Legislature Overrides Fourteen Vetoes during Special Session

Both Houses of the State Legislature met in Special Session on July 8th to consider the governor's vetoes. The House of Representatives and the Senate agreed to override 14 of the bills vetoed by Governor Lingle. The following documents lists the bills that were overridden by the required two-thirds margin:

Measure Measure Title / (Report Title)

HB2250 HD1 RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION
(Hawaii Interisland Airlines Regulation)

HB2761 HD1 SD1 CD1 RELATING TO WOMEN'S HEALTH
(Post-partum and Interconception Care; QUEST)

HB2843 HD2 SD2 CD1 RELATING TO INVASIVE SPECIES
(Invasive Species; Fees; Freight)

SB156 SD2 HD2 CD1 RELATING TO VOTING
(Elections; Absentee; Voting)

SB2262 SD1 HD2 CD2 RELATING TO HEALTH
(VEBA Trusts; Sunset Extension; State Auditor Study)

SB2263 SD2 HD1 RELATING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
(UH Board of Regents; Compensation; Expenditures; Disclosure)

SB2345 SD1 HD1 CD1 RELATING TO CHILDREN
(Children of Incarcerated Parents; Guiding Principles)

SB2542 SD2 HD2 CD1 RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH
(Federally Qualified Health Centers)

SB2668 SD2 HD1 CD1 RELATING TO UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
(UH Board of Regents; Regents Candidate Advisory Council)

SB2803 SD1 HD1 CD1 RELATING TO PERSONAL INFORMATION
(Identity Theft; Personal Information; Government Agencies)

SB2830 SD2 HD2 CD1 RELATING TO CAREGIVING
(Joint Legislative Committee on Family Caregiving; Appropriations)

SB2840 SD2 HD1 CD1 RELATING TO SELF-SUFFICIENCY
(Economic Self-sufficiency Standard)

SB2843 SD2 HD3 CD1 RELATING TO ELECTRONIC DEVICE RECYCLING
(Electronic Device Recycling)

SB2878 SD2 HD2 CD1 RELATING TO EARLY LEARNING
(Early Learning System; Early Learning Council; Pre-Plus Program; Facilities)

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UPDATE!!!

The new Capitol Connection is now out and posted here on our website. To view the most current issue, or other previous issues of Senator Ige's Capitol and Community Connection, click on the connect tab listed the top navigation bar. Click on the link below to view the most recent Capitol Connection Newsletter.

Capitol Connection

Senate Honors Little League Champs!

Senator Ige and Nishihara honored the Pearl City Junior Little League Team for capturing the Junior League World Series Champions last summer. Last August, the Hawaii district 7 Little League Junior League Team from Pearl City represented the United States at the 27th Junior League World Series Little League Baseball Championships in Taylor Michigan. The team from Pearl City beat the team from Laredo Texas, and became the United States Champions, earning a spot in the Junior League World Series. Pearl City then went on to beat the team from the Philippines, the International Champions, and was crowned the Junior League World Series Champions. Below, Senator Ige and Nishihara pose for a picture with Team Manger Mitch Yamato, and team representatives Kahana Neal, Chace Numata, and Isaac Shim.

Capitol Artist Program

The chamber level of the Hawaii State Capitol is decorated with the artwork of
students from Aiea Intermediate School and Highlands Intermediate. The student artwork will be on display in the Senate chamber hallways of the State Capitol through the end of the 2008 session on May 1st.

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Leader for a Day

Leader for a Day

On Thursday March 13, 2008 Senator Ige welcomed Shion Pritchard, a student from Kailua Intermediate High School who visited the capitol as part of the "Leader for a Day", program. Shion was selected through an essay entitled, "Make our Community Safer". During her visit to the State Capitol, Shion met other Senators, observed the Senate in the gallery of the Senate Chambers, as well as shared in a lunch with other students and Legislators participating in the "Leader for a Day" program.

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Committee on Health Informational Briefing

The Senate Committee on Health will be holding an informational briefing on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:15 in conference room 016. Health Committee Chairman Senator David Ige along with other Senators on the Health Committee will be briefed by guest speaker Dr. Terry Shintani with the Hawaii Health Foundation on how to cut health cost by 25%. The informational briefing will also be featured live on Olelo Cable Television.

