17 hours ago
E-bike bill on Governor Green's intent to veto list
HONOLULU (KHON2) — On Friday, Governor Josh Green released a list of bills he intends to veto.
He said of the 320 bills passed by the legislature this session, 19 are on his intent to veto list.
Governor Green releases list of bills he plans to veto
One of those bills looked to regulate electric bicycles and many were surprised to see it on the list.
This session, there were nearly 20 bills aimed at regulating e-bikes and defining rules and laws for the increasingly popular transportation tool. All of those bills turned into one bill, HB 958.
'We really thought this bill was the slam dunk, if you will, of fixing some of our legal language and giving HPD and others the tool to enforce this, so it was quite surprising to see it on the list,' said Travis Counsell, Hawaii Bicycling League executive director.
House Transportation Chair Darius Kila said he worked tirelessly on the bill and had support from the county and state transportation departments, and county police departments too.
The bill looked to ban 'high speed electric devices' in certain locations like highways and sidewalks; defined the different types of e-bikes and e-motorcycles, and also what ages need to be wearing a helmet while on specific devices.
'This is the only one bill this legislative session that address hundreds and thousands of residents' concerns and complaints,' Kila said. 'There is so much at stake, we cannot risk losing this bill, for the sake of every island finding uniform complicity on regulation.'
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Governor Green's veto reasoning was:
'While mopeds and motorcycles are exempt from the prohibition established within this bill, on 'high-speed electric devices' driving on public roadways, electric cars are not exempt. Such a prohibition would likely violate the Commerce Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and conflict with the administration's commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.'
'My pushback is every agency touched the bill and knows its intent and that it's not the impact of wanting to target electric vehicles,' Kila explained. 'And understanding they're federally pre-emptive already on how they are regulated on our public roadways.'
The Hawaii Bicycling League said it would be a disservice to see the bill get vetoed.
'It really was the update we needed,' Counsell said. 'Bringing us up to those national standards and then going beyond that and defining some of the new devices.'
Kila wrote a letter to the governor's senior advisor and attorney general, making it clear his bill does not impact electric cars and says he has meetings set up with the attorney general's office to comb through the bill page by page and is hopeful e-bike rules and regulations could become law this summer.
'I hope in the end, Gov will sign this bill and understand it's not the intent (to go after electric cars) and we can collectively deliver on what the public has been asking us to do,' Kila has until July 9 to issue final vetoes, all other bills will become law.
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