Latest news with #DepartmentofCommerceandConsumerAffairs
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kokua Line: Must I show ID to enter state Capitol?
Question : Regarding the consumer protection fair at the Capitol, can we just walk in there now ? Answer : Hawaii's Capitol is open to the public, but you'll have to pass through security to enter the building, which includes showing a valid photo ID. The large white fence around most of the building at 415 S. Beretania St. is construction fencing for the reflecting-pool project, not strictly for security. Public parking is limited. The Consumer Protection Fair scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 :30 p.m. Thursday on the fourth floor of the Capitol will be hosted by the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs as part of National Consumer Protection Week, which started Monday. The free, annual event aims to educate consumers about their rights and provide tips to avoid fraud and scams. As DCCA Director Nadine Ando said in a news release announcing the fair, 'consumer awareness is the first line of defense against fraud and exploitation.' The following organizations will participate in the event :—Better Business Bureau—Blood Bank of Hawaii Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA.—Elderly Affairs Division—City and County of Honolulu—Tax Relief Section—City and County of Honolulu—Real Property Assessment Division—City and County of Honolulu—Executive Office on Aging—Senior Medicare Patrol—Hawaii Credit Union League—Hawaii Emergency Management Agency—Hawai 'i Family Caregiver Coalition—Hawaii HomeOwnership Center—Hawaii Pacific University—Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program (Hawai 'i SHIP )—Hawaiian Community Assets—Hawaiian Electric Co.—HMSA—Honolulu Fire Department—City and County of Honolulu—IRS—Taxpayer Advocate Service—Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program—State of Hawaii—Neighborhood Commission Office—911 Board—State of Hawaii—Department of Taxation—State of Hawaii—Public Utilities Commission—State of Hawaii—Mediation Center of the Pacific—U.S. Attorney's Office—District of Hawaii—And the following components of the state DCCA : • Business Action Center • Investor Education Program • Consumer Education Program • Division of Financial Institutions • Insurance Division • Office of Consumer Protection • Personnel Office • Public Utilities Commission • Real Estate Branch • Regulated Industries Complaints Office—Consumer Resource Center Scammers follow current events and are trying to capitalize on the upheaval and cutbacks in the federal government, including in U.S. agencies that directly serve or engage with American consumers. In recent weeks we've heard about scammers impersonating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Postal Service, among others. Be wary of any unsolicited contact, and confirm directly with the agency that is purportedly trying to reach you. Q : Regarding the speed cameras, how does that work exactly ? Is there a 10 mph grace ? A : No, the threshold for a ticket after the warning period ends April 29 will be 5 miles over the posted speed limit, according to the state Department of Transportation. As for how the speed-enforcement cameras at 10 Honolulu intersections work, the DOT posted the following explanation on its website : 'The cameras are equipped with radar that monitors vehicle speeds as traffic approaches and passes the camera. When a vehicle exceeds the speed limit threshold, a photograph is taken of it. A second photograph is taken as the vehicle passes the detection zone to record its license plate. The date, time, speed, and location of the infraction are recorded on the digital image. A 12-second video is also captured. Law enforcement will review each incident before issuing a citation. The citation will contain vehicle images, a close-up of the license plate and a link to watch the video.' The system began generating warnings Saturday.------------Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813 ; call 808-529-4773 ; or email.------------
Associated Press
05-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Marijuana legalization gets initial approval from 2 House committees in Hawaii Legislature
When David Tarnas first served in the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives some 30 years ago, marijuana was already a major topic of discussion. The state has long since allowed for medical cannabis use and more recently its sale at dispensaries — and has decriminalized possession of up to 3 grams of pot for all adults. And yet, state legislators are still wrestling with what to do about the recreational use of paka lōlō. The issue is back again this session in the form of House Bill 1246, which would legalize the personal use of marijuana for people 21 years of age and older beginning in 2026. But HB 1246 goes beyond legalization. It calls for creating a new state agency within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to regulate adult use of recreational and medical marijuana, and hemp, which contains low levels of THC, the active ingredient that gets people high. That regulation would include taxing retail sales. Tarnas, who lost a reelection bid in 1998 but was elected again in 2018 to represent his Big Island district, is the key figure on cannabis legislation. On Tuesday, the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee that he chairs passed HB 