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Site Update

With session in full swing, there are many bills of interest online that are being heard and discussed here at the state capitol. For more information on committee hearings, bill status, and other legislative matters, log on to the capitol website.

Here are a few of the site update highlights :

• The second issue of the Community Connection has been published! Follow the "connect" link above to view our newsletter listings or click on the titles below to download them to your computer.

  Commuinty Connection
  Capitol Connection

  
  

• Artwork featured in our capitol artist program are available for viewing under our community section of the website. The artwork of King Intermediate students as well as Aiea Intermediate are now featured on the website. The artwork of students from Aiea High School are now on display in the hallway of the Senate chambers.

• Updates on the bills heard in the Senate Health Committee as well as the testimonies submitted for each hearing are posted on our committee section.

  Health Committee Informational Briefing

  The Senate Committee on Health will be holding an informational briefing on Monday, March 10, 2008 at 1:15 in conference room 016. Health Committee Chairman Senator David Ige along with other Senators on the Health Committee will be briefed by guest speaker Dr. Terry Shintani with the Hawaii Health Foundation on how to cut health cost by 25%. The informational briefing will also be featured live on Olelo Cable Television.
  

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Images from Opening Day

Opening Day

The 2008 Legislative Session officially started on Jan. 16, 2008 where members of the Senate recognized the accomplishments of the University of Hawaii in celebration of the Centennial and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championships earned by the Wahine Volleyball Team, Wahine Soccer, and Warrior Football Team. Senator Ige was joined by family and friends in the various opening day festivities. Here are a few pictures taken during the opening day of the 2008 Legislature.

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Senate Going Paperless

During the 2008 legislative session , the Hawaii State Senate will embark on a new paper reduction initiative to limit the amount of paper consumed during the legislative process. This project is part of the Senate's push for a "sustainable" future for Hawaii. All bills, testimonies, and hearing notices will now be converted to electronic documents to assist in the State's overall effort reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

State Senator David Ige, chair of the Health Committee, is one of the leaders in Senate's "paperless" initiative. Entering his 22nd year of public service, Senator Ige has continuously promoted the use of current technology to reach out and make the legislative process more accessible to the general public.

During the 2007 session, the Senate generated more than 4.375 million copies which consumed 22 tons of paper at a cost of about $31,000, roughly the equivalent of 525 mature trees. With the rising cost of paper and in an effort be more environmentally, each state senator has been issued a laptop where to access electronic documents and legislation electronically instead of carrying the binders and files into session.

Town Meeting:

Pearl City/ Aiea Town Meeting

There will be a town meeting with State Legislators from Pearl City and Aiea on Wednesday, February 20, 2008, regarding cyber crime. An informational presentation by the Hawaii Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force will brief residents how to protect themselves from cyber criminals. Senator Ige along with colleagues, Senators Donna Mercado Kim, Clarence Nishihara and Norman Sakamoto along with Representatives Blake Oshiro, K. Mark Takai, and Roy Takumi are sponsoring the event. For more information, please contact the office of Senator Ige at 808-586-6230.

Continue reading "Senate Going Paperless" »

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Opening Day 2008!

The opening of the 2008 State Legislature will be held on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at the Hawaii State Capitol. Friends, family, and constituents of Senator David Ige are invited to come by the capitol and join in the opening day festivities. This year, the Senate and House will be honoring the University of Hawaii's 2007 fall sports teams. Members of the Wahine volleyball, soccer and football team will be honored in the Rotunda at noon. Guests are encouraged to come by to help celebrate UH athletics and join Senator Ige and his office staff for food and fellowship following the ceremonies.

Happy New Years!

Senator Ige and his family would like to wish everyone a happy new year. This year, a lot of changes will be happening in the Senate. The entire Senate will be going through a major initiative that would cut back on the amount of paper used during the session by going "paper-less" and having all the information including hearing notices and bills saved and sent through digital communication via email. Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming legislative session. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Moving into March

March marks the mid-point of session. With a variety of bills crossing over from the Senate to the House and vice versa, it is a crucial time to keep bills alive. Because we have a bicameral system, if one house reviews and amends a measure, the other must have the opportunity to review the bill and the make any changes.

In other news, our second issue of the Capitol Connection is available for view in "connect"!

