This week's bill hearings
/Several of our environmental priority bills are already scheduled for hearings next week! Due to COVID19, only written testimony is being accepted, making it important to login in to your capitol.hawaii.gov account and submit written testimony, or email the committees directly (the email links below are already pre-drafted with testimony).
Please SUPPORT the following bills:
1. SB2629 Proposed HD1 Relating to a Coal-Free Hawaii (SUPPORT). This bill would ban the use of coal in Hawai‘i beginning 2023 and has a hearing in EEP Committee on Monday, June 22nd at 9:30 AM. Submit testimony to the committee by clicking here: EEPtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Aloha Chair Lowen, Vice Chair Wildberger, and members of the EEP Committee,
I strongly support SB2629 Proposed HD1 to end the use of coal in Hawai‘i by 2023. Passing this bill brings Hawai‘i closer towards our clean energy goals and helps to address environmental justice issues, as the burning coal and dumping of toxic coal ash unfairly burdens O‘ahu’s westside communities. The last coal fired power plant has a contract that is already set to expire in 2022. Please support SB2629 Proposed HD1 and make Hawai‘i coal-free by 2023.
Thank you,
(your name)
2. HB1878 Sea Level Rise Seller Disclosure (SUPPORT). HB1878 would require sea level rise disclosure for real estate transactions, ensuring disclosure of the risks of purchasing properties in sea level rise exposure areas. This bill has a hearing in AEN & WTL on Wednesday, June 24th at 12:30 PM. Submit testimony to both committees by clicking here: AENtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov and here: WTLtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Aloha Chair Gabbard, Chair Kahele, and members of the AEN and WTL Committees,
I support HB1878 to require mandatory sea level rise disclosure for real estate transactions, and support the language to use the State’s “SLR-XA” maps to determine which areas are impacted. Seller disclosure is already required for homes in flooding and tsunami zones and sea level rise disclosure is a common sense solution to help buyers better understand and prepare for the impacts of sea level rise.
Thank you,
(your name)
Please OPPOSE the following bills:
3. SB3103 Schools Facility Agency Exemption bill (OPPOSE). SB3103 would establish a “Schools Facility Agency” that is exempt from environmental impact statements, historic and cultural preservation, public procurement, and public transparency laws (more info here). The bill has a hearing in LHE on Tuesday, June 23rd at 1 PM. Submit testimony to the committee by clicking here: LHEtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov
Dear Chair Woodson, Vice Chair Hashem, and Members of the Lower and Higher Education Committee,
Please OPPOSE SB3103. While I support addressing our school facility needs, an agency exempt from procurement, environmental, and historic preservation laws will invite far more harm than good. These laws keep our children safe, uphold the trust of taxpayers, and stop the outright desecration of all ancestral remains, Native Hawaiian or otherwise. Such a controversial measure should NOT be passed in light of the limited opportunity for public participation and dialogue over its final amended form. Please do not vote for its passage and HOLD SB3103 in committee.
Thank you,
(your name)
4. HB2035 Pasturelands Transfer bill (OPPOSE). HB2035 would transfer nearly one hundred thousand acres of public lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture (more info here). The bill has a hearing on Wednesday, June 24th at 12:30 PM. Submit testimony to both committees by clicking here: AENtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov and here: WTLtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.
Aloha Chair Kahele, Chair Gabbard, and members of the WTL and AEN Committees,
I strongly oppose HB2035, the "pasture" lands transfer bill. By transferring nearly 100,000 acres of public lands from the Department of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture, the ranching industry could clear cut watershed forests and native species habitat, pay even less for our public trust resources, and even exempt development on these lands from state and county environmental and development laws. Such a controversial measure should NOT be passed in light of the limited opportunity for public participation and dialogue over its final amended form.
Thank you,
(your name)