2011 Winners and Losers

The Winners

GE Tax Increase Stopped: Attempts to raise General Excise Tax were defeated. Good news for Oahu residents who already pay a higher GET due to 0.5% extra GET collected for rail transit project.

Pension Tax Defeated: Successfully protected retirees who planned for their retirement not anticipating this new tax.

Puppy Mills: SCR111 provides Sunrise Review on legislation requiring the regulation of large scale commercial dog breeders and dog breeding facilities. First essential step to eliminating puppy mills.

Giving Public Utilities Commission New Direction: Allows Public Utilities Commission to consider benefits of renewable energy despite the short-term expense. Will reduce use of fossil fuels.

SB219: Prohibits shackling pregnant or post-partum inmates.

SB651: Established temporary mortgage foreclosure dispute resolution program.

Windward Spouse Abuse Shelter: $200,000 appropriated.

The Losers

Barrel Tax: Legislation to allocate some of petroleum barrel tax money to help finance alternative energy programs failed to pass.

Bullying: Measures to establish a bullying and cyber-bullying policy for public schools failed, leaving our students vulnerable to continued harassment and retaining Hawaii's shameful status as one of the few States without any anti-bullying legislation.

Longer Instructional Time in Schools: HB945 delays certain required increases and plans for increases in instructional hours. Translation? We've given many of our schools a "hall pass" to get out of implementing required classroom time, and our students are left without the instruction they deserve.

Department of Education Audit: Bills to perform much needed management and financial audit of Department of Education failed to pass. Grade F for Legislature.

Contractors Nailed: SB754 raises the General Excise Tax for contractors by 300-400% and raises local airline taxes, which may create loss of jobs and will result in higher airfares for Hawai‘i residents.

Plant Theft: HB1524 stalled in Senate, despite broad support from agricultural community and residents who have suffered losses.

Affordable Alternative Energy: HB 1520 would have allowed residents to pay off upfront costs of solar panels and other energy-saving appliances through their power bills. Bill died in Conference Committee.

Plastic Bag Ban: Sadly, none of the three measures introduced to help curb our use of plastic bags survived this Session.

Sex Trafficking: HB 576 to establish Class A and B felony sex trafficking offenses stalled in the Judiciary Committee.