Tis the Season to be on Facebook

 Each year the creative elves in the House Chief Clerk's Office put on display a themed Christmas tree for everyone to enjoy. This year they're going big. World Wide Web big. The elves want their Christmas tree to go viral. Let's help them out!

Go down to the parlor area of the House Chief Clerk's office in the Chamber and help our friendly elves make their Facebook-themed Christmas tree (Mr. Tree from here on out) go viral by signing your name on a "like" ornament and hanging it on Mr. Tree.

Also, check in with Mr. Tree throughout the week as he may just have a new status update to share with everyone. (You'll find the timeline of status updates near the "like" ornaments on the table)

This was yesterday's update. Mr. Tree sure looked thirsty.

And this is today's status update from Mr. Tree.

We at the House of Representatives are so lucky to have our friendly elves in the Chief Clerk's Office who every year put up an amazing tree for all of us to enjoy. The word in elf town is that Neal was responsible for getting the perfect tree, and that Denise and Tammy came up with the theme and decorations. Show your mahalo by liking Mr. Tree in person or on the House of Representatives Facebook page!

Friends or Foes?

Happy Halloween from the House of Representatives! 

Friends...

or... 



Foes??

State Capitol named energy finalist; reduces energy use for three consecutive months

This article is the first of many more guest blogs from the House Majority Staff Office (HMSO).

by Brandon Masuoka of HMSO

The Hawaii State Capitol recently earned special recognition in an ongoing, national energy savings competition that features more than 200 entrants.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named the Capitol as an energy-saving finalist in the office category in the 2011 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism State Energy Office.

L-R: Brandon Masuoka, Paulette Abe and Merissa Sakuda are the 

building coordinators for the iConserve Energy Initiative Hawaii.

The national competition features 245 buildings across 33 states and the District of Columbia in an energy-saving competition. The building that sheds the most energy waste will be declared the winner in November.

"We've received strong support from EPA's ENERGY STAR program and look forward to even greater success in the remaining months of the competition," said Estrella Seese, Acting Energy Program Administrator for the State Energy Office, in July.

Hawaii's state departments are poised to save millions of dollars with energy conservation this year, and those savings can be used to bring services to the people of Hawaii.

The Capitol recently reduced its energy use for three consecutive months in February, March, and April compared to the same timeframe in 2010, according to the most current state data available.

The Capitol has cut its energy use through a variety of strategies, including mechanical, lighting, and plumbing upgrades, efficient operations, and an occupant behavior change campaign, according to the State Energy Office.
In June, officials with the Hawaii iConserve Energy Initiative -- a conservation program highlighting state employees using personal energy-saving behaviors at work -- celebrated with a Capitol rally that drew hundreds of conservation advocates. Gov. Neil Abercrombie, Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, House and Senate members, department heads, media reporters, 50 Green Champion energy-conservation volunteers, and clean energy businesses, among others, attended the rally.

 

L-R: Brandon Masuoka, 4th floor coordinator; Paulette Abe, Overall and Chamber Coordinator; and Merissa Sakuda, 3rd floor coordinator of the Capitol building iConserve Energy Initiative Hawaii.

The iConserve Initiative -- spearheaded by the Department of Accounting and General Services, energy service company partner NORESCO, and the State Energy Office – has encouraged Capitol employees to change their daily routines to cut electricity, such as:

• Turning off unnecessary lights;
• Hibernating or shutting down computers when leaving for long periods;
• Turning off, unplugging, or removing personal energy-guzzling devices; and
• Closing office doors.

Last year, in partnership with DBEDT's Lead by Example energy efficiency program, state departments cut total electric consumption by 2.8 percent from 2009 and saved more than $20 million in energy costs statewide. The challenge is to surpass that $20 million amount this year in an effort to bring more services to the people of Hawaii, according to Gov. Abercrombie.