This issue, I’ve highlighted a few bills of interest that I introduced at the beginning of the year. To help those unfamiliar with the process, I’ve included an introductory article about the Legislative Reference Bureau’s Public Access Room. We also have highlights from the February town meeting regarding Identity Theft, including tips and a brief history of Hawaii’s fight against identity thieves. Lastly, I'd like to recognize the students from District 16 who participated and were award recipients in the 44th Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards.

Extended articles are available in the "Community Notes" box to the right, and more photos are available in my online gallery!

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Rounding Out January

As we round out our first month of the 2007 session, my staff and I are preparing for our first bill hearings as the Senate Committee on Health. As the new chairman of this committee, I have quickly learned that the issue of health is large and the scope is wide. Already, wide and far-reaching topics such as Medicare, insurance coverage, hospital care, have come to my attention. I am very honored to take upon this responsibility and hope to tackle these issues with effective policies and decision-making.

Also, late last week, our Legislative Calendar was officially finalized and signed by our Senate President, Senator Colleen Hanabusa. Track our progress as we move through session! This is a very exciting time at the State Capitol where our hearings and votes make a difference!

Additionally, like last year, all hearing notices under the committee of Health will be posted under the "committees" tab. Testimony will be uploaded for hearings we are leading. For a quick link to our hearing notices, please refer to the "Hearing Notices" box to the right!

And for those awaiting the first issue of our "Capitol Connection", it will be out shortly! As always, if you have any announcements, events, or folks you would like to commend, please e-mail me with the details and we will be sure to add it to our community highlights on our site and newsletter!

Lastly, mark February 28th on your calendars for the first Aiea-Pearl City Town Meeting to be held at the Waimalu Elementary School Cafeteria from 7PM to 8:30PM. The topic of discussion will be Identity Theft and Crime. More information will be posted as it is known.

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Now that the holidays are over, my office staff and I are gearing up for Session 2007! The official opening day of the 24th legislature is on January 17th! The public is more than welcome to attend! Our offices are open for you to visit. The festivities begin at 10am!

This year, I have been assigned as the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Health. As the purview for this matter is large, I have been doing my best to research the issues that most affect our island state. Like last year, I will be updating my website with all legislative information that comes through for our committee - links to bills, testimony, and hearing notices.

Like past years, my office will be publishing a newsletter each month with issues that relate to what happens here at the Senate and news from our community! If you have any events you would like to promote or people who have done great achievements in our district, feel free to contact my office via e-mail or phone at (808) 586-6230!

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December - Prepping for Session 2007

Where did the year go?

Session 2007 is right around the corner and there is a lot happening at the Capitol in preparation for January. Whereas I had been the chairman of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs in the past biennium, starting in 2007, I will be the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Health. As this is a large committee with a larger purview than IGA, I look forward to the challenge of something new!

As a note all of the IGA hearing notices and bill information has been moved into the "archives" tab. Files have not been moved, so links made prior to this year should not be changed.

Stay tuned! More information will be posted on my site as it is made known!

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October Interim

Welcome to davidige.org!

Fall is finally upon us and we can start to look forward to cooler weather!

October 11th is the first meeting of the Waimano Ridge Task Force, to be held at the Pearl City Cultural Center at 7pm. For more information, please view our press release in the community notes. [link]

October 14th is Keiki ID at the Pearl Kai McDonalds from 10am to 1pm. This is a free service for all who stop by!

October 21st is the Pearlridge Center Senior Fair, sponsored and organized by my office. This is an annual event, held at Pearlridge Center Uptown from 10am to 2pm, to promote senior issue awareness and services. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Participants include:

• AARP
• AlohaCare
• American Cancer Society
• American Heart Association
• American Lung Association
• City & County of Honolulu - Elderly Affairs Division
• Hawaii Meals on Wheels
• Healthcare Association of Hawaii
• HMSA
• Honolulu Fire Department
• Hospice Hawaii
• Island Audiology
• Kapiolani Medical Center at Pali Momi
• Lotus Adult Day Care Center of Hawaii
• Meals on Wheels - Lanakila
• National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii
• Office of the Ombudsman
• Pearl City Police Station
• Sage Watch
• Senior Companion Program
• State Executive Office on Aging, Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
• Sage Plus
• Social Security Administration

Join us!

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August Interim

Welcome to davidige.org!

