Posted on: Sunday, February 17, 2008
No bans on beach smoking, Styrofoam
Compiled by Treena Shapiro and Derrick DePledge
Following tomorrow's holiday and a Tuesday recess, the Legislature will resume Wednesday, the 20th day of the 60-day session.
The Legislature had one of its first significant deadlines last week, and several bills failed to make the cut.
The deadline ˆ… first lateral ˆ… requires that any bills referred to more than one committee be passed along to the final committee if they are to continue to be considered this session.
Among the bills that failed:
House Bill 2176 would have banned the use of polystyrene containers, particularly Styrofoam takeout containers. The bill was intended to reduce waste going to the landfill and targeted polystyrene because it is nonbiodegradable. However, the ban is still alive in Senate Bill 2629 and could be reconsidered by the House.
House Bill 2177 would have required the use of recyclable checkout bags, another move to try to reduce trash going into landfills. Retailers would have had to use recyclable, reusable or compostable checkout bags rather than the usual plastic.
House Bill 2305 would have expanded on the workplace smoking ban and prohibited smoking on public beaches and in parks and recreational areas.
House Bill 2508 would have required large retailers to have beverage container redemption centers. The Senate version, Senate Bill 2841, is still alive.
House Bill 2509 would have set up a program to recycle electronic devices, such as computers, which might still have some use. However, a draft of the Senate's version, Senate Bill 2843, was forwarded to the Ways and Means committee.
House Bill 2514 would have extended for another five years the allocation of 50 percent of the conveyance tax to go into the rental trust fund to increase the stock of affordable rentals. Advocates for affordable housing and for the homeless had been hoping that not only would the sunset date be removed, but a larger percentage of the tax would go to the trust fund.
House Bill 2344 would have proposed a constitutional amendment to change the mandatory retirement age of 70 for state justices and judges to 72.
House Bill 2860 would have banned retailers from selling goods that contain the artificial sweetener aspartame, which is commonly used in diet sodas and sugar-free items. Although supporters of the ban pointed to some studies that link aspartame to health problems, it remains approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after numerous studies.
Two bills related to pets did make it out of the Senate Judiciary committee:
Senate Bill 3203 would make it a misdemeanor to hoard pet animals "without necessary sustenance and under conditions deleterious to the health and wellbeing of the animals and the owner." Some who testified on the bill pointed to instances of homeless people who keep multiple animals in cages and shopping carts.
Senate Bill 3146 would make it a misdemeanor to eat a cat or dog. One testifier asked that service animals and turtles also be protected. She submitted written testimony that said: "Because turtles were once commonly eaten in the islands, I am often having to guard my pet turtle from people wanting to boil it."
COMING UP:
Tomorrow is the Presidents Day Holiday.
Tuesday is a recess day.
On Wednesday, the Senate Transportation Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for Brennon Morioka as director of the Department of Transportation.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com and Derrick DePledge at ddepledge@honoluluadvertiser.com.
