Latest news with #SenateBill1571
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority could be replaced with new governance
Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki ), chair of the House Committee on Tourism, warned the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority during a Wednesday board meeting that the coming passage of Senate Bill 1571—which upon Gov. Josh Green's signature will dramatically change HTA's governance model—reflects a loss of confidence so deep that he is already considering a bill to upend the agency next year. Tam told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that SB 1571 represents the biggest governance changes to HTA since it was created, but that it may not be enough to fix all of the agency's shortcomings. Tam said that he is exploring drafting a bill to implement all of the recommendations in a third-party governance study released last July by Better Destinations LLC, founded by Cathy Ritter. The study, which cost nearly $300, 000, recommended that a private, independent, nonprofit Destination Stewardship Organization (referred to as a DSO ) replace the HTA, which was created by the state Legislature more than a quarter of a century ago. The new model, dubbed is described by Better Destinations as a 'community-first regenerative mindset ' that delivers not only a healthy tourism economy but addresses local priorities and improves unique assets through ongoing collaboration.' Mahina Paishon, HTA vice chair and vice chair of HTA's Governance Study Permitted Interaction Group (PIG ), told the Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that PIG has not made its official recommendation on the governance study's findings to HTA 'primarily because we wanted the governance study to help inform and to coincide with the planning efforts this summer for the HTA Strategic Plan, the next round of Destination Management Action Plans, and the Tourism Functional Plan.' If Tam and other lawmakers push the Better Destinations recommendation forward, it likely would put HTA's long-standing and largest contractor, the Hawai 'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, back in the driver's seat—after all the private nonprofit membership organization was founded in 1945 making it many decades older than HTA. In the meantime, HTA is facing more immediate changes from SB 1571, which will take effect upon Gov. Josh Green's signature. The bill :—Downgrades the HTA board to an advisory board.—Amends eligibility requirements to serve on the HTA advisory board.—Removes the director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism from the board.—Requires a member of the board to represent a tourism-impacted entity.—Allows the House speaker and the Senate president to each appoint an HTA advisory board member.—Exempts all positions filled by HTA within DBEDT from the state civil service law.—Allows the HTA advisory board to appoint the HTA president and CEO, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.—Requires the HTA president and CEO to report to the governor.—Allows the HTA advisory board to set the term of the HTA president and CEO in the hiring contract.—Clarifies that the Hawai 'i Convention Center must reflect a 'Hawaii ' sense of place instead of a 'Hawaiian ' sense of place. Tam clarified that the shift in the sense of place 'was meant to be inclusive.' But Paishon told the Star-Advertiser that she is concerned that the change from a 'Hawaiian ' sense of place to a 'Hawaii ' sense of place may leave too much open to interpretation. 'I don't want it to be interpreted as a policy change that means we are supposed to deemphasize Hawaiian culture, ' she said. Tam said lawmakers passed SB 1571 because 'we just wanted to have some oversight over the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority—what we have seen and it has been made clear to other members of the legislature as well as the public that the politics of the board has really seeped into the governance and to the policies of the authority and the authority (has been ) negatively impacted because of it ' Tam said lawmakers were trying to send HTA a strong message with the passage of SB 1571 and 'were hoping that things would start to get better and improve. However, unfortunately to myself and to others, it has progressively gotten worse so I am already trying to really tune into the governance study that was created and look at each recommendation and possibly start to craft a bill.' Tam said he was reluctant initially to use SB 1571 to downgrade HTA into an advisory board ; however, 'due to basically what was negatively put into the press to the audits to the unpaid invoices, interest, allegations of toxic work environment and the list just goes on, the Legislature and I myself felt like this would be a step in the right direction.' In the past several months, HTA has undergone dramatic leadership shake-ups as it has struggled to address allegations of inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center and inconsistencies in its Hawaii Tourism Conference partnerships. There were also allegations about potential procurement violations and State Sen. Kurt Fevella (R, Ewa Beach ), HTA contractors, former HTA employees and some board members also alleged in a on May 4 that HTA and the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism failed to respond promptly to complaints about a hostile work environment—including alleged racist and sexist comments—that they claim contributed to the recent resignations of five Native Hawaiian members of HTA's leadership team. Isaac Choy, HTA vice president of finance and acting chief administrative officer, was put on unpaid leave May 9 at the direction of the state Department of the Attorney General and the Department of Human Resources amid allegations he made racist and sexist remarks on the job. Since Choy was the project manager for $100 million of repairs at the Hawai 'i Convention Center, his absence could extend the center's planned construction beyond two years, putting the state at in group tourism bookings. While the state Comptroller Keith Regan told the HTA board Wednesday that the Department of Accounting and General Services would take on the project, he advised that the timetable was 'aggressive. ' Tam said the public has started to take notice of HTA's challenges and that members of the Ala Moana Neighborhood Board on Tuesday night told him that 'they were genuinely concerned about the loss of (Hawai 'i Convention Center ) business, the reputation behind that and whether or not those clients would come back.'