As summer is drawing to a close and we are looking forward to autumn, there are a number of upcoming community events sponsored by your local legislators.

The next Aiea/Pearl City Town Meeting on September 27th will be held at Waimalu Elementary School from 7:00-8:30pm. The topic of discussion is the Weighted Student Formula. Join us to hear updates from the Department of Education and how the formula will affect our schools.
(Click here to view/download the town meeting flyer)

October 21st is the Pearlridge Center Senior Fair, sponsored and organized by my office. This is an annual event, held at Pearlridge Center Uptown, to promote senior issue awareness and services. Be sure to mark your calendars! More information regarding vendors and times will be posted on davidige.org as it becomes available.

Also, a warm congratulations to the Pearl City Junior & Senior Little League Teams for their strong performance at the World Series! We are proud of all your achievements!

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Interim 2006 - July

Although Session 2006 is officially over with the Governor's vetos and all other bills becoming acts (or commonly known as "laws") - there are still many projects underway Capitol and community related! The interim is the most opportune time to spend time in the community, research issues that affect us directly and indirectly, and draft new bills for the following session.

Here are some of the following highlights:

• The latest news concerning the Hawaii Regional Biosafety Laboratory is published on a website hosted by the University of Hawaii. (Click here to view the site!)


• The gallery is currently updated with new photos from the Pearl City High School Summer School U.S. History Class!


• All session information can be found online at the Hawaii Legislative Reference Bureau website! The governor's veto list, session reports, supplemental information and more can be found there!


• Community Notes will be updated as new information arises! Just look to the box on the right for the links to news about the district!

Thanks for stopping by!

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May 4th - Adjournment Sine Die

Congratulations for surviving the 23rd Legislative Session with us! As things come to a close at the Capitol, I'd just like to take this opportunity to remind you of all our excellent district student achievements over the past year and upcoming events to take place during the interim.

• The gallery has been updated with new artwork by students of Aiea Intermediate and Aiea High!


• The next Pearl City/Aiea Town Meeting will take place on Monday, May 22nd at Pearl Ridge Elementary School. Headed by the Office of Senator Donna Mercado Kim, the guest of Honor is Mayor Mufi Hanneman!


• During the interim, there will be staff available in my office to handle any constituent concerns and questions! Feel free to contact us either via e-mail or call us at 586-6230.


• Stay tuned at davidige.org throughout the year for community updates, advisories, notices, and other related information!

Thanks for making the 2006 session a success!

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End of February - March Head-First!

We have finally reached the end of February and quickly approaching First Decking. As this is a busy time for both Senators and Representatives and their staff, it is an exciting time for those tracking bills. If a bill passes through committee and meets the First Decking deadline, it moves to the Senate floor for a final vote (a.k.a. "Third Reading") on March 9th.

As follows, here are some of the latest site updates:

• The third issue of the Community Connection is ready for view! Follow the "connect" link above to view our newsletter listings or click here to open the PDF.
• Photos from the Pearl City High School Girls Softball Team Senate Floor Presentation is available for view in our gallery. Also up for view are photos from the February 22nd Town Meeting and Capitol Artist Program artwork by students from Highlands Intermediate School!
• New community notes have been posted.
• Testimony for IGA-headed committee bills hearings are available online! Look for the hearing notices in the box to the right with the "(+ testimony)" marked at the end!
• The Legislative Calendar (below) has been updated for the month of April.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check back often for news and hearing information!

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Mid February Update: Reaching First Lateral

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

We are on the cusp of reaching First Lateral - a time when all bills that have been heard by their lead committees are passed to their secondary committees for scheduled hearings. This is an especially busy time for the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (WAM) and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs (JHW). It is the last leg of the initial Senate readings of the bills before they are passed to the House.

As followed are some of the latest site highlights and updates:

• The third issue of the Capitol Connection is ready for view! Follow the "connect" link above to view our newsletter listings or click here to open the PDF.

• Addendum: A correction has been made to the PCHS Girls Softball team score from 16-4 to 2-1. The online newsletter has been corrected.

• The gallery has been updated with photos from hearings this past week and a special Internet2/NOAA demonstration at Moanalua High School!
• All bill hearings headed by IGA have scanned testimony available online. All you need to do is find the hearing date and time on the Hearing Notice Listing on the committees page and look for those with "+testimony" in the hearing title. Click on the link and if you scroll down, you can find the attached testimony in PDF format. This way, you can view and print the testimony from the comfort of your home or office!

