TAKE ACTION

FIRST TIME TESTIYING?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW

TESTIFY! TESTIFY! TESTIFY!
It makes a difference in great numbers.

HULI PAC ADVOCATES FOR THESE BILLS

Save Reef Fish from Aquarium Trade in West Hawaiʻi!
DEADLINE
Thursday, April 11th @ 9 AM

TESTIFY / SPREAD THE WORD!

Please submit testimony by clicking on the blue email link in strong OPPOSITION to DAR’s plan to reopen our reefs to the destructive aquarium trade.

Email:   BLNR.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV  (AUTO POPULATED TESTIMONY)

Please submit testimony blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov

Click to access Agenda-240412.pdf

Testimony should reference the below agenda item:

D. LAND DIVISION

2. Informational Briefing Update on the United States Army Training Land Retention Efforts for the Pōhakuloa Training Area on the Island of Hawaiʻi and for Kahuku, Kawailoa-Poamoho, and Mākua Training Lands on the Island of Oʻahu;

And

Authorize the Chairperson to Negotiate, Approve and Execute a Contract for Appraisal Services to Determine the Fair Market Value Currently Leased by the United States Army, Tax Map Keys (1) 5-8-002:002, 5-9-006:026; 7-2-001:006; 8-1- 001:007 (por.), 008 and 012 (por.), 8-2-001:001, 022, 024, & 025; and (3) 4-4- 015:008, 4-4-016:005. 7-1-004:007.

OPPOSE SB3202

Each county of Hawaiʻi should retain its home rule rights when it comes to zoning and density. We each have different needs, communities and infrastructure. However, under the guise of "affordable housing," the State Legislature is trying to take away that right with SB3202. It's a one-size-fits-all approach to eliminate single-family zoning in our urban state land use district, which basically covers most residential neighborhoods statewide. Most importantly, it's a way to circumvent and undermine community input and existing community development plans. 

Supporters of the bill have asserted that "affordable housing" will be built if we allow for lots to be subdivided to 2,000 sq. ft. with 3 or more homes allowed on each lot. But, there is no language in the bill to ensure affordability and to disincentivize investors and out-of-state buyers from outbidding local families. Do we just hope that developers do the right thing? 

There's no denying we need affordable housing. But we need common sense planning and action that should take place at the county level. Developer Peter Savio agrees that this bill will create UNAFFORDABLE housing - link to his oral testimony at 1:03:31, 4/1 committee mtg HSG/WAL/JHA.

Since oral or written testimony is no longer being accepted, please email and/or call your county Representatives, Senators, and Conference Committee Chairs to OPPOSE SB3202. 

FIND YOUR LEGISLATORS

Conference Committee Chairs

repevslin@capitol.hawaii.gov

reptarnas@capitol.hawaii.gov

repichiyama@capitol.hawaii.gov

Please make your voices heard loud and clear! Let them know what island you reside on.

SAMPLE TESTIMONY:

I strongly oppose SB3202, all versions. Our state counties should retain their home rule rights since each county has different needs. We first need guardrails in place to disincentive investors and out-of-state buyers, along with sound affordable housing policy, before we increase density in our residential neighborhoods statewide. If not, we will further attract investors and out-of-state buyers, drive property value up, and price local families out.

IMPORTANT: 

The currently approved draft seems harmless: SB3202 SD2 HD1. However, the bill goes to conference committee where there is a strong push to add back language from previous versions to subdivide property to 2,000 sq. ft. with a minimum of 3 homes per lot. And again, there is no language, or intention, to address affordable housing or to disincentivize investors and out-of-state buyers. 

Here are the previous draft highlights:

  • SB3202 and SB3202 SD1

    • allow for a minimum of 4 homes per lot

    • allow for subdivision of parcels with a minimum lot size of 1,200 sq. ft.

    • no affordability language

  • SB3202 SD2

    • allow for at least 2 additional dwelling units (3 or more)

    • allow for subdivision of parcels with a minimum lot size of 2,000 sq. ft. (pg. 11, lines 3-6)

    • no affordability language

MORE INFO:

SAVE CLEAN ELECTION

Click SAVE CLEAN ELECTIONS! &

RSVP here, to join the rally
in Honolulu (2/22/24 @ 9AM).

* View Clean Election’s public stance here

OPPOSE Construction of TMT on Maunakea!

KAHEA: The Hawaiian-Environmental Alliance - Tell the National Science Foundation Board not to fund construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea! Sign the petition and share with 10 others!

ACTION 1 - Sign the Petition: https://bit.ly/protectmaunakeanow

One person killed this Resolution for Ceasefire.

House Rep. David Tarnas
Watch here

But do not despair. We still have the (stronger) Senate version, SCR13, which has crossed over to the House and is awaiting a referral to a committee. Given our recent experience with JHA, and given new information about the mood in the House, we have determined that routing SCR13 through the CAI (Culture, Arts, and International Affairs) committee gives us the best chance of getting the senate version passed in the House. 

