Played like gullible children, Hawaii's dysfunctional legislature votes to double rents for state's tenants despite pandemic's economic chaos
Legislators appeared silly and confused as DOBOR's Underwood and Statts fabricated testimony
At first glance this looks like a normal committee meeting hearing in our Hawaii state legislature. But watch carefully. What you're witnessing is a committee chairperson manipulating the committee hearing process to attain his desired outcome for a bill.
At first glance this looks like a normal committee meeting hearing in our Hawaii state legislature. But watch carefully. Here you see Meghan Statts, DoBOR representative, providing legislators with creative -- and dishonest -- versions of DoBOR's rationale for wanting SB795 passed. This is a measure that is patently illegal, will instantly double this demographic's rent (right in the middle of a pandemic) with the potential to create still more homelessness, and violates the State's constitution.
SB795 was the litmus test, the canary in the mine, for vetting the legislative process in Hawaii
The very last message to Hawaii Senators right before the vote on SB795 read as follows:
Senators:
Passing SB795 will trigger the following:
Will near instantly double the rent for State of Hawaii Principal Habitation tenants RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC [and will create still more homelessness in our State]
Will clearly violate HRS 200-10
Will violate Hawaii's State Constitution: Article 3, Section 14
As such, passing this bill will trigger a petition for an ACLU lawsuit against the State of Hawaii
Katherine Lindell
The message was completely ignored by Hawaii's senators who went on, shortly thereafter, to vote on a near unanimous approval of the measure. Only one senator opposed, out of twenty-five. One, out of twenty-five.
Shortly thereafter, the Attorney General's office was contacted by a concerned individual in the affected demographic, and this was the AG's reply:
Dear [Concerned]:
The Department of Attorney General does not believe there are legal issues with this bill. The policy issues you raise are matters for the legislature and now the Governor.
Best regards
William J. Wynhoff
Supervising Deputy – Land Transportation Division
Department of the Attorney General
465 S. King Street, Suite 300
Honolulu Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-2995
When we received a copy of this response, we immediately wrote the following letter to Attorney General, Clare Connors:
Aloha AG Connors,
We were forwarded this message from [concerned resident] regarding the legal and constitutional issues surrounding SB795. I wonder if you could tell us specifically who made this determination, and what is the substantive and detailed supporting rationale for this determination. As a member of the public, we're entitled to this information and the expectation is that your office will be forthright in providing it in a timely fashion.
Thank you for your earliest reply.
Best,
Katherine Lindell, Editor
Hawaii Ocean News
Our Attorney General, Clare Connors, has so far chosen to not respond to our query. We are not surprised by this. Shutting the public out of the process, keeping them in the dark as to what is going on behind the scenes, is normalized behavior in Hawaii's government today.
The wink-nod politics of Hawaii's State Legislature, AG's office, and the DLNR is not honest government of, by, and for the people of Hawaii.
The moral, legal and constitutional issues surrounding proposed legislation are of little concern to these legislators
Apparently, Hawaii's State Constitution means very little to Sens. Moriwaki, Dela Cruz, and the other legislators on our list below; or maybe they've got private wink-nod under-the-table agendas of there own? (Please feel free to contact any of these legislators, below, and ask them questions of your own. Just click on their link for contact info):
Rep. David A. Tarnas
Rep. Patrick Pihana Branco (Branco seemed paralyzed with confusion about this bill as he had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate and detailed opposition testimony)
Rep. Sonny Ganaden
Rep. Sam Satoru Kong
Rep. Dee Morikawa
Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye (Inouye had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate, detailed opposition testimony.)
Sen. Gilbert S.C. Keith-Agaran (Keith-Agaran had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure, despite all of the articulate, detailed opposition testimony.
Sen. Kurt Fevella (Fevella's strategy seems to be "keep a low profile" as he had no comments or questions in two separate committees and two separate hearings on this measure despite all of the articulate and detailed opposition testimony)
Sen. Donovan M. Dela Cruz
Sen. J. Kalani English
Sen. Sharon Y. Moriwaki (There is a lot to suggest that Moriwaki might actually have a wink-nod financial interest in pushing this kind of legislation -- certainly there is historical precedent for her persistence in wanting to privatize the public's small boat recreational harbors, statewide.)
Sen. Dru Mamo Kanuha
Sen. Michelle N. Kidani
Sen. Brian T. Taniguchi
Sen. Glenn Wakai
Rep. Sylvia Luke
Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen
Rep. Stacelynn K.M. Eli
Rep. Daniel Holt
Rep. Greggor Ilagan
Rep. Lisa Marten
Rep. Scott Y. Nishimoto
Rep. Jackson D. Sayama
Rep. Kyle T. Yamashita
These above legislators deliberately ignored public testimony and many seemed to be unprepared to hear this measure; they clearly hadn't done their research on the background material that informs this bill or, alternatively, are just coasting to their next election event where they will again have a chance to tell their constituents about how much they're doing for the people of Hawaii.