The state's energy efforts have been documented by several news outlets. Here are the Web links:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2011/05/06/hawaii-buildings-competing-in-epa.html
http://blogs.starbulletin.com/inpolitics/battle-of-the-buildings/
http://www.greenmagazinehawaii.com/6.30.11_iconserve.html
http://thegreenleaf.honadvblogs.com/2011/06/28/the-iconserve-rally/
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/15001027/state-capitol-rally-promoting-energy-efficiency?clienttype=printable
http://www.enigin.com/about/enigin-plc/news/-/enigin-news-hawaii-s-capitol-enters-energy-efficiency-battle

Also, here's the list of top contenders and complete midpoint results for all competitors in the 2011 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. For additional information please go to the Hawaii State Capitol Building Facebook Page or http://www.noresco.com/hi.

Who is Dr. Cole?

"Who is Dr. Cole and what happened to him?"

Like many others who walked by the makai side of the Hawaii State Capitol today, that's exactly what I was wondering after picking up lunch and seeing a large flower memorial for a Dr. Cole near the pool of brackish water surrounding the building.

Little did I know that the ABC television series, "The River," was filming at the Hawaii State Capitol today.

Ah, that's who Dr. Cole is. 

According to a Honolulu Star Advertiser article:

"The River" stars [Bruce] Greenwood as Dr. Emmet Cole, who travels the world to film a popular nature television show. He goes missing in the Amazon, and his family, friends and crew set out to find him. "The shocking truth about his disappearance is out there, somewhere, just waiting to be discovered," says a statement released by the studio.

The pilot was shot in Puerto Rico before production was relocated to Hawaii. 

Term limits vs. natural turnover

Rep. Kyle Yamashita made a interesting comment during the session that I've been meaning to follow up on. He observed that since he's been in office, elected in 2004, first session in 2005, over 50% of the seats in the House have changed. If 50% of the seats have changed in 7 years, how does that impact the argument for term limits as a legislative policy?

Here are the Representatives for the 2005 session (Rep. Yamashita's first session) compared to the Representatives for the 2011 session.

Below, the districts in BOLD are ones in which the 5epresentative has changed in the past 7 years. There are 27 changes out of 51 seats, which is indeed more than half.

District 1

Mark Nakashima (2011)

Dwight Takamine (2005)

District 2

Jerry Chang (2011)

Jerry Chang (2005)

District 3

Clift Tsuji (2011)

Clift Tsuji (2005)

District 4

Faye Hanohano (2011)

Helene Hale (2005)

District 5

Robert Herkes (2011)

Robert Herkes (2005)

District 6

Denny Coffman (2011)

Josh Green (2005)

District 7

Cindy Evans (2011)

Cindy Evans (2005)

District 8

Joseph Souki (2011)

Joseph Souki (2005)

District 9

Gilbert Keith-Agaran (2011)

Bob Nakasone (2005)

District 10

Angus McKelvey (2011)

Kam Tanaka (2005)

District 11

George Fontaine (2011)

Chris Halford (2005)

District 12

Kyle Yamashita (2011)

Kyle Yamashita (2005)

District 13

Mele Carroll (2011)

Mele Carroll appointed (2005)

Sol Kahoohalahala (2005)

District 14

Derek Kawakami appointed (2011)

Hermina Morita (2011)

Hermina Morita (2005)

District 15

James Kunane Tokioka (2011)

Ezra Kanoho (2005)

District 16

Dee Morikawa (2011)

Bertha Kawakami (2005)

District 17

Gene Ward (2011)

Gene Ward (2011)

District 18

Mark Hashem (2011)

Lyla Berg (2005)

District 19

Barbara Marumoto (2011)

Barbara Marumoto (2005)

District 20

Calvin Say (2011)

Calvin Say (2005)

District 21

Scott Nishimoto (2011)

Scott Nighimoto (2005)

District 22

Scott Saiki (2011)

Scott Saiki (2005)

District 23

Tom Brower (2011)

Galen Fox (2005)

District 24

Isaac Choy (2011)

Kirk Caldwell (2005)

District 25

Della Au Belatti (2011)

Brian Schatz (2005)

District 26

Sylvia Luke (2011)

Sylvia Luke (2005)

District 27

Corinne Ching (2011)

Corinne Ching (2005)

District 28

Karl Rhoads (2011)

Ken Hiraki (2005)

District 29

Joey Manahan (2011)

Jun Abinsay (2005)

District 30

John Mizuno (2011)

Dennis Arakaki (2005)

District 31

Linda Ichiyama (2011)