1246, as did the House Agriculture and Food Systems Committee. Tarnas, who authored the bill, has spent many months crafting it with extensive input from sources including mainland experts familiar with cannabis laws in states such as Massachusetts. Hawaiʻi's approach must be comprehensive and legally sound, he said. To help people better understand the bill, his committee's website offers a compendium of information including a section of FAQs. HB 1246 is lengthy and detailed — nearly 50,000 words. It has two more House committees to clear, including the powerful Finance Committee. Dollar figures in HB 1246 for hiring staff in what would be the Hawaiʻi Cannabis and Hemp Office are currently blank, as is common at the early stage of the bill hearing process in Hawaiʻi. The same goes for many other money requests in the bill for setting up a state cannabis testing facility and a public health and education program. If HB 1246 clears the House, it has to go through the same process in the other chamber. Its Senate companion, Senate Bill 1613, has not been scheduled for a hearing, suggesting that senators are letting the House take the lead for now. Hovering above all of this is the fact that marijuana remains a Schedule I drug at the federal level, placing it along with heroin, LSD, Ecstasy and peyote. They are considered substances with 'no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,' according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. There seems to be some momentum to remove pot from Schedule I status, as well as growing recognition that other drugs on the list may have medical use. But their legal and medical statuses remain in flux. Still, Tarnas wants to see Hawaiʻi join the 24 other states and the District of Columbia that have legalized recreational use for adults. At an informational briefing last week, he called his measure 'an important matter.' Hawaiʻi was not ready for such a bill 30 years ago, he said, but 'we are getting closer.' Tax And Regulate Other measures in the 2025 Legislature address cannabis, but only one calls for allowing recreational use: a proposed constitutional amendment that would put the question of legalization before voters. The ConAm, which will die if it is not heard before an internal legislative deadline next week, also would give the Legislature the power to regulate and tax the possession, distribution and use of pot — the core of Tarnas's bill. HB 1246 contends that times have changed and that the decisions by some states to legalize pot use were motivated 'by a variety of compelling reasons.' They include prioritization of more serious crimes, advancements in criminal justice reform, evolving public opinion and social equity concerns. According to the bill, the states that have legalized recreational use 'have witnessed substantial benefits from the revenue generated through taxes, including use and licensing fees, as well as general excise and sales taxes on the non-medical adult-use cannabis industry.' HB 1246 proposes a 'dual-system program' for legalization for medical and recreational pot, something recommended by a 2021 task force. It essentially treats all types of marijuana as 'one plant,' as Tarnas explained during the hearing Tuesday. The bill notes that the federal 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from from Schedule I in order to foster development of hemp-derived products and industrial hemp — 'a high-value crop with the potential to generate significant and diverse revenues for Hawaiʻi.' HB 1246 also makes clear that the Hawaiʻi attorney general, the state Department of Law Enforcement and county police departments will continue to play an important role by cracking down on black market operations. Tarnas based the current legislation on a similar measure that died last session, Senate Bill 3335. Authored by Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, it passed the Senate and two House committees, including Tarnas's judiciary committee. But 23 of the 51 House members voted against SB 3335, including current House Speaker Nadine Nakamura and House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan. (Quinlan on Tuesday voted in favor of HB 1246.) House Finance Committee Chair Kyle Yamashita, who still leads the powerful panel, chose not to hear the bill after the March 22 floor vote, killing it. Pros And Cons As has been the case in sessions past, the public weighed in heavily on the issue. Written testimony on HB 1246 before it was heard Tuesday totaled almost 300 pages. Tarnas said it showed 96 people in support and 135 opposed. By now, the pro and con arguments are familiar. Pro arguments: cannabis has health benefits, it should be legal just like alcohol, it's already widely available illegally, it could create jobs and revenue for the state, and legalization is the trend nationally. Con arguments: cannabis is illegal at the federal level, it is much stronger than the pot of the past, it is more harmful to health then beneficial, it will lead to harder substance abuse, and it will hurt youth most. Supporters of HB 1246 included the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, which said in its testimony that the creation of the Hawaiʻi Cannabis and Hemp Office would ensure 'a centralized and well-structured regulatory framework, providing clear oversight on cultivation, sales, taxation, and consumer safety.' The party said that consolidating responsibilities within the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture would streamline governance, reduce redundancy and improve efficiency. 