Senator J. Kalani English
Majority Floor Leader
State Capitol, Room 205
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-7225
E-mail: english1@capitol.hawaii.gov

PRESS RELEASE
June 24, 2002

SENATOR J. KALANI ENGLISH ANNOUNCES THAT NATIVE HAWAIIAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEASURES TO BE SIGNED BY GOVERNOR TOMORROW

Senate Majority Floor Leader J. Kalani English, (DÑ5th District), today announced that the Governor will be signing several important measures that he sponsored or co-sponsored during the 2002 legislative session related to providing additional benefits for native Hawaiians and creating new mechanisms to support environmental protection.

SB 2477, HD2, will provide additional legal authority to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to make grants to individuals and organizations, "which will further the mission of OHA through capacity-building within the community", English noted. English added that this law includes strict monitoring requirements, so that "funds cannot be expended without reporting back to OHA regarding the effectiveness of the intended purposes of the grants". A related measure, SB 2478, CD1, will provide "parity for individuals who choose to serve as OHA trustees", by including them within the employee's retirement system, similar to other elected officials who receive an annual salary while serving in an elected position.

Two other measures create programs that support and enhance environmental protection programs in Hawaii. SB 3063, CD1, co-sponsored by Sen. English and Sen. Les Ihara, Jr., provides authority to the State Department of Land and Natural Resources to enter into agreements with private entities to create "environmentally-themed" products. The revenues from the sales of these products shall be used to support programs to protect endangered species. English noted that "many individuals, both residents and visitors alike, receive personal and financial benefits from our readily accessible natural environment. To ensure that our natural environment remains available for the enjoyment of all, we need to also ensure that adequate resources are available for educational programs about threats to our environment and to protect those species that may be threatened by encroachment into their habitats. This measure creates a reasonable mechanism that encourages public/private partnerships in supporting environmental protection programs."

The second environmental measure, HB 1256, CD1, is the "beverage container" measure, also known as the "bottle bill". English sponsored the Senate companion measure, and was a key advocate for the passage of HB 1256, CD1 in the Senate. English acknowledged the hard work and commitment of the House bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Hermina Morita from Kauai. English indicated that this measure adds Hawaii to a growing list of states that have passed a "bottle bill", which creates a financial reward for those that return empty recyclable drink containers. English stated that "this measure has arrived at the right time for Hawaii - our people are among the most environmentally conscious in the nation. This measure will go a long way towards reducing the threats to our natural environment from consumer litter and making people aware of Hawaii's support of environmental protection programs".

END

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