Legislative bills
start rolling

Among this year's measures
is a plan to fine teens who
are caught with tobacco

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By Bruce Dunford
Associated Press

With the opening of the 2003 Legislature, the annual blizzard of paper from the House and Senate print shops has begun, putting before lawmakers what will be thousands of ideas for consideration over the next three and a half months.

Legislature Directory Legislature Bills & Hawaii Revised Statutes

Sen. Brian Kanno (D, Kalaeloa-Makakilo) took honors as having Senate Bill No. 1 this year, proposing a requirement that when a company with more than 100 employees is sold, transferred, merged or taken over, at least half of the employees be retained.

In the House, by tradition, House Bill No. 1 contains the yet-to-be decided amounts to run the Legislature and its attached agencies, such as the legislative auditor and the Legislative Reference Bureau. Last year, the legislative appropriations bill totaled $20.8 million.

House Bill No. 2 honors went to Rep. Mark Takai (D, Newtown-Pearl City) and five Democratic colleagues who want a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and workplaces, except for hotel rooms, nightclubs and certain bars. County councils in Oahu, Maui and Kauai last year approved banning smoking in restaurants.

Another Takai bill would prohibit smoking anywhere at the state Capitol, including the parking garage.

House and Senate members will introduce about 3,000 bills this session, many of them duplicative and many on behalf of the state administration and other interest groups. Many will never be heard by legislative committees and fewer than 10 percent will survive to become law.

Bills introduced this year have a two-year shelf life.

The contents of the bills, their status in the legislative process and committee reports are available on the Legislature's Web site: www.capitol.hawaii.gov.

Members often stress that just because they introduce a measure doesn't necessarily mean they support it, but they agreed to put it in for discussion.

Here's a sampling of some measures introduced in the House and 89 in the Senate since Wednesday's opening day:

>> Fine teenagers caught with tobacco $10 the first time and $50 the second time. Introduced by Rep. Takai.

>> Make permanent the 2001 law that raised the age to 16 for consensual sexual relations. The law resulting from the Legislature's override of then Gov. Ben Cayetano's veto included a repeal date June 30, 2003. Introduced by Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D, Salt Lake-Foster Village).

>> Prohibit the use of hand-held cellular telephones while driving. Introduced by Rep. Joe Souki, D-Waihee-Wailuku.

>> Require workers be given a half-hour meal or rest break after five consecutive hours of working. Introduced by Rep. Roy Takumi (D-Pearl City-Pacific Palisades).

>> Give the counties 40 percent of uncontested traffic fines. Introduced by Sen. Kawamoto.

>> Accelerate the state's "renewable energy resources" timetable so 20 percent of electric companies' sales are from alternative energy sources by Dec. 31, 2016. Introduced by Rep. Cynthia Thielen (R, Kaneohe-Kailua).

>> Allow political parties to replace deceased, withdrawn, disqualified or incapacitated candidates on the ballot up until the date of the election to remedy the potential of multiple special elections as happened after the death of U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink in September. Introduced by Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Halawa).

>> Establish a $9.43 hourly minimum wage for workers in companies contracted by the state. The current minimum wage for all workers is $6.25. Introduced by Rep. Takumi.