HSTA Settles | Judicial Nominees | Unemployment Insurance | News Briefs | Small Business Summit

Teacher Union Settles, Schools Get Ready for Furlough Fridays

The Hawaii State Teachers Assocation (HSTA) and the State of Hawaii ratified a two-year contract after votes were taken by union members consisting of all of Hawaii's public school teachers. The teachers settled for a 7.9% pay cut through a system in which 17 furlough days will be taken on Fridays beginning this month.

The teachers are the first union to settle with the state and accept a furlough plan. The 17 furlough days will impact on student class instruction time, shutting down schools on those days. Details for each school are being worked out.

At some public schools parent organizations are pushing forward with a proposal to rent and operate their schools on furlough days by hiring some of the teachers back. While the idea sounds like a good one on paper, issues such as insurance liability, rental costs, and ethics issues involving teachers working at their own schools for another entity need to be resolved.

While the teachers have settled and accepted the furlough plan, their union leaders have announced in the media that they still want to see the legislature take action to prevent the furloughs and consider options such as a general ex-cise tax increase or raiding of special funds.

The other state public employee unions (HGEA, UPW, UHPA, etc.) are still in negotiations with the state with an arbitra-tion committee. The arbitrator could force both sides to settle by December, possibly at more cost to the taxpayers.

Governor Seeks Public Input on First Circuit Court Judicial Nominees

The State Judicial Selection Commission has released the names of six judicial candidates for nomination to the First Circuit Court. Governor Linda Lingle will have 30 days to select a nominee and place that person to a confirmation vote before the State Senate by the end of November.

The six candidates selected are: Colette Garibaldi, district judge in the First Circuit Court; Edward H. Kubo Jr., former U.S. Attorney for Hawaii; Edwin C. Nacino, district judge, First Circuit; Steven Nakashima, partner in Marr, Jones & Wang; Dean E. Ochiai, VP and managing attorney for First Insurance Company of Hawaii; and Bode A. Uale, district family judge in the Family Court of the First Circuit. The va-cancy was created after the retirement of Judge Karen Blondin.

The public can send comments to the Governor by email at Governor.Lingle@hawaii.gov.

Unemployment Insurance Skyrockets, Business Owners Seek Relief

With half of the state's 45,000 unemployed people collecting unemployment insurance benefits this year, the State is being forced to dramatically increase unemployment insur-ance costs to businesses to at least $1,040 per worker annually starting next April. Many employers pay an aver-age of $90 per employee per year for unemployment insur-ance. The increase boosts that cost to more than 1000%.

The huge cost impact to business will probably mean less jobs available in the future. Some firms will have to resort to layoffs to reign in the increased cost.

I've gotten several calls, emails and faxes from business owners on this issue. Some owners have asked the legisla-ture to step in and prevent this tax increase. I will be intro-ducing a bill reform the unemployment insurance tax struc-ture this coming session.

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Children & Youth Day Festival Statehood Day Video, Shark Tours

The annual Children and Youth Day program at the State Capitol grounds happens this weekend on Sun-day, October 4. The festival runs from 10 am to 3 pm and will feature a number of activities for school chil-dren up to 17 years of age. Entertainment will include the likes of Jordan Segundo, Kapena, Hip Hop Hyper-squad and the Royal Hawaiian Band. Food will be plen-tiful and exhibits will be varied.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) plans to cut 28 positions and offers a long term plan of turning over their assets to a new Native Hawaiian Government. The premise is based on the passage of the Akaka Bill says spokesperson Clyde Namu'o. The bill is still in Con-gress and is yet to pass. I oppose the Akaka Bill.

Various taped sessions of the State's 50th Anniversary Commemoration Conference which was held on August 21 will be shown on Olello's public access channels 49 and 54 through October and November. Check your TV listings for show times or go to Olelo.org.

As a supporter of small businesses, I am not in favor of the City Council's Bill 67 to ban shark tour operations for Oahu. I supported the Hawaii Kai community's opposition to a new vendor operating out of the marina. I do oppose the ban of current businesses that have been in operation in Haleiwa (not a part of East Honolulu) on Oahu for the last 8 years without any adverse impact to the community and ocean users.

The State of Hawaii will be observing Aerospace Week from October 4 to 10. Various events and activities will be held including a kick-off at Children & Youth Day on October 3, panels and lectures at the Capitol Auditorium and visits to various public schools. For more in-formation call the Hawaii Office of Aerospace Develop-ment at 586-2388 or go to www.aerospacehawaii.info.

Our Senate Minority Research office has moved from Room 007 to Room 006 in the State Capitol. They pro-vide the Senate Minority with services such as bill drafting , analysis and document research.

The State Legislature website is being updated and readied for the 2010 session. Soon the public will be able to use Personalized Measure Tracking.

With the opening of the Hawaii State Legislature just 3 months away, it’Äôs time to send in your bill ideas to me so that we can draft them. Call 586-8420.

Small Business Summit Announced

The Hawaii State Legislature's Bi-Partisan Small Business Caucus will be holding a small business summit at the State Capitol on October 20 from 2 to 4pm in Room 329. The theme for the summit is ’ÄúProblems and Prospects of Doing Business in Hawaii.’Äù.

Attendees will have the opportunity to tell legislators what the biggest problems facing Hawaii businesses are, suggest how policies can be amended to help keep businesses alive and jobs available during the current economic downturn. The summit is free to all interested parties.

HSTA Settles | Judicial Nominees | Unemployment Insurance | News Briefs | Small Business Summit