School board issue
stays alive in SenateRepublicans still hope to salvage
a measure to poll the public on
creating local boards
State Republicans plan to keep a close eye on the second half of the legislative session as Gov. Linda Lingle continues to push for her key issue: letting voters decide on the issue of local school boards.
The matter appears dead in the House, and Lingle has focused her efforts on trying to get the Senate to hold hearings and advance her proposal.
Whether that happens will be up to Democratic leadership in the Senate.
"If not, we will be using education reform as a sounding board for getting some of our new Republican candidates elected," said state GOP Chairman Brennon Morioka. "We do believe that whether you believe in local school boards or not, the people from the communities should at least have their say, and that's not happening right now."
The local school board measure could be brought back in the second half of the session as both the House and Senate now begin work on each other's bills.
Though many of the measures are similar, any differences would have to be worked out in joint House-Senate conference committees later in the session.
So even if the Senate advances Lingle's proposal calling for a ballot question on whether to create local school boards, an agreement would have to be reached with House members in order to put the measure before voters in November. The full House already has defeated Lingle's proposal twice.
Another measure atop lawmakers' agenda in the second half will be the state's one-of-a-kind gasoline price cap.
As passed in 2002, the law sets a maximum price on regular unleaded gasoline sold at the wholesale and retail level based on an average of prices in West Coast markets.
Lawmakers are attempting to modify the price cap before it takes effect on July 1, to address concerns raised in the past two years.
The Senate has approved changes that would cap the price of all grades of gasoline sold at the wholesale level only and based on a national average of prices.
A similar measure in the House died in committee after lawmakers were unable to agree on proposed changes.
If no new measure is passed, the price cap would take effect as it was passed in 2002, although it contains a provision that the governor can suspend the cap if it is determined to have a negative impact on the state's economy.
Lawmakers also plan to continue work on proposals aimed at controlling the state's problem with crystal methamphetamine, or "ice."
Both sides have passed legislation establishing harsher criminal laws to protect children and punish dealers, advocating treatment over prison and enacting new laws to help citizens deal with the effects of ice in their communities.
House lawmakers have approved spending $19 million from the state's general fund for various drug treatment, prevention and interdiction programs. The Senate approved a similar funding bill but left the amount to be determined.
Citizens and community groups have staged rallies, held news conferences and written letters to newspapers to let lawmakers know they expect results after last year's proclaimed "war on ice," which saw an unprecedented level of government resources used to study the problem and devise solutions.
State Democratic Party Chairman Alex Santiago, a former state House member, said the issues that candidates take to voters in November will take better shape in the coming weeks.
As party chairman, Santiago said he has been mostly concentrating on other matters such as the recently concluded state Democratic caucuses, but added that it is too early for the party to start discussing election strategy based on what has happened at the Capitol so far.
"Speaking from experience, there's an awful lot that's going to happen in the next few weeks," he said. "The issues are all being flushed out -- they're being aired.
"In the next few weeks, I think the decisions will be made as to pretty much what direction they want to go in."
Bills cover hazing, wiretaps, sharks and shore lights
A look at some of the proposals still alive in the state Legislature as lawmakers head into the second half of the 2004 session:Measures approved by the House
» House Bill 33: Proposes a constitutional amendment that would give the Department of Education more management control of public school operations.
» H.B. 537: Outlaws housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation the same way landlords' consideration of race, sex, religion, age, disability and other factors is prohibited.
» H.B. 1743: Bans the shining of light on the shoreline, nearshore and ocean waters unless the light is authorized and required for public safety or safe ocean navigation.
» H.B. 1769: Prohibits broadcast employers from including "noncompete" clauses in contracts that would prevent employees from seeking another job in the same market once the contract is terminated.
» H.B. 2020: Makes it illegal for travel agencies to promote prostitution.
» H.B. 2184: Proposes a constitutional amendment to increase membership on the state Board of Education to 17 and redefine districts to allow for at least one elected board member from each county.
» H.B. 2741: Requires state agencies to provide justification for deputy directors and special assistant positions that are not specifically authorized by law and that the positions be subject to legislative review.
Measures approved by the Senate
» Senate Bill 2017: Increases the penalties for racing on the highways, including forfeiture of the vehicle for repeated offenses.
» S.B. 2395: Allows the Hawai'i Convention Center to keep information about its users confidential, if requested.
» S.B. 2438: Appropriates $25,000 to have the state study shark activity along Oahu's Leeward Coast by tagging sharks and monitoring their movements.
» S.B. 2447: Relaxes the state's wiretap law to make it more useful in the war against drug dealers.
» S.B. 2607: Mandates that adoptions of children with at least one parent who is a Marshallese citizen have the approval of a court in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
» S.B. 3069: Transfers exclusive management of the entire state Capitol building and grounds, including parking facilities, to a legislative management committee.
» S.B. 3070: Makes hazing of students in schools and colleges a misdemeanor, subject to a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Associated Press