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IN AND AROUND THE CAPITOL
Lawmakers won’t
override apartments’
no pet rules
An exception had been sought
for elderly and disabled peopleBills crack down on drugged, drunken drivers
By Pat Omandam
Briefly...
Star-BulletinA state House committee will urge condominium and apartment associations that have a "no pets" rule to bend the rules when it comes to pets for the disabled and elderly.
But lawmakers stopped short of requiring them to do so.
The House Human Services and Housing Committee acquiesced to objections by homeowners associations and property managers yesterday, and deferred a bill that banned landlords from preventing anyone over the age of 62 or who is disabled from owning a dog, cat, bird, fish or any other domesticated animal in a condominium.
Lawmakers acknowledged that social and medical research shows companion animals have therapeutic value to a person's health and happiness, but left it up to these associations to decide. The panel plans to turn House Bill 2965 into a resolution supporting companion animals for the elderly and disabled.
Supporters of the bill said measure was a "win-win" situation for all. Frank D. Slocum, whose wife, Marna, is disabled and has a companion/service dog named Sweetie, said numerous states have passed this type of model legislation at no cost. While the federal Americans with Disabilities Act allows such accommodations, it often involves going to court, which is costly and can take years to adjudicate, Slocum said.
"There is little debate that having a companion animal benefits both the elderly and disabled health-wise, especially emotional support," he said.
"Humane societies have programs to take animals to senior citizen housing and health facilities each month, and the visits are very successful," he said.
Cynthia L. Keolanui, Hawaiian Humane Society community outreach manager, said many landlords are unwilling to take a chance on pet owners because they're unable to differentiate between a responsible and irresponsible pet owner. The society has programs that can help, she said.
Keolanui said a recent survey showed 96 percent of Oahu residents believe animal companionship is important to quality of life. She said 56 percent of Oahu homes have pets.
But associations and property managers say not all pet owners are considerate neighbors, and problems such as barking dogs, messes in common halls, and fleas/ticks in carpets force every owner to bear the burden of pet lovers.
"In a perfect world, all owners would be responsible citizens," said Jim Kolonick, president of Metropolitan Management, which represents more than 5,000 condo units. "It is not a perfect world and pet owners are no exception when it comes to irresponsibility."
Jane Sugimura, president of the Hawaii Council of Associations of Apartment Owners, said under existing federal HUD regulations any resident, regardless of age, can have a pet in an apartment building that has a "no pet" rule if they get a doctor's letter stating the pet is necessary for physical or mental health reasons.
Bills crack down on drugged,
By Ben DiPietro
drunken drivers
Associated PressThe House Transportation Committee today was to take action on bills covering drugged drivers.
The committee is considering a bill to reduce jail time for drugged drivers and to allowed drugged driver convictions for drivers under the influence of prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Earlier this week, the committee passed a bill that would set harsher penalties for drivers convicted of repeat drunken-driving offenses.
Drivers convicted of drunken driving after three or more prior driving-under-the-influence convictions within the previous 10 years would lose their licenses for life.
First-time offenders would lose their licenses for three months.
A second drunken driving conviction within seven years of the first conviction could result in a driver's license being taken away for two years, instead of the current one year, under the state's administrative revocation law.
The time would double from two years to four years for a driver with two prior DUI convictions in the previous five years.
Drivers under 18 would lose their licenses until age 18 under the bill, which now heads to the House Judiciary Committee.
Mothers Against Drunk Drivers supports license revocation, but said additional tougher penalties are needed to deter repeat offenders.
"Repeat offenders are likely to drive on a revoked license," MADD's Carol McNamee said, adding the group also supports other bills that would take away a repeat offender's vehicle registration and the vehicle's license plates.
"In the case of repeat offenders, studies have shown that other penalties need to be combined with the license revocation," McNamee said.
The Judiciary took no position on the increased penalties, but did say it may lead to a greater demand for administrative revocation hearings.
Briefly ...
LIMITED ACCESS:
Steve Holck doesn't like the possibility that his 9-year-old daughter could see pornography on the Internet at public libraries.Children are young and impressionable, said Holck, who testified yesterday on Senate Bill 2466 to limit children's access to online pornography in public schools and libraries.
Virginia Lowell, state librarian, submitted testimony to the Senate Education Committee that the bill is unworkable under the First Amendment.
Guidelines are posted saying the computers may not be used for illegal purposes, Lowell said. Librarians can kick you off the computer or out of the library if computers are misused, she said.
Others gain comfort seeing it in law, said Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D, Moanalua, Salt Lake).
Written policies are needed to ensure children's protection from pornographic material, said Kelly Rosati, executive director for Hawaii Family Forum.
A decision on the bill is scheduled for Friday.
You can track bills, hearings and other Legislature action via: Get involved
The Legislative Reference Bureau's public access room, state Capitol, room 401. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Phone: 587-0478; fax, 587-0793; TTY, 538-9670.
Neighbor islanders, call toll-free and enter ext. 70478 after the number:
Big Island, 974-4000; Maui,
984-2400; Kauai, 274-3141;
Molokai and Lanai, 468-4644.
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