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State bill would change oversight of Hawai'i Tourism Authority
CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / REP. ADRIAN TAM'S OFFICE Hawaii Rep. Adrian Tam and Sen. Lynn DeCoite during intense negotiations Friday at the state Capitol before reaching agreement on Senate Bill 1571, which establishes major changes to the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority's governance model. CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / REP. ADRIAN TAM'S OFFICE Hawaii Rep. Adrian Tam and Sen. Lynn DeCoite during intense negotiations Friday at the state Capitol before reaching agreement on Senate Bill 1571, which establishes major changes to the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority's governance model. State lawmakers advanced a bill by the Legislature session deadline that will significantly change the governance model for the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority for the first time since it created the agency in 1998. A Senate and House conference committee delayed votes on Senate Bill 1571 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and met three times on Friday before finally approving a conference draft just before the 6 p.m. deadline. The bill heads to the full House and Senate for a final vote this week. At least four conference drafts emerged throughout last week, indicating that Senate and House conferees were engaged in robust discussion. HTA's overall governance structure had been discussed during previous legislative sessions. Various bills also have been introduced but not advanced in recent years to explore whether HTA's structure as outlined in Hawaii Revised Statutes is the best approach for managing tourism, a top economic driver. However, legislators showed that some lingering doubts about HTA's capabilities remained when they repealed HTA's exemption from the administrative supervision of boards and commissions, which went into effect July 1. The exemption was its last after the Legislature took away its procurement exemption in 2021, and in 2022 the agency lost its special fund status. Late last month, state lawmakers renewed efforts to tighten oversight of HTA after the agency underwent more leadership shake-ups while dealing with ethics allegations that procedural deficiencies allowed for inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center and that Hawaii Tourism Conference partnerships were inconsistent. 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. There also were allegations about potential procurement violations, and late payments to contractors. Sen. Lynn DeCoite (D, Hana-East and Upcountry Maui-Molokai-Lanai-Kahoolawe ), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Economic Development and Tourism, and chair of the Senate conferees for SB 1571 said Friday that the HTA bill 'represents our efforts to improve and strengthen the organization.' DeCoite acknowledged the hard work of Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki ), chair of the House Committee on Tourism, who chaired the House conferees noting that 'it's been back and forth between the both of us.' The conference draft eventually approved by conferees includes the following key changes, which go into effect if the bill becomes law :—Downgrades the HTA board to an advisory board.—Amends eligibility requirements to serve on the HTA advisory board.—Removes the director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism from the board.—Requires a member of the board to represent a tourism-impacted entity.—Allows the House speaker and the Senate president to each appoint an HTA advisory board member.—Exempts all positions filled by HTA within DBEDT from the state civil service law.—Allows the HTA advisory board to appoint the HTA president and CEO, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate.—Requires the HTA president and CEO to report to the governor.