Whatever contribution you can afford in these challenging times will mean a lot to
Carol and me.
Aloha friends and neighbors,
The 2009 Legislative Session came to a close on May 8th. As you know, it has been a tough year for our economy, but there have been some bright spots for our district. I was very pleased that we were able to secure $3.5 million in funding for the design of the much-anticipated Kapolei II Elementary School. The school will be located across Ft. Barrette Road from Kapolei High and is targeted to be completed by 2012. We were also fortunate to have $55 million appropriated for the PM Contraflow lane, which will allow carpoolers to use a zipper lane from Radford Drive to Waikele Road in the afternoons.
This was also my first session to Chair the Energy and Environment Committee. We were able to pass many landmark bills that will move us in the direction of a "clean energy" powered economy. The legislation sets our goals of meeting 70% of our energy needs through renewable energy and energy efficiency savings by 2030. It will set up the necessary infrastructure to make electric vehicles a major player by 2015. We'll also have a dedicated source of funding that will go toward weaning us off fossil fuels and toward a more sustainable future.
Below are some things I'd like to share with you. Please browse my website and contact me if I can help you in any way. My email is sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov and my phone number is 586-6830. Mahalo for the privilege of serving you
Me ka pumehana,
Mike Gabbard
State Senator, 19th District
Contact me with your ideas or concerns
For official legislative business only
Senator Mike Gabbard Hawaii State Capitol, Room 201
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Energy and Environment Legislative Accomplishments
I was happy to see five of the bills I authored pass the Legislature this session. Here's a short summary of each of them.
· SB 464 – would help many more Hawaii homeowners and businesses take advantage of the federal incentives for solar and in the process increase our state's energy security and reduce our carbon emissions.
· SB 1065 – would allow the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) to sell electricity to its tenants and Keahole Airport without being considered a mini-utility. This will greatly reduce their electricity bills.
· SB 1066 – would increase the number of NELHA Board of Directors to 13, by adding two tenant representative directors.
· SB 1259 – would protect innocent property buyers or neighboring property owners from being held liable for environmental contamination they didn't cause.
· SB 1260 – would make it so polluters who produce more than 4,000 tons of air pollution emissions a year would no longer be exempt from paying additional fees. Governor Lingle allowed this bill to become law without her signature on May 5, 2009.
Given our difficult budgetary situation, Senate District 19 was very fortunate to have received a total of $120,303,000 in appropriations from the Legislature in the 2009-2011 budget for our schools, roads, non-profits, and many other construction projects. A big mahalo to Ways and Means Chair, Senator Donna Mercado Kim, House Finance Chair, Marcus Oshiro, and my other colleagues at the Capitol for their hard work in balancing the budget! Here's a list of those projects:
Schools
· Barbers Point Elementary School – Electrical Upgrades - $1 million
· Barbers Point Elementary School – Playground Fencing - $26,000
· Kaleiopuu Elementary School – Second Ramp for Campus Evacuation - $450,000
· Kaleiopuu Elementary School – Covered Walkway - $100,000
· Kapolei II Elementary – Design of New School - $3,520,000
· Mauka Lani Elementary School – Evacuation Route Ramp - $450,000
· Waikele Elementary School – Faculty Parking Lot - $100,000
Roads/Transportation Improvements
· H-1 Kunia Interchange Improvements - $780,000
· North South Road Extension to Kalaeloa - $15 million
· PM Contraflow Lane (Radford to Waikele) - $55 million
Kalaeloa Development
· Kalaeloa Airport Improvements – $22.5 million
· Kalaeloa Building 19 Restoration for National Guard - $5.9 million
· Kalaeloa Harbor Basin and Channel Modifications - $1.5 million
· Kalaeloa Mail Distribution Center for National Guard - $1,175,000
Agriculture
· Waiahole Ditch Irrigation System Improvements - $6,295,000
· Multipurpose Research and Development Facility for Agricultural Products in Kunia - $4,502,000
Senator Clayton Hee, Chair of the Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, and I hosted an informational briefing at the Capitol on May 14th to hear from experts about shark feeding in relation to commercial tours. Many people from the community attended the hearing. With the recent controversy on this issue out in Hawai’i Kai, we wanted to bring some of the key stakeholders together to see if further legislative action is needed to protect public health and our environment.
Presentations were made by the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Hawaii Shark Encounters, Surfrider Foundation, Save Our Surf, the Royal Order of Kamehameha, the Department of Land and Natural Resources - Aquatic Resources Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, and NOAA Fisheries Service.
