Car seats for kids, penalty for minors drinking debated
Advertiser Staff
Tomorrow is the 34th day of the session. There are 26 days remaining in the session.
Working with a new set of bills received from the opposite chamber, House and Senate committees held hearings last week on legislation that survived the crossover deadline.
Among the bills that have made it through the Judiciary committees in both chambers is a proposal to require children between the ages of 4 and 8 to use booster seats in cars.
While no one argued against keeping kids safer, some objections were raised about the costs of purchasing new seats, the possibility that families with more than two young children may not have space in their cars to fit multiple safety seats and the problems it could create for carpooling.
A similar bill passed the Legislature in 2001, only to be vetoed by then-Gov. Ben Cayetano, who had similar concerns, and who said it could hurt foster parents, baby sitters and carpoolers.
Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona testified before the House Judiciary committee in support of a bill that would suspend the drivers' licenses of minors who are caught drinking, regardless of whether they were driving at the time.
Aiona, a former family court judge, told committee members that taking away driving privileges was a very effective penalty.
Wednesday was the deadline to submit substantive resolutions. Resolutions do not carry the force of law, but they do express the will or wishes of the Legislature.
The hundreds of resolutions included recommendations and requests that:
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
Education: The House and Senate versions of the "Fix Hawai'i Schools Act," which would provide funding for repairs and maintenance at the public schools, passed through both education committees with amendments.
Affordable housing: The House Housing committee will hear the Senate's omnibus housing bill on Wednesday at 9:15 a.m.
Tax relief: While the House budget bill sent by the Senate on Monday does not include substantive tax relief, it could still be inserted when the Senate Ways and Means committee takes up the budget.
Alternative energy: Hearings on the Democrats' energy packages have not been scheduled in either chamber.
OVERHEARD
"It seems ironic during the Sunshine Week to submit testimony, but it is an opportunity to express my opposition ..."
— State Auditor Marion Higa, testifying on a bill that would exempt charter school boards from the state's open-meetings law
