Lawmakers split on reforms

By Lynda Arakawa and Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

State lawmakers closed the 2004 legislative session yesterday with Democrats touting what they say were key accomplishments in public school reform and the war against ice, while the minority Republicans complained that the legislation didn't go far enough.

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Hundreds of measures were passed during the 60-day session, the second since the state's first Republican governor in 40 years took office and locked horns with the Democrats who hold 36 of 51 seats in the House and 20 of 25 seats in the Senate.

With the books now closed for the year, lawmakers will be heading back to their districts to tout their achievements and justify their voting records with their constituents before this fall's critical elections when all House members and about half the Senate are up for re-election.

Democrats yesterday rattled off education reform, an omnibus anti-ice bill and a prescription drug program for the uninsured as the key accomplishments, but Republicans, as they have done repeatedly since January, criticized the majority for not going far enough to address either the issues of school reform or crystal methamphetamine.

"We believe we have given the state of Hawai'i a new mandate, and that mandate is change," said House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th (St. Louis Hts., Palolo, WIlhelmina Rise).

"We have changed the way our public schools are run. We have changed the way we deal with our ice epidemic, going after the drug dealers and manufacturers while helping the ice addicts. We also have changed our prescription drugs to make them much more affordable."

Say also said gasoline prices should improve with the changes to the upcoming price cap.

But House Minority Leader Galen Fox said promises of bipartisan cooperation never materialized this season. "We had no real change in the accountability in the education system," Fox said, with still too many parties involved in the decision-making.

The ice reform package, said Fox, R-23rd (Waikiki, Ala Moana, Kaka'ako), failed to include stricter penalties for users who are habitual criminals, and did not give law enforcement officials the tools they sought, such as less stringent wiretapping laws.

Lingle vetoed the Democrats' major legislation in both the education and anti-ice realms, only to be subjected to overrides on both counts.

Invitation-only summit

Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa), took a shot at the Lingle administration regarding its approach to ice.

While lawmakers developed comprehensive bills targeting ice, he said, the administration "held an invitation-only drug summit and came to the conclusion that further study was warranted."

Senate Minority Leader Fred Hemmings, R-25th (Kailua, Waimanalo, Hawai'i Kai), said there were times when lawmakers of both parties cooperated, citing a measure that fine-tunes a law aimed at reducing prescription drug costs for many uninsured residents.

"Unfortunately, incidences of us working together to make good things happen were few and far between," he said. Hemmings criticized the education reform bill and the approval of arbitrated pay raises for 23,000 white-collar government workers.

"If I could only say one thing about the session I would characterize it as a session of missed opportunities," Lingle said. "Missed opportunities to really reform education, to give law enforcement the tools they need to fight ice, missed opportunities to ensure the fiscal health of the state in the years ahead, a missed opportunity to protect agricultural lands that have been required by the constitution for 25 years."

Lingle cited achievements, such as cutting business registration fees, putting together a prescription drug program for many uninsured residents, and funding efforts to fight invasive species. She also pointed to constitutional amendment proposals that will be placed on the ballot that, if approved, would make sex offender registration information more accessible and help sex assault victims.

Small galleries

There was only a smattering of people gathered in the galleries of both houses as they finished up, a contrast to opening day Jan. 21 when hundreds gathered for festivities and lawmakers first outlined their proposals for public school reform and ice legislation.

Nearly all the people in the galleries yesterday were either staff, family members or lobbyists.

Kane'ohe resident Paulette Tam, 46, said that lawmakers "did the best they could" on both the ice and education issues. Tam said she likes the Democrats' idea that non-violent, first-time drug offenders should be given treatment rather than be incarcerated.

She said that she also likes the education reform bill approved by the Legislature and that "accountability is everybody's responsibility."

At the start of yesterday's House session, Democrats voted to override two more Lingle vetoes — House Bill 267, giving more authority and independence to the Office of Elections and Campaign Spending Commission, and House Bill 2608, giving more control to the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and increasing its allowance for administrative expenses.

The Senate voted to override the two bills on Monday.

Besides those two yesterday and the critical bills dealing with education and ice, Democrats in the last two weeks have also overridden vetoes for bills that give raises to members of the Hawai'i Government Employees Association, raid special funds to help balance the budget and allow optometrists to prescribe therapeutic drugs.

Say said the Legislature's override of Lingle's vetoes were taken to ensure passage of priority legislation for House and Senate Democrats and was not an attempt at undermining the governor. "We are trying to implement policy," he said.

Lingle said she's not surprised.

"I'm aware of their views but I think it's important for the public to be made aware by me of how important I think these issues are," she said. "When I veto something, it's not done lightly."

Contributions limited

In other final action, the Senate voted 21-4 to approve a campaign- spending bill that prohibits campaign contributions from government contractors selected in a nonbid process for contracts greater than $25,000 and bans contributions from out-of-state corporations and unions. The measure also makes it a felony, instead of a misdemeanor, to falsify reports and contribute under a false name with an intent to circumvent the law.

Senators also voted 22-2 to approve the House's version of a renewable energy bill requiring that 20 percent of the state's electricity be generated by renewable energy by 2020 but includes fossil fuels as renewable energy in certain circumstances.

Because the House already approved both measures, the legislation now goes to the governor for her signature.

Advertiser staff writer Sean Hao contributed to this report. Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070. Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.