Glenn Wakai (2005)

District 32

Aaron Johanson (2011)

Lynn Finnegan (2005)

District 33

Blake Oshiro (2011)

Blake Oshiro (2005)

District 34

Mark Takai (2011)

Mark Takai (2005)

District 35

Henry Aquino (2011)

Alex Sonson (2005)

District 36

Roy Takumi (2011)

Roy Takumi (2005)

District 37

Ryan Yamane (2011)

Ryan Yamane (2005)

District 38

Marilyn Lee (2011)

Marilyn Lee (2011)

District 39

Marcus Oshiro

Marcus Oshiro

District 40

Sharon Har (2011)

Mark Moses (2005)

District 41

Ty Cullen (2011)

Jon Riki Karamatsu (2005)

District 42

Rida Cabanilla (2011)

Rida Cabanilla (2005)

District 43

Kymberly Pine (2011)

Kymberly Pine (2005)

District 44

Karen Awana (2011)

Michael Kahikina (2005)

District 45

Jo Jordan appointed in 2011

Maile Shimabukuro (2011)

Maile Shimabukuro (2005)

District 46

Gil Riviere (2011)

Michael Magaoay (2005)

District 47

Jessica Wooley (2011)

Colleen Meyer (2205)

District 48

Ken Ito (2011)

Ken Ito (2005)

District 49

Pono Chong (2011)

Pono Chong (2005)

District 50

Cynthia Thielen (2011)

Cynthia Thielen (2005)

District 51

Chris Lee (2011)

Tommy Waters (2005)

Social Lessons

Social media gurus L.P. Neenz Faleafine and Melissa Chang stopped by the capitol today to talk to freshman lawmakers about using social media tools to connect with the people in their communities. The presentation was part of a Media Roundtable Workshop, which included journalists from print, radio and online news sources.

In photo (l-r): Neenz Faleafine, Rep. Linda Ichiyam, Rep. Daynette Morikawa, Rep. Ty Cullen, Rep. Mark Hashem, and Melissa Chang.

Appropriate Attire

California recently established a new policy requiring that all women wear a jacket or sweater when entering the assembly chamber. NCSL's The Thicket blog has the story here. This applies to visitors, media, and legislative aides.

It appears that with the weather so hot this summer, bare sleeves and shoulders became more prevalent. Female lawmakers already abide by the requirement to wear appropriate business attire while in the chamber, with an unwritten agreement to avoid sleeveless tops and dresses. The definition of business attire seems fairly flexible, though.

This is my understanding of the dress code in the Hawaii State Legislature. Men and women are required to wear business attire on the floor, and that specifically means a suit or jacket. The exception is on Fridays when aloha attire is permitted.

A Frog Blog

A staffer from the Legislative Reference Bureau yesterday brought to work a tiny, bright green and black frog he discovered over the weekend. No, it’s not a coqui. But apparently it could be toxic.

“He was deep in the soil of a 1-gallon pot whose plant I was repotting,” wrote Ted Baker, an attorney at LRB, in an email to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

Unsure of what to do with the aposematic creature, which is a tad bigger than a dime, Baker contacted the department to see whether he should release it back into its habitat or turn it over to the state.

The frog, a poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus), is related to species found in South and Central America, whose dangerous and sometimes deadly toxins were used by indigenous people to create venomous arrows for hunting. The toxicity of the poison dart frog varies by species.

In the 1930’s, the poison dart frog was purposefully released into the upper Manoa Valley to assist in mosquito control by an entomologist employed by the Territory of Hawaii. Other than Manoa, these amphibians have been found in Waihole-Waikane, Oahu and Wailuke, Maui. The importation of poisonous dart frogs into Hawaii is restricted.

Keevin Minami, a land vertebrate specialist from the Plant Quarantine Branch of HDOA, told Baker in an email today that the frog could be released back into its habitat since it was established in Manoa, and that it may not be toxic, but he should still wear gloves and wash hands after touching it.

Poison dart frogs don’t synthesize their own poison. According to Minami’s email, the poison dart frogs need to feed on Red Imported Fire Ants, also known as RIFA or Blister Beetles, to produce toxins, and therefore, because Hawaii does not have these types of insects they may not be able to produce enough toxins to be extremely harmful. The poison would be more of an irritant.

