Tuesday is the 39th day of the 60-day session.

Superferry bill stalls: A state Senate bill that would require the state to conduct an environmental impact statement on the Hawai'i Superferry even as ferry service launches in July missed a procedural deadline in the state House and is all but dead for the session.

The bill missed second lateral — the deadline for bills to reach the final committee with jurisdiction. State lawmakers could still attempt to revive the bill but, given the opposition by House leaders, that is considered unlikely.

The Superferry developers and the state Department of Transportation said their technical reading of the Senate bill was that it could still delay the launch of service. Senators behind the bill insisted, however, that it was not their intent to stop the launch and that any technical corrections could be made easily by the House.

State nominee grilled: Iwalani White, nominated to head the state Department of Public Safety, tried to fend off tough questions Thursday about federal investigations, low morale and debatable decisions in the eight months she has been interim director.

Senators questioned White, a former judge nicknamed "The Hammer," for about three hours over charges that she micromanages the department, doesn't communicate well and punishes employees with a heavy hand.

In her defense, White explained that she is trying to bring order to a short-staffed and backlogged department. She responded to several allegations from staff members that she had retaliated against them based on frivolous complaints.

"I make mistakes every single day," White said. "I mean no harm, but I have to do the right thing. I need to communicate more clearly and more often my reasons for doing things."

A U.S. Department of Justice investigation recently concluded that Hawai'i violated the constitutional rights of mentally ill prisoners at O'ahu Community Correctional Center by putting them in long-term seclusion and failing to adequately monitor them even while on suicide watch.

The Senate Public Safety Committee will decide whether to recommend her confirmation when it meets again Thursday.

'Dog' gets his day: The state House paused Tuesday to honor bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman and his wife, Beth, with a resolution for their service to Hawai'i.

State Rep. Gene Ward, R-17th (Kalama Valley, Queen's Gate, Hawai'i Kai), described Dog as part preacher, part father figure who has reached out to many of the fugitives he has captured and persuaded them to turn their lives around.

"That's the way the Dog is wired," Ward said.

State Rep. John Mizuno, D-30th (Kamehameha Heights, Kalihi Valley, Fort Shafter), described Beth Chapman as passionate, unselfish, a caring mother and a savvy businesswoman.

After the ceremony, and after posing for pictures with lawmakers, Dog snuck a cigarette outside the state Capitol. He said he was proud of his family and proud to call the Islands home.

"I am the poster child for rehabilitation in America," he said, referring to his criminal past. "And, I hate to say this, but I guess of felons and ex-convicts, I am their president."

The Chapmans have become celebrities through their hit A&E show "Dog the Bounty Hunter," and Beth Chapman said the House resolution shows that the people of Hawai'i support what they're doing.

Ward even called the pair crimefighters.

"It's quite extraordinary to be called a crimefighter," Beth Chapman said. "I'll have to go home and get my Wonder Woman outfit out."

Senate still spinning from Kim vote: Senate Republicans were steamed over the treatment of Honolulu deputy prosecutor Glenn Kim before his confirmation as a Circuit Court judge on O'ahu, but they mostly held their fire.

On Monday on the state Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), likened Kim's experience to McCarthyism, the scorched-earth campaign by U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., against suspected communists during the 1950s.

Hemmings asked for a rule change to require a majority committee vote and the consent of the Senate president before subpoenas are issued. He also wants to bar anonymous testimony against nominees from being considered.

The Democrats' response? Not going to happen.

State Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser, D-7th (Kaua'i, Ni'ihau), explained after session that the time lag between when a committee would vote to issue a subpoena and when the Senate president grants the subpoena could leave witnesses vulnerable to pressure.

The practice now, where the Senate president's office oversees subpoenas, is being used to protect witnesses who may be reluctant to come forward, Hooser said.

"The reason the subpoenas are being issued is because people are afraid of retribution," he said.

Hooser also said that confidential sources should be allowed to provide information to the Senate, and that committee chairmen can weigh whether the information is relevant.

In Kim's case, Hooser said, anonymous sources were not given the same weight as those who came forward to testify, but they were considered.

OVERHEARD

"In some cases their bonuses alone are far more than a doctor's annual salary. This is not right. No wonder our health system is imploding."

— State Rep. Josh Green, D-6th (N. Kona, Keauhou, Kailua, Kona), chairman of the House Health Committee, on HMSA executive salaries and bonuses.

COMING UP