That means it's time to ask Speaker Saiki to quickly refer SCR13 to the CAI committee ONLY. This is called a "single-referral." It's critical that we insist on a single-referral and that we start sending emails and making calls today. We've updated our legislator contact tool to send a pre-loaded email  message to Speaker Saiki (which you can edit how you see fit) and to patch you through to his office phone (a simple script is included).

Please take action right away using the button above.

1) SAVE CLEAN ELECTION
Click SAVE CLEAN ELECTIONS! &

RSVP here, to join the rally
in Honolulu (2/22/24 @ 9AM).

* View Clean Election’s public stance here

2) SAVE OUR REEF FISH IN WEST HAWAI’I!

DEADLINE Thursday, April 11th @ 9 AM
PLEASE TESTIFY AND SPREAD THE WORD!
Agenda here

If DARs efforts on behalf of the aquarium trade are not defeated next Friday, DAR plans to ask the Board (in May or June) to issue AQ permits for West Hawaiʻi. Testify to save our reef!


ACTION 1 – Send in your testimony TODAY!

Email: BLNR.TESTIMONY@HAWAII.GOV   
We auto-populated it by clicking the email link.


Oral Testify:

ZOOM LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84400606532
Meeting ID: 844 0060 6532

VIEW LIVE STREAM: https://youtube.com/live/GeBFcLpUrxE


ACTION 2 - Spread the word!

To learn more, read this message from FOR THE FISHIES: click here

3) WE ALL SAVED Culture & Arts - MAHALO!

This bill would have eradicated all State Foundation for Culture and the Arts funding around culture/arts programming, DOE teacher training, organizations, theaters, galleries, and public art collections, marginalize outer islands even more, and impact 124 public/charter schools (over 10K children) on every island.
Over 1,195 written testimonies were received opposing HB1807 HD2. We packed the room, spilled over outside, and had many Zoom testifiers. By sheer numbers, we killed this bill!
They will try again, so vote for better leaders that reflect Hawaiian values!

- HB1807 HD2 - OPPOSE

SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

4) Protect our Uhu to help save our reefs!
Recommended by ʻOhana Miloliʻi CBSFA in support of Fish Pono (fishpono.org)

- HB1689 - SUPPORT
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE



5) SUNSHINE LAWS
BILLS BLOCKED BY House Rep. Tarnas
Transparency!
No more closed-door dealings!
- HB2021 - SUPPORT
- HB2635 - SUPPORT
- SB2281 - SUPPORT
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

5) Deep Sea Mining
Protect Hawai’i waters from seabed mining
- SB2575 - SUPPORT
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE



6) Demand REUSE LAWS to pass first
before inviting more plastic bottles to HI!
(Recycle Hawai’i)
HB1688 - OPPOSE
SB2368 - OPPOSE
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE



7) Biosecurity - say NO to invasive species

HB2758 - SUPPORT
SB3237 - SUPPORT
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

Testify to get Big Money Out of Politics!

Let's organize our neighbors to get Big Money Out

SIGN UP HERE TO BE A COMMUNITY CAPTAIN

OPPOSE THESE BILLS!

SB2764 / HB2565
Description: It would transfer the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. Revoking and dismantling the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Commission. Requires the Governor, a non-expert in this field, to select the Executive Director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, with the advice and consent of the Senate.  ALL NON-EXPERTS in the field of culture and the arts. This is dangerous and reflects the darker history of humanity.

  • Dismantling the SFCA Commission, allowing

  • According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), the State of Hawaii may not be eligible to receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts without a community-represented board, council, or commission.

  • Also, from NASAA statistics, state arts agencies whose placement changed had an average budget decrease of 76%.

  • Losing the neighbor island representation of a commission defeats the SFCA's community-based decision-making and eliminates transparency and community-based decision-making, which is core to the Foundation. 

  • This bill places Native Hawaiian culture in the economic and tourism perspective. Having an independent culture and arts organization allows for the perpetuation of authentic traditions by Native Hawaiians. Losing the Federally funded folk and traditional programs has greatly impacted Hawaiian traditions. This cannot be assured by attaching the SFCA as a branch of an existing department. The independent agency perspective must be maintained to ensure authentic traditions.

    Introducers SB2764: WAKAI, KIDANI, Hashimoto, Moriwaki
    SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

    Introducers HB2565: HOLT, KAHALOA, LAMOSAO
    SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

HB1807
Description:  Repeals capital improvement appropriations for renovations of state buildings as a source of funds for the works of art special fund. It intends to eliminate the word “renovation” from the law. Consequently, most of the Art in Public Places Program support would end.  This bill would end support for 13 art centers and 8 organizations that offer Native Hawaiian/Arts based programs that impact 124 public and charter schools on all major islands, along with outreach programs, to name a few impacts.
Introducer: YAMASHITA
SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

Here is the impact report from the
State Foundation for Culture and the Arts:

  • Support for Native Hawaiian and local artists, galleries, and organizations

Hawaii Island

Donkey Mill Arts Center

East Hawaii Culture Center

Kahilu Theatre

Wailoa Center         

Maui

Hui Noe’au

Lahaina Plein Air Painters Association

Maui Arts and Culture Center

Viewpoints Gallery

Kauai

Kauai Society of Artists 
                  

Oahu

Downtown Art Center

 Arts and Letters

Fishcake

University of Hawaii Galleries

                       

ORGANIZATIONS
Pu’uhonua Society

Hawaii Contemporary

Hawaii Watercolor Society

Honolulu Printmakers

Honolulu Theatre for Youth

Hawaii Handweavers Hui

Hula Preservation Society

NOTAE

 

  • Artists in the Schools arts education program serving 124 public and charter schools statewide.