So what is Baker going to do?

“I will take him home tonight and put him back where I found him, more or less…I don’t think I can bury him in good conscience, but I will find something comparable. I read that they live a long time and I don’t want it on my conscience that I inadvertently changed that!”

A Thankful House

This has been a tough year for the country, the state, the legislature, government in general, and especially the people that it serves. Many of you muster the strength to weather the tailspin of the state budget, the capricious economy, and other obstacles that life throws at you. As the days lead up to Thanksgiving we are all reminded of the aspects of our lives for which we are most grateful. We appreciate the things we have while giving to those who may not have as much.

This Thanksgiving, the members of the House of Representatives and their staff would like to share with you the things they are most thankful for this year. We'll be posting their responses throughout the week, and after you read them, please feel free to express what you are thankful for in the comment box below. Aloha!

Pat Mau-Shimizu, House Clerk

"I am thankful for a second chance at life and the ability to plan for the future. I am thankful for a greatly improved quality of life. I am thankful for a supportive family, and a network of loyal and caring friends and colleagues in the State Capitol. And I am most thankful for my kidney donor, and her generosity and all of her sacrifices on my behalf." (Born again: September 24, 2009)


Rep. Marcus Oshiro, House Finance Chair, D-39 (Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Launani Valley)

"I am thankful for God giving me a life of modest desires but rich in experience and a loving wife to share it all with."


Tommie Suganuma, Legislative Services Manager to Rep. Cindy Evans

"First of all I am thankful to the Lord. Without his guidance and protection I may not have taken the opportunities he placed in front of me, but I am thankful he did and that I did. I am thankful for my family and their loving support and understanding, I am thankful for having an awesome boss (Rep Evans), I am thankful for the session staffers I have had the privilege of working with (Lolan, Muriel, Dean, Micah, Kylie, Bill, Tom, Terii, Brian, and especially Baron), and lastly, I am thankful for the many friends I have made at church and here at the capitol, and working with such a dedicated bunch of people, whom sometimes don’t get the thanks they deserve."

Arlina Agbayani, Office Manager for Rep. Jessica Wooley

"I’m thankful that I have a job, my family and my health."

Rep. Karl Rhoads, D-28 (Palama, Chinatown, Downtown, Lower Makiki, Shridan)

"I’m thankful that my wife still thinks I’m funny after 15 years of marriage." (And just in case you're wondering, Rep. Rhoads' wife, Cindy, confirmed in an email that he still can make her laugh.)

Floria's Anemones

The late Floria Shepherd's pastel drawing of "The Beautiful Princess Ka'iulani," as the artist so appropriately named the piece of art, has been hanging in the House Sergeant-at-Arms office for many years now. Her eyes are captivating, seductively drawing you in to relive through your imagination the history of Hawaiian royalty.

Floria's children recently visited the Hawaii State Capitol to view the drawing of Ka'iulani, one of two original pieces that are now property of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. Both drawings are part of the foundation's Art in Public Collection. The other is a pastel drawing of a bouquet of anemones in soft colors that are easy on the eyes.

Floria passed away in late December of 2008 at the age of 82. Her children, who now live on the mainland and on the Big Island, came to Oahu to bury their mother next to their father at Punchbowl Cemetery.

Gary, Lynn, and Joy chattered openly about their past while viewing the drawings. They shared memories and stories about their mother and her dedication to the arts and the Hawaiian culture.

Floria, who originated from New York, was fascinated by the Hawaiian culture and, most notably, by the Princess Ka'iulani.

"I think she was just enamored with it," said Joy. "You know, by the culture. She just loved the islands."

Floria sketched dozens of drawings of Ka'iulani, said her children. Some drawings were even on brown paper bag.

"She adored and was intrigued by the culture and believed in the power of Pele," added Joy.

Not only did Floria love to paint, draw and doodle, she enjoyed all forms of creative expression. While perusing an album of memorabilia made by her children, I noticed a poem Floria wrote, titled "The Mourning," that seemed fitting for the gathering held in memory of the artist Floria Shepherd.