—Allows the HTA advisory board to set the term of the HTA president and CEO in the hiring contract. DeCoite said that tourism is the biggest economic engine for Hawaii, and that the HTA must increase leadership and accountability 'to rebuild public trust within our community.' She said the bill may not solve all of the problems that lawmakers heard that HTA was experiencing this session, but would provide 'a time out ' to 'get us on the right track.' Tam told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the bill represents the biggest governance changes to HTA since it was created, but said, 'It's been a long time coming. HTA was plagued with issues prior to me becoming chair of the House Committee on Tourism. I've leaned on people with past experience to help me reform it.' Tam said even so, he was hesitant at the beginning of the session to move SB 1571 forward but the idea gained traction during the session as he lost confidence in HTA. The HTA Budget, Finance, and Convention Center Standing Committee held a meeting this month and disclosed that the state Attorney Gen eral's Office is reviewing whether the HTA must pay $780, 000 in interest for millions of dollars in late payments to a major contractor. At the same time, DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka told the committee that another pending issue is a possible procurement violation in relation to a $1.5 million Los Angeles marketing contract executed with the Hawai 'i Visitors and Convention Bureau last fall as part of a Maui recovery plan. David Arakawa, a HTA board member and chair of the standing committee, also brought up the issue of sponsorships and questioned why premier conference partners for the HTA's fall Hawaii Tourism Conference did not pay sponsorship fees. Caroline Anderson, interim HTA president and CEO, told the Star-Advertiser that premier conference partners were different than sponsors without that designation. It's unclear where the discussion about semantics will land. But Tam said with the passage of SB 1571, lawmakers are 'hoping to gain a level of ethics on the advisory board and trying to prevent the actions of what has happened that transpired and lead us to this point in the past and is happening again.' 'There are actors out there who can find loopholes in anything and anything can be abused, but we're hoping that this makes it harder, ' he said. 'As Sen. DeCoite said, this won't solve all the problems, but it's a fresh start.' The board already has undergone leadership changes and had been vetting a new governance model on its own. Todd Apo was elected by the HTA board to serve as its chair in late March. Apo replaced former chair Mufi Hannemann, who stepped down from the role but remains on the board. 'I appreciate all the work on (SB 1571 ). The upside is that we now know … the foundational landscape that we need to work in, ' Apo said. 'Uncertainty is the biggest risk, so we, from an authority standpoint, a board standpoint, and an industry standpoint understand what we need to work within.' Apo said HTA will need to factor the changes that SB 1571 will bring into its ongoing review of a third-party governance study. 'I hope we can do that in relatively short order so that we can spend the bulk of 2025 getting HTA and the industry in the best position to serve Hawaii, ' he said. In 2023 with the looming threat of bills calling for HTA's repeal, the HTA decided to fund a third-party governance study. Through a competitive bidding process, Better Destination LLC, founded by Cathy Ritter, was selected for a $294, 400 contract, and the top recommendation released in the summer was for HTA to restructure into a destination stewardship organization with a new name. The recommendations were presented to the HTA board June 27 and have been under consideration by the HTA Governance Study Permitted Interaction Group. For the governance study recommendations to move forward, it also requires the support of state legislators, who may be resistant to giving up even partial control of the state's tourism industry—a cash cow that delivers some $1 billion annually in transient accommodations taxes. Apo said board members will need to take some time to understand what the new changes mean for HTA now and in the future. 'Working with both the department and DBEDT as well as the governor's office, we'll figure it out, ' he said. 'We'll look at the details of the language of the final bill, but our job is now to implement it and put our leading state industry in the best position that we can.'
