Ka`u News Briefs Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014

      “The intent of Monday’s hearing is to bring together all members of the home birth community,” Green continued, “including lay midwives and Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, certified professional midwives, certified nurse-midwives and obstetricians in order to generate a meaningful discussion about whether we are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of mothers and newborns during home births in Hawai`i. It is not the intention of the committee to recommend any policy regarding home birth without listening carefully to the concerns of the entire home birth community and respecting every woman’s reproductive rights, cultural values and religious traditions. It is our hope that we can begin a productive dialogue in which all voices can be heard on this issue, so that we can reach a consensus within the entire home birth community to determine the best way to protect the health and safety of mothers and infants during home births, while honoring and respecting women’s reproductive rights and cultural traditions.”
      Another measure under consideration will be SB 2574, relating to medical marijuana, a measure intended to expand access to the medical marijuana program for patients in Hawai`i by allowing pain specialist physicians to prescribe medical marijuana beginning January 2, 2015.
      Other measures being heard Monday include SB 3064, relating to Hawai`i Health Systems Corp. The bill would allow for the transition of the state hospital system to nonprofit hospitals incorporated in Hawai`i before January 1, 2000 and would require the acquiring nonprofit hospital to maintain equivalent hospital services in acquired regions. It would also require the state to continue to meet all financial obligations to public employees, including all benefits, pensions and other financial obligations negotiated with public employees’ unions.
      The Committee on Health will also hear SB 2521, which would require labeling of foods that have been genetically engineered, provide a penalty for violations and authorize private civil enforcement.

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A BILL THAT WOULD CREATE a task force to determine whether the state should regulate agricultural use of genetically modified organisms has passed its three Senate committees so far at the state Legislature. Senate Committees on Agriculture, Higher Education and Judiciary & Labor all approved the measure, with amendments. 

      Testimony in favor of the bill came from Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation, Hawai`i Department of Agriculture and University of Hawai`i. Chamber of Commerce of Hawai`i and Hawai`i Crop Improvement Association also testified in favor, with amendments.
      One amendment proposed by HCIA asks that “any reference to GMO be replaced with ‘genetically engineered crops’ or agricultural biotechnology’ embraced by the scientific and regulatory community.”

      Another amendment asks that presidents of Hawai`i Papaya Industry Association, Hawai`i Floriculture Industry and Hawai`i Crop Improvement Association be added to the task force “to allow farmers growing GE crops the opportunity to provide perspective on the work that they do.” 

      In its original form, SB2454 called for members of the task force to include dean of University of Hawai`i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, chair of state Department of Agriculture, director of state Department of Health, president of Hawai`i Farm Bureau Federation and president of Hawai`i Farmers Union United or their designees. The governor would also select “four experts with scientific knowledge in the use of” GMOs in agriculture.
      Critics of the measure see the composition of the task force as biased and suggest that the proposal is an attempt to bypass recently approved county regulations on Kaua`i and Hawai`i Island. One person testified, “The state has done a very poor job of taking care of our health, environment and well being on almost every level. Each county has its own challenges, and we must meet them individually.”

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THIRTY-SIX STATES DON’T TAX FOOD SALES, and Hawai`i would join them if Senate Bill 2169 passes the state Legislature. Supported by grocers and anti-poverty groups, the bill, introduced by Sen. Sam Slom, a Republican, would help reduce the high cost of living, which keeps many people here in poverty. Fourteen other states tax food at a lower rate than Hawai`i. According to an Associated Press story this morning, Kelii Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawai`i, told the Senate Committee on Human Services on Thursday that a family of four in Hawai`i spends on average $1,000 per month for groceries. The tax cut would save them $450 a year.