"The Mourning"

I'm mourning for myself today
To be in an abyss without light
is as the wingless bird without flight

Will grief and loss find the Holy Grail?
Can shifting sands be moved
Beyond where I am from?
Shifting sands blow beyond
this loss of nature's seed
To water life's gift that feeds

Tomorrow will birth new wings
I will rise as the bird flies,
Mourning no longer with silent cries

In memory of Floria Shepherd.

Photo: Floria's children and other family members with her pastel drawings. From left to right: James Shepherd (cousin) and his wife Cathy, Gary Shepherd (son), Lynn Miller (daughter), Alice Shepherd (granddaughter), and Joy Vasilakis (daughter).

Celebrating Samoan Flag Day at the Capitol

Representative Karen Awana joined Nanakuli youth on April 17, 2009 to celebrate the day which marks the anniversary of American Samoa becoming a U.S. Territory. This day is known as Flag Day amongst Samoans who gather to celebrate with song, dance, sports and traditional foods.

This year at the Hawaii State Capitol, the American Samoan flag, Hawaii flag and United States flag were raised on the grounds to commemorate the day Captain B.F. Tilley of the U.S. Navy raised the American flag on Samoan soil.

Youth from Nanakuli Wesleyan Methodist Church closed the special event held on grounds of the Capitol with traditional Samoan song and dance numbers. Rep. Awana and other supporters also joined in the celebration with a dance number.

Other lawmakers at the event included Senators Mike Gabbard, Josh Green and Suzanne Chun Oakland, and Representatives Karl Rhoades, Rida Cabanilla and Gene Ward. Former American Samoa legislator Afimutasi Gus Hannemann was also present.

Photo: Rep. Karen Awana with youth members of the Nanakuli Wesleyan Methodist Church

Fundraiser benefits Maui and Hawaii Food Banks

Speaker Emeritus Joseph Souki, Vice Speaker Michael Magaoay and Representative Karen Awana held a silent auction and white elephant produce sale. The lawmakers want to thank everyone who participated for their generous donations for the event. The funds raised will benefit the Maui and Hawaii Food Banks.

Rainy Day Rally

A rally in support of a Senate Bill 1679 will be held in the Rotunda of the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 from 10 – 11 a.m. The measure ensures that monies from the emergency budget and reserve fund, or "the Rainy Day Fund", will be used for its intended purpose of maintaining state education, health and welfare services.

The bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance Committee today at 4:30 p.m. in conference room 308.

The Rainy Day Rally is sponsored by AARP (Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons) and PHOCUSED (Protecting Hawaii's Ohana, Children, Underserved, Elderly, and Disabled).

According to a press release from the AARP, using these funds to balance the budget would undermine the state's ability to help the most vulnerable people of Hawaii.

All residents are invited to the event to show support for critical state services, including but not limited to the following programs: Kupuna Care, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, Senior Centers, Healthy Start, Keiki Care, Partnerships in Community Living, Chronic Disease Management, Mental Health Services, and Healthcare for the under-insured.

Participants of the rally are asked to bring an umbrella for visual impact.

***UPDATE: House Finance Committee passed SB1679 unamended with 13 voting yes and Rep. Gene Ward and Kymberly Pine voting with reservations.

Poi Pounders

I tasted my first piece of taro when I was 6 months old. I guess you could say it was a hands-on lesson in how birds feed their chicks. My mother would break a morsel of baked taro off and then chew on it until it was mushy enough for my toothless mouth to swallow. It wasn't poi, but it was always molar-pounded with love.

My first taste of salivated-free, traditional Hawaiian poi didn't come until my family moved to Hawaii from American Samoa. I remember having poi at 5 years old for the first time at a luau during a trip to Hawaii for my dad's job interview. At first I refused to eat the poi because it looked like "dirt pudding". I only succumbed to trying it out after my dad said that it was exactly what I eat when mom chews up the taro and puts it in my mouth. (Yes! Even at five my mom would still sometimes do it. Old habits break hard.)

Why am I telling you this blatant personal and maybe embarrassing story? Because that was the first thing to pop in my head while I strolled through a maze of mats on the Rotunda ground occupied by taro lovers, taro virgins, skilled poi pounders, and excited novices eager to learn, teach and just have fun with ku'i kalo, traditional taro pounding and poi making. I bet many of the other attendees floated memories of their first taste of poi or created new ones there.