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislature moves to tighten oversight of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority
State lawmakers took swift action Friday to amend a bill to tighten oversight of the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority, which is undergoing more leadership shake-ups, while dealing with allegations that procedural deficiencies allowed for inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center. The House Finance Committee is moving Senate Bill 1571 forward with a new amendment that requires that the governor appoint the HTA CEO and that the Senate confirm the choice. The bill also downgrades the HTA board to an advisory board, which continues the trend of increasing the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's oversight of HTA. Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki ), chair of the House Committee on Tourism, said he proposed the amendment to SB 1571, which was supported by the House Committee on Tourism and the House Committee on Labor before it was relayed to the House Committee on Finance. 'We just feel that we need to start the discussion of having legislative oversight on who becomes CEO of HTA given what has been happening recently at the HTA board, ' Tam said. 'We've seen in the past where the Senate has rejected gubernatorial nominees. These checks and balances will ensure that the CEO truly does work for the people of Hawaii.' Tam said improving oversight of HTA has been a hot topic since the HTA board met Tuesday and Thursday to discuss the findings of a financial audit of HTA's fiscal year 2024 by Accuity LLP, a firm contracted by the State Auditor's Office. Mufi Hannemann resigned Thursday as chair of the HTA board, saying he wants to end distractions after allegations surfaced that two of his nonprofits, the Hawai 'i Lodging and Tourism Association and the Pacific Century Fellows, received Hawai 'i Convention Center freebies. 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. Hannemann, a former Honolulu mayor who is also the longtime president and CEO of HLTA and the founder of the Pacific Century Fellows, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 'Recent questions surrounding unpaid invoices at the Hawai 'i Convention Center have cast unnecessary scrutiny on two highly respected organizations I am affiliated with—distractions that risk overshadowing the facts and the important work we are all committed to.' 'Allegations were raised regarding unpaid invoices totaling approximately $14, 000 for events held at the Hawai 'i Convention Center. However, the state deputy attorney general assigned to HTA stated that there was not enough information to warrant an investigation at this time, and the State Auditor found no fraud, ' he said. 'The auditor did recommend that HTA strengthen its internal policies to ensure more accurate and timely billing. I fully support this recommendation.' Hannemann's resignation follows other key HTA staff leadership departures and changes, as well as board changes. Caroline Anderson was recently appointed as HTA's new interim president and CEO following the resignation of its previous interim top leader, Daniel Naho 'opi 'i, who had been in the role for 18 months and had been the agency's 11th top leader since the state Legislature created the HTA in 1998. Kalani Ka 'ana 'ana, HTA chief stewardship officer, also has taken over as interim HTA public affairs officer after the departure of T. Ilihia Gionson. Anderson also serves as HTA's planning director and interim chief administrative officer. But the HTA chief brand officer position is vacant until a decision is made on how to reallocate an already overburdened staff. Ka 'ana 'ana said HTA is budgeted to have 30 full-time equivalent positions, but currently only 23 are filled. The staff shortages have weighed heavily on HTA staff, as has mounting confusion about the chain of command since 2024's Legislature took away HTA's exemption from administrative boards, which made it less autonomous from DBEDT. Todd Apo, who was elected to take Hannemann's place as HTA chair, and Anderson represented HTA at the SB 1571 hearing Friday. Anderson stood on her written testimony, which offered comments on the implications that the bill would have on HTA's governance and the State Planning Act. 'HTA's role as a 'policy-making and advisory board' needs clarification. We are already experiencing confusion and difficulties with the recent changes that have blurred some lines between the Authority and the Department, ' Anderson wrote. 'Adding the word 'advisory' would create additional confusion and uncertainty. The high importance of industry and community input to HTA's work is vital to the purpose, mission, and impact of the Authority's work. Moving that to an advisory duty should first include greater discussion with all stakeholders.' HTA was not immediately able to respond to the latest amendment regarding the changes to how a CEO is appointed. HTA in recent years has grown more politicized. But Better Destination LLC, a third-party contractor hired by the HTA, recommended last summer that HTA should restructure to a community-driven nonprofit destination stewardship organization rather than a government entity under the state Legislature. HTA had formed a Governance Study Permitted Interaction Group to review the findings, but so far, the PIG has not presented a recommendation. University of Hawaii at Manoa political scientist Colin Moore said the governance changes proposed by SB 1571 seem reactive. But Moore added, 'It's obvious that the status quo isn't working, so more conversation is warranted.' 