'The bill also takes critical steps to ensure public safety, including new traffic offenses relating to cannabis consumption and possession,' the party said. 'Establishing clear guidelines on responsible use, similar to alcohol regulations, will help mitigate risks associated with impaired driving and underage consumption.' But Steve Alm, the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, warned marijuana may cause increased psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and more risk of suicide. Legalizing pot also leads to a greater number of car collisions and emergency and hospital admissions, impaired cognitive and memory functions, chronic vomiting, environmental harms, loss of IQ, increased risk of heart attacks and strokes 'and sharp increases in calls to poison centers for children who have eaten marijuana edibles which typically look like candy or sweets,' Alm said in written testimony that was in part repeated at the hearing. Alm said he was testifying as an official whose No. 1 job is protecting people. 'Do we really want to be in the addiction for profit business?' he asked. 'Do we want to teach our kids that? For a few extra tax dollars?' Written and oral testimony included comments from the half dozen or more state agencies that would be directly impacted should HB 1246 become law. Andrew Goff, deputy Hawaiʻi attorney general, expressed a major concern of the agencies: They would prefer an 18-month lead time before rolling the new program out instead of the six months called for in the bill. 'We note initially that this bill contains blanked-out appropriations,' Goff said. 'If the Legislature decides to legalize cannabis, it is essential that funds be appropriated for the timely implementation of a substantial regulatory program and for law enforcement, nuisance abatement, and a public-education campaign prior to legalization, among other things.' Tarnas said the bill would ensure that a public education campaign was launched before the program took effect. A soon-to-be amended version of the bill will take into consideration agency and other concerns, he said. HB 1246 now awaits a hearing by the House Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee. ___
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Latest bills would set term limits, ban cellphones in schools
A flurry of bills introduced last week would lower the blood alcohol content to be found guilty of driving while intoxicated, ask voters whether they want to allow adults to use and possess recreational marijuana, ban cellphones in public schools, impose term limits for state legislators and also bar them from nepotism, among other possible changes. They were among 3, 150 bills that legislators have introduced this session. Other bills introduced before last week's deadline would give restaurants the option to allow dogs inside despite current Health Code prohibitions (Senate Bill 1027 ), further crack down on illegal fireworks, charge tourists a $50 fee for 'an environmental stewardship license ' and aim to prevent a repeat of the past two years when school bus routes were abruptly canceled just before the start of fall classes. SB 1618 also would create a Journalistic Ethics Commission within the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs that could impose penalties, establish a 'Journalistic Code of Ethics ' and require news media to provide ethics training to all of their journalists. A new Journalistic Ethics Review Board attached to DCCA would review complaints of alleged ethics violations. SB 1618 also would require the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to analyze UH Manoa's journalism program and report its findings to the state Legislature. Bills to address impaired driving also have been introduced this session that would lower the blood alcohol content to be found guilty of driving while impaired. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. SB 1285 would lower the blood alcohol content for driving a vehicle while impaired from Hawaii's current level of.08 gram but no lower than.05 gram, while House Bill 1084 specifically would lower the blood alcohol content to.05 gram. Utah remains the only state to have a blood alcohol content threshold of.05 gram to be guilty of drunken driving. However, SB 1285 also would prohibit a drunken driver from pleading guilty to a lesser charge. In the wake of the deadly New Year's fireworks blast, SB 1324, among bills introduced earlier, would increase the penalties for anyone using illegal fireworks that cause 'substantial bodily injury, serious bodily injury, or death as a result of the fireworks offenses.' It also would make it a crime to send or receive pyrotechnics by air delivery, distribute them to someone without a permit and refuse to provide identification. House Bill 1305 also would require the Department Education to develop a fireworks education and marketing program for public schools. Questions over the popular idea of how to charge tourists an additional fee—and how much—to help Hawaii address climate change, including the risk of future wildfires, would be addressed by SB 673. It would charge visitors $50 for 'an environmental stewardship license ' to visit a state park, forest, hiking trail and any other 'state natural area.' The new fee would begin July 1, 2027, just before