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Site Update - Hearing Week

The first couple weeks of February are vital to the survival of many bills both carried over from last session as well as the newly-introduced ones this session. This week alone our schedules are packed with various joint hearings. If you are interested in bills IGA is hearing, please refer to the "Hearing Notice" box to the right. There, you can learn about our upcoming hearings as well as find related bill information and testimony. Photos from our hearings are also available for view in our gallery.

Here are some other site related updates:

• Photos of Capitol Artist Program submissions are available for view in our gallery! We are proud to display artwork from both Aiea Intermediate School and Aiea High School this month! If you have the time, I encourage you to stop by my office at the Capitol to have a closer look! Don't miss this opportunity to have a closer look while they are on display!


• IGA-related bill hearing information is up-to-date under committees. By clicking on the hearing title, you can learn more about which bills are to be heard and other related information such as testimony and related documents.


• Community Notices are always updated as new information comes in! If you have any events or commendations you would like posted regarding our district, please feel free to e-mail me.

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End of January '06

It is the end of January and thus marks the beginning of committee bill hearings here at the Capitol! There are many bills of interest online at the official Legislature website. We are in the process of receiving and editing bill referrals in order to properly hear them over the next couple weeks. If you are interested in IGA-specific events, please refer the committees page to view bill hearings and related testimony.

In the meanwhile, here are a few of the site update highlights to peruse:

• The second issue of the Community Connection is ready for view! Follow the "connect" link above to view our newsletter listings or click here to open the PDF.



• The gallery has been updated with photos of the 43rd Annual Hawaii Region of the Scholastic Art event on January 29th and a few photos of Capitol Artist Program 2006 participants from Waiau Elementary School.



• Be sure to keep tabs on our Community Notes (see the box to the right)! They are continuously updated!



• The Legislative Calendar of Events (see below) has been updated to reflect the month of March.

Thank you for stopping by davidige.org! Please stay tuned for more updates!

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Opening Day!

The third Wednesday of January is always "Opening Day" here at the Capitol! The "square building" as we affectionately call it was absolutely bustling with activity! The Senate opening ceremony was graced by the appearance of C&K and Olomana.

A few updates here at davidige.org for 01.18.06:

• The second issue of the Capitol Connection is hot off the press and available for view! (Click here to view the pdf or click on "connect" on the navigational bar above)


• Photos of the opening day events are available in the gallery!


• New community highlights to the right!
  

We're all looking forward to a productive session!

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Re-opening of DavidIge.org!

Welcome to the newly renovated DavidIge.org (version 3.0)!

Although some of the content may be the same from last year, we are implimenting new features to make this particular site more informative and useful to the casual user. We are also in the process of updating new position statements as some things may be a little outdated.

In the meanwhile, here are some of the brand-new features for your viewing pleasure:

+ We have included a new gallery where you can view photos from Session 2005, Interim 2005 and Capitol Artist 2005. As Session 2006 takes off, we will be featuring more wonderful art by students of the 16th district public schools as well as events taking place around the Capitol! The latest photo uploaded will be shown as the Gallery Highlight.

+ All IGA-related hearing information is available under "committees" in the navigational bar up top. If you are looking for specific testimony for a bill, it will be scanned and uploaded in relation to the hearing notice date. Late testimony will be added in post-hearing date. Latest hearing notice information is available in the box to the right!

+ To the right is a new community highlights section where I will keep you informed of things happening in the 16th district - events, commendations, meeting dates, and other tid-bits of interest. If there are any community events happening that you would like promoted or individuals or groups to be commended, feel free to drop me an e-mail or call my office!

+ Our newsletters, the Capitol Connection and Community Connection, are available in PDF (Acrobat Reader or equivalent needed) format. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please send me an e-mail or simply add the e-mail address you would like the update notice sent to in the form box on the right.

+ Below is our legislative calendar that will be updated bi-monthly with dates that are important to us here at the Capitol. Included are the state holidays we observe, so my staff nor I may not be available in office to recieve your calls those days. However, feel free to e-mail me with any concerns, questions, or thoughts!

Thank you for visiting my site! If you experience any site problems, please submit an e-mail to my webmaster or call my office at 586-6230.

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