2009 Legislative Session: KCA Supports 3 bills

As another very short legislation session begins, KCA is offering support to three proposed bills to better our ocean environment on familiar topics, fish. The two for the Senate are SB 378 and 75, and the one for the House is HB 191. The bills may be viewed on the state website http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/site1/docs/getstatus.asp?query=sb378&currpage=1&showstatus=on. This link should be set for the first,SB 378, and then just follow instructions to see the other two.

    The KCA is asking individuals in the community to contact appropriate senators and reps via email as the bills move through the required committees via as KCA supports them via communication with appropriate officials. Of course SB 378 is the one our guest Darrel Tanaka explained at this month’s community meeting. (There may be a companion bill in the House offered later). The other two are for the same issue KCA supported last year, reducing the amount of “aquarium fish” vacuumed from our waters for worldwide shipping. By the end of last session the original bill was so weakened by aquarium business interests, mostly outside of Hawaii, it became merely a rule modification for DLNR, so we’re trying again.

    As we were preparing this, we received word that HB 191 is already schedule for a hearing at Water, Land & Ocean Resources Committee (WLO) on Monday morning, February 2, at 9 a.m. in Room 325 at the State Capitol.

Please go to http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/emailtestimony/ , enter hb191, click GET LATEST HEARING, enter your information and click support. This will be public information, so only enter required information unless you want your address and phone number shown. Comments are optional.

Mahalo