May 2008 | Small Business News
SBH PR & Media and Lobbying Workshop
Small Business Hawaii and The Small Business Hawaii Entrepreneurial Education Foundation will present a 2-Hour PR/Media and Lobbying Workshop for businesses, May 21.
“Getting Your Message in the Media” will be the focus of the forum. Hawaii Reporter’s Malia Zimmerman will be presenting “10 tips to successfully getting your message, product or service in the media”.
Former Congressman Ed Case and Senator Sam Slom will offer secrets to getting your bill heard and passed through the Hawaii State Legislature.
The forum will be held on Wednesday, May 21, at the Waialae Country Club from 11 am to 1 pm. The admission price is $50 ($65 for non-members) and includes buffet lunch and free parking.
Reservations are required. For more information, call Darlyn at SBH 396-1724.
Members can send in their checks to Small Business Hawaii at 6600, Kalanianaole Highway, Ste. 212, Honolulu, Hawaii 96825.
'Do Nothing' Legislature Pau May 1 - Business Relief Absent
* This was written shortly before the end of session.
The May 1 scheduled adjournment of the 24th State Legislative Session which began January 16 is fast approaching. As too often, the fate of the Session is being determined behind closed doors in House-Senate conference committees.
The Session has been described as “do nothing” (not always a bad thing) and as a “ban and buy” legislature for its early attempted to ban plastic bags, styrofoam lunch containers, incandescent light bulbs and other items, while attempting to buy the Turtle Bay Hotel & Resort, Coco Palms on Kauai, Ka Iwi in East Honolulu, Ha’iku Valley and the Galbraith Estate lands in Wahiawa.
More government regulation, employer mandates, taxes and fees have also advanced.
A final review of the 2008 session and a detailed rating of all 76 lawmakers will be published next month in SB News.
Poor workers’ comp legislation is going to the Governor while medical tort reform died again.
One of the worst bills, HB 2974, the union card check organization bill — was passed early and Governor Lingle vetoed the bill. This bill would allow unions to organize your business by having employees sign a card and disenfranchising them of the right to an election and a secret ballot. At press time, Democrat lawmakers were undecided on a veto override attempt.
The April ruling by the State Intermediate Court of Appeals regarding surcharges, taxes and Special Funds, was a big victory for the Hawaii Insurers’ Council, its members and other businesses as well. The original lawsuit in 2000 against the Cayetano Administration resulted in victory in Circuit Court in 2004, the Lingle Administration appealed and lost last month. This could affect other business groups too and a side effect could be the disallowance of any special funds in the state.
After months of wrangling, and two years of multi-million dollar surpluses (because of Hawaii’s overtaxed businesses and individuals) the House and Senate agreed to give back to taxpayers — as required by the State Constitution — a tax refund next year of $1.
The Legislature continues to try and strip away executive powers and went after the Governor’s “emergency” powers this year. It will be interesting to see if the vetoes of these bills weather an override.
The Governor’s pick for State Planning Director — a post not subject to Senate confirmation in the past — became another hot bed issue this year as Senate Water & Land Chairman, Clayton Hee, bowing to Molokai activists like Walter Ritte, tried to scuttle Abbey Seth Mayer’s nomination. In a dramatic floor vote, Mayer was confirmed, 13 to12.
The age of retirement provision for state judges, now at 70 years of age, was resurrected by House and Senate Judiciary chairs early in the Session even though voters turned this proposed amendment down in 2006. It was another attempt to bar Governor Lingle from exercising her executive powers of appointment in 2010.
Other tax and fee bills were advancing including keeping and possibly increasing the daily $3 taxi surcharge due to expire in August of this year.
Yet another bill would have Hawaii join a compact of states to “streamline” interstate tax collections, a back door attempt at a new internet tax on Hawaii residents.
And a measure sent to the Governor would invalidate the Electoral College and adopt a national popular vote. This would hurt small states like Hawaii the most.
For up to date legislative information go to the Capitol website at:
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov
Photos: Last day of the legislature also featured a joint Senate-House session to select and confirm the positions of State Legislative Auditor, Ombudsman and Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau. Reps and Senators mix on Senate floor during those proceedings.
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