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" »

Posted at 3:08 PM | Permalink

April Reports

Welcome to the final month of session 2007!

We are very excited to be moving towards the most dynamic time here at the State Capitol. Bills that have survived through hearings on both the House of Representatives and Senate are now put under a proverbial looking glass by conference committees.

As subject matter committees are no longer functional, these new committees are comprised of select members who chair specific bills rather than topics. This is the time of year we attempt to hammer out differences between the houses and come to some sort of agreement if these bills are worthy of possibly becoming law. Public testimony will no longer be accepted, but public input is always welcomed!

In the meanwhile, we have some updates on DavidIge.org for all the regular visitors.

• The latest Capitol Connection is available online for view! Click on "connect" tab to view more of our current and past issues. This month, we focus on the recent Waimano Ridge Task Force meeting, the Kamehameha Highway Improvement Projects Task Force meeting, Waimalu's new principal Sheldon Oshio, brand new Capitol Artist artwork and learning more about bills I am chairing conference committees on this year. (Note that extended articles are available in my community notes!)


• Community Notes are always being updated with news in our community! If you have news you would like highlighted here, please contact me via e-mail!

Enjoy the April showers and all that spring has to offer!

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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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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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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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Mid-April update

Welcome to the final full month of session!

It is a very hectic time here at the Capitol! As of today, my staff and I are gearing up for Conferencing where House and Senate members are alocated to bill-specific committees to hammer out any differences and discrepencies. This is the last opportunity for many bills to be revised and edited. For those bills that have survived thus far, there is a little left to go!

Latest updates:

• The fifth issue of the Capitol Connection is available for view! Follow the "connect" link above to view our newsletter listings or click here to open the PDF.
• Click here to view the full March Town Meeting Report. (Transportation and Kam. Hwy Improvements)
• Click here to view the full April Town Meeting Report (Junior Kindergarten)
• The gallery has been updated with photos from the Grace Fellowship Senior Citizens Capitol Tour, Highlands Intermediate VICA group, and the April Town Meeting!
• Community Notes are regularly updated with news from the district!

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End of March 2006

We have made it to end of March and in the midst of hearing House bills that have made it through the Legislative process. For those in support (or against) bills, this is your final chance to get your written testimony in. Be sure to keep up to date on all IGA-related hearings here, on davidige.org or the official Hawaii State Legislature website at capitol.hawaii.gov. As we enter conferencing, this site will focus less on IGA-specific issues and more on bills assigned to me in committee.

Here are some of our latest site update highlights:

• The fourth 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.
• This will be the final session-edition of the Community Connection focusing on Identity Theft and Internet Safety. I feel this is an important issue that needs to be addressed on many levels. Please enjoy this issue!
• Lastly, for those of you looking for the Board of Water Supply Notification and map of the affected areas as noted in the March 29th edition of the Community Connection, please click here.
• IGA-related hearing notices for House bills and Resolutions are updated!
• New community notes have been posted.
• Photos from the Senate Floor Presentation for Pearl City High School Vice Principal Mark Tanji and Leeward Teacher of the Year Stacey Kawasaki are online in the gallery! Additionally, we have fabulous new artwork from Pearl City Highlands Elementary School for the Capitol Artist Program.

Posted at 8:27 AM | Permalink

Mid-March = Halfway Point

Congratulations for making it with us to the halfway point in Session 2006! We have successfully reached First Crossover and reviewing bills that have been passed from the House. It is a busy time for us all!

Here are some of our latest site update highlights:

• The fourth 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.
• IGA-related hearing notices for House bills are updated!
• New community notes have been posted.

Stay tuned for more community notes and updates to our gallery!

Posted at 5:00 PM | Permalink

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!

Posted at 5:00 PM | Permalink

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!

Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink

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.

Posted at 5:00 PM | Permalink

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!

Posted at 5:00 PM | Permalink

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!

Posted at 4:48 PM | Permalink

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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