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Small Business News August 2003 | Lead Photo & Story
DOWNLOAD THE AUGUST 2003 SMALL BUSINESS NEWS | CONTENTS
Last month SB News reported that the Democrats wanted to override a batch of Governor Linda Lingle's first term 50 vetoes, but probably would not have the required 2/3 vote in both houses to do so. SBN was wrong. The Democrats stalled, planned, and conspired right up to the start of a one-day (July 8) "Special Session" to get the required votes. That was no problem in the senate where they control 20 of 25 votes; it was tougher in the House where they have a 36 -15 majority but need 34 votes for an override. One member, Rep. Tulsi Tamayo was in basic training with the Hawaii National Guard on the Mainland. Rep. K. Mark Takai was also on training but he managed to come home early Rep. Dennis Arakaki was in the Philippines, but they delayed the date of the Session and got him home the morning of the Session. Democrats had 35 votes and that is how the overrides went: strictly along party lines: 35 - 15 in the House and 19 (Senator Kalani English was absent) to 5 in the Senate. The Hawaii Government Employees Union (HGEA) and its leader Russell Okada, are the big winners. They flexed their political muscle, weak, unprincipled Democrats caved, and the two-year collective bargaining reform of public employees-engineered by then Democrat Governor Ben Cayetano and supported by both parties-was undone. This was the real purpose of the overrides; not about the poor, children, or human services. Union power. There was a lot of chatter about restoring "cuts" for the human services line items, support for Korean War vets, the Auditor, and farmers, but it was all about resistance to the 2002 election when the public installed a Republican Governor for the first time in 40 years, the public desire for change, reform, and fiscal restraint. The public worker unions and Democrat leadership never accepted that change. From 1957 until 2002, no Democrat governor had any veto over ridden. Last year, the public, Republican lawmakers and most Democrats took the historic move to overturn the "age of consent" veto. The majority, However, refused to attack any of Gov. Cayetano's fiscal vetoes, That is why this action against governor Lingle is so transparently political and partisan. No matter that no "safety net" financing was disturbed, that the state is in a fiscal quagmire and the Administration was working to mitigate the impact of any budget reductions. The object was override, not resolution, of problems. The vetoed bills that were overridden and became law are: Act 1 (SB 317): Allots $30,000 to the Korean War Commission for the 50th Anniversary celebration. $90,000 was previously appropriated by past legislatures and the 50th anniversary was on track. Act 2 (SB 745): Establishes an emergency helicopter ambulance service for the island of Maui and appropriates $1 million. Act 3 (SB 1305): Allocates $3.6 million in from the State's emergency "Rainy Day Fund" to various health, social services and safety programs/agencies. The Governor had previously line item vetoed this bill. No basic program funding was cut. Act 4 (HB 282): Allows the legislative auditor to seek reimbursement of financial audits for state agencies. Act 5 (SB 255): Bans private restrictions on agricultural land, except for those that protect environmental or cultural resources. Act 6 (SB 768): Reinstates binding arbitration for public worker unions. This law overturns labor reforms that were passed in the 2001 session and signed into law by former Governor Ben Cayetano. 11 majority Senators and 20 majority Representatives voted against their previous (2001) position. Only Senator Colleen Hanabusa remained consistent (Senator Kalani English was absent). Particularly disturbing is Sen. Norman Sakamoto, supposedly a "business" lawmaker, now in total lockstep with the HGEA. Legislators who sold out the taxpayers by switching their position on public unions include: Senators: Bobby Bunda; Suzanne Chun-Oakland; Carol Fukunaga; David Ige; Les Ihara: Lorraine Inouye; Cal Kawamoto; Donna Kim; Russel Kokubun; Ron Menor and Sakamoto. Also, Representatives: Felipe Abinsay; Jerry Chang; Willie Espero (now a Senator) Helen Hale; Eric Hamakawa; Ken Hiraki; Ken Ito; Ezra Kanoho; Bertha Kawakami; Marilyn Lee; Sylvia Luke; Mike Magaoay; Hermina Morita; Bob Nakasone; Blake Oshiro; Marcus Oshiro; Scott Saiki; Calvin Say; Brian Schatz and Dwight Takamine. Republicans Kika Bukoski and Barbara Marumoto also switched from 2001. All bills are on the Legislature website: www.capitol.hawaii.gov. In other legislative news, 40 percent of the Hawaii State Legislature (31 Legislators) attended the July 21 - 25 annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in San Francisco. Attending: 9 Democrat Senators: Aduja, Baker, Espero, Fukunaga, Ihara, Inouye, Kawamoto, Menor, Tsutsui. No Republicans. 15 Democrat Reps: Abinsay, Chang, Hiraki, Karamatsu, Kawakami, Lee, Magaoay, Mindo, B. Oshiro, M. Oshiro, Saiki, Schatz, Shimabukuro, Sonson, Souki. 7 Republicans: Blundell, Bukoski, Halford, Leong, Marumoto, Pendleton, and Thielen.
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF SMALL BUSINESS HAWAII: You must read today's (Friday, August 15, 2003) HawaiiReporter.com articles on the detailed connection of illegal campaign contribuitions to Mayor Harris and contracts to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and the rest of the story about Labor Director Nelson Befitel and his heroic efforts to change and improve our state labor department against all odds. Read it, tell your business friends about it, then email your support of Nelson to Governor Lingle and to the other media.
Aloha,
Inside the August 2003 issue of Small Business News
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