The Hawaiian Caucus, with the support of KAHEA and Na Kahu o Haloa, hosted the first Taro Festival in celebration of the Legislative Hawaiian Caucus Day. The energy was high with locals and visitors, young and old, carefully lifting the pohaku ku'i 'ai (heavy stone pounder) to the sturdy papa ku'i 'ai (poi board), trying to set a state record for the most people gathered to pound poi.

After running into one of my best friends, Monica Waiau, 26, a volunteer with KAHEA, we sat down with a young woman named Kat Newman, a student at Brigham Young University. She never tasted poi and was thrilled at the idea of making her own poi with organic Hawaiian taro to take home and enjoy. Monica sat adjacent to her and began demonstrating the proper way to pound taro into poi.

Take the poi pounder with one hand. The other hand will be used to gather water. Good. Now smash your first piece of taro. It's better if you go in from an angle. Nice. Now keep adding water to make it smoother. Then, continue to smash on the board while adding the other pieces of poi. Like that. Ok. You'll also want to wipe of the taro from the bottom of the poi pounder and mix it with the ones on the board.

While watching Monica guide Kat through the traditional process of making poi, and answer questions on the Hawaiian culture, I was reminded of the old ways of teaching and spreading knowledge and appreciation. Not through books. Not through legislation. And definitely not through the Internet. But through the experience of sitting next to someone willing and eager to share their knowledge and culture. Someone like Monica.

"I had a dream last night about being here at the Capitol for this event. We were all gathered to pound poi, but instead we started pounding the walls of the building, chipping away at the concrete with each swipe. As the building began to fall away, kalo leaves emerged from the holes," said Monica Waiau on the excitement she felt to bring taro pounding to the Hawaii State Capitol. "It's not about bringing down the building," she added. "It's about revitalizing our traditions; unearthing the true value of taro."

This festival was not just about providing a gathering place for taro lovers and poi pounders , it was also a place to plant the seed of awareness about the importance of taro and the Hawaiian culture as a whole. I hope that this festival was the fertilization needed to stimulate the new crop growth of the education and preservation of the Hawaiian culture.

Hawaii Foodbank Events Mar/April

More events to benefit the Hawaii Foodbank have been added to the calendar. Here are a few of the new additions:

White Elephant Sale on April 13 sponsored by Reps. Karen Awana, Joe Souki and Michael Magaoay.

Bento sale on March 25. Pre-order with Rep. Tom Brower.

Okuhara Deluxe saimin sale on March 30 with Rep. Denny Coffman.

Mistken Chicken Plate and Liliha Coco Puffs on March 31 sponsored by Rep. Corinne Ching.

Check out the calendar in House Links for more fundraisers sponsored by House and Senate lawmakers.

Big Island girls do it better

Photo: (L-R) Courtney Campbell, Danette Haas-Campbell, Kayla Greenberg, Akela Quin are members of HAAS Productions who shot b-roll during their trip to the Capitol.

A student film crew from the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences, a small public charter school in Pahoa on the Big Island, visited the Hawaii State Capitol today to interview House and Senate members from their island. The Capitol film project will air on Na Leo Public Access TV once completed.

HAAS Productions launched just six months ago under the direction of Gloria Baraquio, and in this short period of time the all-girl film crew has accomplished numerous achievements. They were able to win at the E Malama Aina Film Festival in Hilo with a short film on sustainability, produced a short Christmas segment for Na Leo Public Access TV, and submitted a short film on underage drinking to the HMSA video contest. In addition to their Capitol project, the production team is working on entering two other film contests with E Ola Pono and Na Leo TV.

Photo: (L-R) Thula Martin, Bailey Wooldridge, Kayleigh Moccio, Gloria Baraquio, Racheal Rivera are members of HAAS Productions who did interviews with Big Island lawmakers for a Capitol film project.

Shocks through the House

The House of Representatives purchased three fully automatic Automated External Defibrillators (AED) that will be located in fire extinguisher cabinets on the Chamber level (next to the Sergeant-at-Arms Office), and in the mauka corridors on the 3rd (next to room 303) and 4th floors (between rooms 402 and 404).

