STAND. COM. REP. NO.  369

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 298

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 298 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR ELECTRICITY PAYMENTS FOR JUDICIARY FACILITIES STATEWIDE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to make an emergency appropriation in the amount of $1,854,425 for electricity payments for the Judiciary.

 

     The Judiciary testified in support of this bill.

 

     Your Committee notes that Section 9 of Article VII of the Hawaii Constitution requires that no appropriation bill, except for bills recommended for immediate passage by the Governor, be passed on final reading before the general appropriation bill is transmitted to the Governor.

 

     The Legislature has not received a recommendation by the Governor that this measure be passed immediately.  Your Committee notes that a number of concerns have been raised with regard to energy management, including:

 

     (1)  There appears to be a lack of serious effort by the Judiciary to reduce electricity consumption;

 

     (2)  There appears to be no interest in using available technology to conserve or generate sources of electrical power; and

 

     (3)  The need to send a message to the Judiciary that continued mismanagement of energy is not acceptable.

 

     Nonetheless, your Committee would like to continue discussion on this matter despite the concerns that have been raised.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Reducing the appropriation to $1, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 298, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 298, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JON RIKI KARAMATSU, Chair