collective bargaining.
House Speaker Calvin Say said the measure would not prohibit collective bargaining on nonmoney items and noted the pay freeze would not affect bills to fund retroactive pay raises for UPW and Hawaii Government Employees Association members.
"It does not take away any benefits or wages," he said.
Say said the pay freeze is an attempt to avoid future situations where raises are negotiated or awarded through arbitration, but not funded by the Legislature.
He said the measure is "prudent" until the Legislature can determine the effect of a four-year tax cut that could reduce income tax revenues by $50 million to $100 million by 2002.
"It's a way to try to manage government spending without layoffs," Say said.
Say added that the alternative could be to cut programs and jobs or raise the general excise tax.
He said salaries and benefits make up one-third of the general fund and fixed costs take up another third.
"That leaves you with very few monies to spend," he said.
Rodrigues said lawmakers should look at their own pet programs and other cuts or increasing fees before trying to limit the pay of workers.
"If you have a program you don't want to do, have the courage to end it," he said.
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