'You either want to take the politics out of it, like the consultant suggested, or there's probably an argument to put the politics back, ' he said. 'Having the governor appoint the CEO and the Senate confirm the choice in some ways elevates the position and makes the governor and the Senate more directly responsible—that's not necessarily a bad thing.' Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawaii Hotel Alliance, said the bill's changes are worth considering, but noted that HTA's advisory board must include members who are savvy about tourism and marketing. 'We are very fortunate to have a governor that is very in tune with tourism and also in tune with what it does for the economy and for the 200, 000 jobs that revolve around tourism, ' Gibson said. 'I have confidence that the governor and the Senate would hire the very best.' Keith Vieira, principal of KV &Associates, agreed with Gibson but said the change could prove challenging if the political landscape changed. 'The governance study was concerned about politics, and this adds more politics, ' Vieira said. 'You want to leave it up to the logic of the board and the intent of the board to do the right thing, whereas we know that certainly hasn't always been the case in the Legislature where it's politics and power.' 9 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hannemann resigns amid HTA controversy
The Hawai 'i Tourism Authority is back in the hot seat with state legislators and the public as it undergoes more leadership shake-ups while dealing with allegations that procedural deficiencies allowed for inappropriate freebies at the Hawai 'i Convention Center. Mufi Hannemann resigned Thursday as chair of the Hawai 'i Tourism Authority board, saying he wants to end distractions after allegations surfaced during a discussion of a state financial audit that two of his nonprofits, the Hawai 'i Lodging and Tourism Association and the Pacific Century Fellows, received Hawai 'i Convention Center freebies. Hannemann, a former Hono lulu mayor who is also the longtime president and CEO of HLTA and founder of the Pacific Century Fellows, told the board Thursday, 'The best thing for me to do is to step down as chair, and then I will have to think whether I want to stay on the board, because the reputations of those incredible, important organizations have been put into question.' The allegations emerged Tuesday during a special HTA board meeting to discuss the findings of a financial audit of HTA's fiscal year 2024 by Accuity LLP, a firm contracted by the state auditor's office. Accuity's audit determined that there were procedural deficiencies that allowed for free food and rent for events at the convention center, but did not issue a finding of fraud. The audit did not name the events in question, but they were the Hawai 'i Lodging & Tourism Association's public safety conference, which was held at the convention center on Dec. 6, 2023, and a meeting of the Pacific Century Fellows, which was held May 15 in an HTA boardroom at the convention center. The board did not take any action on the allegations about comps during the HTA special board meeting, which was continued until Thursday. At Thursday's meeting the HTA board discussed the issue for about an hour and a half, with many members expressing concerns about public perception and trust. 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. Ultimately, the board voted to move further discussion to the next HTA Administrative & Audit Standing Committee Meeting. The committee is expected to make a recommendation to the board—which is likely to be well scrutinized by the public and could determine how well HTA fares as the state Legislature winds down. The timing of HTA's latest drama comes as the House Finance Committee is slated at 2 p.m. today in Room 308 to hear Senate Bill 1571, which would give the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism more power over HTA by downgrading the HTA board to an advisory board. House Majority Leader Rep. Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu ) said lawmakers have varying opinions on the bill. 'One argument is that if you make the board advisory, that would make people less likely to want to serve on the board because it's a big-time commitment, especially for a neighbor islander. I really do love the board members. I think they are wonderful people—sometimes they don't always get along, ' Quinlan said. 'You could make another argument that the board hasn't been able to quite figure things out lately. I think it's a discussion that is going to involve a lot of people. They need to really think about what is the future of the board and what responsibilities should they have.' State Rep. Adrian Tam (D, Waikiki ), current chair of the House Tourism Committee, said HTA's current issues also could determine how lawmakers weigh their budget requests. 'I think that the HTA board needs to sort itself out and focus more on tourism. All this infighting only hurts this industry and makes us dysfunctional, ' Tam said. 