  • Professional Development for DOE Teachers

  • The Hawaii State Art Museum exhibitions and programming

  • Scholastic Art Exhibition

  • Young Artists of Hawaii

  • Hawaii Arts Alliance

Outreach programs:

Kahauiki Village

Institute for Human Services

RYSE Residential Youth Services and Empowerment

Family Friendly Programming for LGBTQ populations

LGBTQ Legacy Foundation

Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center

We need protection for our Uhu
so they can help save our reefs!
Recommended by ʻOhana Miloliʻi CBSFA in support of Fish Pono (fishpono.org)

HB1689 - SUPPORT

SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

Aloha!

Mahalo nui to the many of us that put in effort to work the Herbivore Rules Package in 2023.  It fell short of the adequate protection for our blue uhu that we wanted, but we have a bill here - HB1689

Amends conservation and resources law to prohibit: (1) Commercial sales of parrotfish that have been caught by spearing; and (2) The spearing of parrotfish in state waters after sunset or before sunrise.

The (2) prohibitions of this bill were derived after consulting with DOCARE (Oʻahu) related to the catch and sale trends of the blue uhu. 

For more information and a testimony sample letter, see fishpono.org

“Ethic reforms are finally being discussed in the Legislature following a series of scandals in the last few years. These include the notorious envelopes of cash that sent two state legislators to prison and other corruption scandals at the state and county levels.”

”Hawaii’s sunshine laws, which require most public business to be conducted in public view, currently apply to the county councils, boards, and commissions, but curiously, not to the Legislature itself.”

~ Civil Beat, article By Russell Ruderman
March 28, 2023 · 5 min read

Sunshine Bills need to be heard.
They want this DEAD ON ARRIVAL!

- HB2021 - SUPPORT
- HB2635 - SUPPORT
- SB2281 - SUPPORT

SAMPLE TESTIMONY CLICK HERE

ACTION: Call & Email
Click here to email everyone
Demand these Bills be Heard!

CALL

Government Operations

McKelvey, Angus L.K.
Chair
Phone: 808-586-6070
senmckelvey@capitol.hawaii.gov

Gabbard, Mike
Vice Chair
Phone: 808-586-6830
sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov

Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs

Tarnas, David A.

Chair
Phone: 808-586-8510

reptarnas@capitol.hawaii.gov

Takayama, Gregg

Vice Chair

Phone: 808-586-6340

reptakayama@capitol.hawaii.gov

PAST ACTIONS

UPDATE
THE PETITION WAS ACCEPTED!!!

Watch the historical moment:
BLNR meeting: 4:52:48 / 10:19:42

Aloha, 12/10/23
We’ll take the Board’s unanimous vote to approve our petition prohibiting commercial AQ as a win!

We’ll also hold the Board and DAR to its commitment to the community to initiate the rulemaking process consistent with our petition and the overwhelming testimony in support of ending the aquarium trade!

Rene Umberger
Executive Director
https://forthefishes.org/



DEADLINE
Wednesday, December 6TH, 9:00 AM

TWO TESTIMONIES NEEDED
TO SAVE
OUR REEF FISH!

Join Rene Umberger, Kaikea Nakachi, Inga Gibson,
Kalanihale Miloli’i, For the Fishes, & HULI PAC

USE OUR SAMPLE TESTIMONY & PERSONALIZE IT

Agenda Items:

1) Agenda Item F-3: BAN AQUARIUM COLLECTION FOR GOOD HERE

For F-5, the testimony template was created by several community pono practitioners (from West Hawaiʻi) who came together in (2) meetings to summarize feedback

2) Agenda Item F-5: SET PONO RULES FOR HERBIVORES (REEF FISH) HERE

December 8th, the State of Hawaiʻi is considering new fishing rules to replenish our herbivore populations. Unfortunately, the rules have been weakened repeatedly since they were first proposed a year ago. Why? The forces of the status quo who do not want exploitation restricted have overwhelmed the voices of conservation. Please join Fish Pono—Save Our Reefs in submitting testimony in favor of saving our coral reef saviors.

Support the petitioners

Kalanihale

KUPA Friends of Ho‘okena Beach Park

Moana ‘Ohana

Ko‘olaupoko Hawaiian Civic Club

For the Fishes 

DLNR - DOCARE Officers were present during this photo shoot in 2017.
BLNR/DLNR also admits the mass degradation of our herbivore species on our reef is at alarming numbers, so they support CBSFA programs. Yet commercial is allowed to take these fish for visual pleasure and food with looser limits if any.

At what cost do we allow jobs to dictate the collapse of our coral which supports 70% of our earth’s oxygen…