In mid-January, over 40 staff and House members participated in a CPR/AED training course, earning a 2-year certification from the American Heart Association. (Check out a previous post, "Getting over the yuck factor", for more on the training).The House Defibrillator Program was coordinated by Lon Paresa, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms.

The live-saving shock machines are alarm activated and should only be used in emergency situations. Clear and simple voice commands guide the user through proper application. The machines are safe and easy to use; they will not send electrical currents to a patients heart if it's not necessary.

Legislation about AEDs is now making its way through the House. The measure (HB 1537) protects individuals not covered under the Good Samaritan clause from civil liability when using the AED to help save a life. Rep. Tom Brower (Waikiki, Kakaako) introduced the bill to "see defibrillators placed in more buildings where our residents live, work and play."

HB 1537, RELATING TO AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS, specifies that any person who provides for an automated external defibrillator training program is generally immune from vicarious civil liability resulting from any act or omission of a Good Samaritan attempting to use the device to resuscitate a person.

Photo: Rep. Ryan Yamane, chair of the House Health Committee, restarts compressions after the mannequin receives a faux shock from one of the three AED machines that will be placed in the Legislature by the House of Representatives.

Human Rights Day scheduled for early March at Capitol

Human Rights Day, "Creating a Culture of Peace", is scheduled for Thursday, March 12, 2009 from 9 a.m. to noon. Human rights organizations and non-profits will have tables and displays along the 4th floor lanai of the Hawaii State Capitol for the public and lawmakers to talk and gather information.

"Creating a Culture of Peace" is a free event for community members and locally based organizations to gather, exchange information and network with legislators and others who share the common vision of advancing human rights and spreading awareness of justice. It celebrates and recognizes community efforts toward affirming the dignity of all human beings, bringing about social justice and honoring the uniqueness of life in Hawaii. This event was originally motivated by the United Nations' practice of honoring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Print people

The House blog team wants to recognize the print shop crew in the chief clerk's office. We always see the names of our lawmakers on twitter streams, in blog posts and splattered throughout news stories, but rarely are "the backbones" of the legislative process mentioned.

Last night was first lateral deadline. That means that a bill must have been filed and sent into the last committee it is assigned to or else it's dead. Office staff stays late to make sure bills are filed before deadline, and the print shop work 'till morning sometimes to get everything printed for second reading on the House floor.

The print shop night crew was here until 11:30 p.m. last night, which is considerably early compared to past legislative sessions. First lateral went pretty smoothly through the cooperative work between committees, HMSO and the Clerk's Office. Committees scheduled hearings early and filed bills as soon as it was ready instead of waiting for the deadline, allowing HMSO and Clerk's Office to complete their review and numbering of committee reports, and the print shop crew to print committee reports and bill drafts quickly without waiting around for last-minute filings.

Props to the guys and gals in the House print shop for all their hard work: Tammy Tengan; Estelita “Sly” Pumares; Jean Kinoshita; Eleanor “Smiley” Riney; Mitchell Osurman; David Kamida; Lorrin “Lefty” Kaalekahi; Raul Juarez; Brad Haida; Kay DeMello; Peggie Spencer; Summer Kaleo; Fritz Belmoro; Carol Cabebe; Karen Ebisuya; Ken Gibo; Roy Higa; Elaine Miyamoto; Mildred Phillips; Alice Sato; Amy Say; Linda Shishido; Aileen Tanaka; Curtis Yoshida; and Wes Yoshitake.

State Capitol Closed Friday, Jan. 16, 2009

Speaker Calvin Say notified House employees this evening that the Hawaii State Capitol will be shut down tomorrow due to expected dangerous weather conditions. Permanent employees and members will be back on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to make up for the day off. Lobbyists, employees and citizens should not try to come down to the capitol tomorrow. Both Senate and House leadership have canceled all hearings and meetings for the day.

ATTENTION:

House Employees should not come to work tomorrow because of the expected bad weather. To make up for the off day, House permanent employees should report to work on Monday for a full day of work.

Thank you,

Calvin K.Y. Say

The Hawaii House Blog teams hopes that all of you keep safe and stay out of the wind and rain tomorrow!