'We are going through a session right now and they have presented their budget. And this is not helping their case on whether or not they have have the confidence of Legislature.' The job of convincing the state Legislature that HTA is up to the task now falls to former Honolulu City Council Chair Todd Apo, whom the board elected to replace Hannemann as HTA chair, and HTA Planning Director Caroline Anderson, who was recently appointed to serve as interim HTA president and CEO and interim HTA administrative officer after the March 21 resignation of Daniel Naho 'opi 'i. Gov. Josh Green appointed Apo to serve on the board in October. Apo is CEO of 'Iole, a nonprofit focused on sustainability and resilience. He also served in senior roles at the Hawai 'i Community Foundation and Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. HTA board member James McCully, chair of the HTA Administrative and Audit Standing Committee, said, 'I think this is a watershed movement for this board, and I enter into it with great optimism and I thank member Apo for being willing to serve.' Hannemann, who was a Green appointee to the HTA board, was largely credited in 2024 with helping HTA to make a comeback in the state Legislature when it emerged from session with a recurring $60 million lump sum budget—no small feat for an agency that had endured cutbacks, organizational changes and the threat of repeal or defunding over several earlier sessions. However, legislators showed that some lingering doubts about HTA's capabilities remained when they passed Senate Bill 3364, which went into effect July 1, and repealed HTA's exemption from the administrative supervision of boards and commissions. The exemption from the administrative supervision of boards and commissions was the last one HTA had since it was founded in 1998. The Legislature also took away its procurement exemption in 2021, and in 2022 the agency lost its special fund status. Since the exemption's removal, the Hannemann-led HTA board and James Kunane Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, have had some very public disagreements over HTA's budget, HTA's use of its crisis funding and the top salary threshold for a new president and CEO. Tokioka said removal of the exemption, which was instituted by legislators who had lost confidence in HTA, makes it 'an attached agency that needs approval for expenditures, the budget and (spending categories ).' Naho 'opi 'i, who had been HTA's 11th top leader since the state Legislature created the agency in 1998, indicated in a resignation letter seen by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the HTA /DBEDT leadership structure was hard to navigate. 'I have had the privilege of working alongside dedicated colleagues and passionate stakeholders who recognize the delicate balance between tourism, culture, and the well-being of our residents, ' Naho 'opi 'i said. 'However, my time in this position has also been marked by increasing discomfort due to the actions of some board members and the persistent political interference from external agents. Instead of fostering an environment where HTA can operate with the stability and strategic clarity needed to fulfill its mission, I have found myself endlessly navigating a landscape dominated by conflicting political agendas, inconsistent direction, and decisions that often appear driven by external pressures rather than the long-term interests of Hawaii's people and place.' Tokioka said he wishes Naho 'opi 'i well, but added, 'There were things that I thought he should do and not do.' It's still unclear whether Hannemann will have the option of choosing to remain on the HTA board, but if he does, Tokioka said he is confident that there will be a path forward. 'I can work with everybody. It's never been personal for me. I have 10 other boards that fall under DBEDT, and not on one of them do I have any conflict with the chair or executive director, ' he said. The HTA Administrative Audit & Standing Committee has much to unpack from the meetings on Tuesday and Thursday, and there were some inconsistencies in how HTA applied its policies. Hannemann told the HTA board Thursday that it was only that morning that he had been presented with a bill from the convention center for $14, 000 in relation to the two events. Convention Center General Manager Teri Orton told the HTA board that Hanne mann's organizations were not billed sooner for the events because they were reserved as HTA space. Hannemann said he did not expect a bill for the Pacific Century Fellows meeting since he had planned to hold it in another location and moved it there at Naho 'opi 'i's request to make it more convenient for the HTA staff who were participating. He added that he believed the HTA space request for the HLTA Visitor Public Safety Conference was appropriate as it was an HTA-sponsored event. The forms reserving the events as HTA space were unsigned. Now the HTA board must try to determine who approved the events as HTA space and whether that approval was out of character or the result of undue influence. Tokioka said once the billing issue emerged in the financial audit, HTA's policy was tightened to require the signature of the HTA president and CEO and the HTA vice president of finance before any comps for HTA space are approved. State Auditor Leslie H. Kondo told the Star-Advertiser, 'We didn't find any evidence of fraud. If we had found evidence of fraud, we would have reported it immediately to the board and to management.' 'Based upon the information that we were provided, it appeared that there were organizations that were receiving complimentary or discounted use of the facility that did not seem consistent with HTA's use policies, ' Kondo said. 'We didn't look at the records themselves, so I don't know the total. But I can tell you that there were more than the two organizations that Mr. Hannemann is associated with that appear that they were able to use the facility without having to pay or at a discounted rate.' John Cole, state deputy attorney general, told the Star-Advertiser that the matter had been referred to the Attorney General's Office, but it determined that there was not enough information to open an investigation. The State Ethics Commission told the Star-Advertiser that state ethics investigations are confidential, and it could not comment as to whether an investigation had been opened.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon lawmakers want to make these restrictions on artificial intelligence
