Ka‘ū News Briefs, Monday, June 27, 2022

Malama Pono Punalu'u Invites More Volunteers Members of the Malama Pono Punalu'u group gathered for an orientation last Friday. They man a daily watch after the lifeguards leave Punalu'u, until sundown to ensure that beachgoers keep their distance from green sea turtles and hawksbill turtles. The green sea turtles live at the beach and are a big attraction for tourists to take their photos. The hawksbill turtles come in periodically to nest. Anyone interested in joining Malama Pono Punalu'u can call its organizer Guy Enriques at 808-217-2253 or email enriques@hawaii.rr.com. See story at http://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/search?q=Malama+Pono+Punalu%27u. Photo from Malama Pono Punalu'u

MICHAEL LAST, LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE TO REPRESENT ALL OF KAʻŪ IN THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, has released a statement on his propositions and endorsements:
    He said he wants mandatory term limits for Representatives and Senators in the Hawai'i State Legislature. "Such term limits should be as agreed to by the members of the legislature. They should be equal to those already in place for the other elected positions within the state- such as, but not limited to Governor, Lieutenant Governor, County Council, County Mayors."
    Last said he "will not now, nor ever solicit or accept contributions to further my campaign. To believe in myself and what I can do for the people of Hawai'i is enough motivation for me. I think that it is not the job of anyone else to ensure my success, aside from their voting for me. I never will be, 'The best politician money can buy!'"
    Last promised to "never accept bribes, regardless of what it is called. It is illegal. Just ask Senator English or Representative Cullen (among former public officials.)"
    Last denounced the practice of legislators voting "Yes, with reservations." He called it "just a ploy to ensure that they always have an 'out.' If a vote is passed, they say, 'See, I voted for it.' And if it is voted down, 'I voted with reservations.'"       The governor said, "The agricultural park program is meant to be a start-up program for new farmers and other small farm operations to become commercially established. This program is not meant to be a permanent space for lessees but rather a temporary environment to support new and expanding businesses. Many of the current lessees have had leases for close to 55 years, and there is a current wait list of over 200 applicants for new leases. This bill extends old leases by another 30 years and that extension can be repeated indefinitely. The largest hurdle that young farmers face is access to available and appropriately sized agricultural lands. Expanding opportunities for more farmers is important for our food security and allowing them equal access to this agricultural park program is one of the critical ways we can ensure
growth in the agricultural industry." The governor said: "There has not been sufficient time since the Legislature made changes to the State’s criminal pretrial system by Act 179, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2019, to fully assess the effect of the changes. The bill does not adequately address several important issues, including the need to secure the appearance of defendants and it deprives judges of the ability to exercise discretion on a case-by-case basis. The bill would mandate the automatic release of defendants that are charged with class C felonies that pose significant risks to public safety, such as felon in possession (firearm), burglaries in the second degree, arson in the third degree, riot, cruelty to animals, promoting a controlled substance in, on, or near schools, and extortion in the second degree."    HB1980– RELATING TO TELEPHONIC SERVICES.  The bill permits, but does not require or prohibit, Medicaid, health insurers, mutual benefit societies, and health maintenance organizations to cover telephonic behavioral health services under certain circumstances. Clarifies that telephonic services do not constitute telehealth.
    The governor said, "While the intent of this bill is appreciated, its wording is vague and may allow insurance providers to restrict access to telephonic services. The vague wording can be construed to either restrict when a health plan may voluntarily provide coverage or provide purely permissive authority for health plans to provide coverage. This may prompt health insurance plans to restrict or exclude coverage for telephonic services due to concerns of compliance with this bill. This could especially impact patients in rural and underserved areas, those with limited digital skills, or those with limited access to reliable internet service."