the Fourth of July. HB 1139 also would charge tourists to buy an 'environmental stewardship license ' but does not specify the cost. Other bills are intended to address the years-long problem of last-minute cancellations of school bus routes because private bus contractors lack enough drivers with specialized commercial driver's licenses needed to transport children to school. In each of his first two years in office, Gov. Josh Green has had to issue emergency proclamations to waive the more stringent requirements for both drivers and for the sizes and type of vehicles to allow other private transportation companies to restore routes. HB 861 would classify student transportation as 'critical infrastructure and a critical service for Hawaii's public education system.' It would require all school bus contracts to mandate performance and accountability requirements to prevent service disruptions. HB 862 and HB 1160 also would allow 'motorcoaches, small buses, and vans for school bus services if certain conditions are met.' The annual push by some legislators to legalize adult, recreational use of cannabis got its furthest in the House in 2024 but still died. HB 519 would take the question directly to voters by asking them whether to approve a constitutional amendment that would make it legal for adults over 21 to posses and use recreational cannabis. There also are several bills designed to curtail cellphone use in public schools. The state Board of Education would have to create rules against cellphone use in all Department of Education schools under SB 684 and HB 485. Along with a ban on cellphones, HB 289, HB 1195 and HB 1224 would allow exemptions for emergencies or with teacher authorization. All three bills also would bar students from using social media through their school's internet and create a social media education campaign. SB 1544 and HB 1303 would require every school to create their own cellphone policies, including possible exceptions. Several bills are designed to limit how long senators and representatives can remain in the Legislature. They are Hawaii's only elected officials who do not have term limits. HB 495 and SB 1594 propose a constitutional amendment to be decided by voters whether legislators should be limited to serving no more than 16 years. HB 298 and HB 570 also propose a constitutional amendment that would limit legislators from serving no more than 12 years, starting after the 2026 general election. HB 488 proposes a constitutional amendment that would bar elected officials from serving if they are charged or convicted of a crime but makes no specific proposal for the maximum term that legislators could serve. SB 1545 also would repeal exemptions that allow nepotism in the Legislature. In 2022 the Legislature passed a law that took effect in 2023 that prohibits nepotism across state government—particularly for the 60, 000 employees in the executive branch—but notably exempted the state Legislature and Judiciary. SB 1225 would change the formula for approving a constitutional amendment by requiring a simple majority of all votes without the current practice of counting blank and spoiled votes as 'no ' votes. County Charter amendments currently can be approved just with a simple majority of 'yes ' votes without having to account for blank or spoiled ballots. Other bills submitted by last week's introduction deadline would fund programs popular with residents and Hawaii's tourism industry to fly and relocate homeless people back to the mainland (HB 1218 ). Hawaii also would further seek to retain and attract teachers by paying off loans for teachers who commit to teaching in public schools (SB 968 ). The state already has paid off student loans for nearly 900 health care workers who stay for at least two years, and Green has proposed a third round of funding this session. Hawaii and Utah remain the only states to ban any form of gambling, but HB 1463 would require the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to conduct a feasibility study about creating a state lottery. During the deadly Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, fleeing Lahaina residents got trapped in gridlock because roads were closed. HB 823 would require the Department of Transportation, working with the city, to develop a plan for emergency evacuation routes along the Waianae Coast, where the threat of future wildfires remains in a heavily populated area with only one main road in and out. Their spot on the waiting list for any Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries who die without receiving DHHL land or homes would be allowed to be filled by an eligible successor who is at least 25 % Native Hawaiian, under HB 855. Green, legislators and residents continue to blame mainland and foreign property owners for helping to drive up the cost of Hawaii real estate. The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution prevents Hawaii from placing ownership restrictions on Americans who live in other states, according to legal experts. But HB 884 would prohibit foreign parties from owning agricultural land across the state. It would also would create the Office of Agricultural Intelligence within the Department of Agriculture to investigate. The state Attorney General's Office would be responsible for enforcement. Hawaii's already stringent gun regulations would include a ban on assault rifles, assault shotguns and.50-caliber rifles under HB 893 and SB 600.