Oregon lawmakers have introduced several proposed laws centered around artificial intelligence. Three bills would prohibit creation of fake intimate images. Another bill would prohibit "nonhumans" from using nursing titles. The Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 1571 in 2023, requiring political campaigns to disclose the use of AI in campaign materials. Gov. Tina Kotek also appointed an AI council in 2023 that last week finalized an "action plan" to guide AI use in state government "in a way that aligns with Oregon's policies and values and supports state workers in delivering excellent customer service to Oregonians." "We cannot ignore the rapid growth of AI in our lives. It is incumbent on government to ensure new technology is used responsibly, ethically, and securely,' Kotek said Feb. 12. In December, then-Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum issued formal guidance on the use of AI for Oregon businesses. Federal legislation has stalled on proposals restricting AI-generated 'deepfakes" and punishing 'digital forgery." Senate Bill 626, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, amends existing crime statutes to include digitally created images. The crime of encouraging child sexual abuse would expand to include videos and pictures altered or made by artificial intelligence. If passed, the bill would immediately go into effect. Sen. Aaron Woods, D-Wilsonville, is sponsoring Senate Bill 414, which would amend Oregon's "revenge porn" law to include sharing of "computer-generated explicit likeness." The bill defines this as images "created, manipulated or altered" by a computer software program, artificial intelligence, editing application or similar methods. Unlawful dissemination of an intimate image currently is a Class A misdemeanor or a Class C felony if there is a prior conviction. Rep. Virgil Osborne, R-Roseburg, is sponsoring House Bill 2230, which would create a new Class C felony for the creation, possession, distribution or purchase of an explicit "digital forgery." The proposed law would punish someone for creating, possessing, distributing or purchasing a "sexually explicit digitally forged image" of a minor. If the image was of someone older than 18, the crime would be a Class A misdemeanor. The bill defines 'digitally forged image' as a photograph, film, videotape, recording, digital picture or other visual depiction created, manipulated or altered using a computer software program, artificial intelligence, editing application or similar means. "This bill intends to make it against the law to bully minors with sexual content, which is becoming a real issue with AI especially," Osborne said. The Oregon Department of Justice recently reported a significant increase in the last four years in "sextortion" reports to its tipline. According to the Oregon Department of Justice, tips increased by 857% since 2000 from nearly 200 tips in 2020 to nearly 2,000 in 2024. "There's always those concerns in policy making where technology outpaces the role that policy-making plays," said Osborne's legislative assistant Austin Brown, who helped draft the bill. Hearings had not been scheduled for any of the bills as of Feb. 20. House Bill 2748 would prohibit "nonhumans" from using several titles including advanced practice registered nurse; certified registered nurse anesthetist; clinical nurse specialist; nurse; nurse practitioner; medication aide; certified medication aide; nursing aide; nursing assistant; or certified nursing assistant. Rep. Travis Nelson, D-Portland, a nurse, said he introduced the bill after discussions with the American Nurses Association. "In the state of Oregon, humans can't just use the title of nurse without education and passing a board and then applying for a license," Nelson said. "Why should AI be able to use that title as well?" At least one Thai company, NVIDIA, has created a virtual AI nurse that it says outperforms nurses, but Nelson said he was unaware of such technology being broadly used in Oregon. He characterized the bill as "basic but essential." Nelson said the proposed law would not ban the use of AI technology in patient care but make clear that the title of nurse is protected in Oregon. The Hospital Association of Oregon and the Oregon Nurses Association support the bill. Nelson said he originally looked at also trying to amend the bill to include requiring disclosure of AI use in patient care and allowing a patient to opt into its use. "There's a chance we'll introduce that this session,'' he said, but it is more likely to be introduced in the next long legislative session in 2026. Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@ or on X @DianneLugo. This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon AI proposals would prohibit fake explicit images, more
