Ke Ola Mamo Native Hawaiian Health Care System O’ahu

Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program

Adult Friends for Youth

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Free C -Base Alternative Education Program by Adult Friends for Youth

HB 401 HD 2 SD 2 Automatic Voter Registration/NPR article on Automatic Voter Registration

Hawaii Legislative Automatic Voter Registration Opt Out:  HB 401 HD 2 SD 1- passed amended referred to WAM

 

NPR’s article on Automatic Voter Registration: A Positive Change

“More than 4,000 new voters [ under the automatic voter register in Oregon] were registered in the first six days compared to an average 2,000 new registrations each month under the old system.

She said of those automatically signed up, about 7 percent have opted out so far. The state sends everyone a follow-up letter giving them that option, so no one is forced to be registered.

Atkins said there have been two surprises with the new system. First, her office was expecting a lot of calls from confused or angry people wondering why they were automatically registered to vote. She said it hasn’t happened. In fact, her office sent home one of the temps hired to man the phones.

The other surprise is that the new system has allowed the state to immediately update 17,000 existing voter registrations to reflect changes of address. Under the old system, it could take months, even years, before the voter rolls were updated when someone moved within the state  a big problem in a state that conducts its elections by mail.

“They may have moved two or three times since the last election but never notified us and we get a lot of undeliverable ballots,” says Atkins. “We think that’s a loss for the people who should be able to vote and this system is going to help a great deal.”

Questions about how automatic voter registration will work are similar to those raised a few years ago about the impact of online voter registration. Some people thought it would favor one party over the other, but so far, that hasn’t happened. So while only two states allowed residents to register online in 2008, more than 30 states allow it today. And several more are about to do so.

“I think we’re touching on both the Republican issues and the Democratic issues in a balanced way,” Wyman said. “And I think we’ve found kind of the sweet spot between the two, and we’ll see how it goes!”

Fessler,Pam. Automatic Registration is the Latest Chapter in the Fight Over Voting Rights. NPR. February 17,2016. http://www.npr.org/2016/02/17/466986646/automatic-registration-is-the-latest-chapter-in-fight-over-voting-rights

Talk Story Session Re: Rodent and Mongoose • March 17 Hale Ponoi Kapolei

 

Joint News Release  

For Release:  February 16, 2016

Talk Story Sessions Set for Rodent and Mongoose Control and Eradication Methods to Protect Native Habitats

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) will hold a series of talk story sessions about methods to control and eradicate invasive rodents and mongooses to protect native species in Hawai‘i.  The agencies are co-leads in developing a draft programmatic environmental impact statement, which will analyze the impacts of and alternatives to controlling these invasive animals for the protection of native wildlife, plants, and habitats that support them.

“Introduced rodents and mongooses in Hawaii pose a significant threat to many of Hawai‘i’s native plants and animals,” said Suzanne Case, Chairperson of the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources.  “It is important that we have a discussion with a wide variety of interested people so we can comprehensively address the damage these rodents and mongoose have on Hawai‘i’s ecology, culture, and way of life.”   “We really want to hear what communities would like us to consider in this analysis, including what methods should be considered and what are some alternatives,” said Mary Abrams, Field Supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Methods to control rodents and mongooses in urban and agricultural areas currently exist, but those tools and methods aren’t always effective or available for use in conservation areas.  This process will look at rodent and mongoose control efforts worldwide, and document the most appropriate ones that could be used in Hawai‘i.”   The talk story sessions will be held on the following dates and islands: Oahu from 6:30 to 8 pm:

• February 25 (Thursday) at the McKinley High School cafeteria at 1039 S King Street, Honolulu, HI 96814
• March 17 (Thursday) at Hale Ponoi at 91-5420 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, HI 96707

Moloka‘i from 5:30 to7:30 pm:

• March 1 (Tuesday) at the Mitchell Pauole Center at 90 Ainoa Street, Kaunakakai, HI 96748

Lana‘i from 5:30 to 7:30 pm:

• March 3 (Thursday) at Lana‘i Public Library at 555 Fraser Ave, Lana‘i City, HI 96763

Kaua‘i from 6 to 8 pm:

• March 7 (Monday) at the Waimea Neighborhood Center at 4556 Makeke Road, Waimea, HI 96796
• March 8 (Tuesday) at Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School Cafeteria at 4431 Nuhou Street, Lihu‘e, HI 96766

Maui from 6 to 8 pm:

• March 10 (Thursday) at Lahaina Civic Center at 1840 Honoapiilani Hwy, Lahaina, HI 96761
• March 11 (Friday) at Kahului Community Center at 275 Uhu Street, Kahului, HI 96732

Hawai‘i from 6 to 8 p.m.:

• March 14 (Monday) at University of Hawai‘i-Hilo, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Komohana Research and Extension Center (conference rooms A and B) located at 875 Komohana Street, Hilo, HI 96720
• March 15 (Tuesday) at West Hawai‘i Community Center located at 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740.

In addition to these talk story sessions, the public is invited to submit written comments through April 7, 2016.  Comments may be made to either agency for joint consideration in the following ways:

• Electronically: http://www.regulations.gov <http://www.regulations.gov> . Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2015–0026.
• U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R1–ES–2015–0026; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041–3803.
• Website: http://www.removeratsrestorehawaii.org click on “Get Involved” and enter a comment.

For More Information:  

Christine Ogura, 808-282-9442 <christine_ogura@fws.gov>

Dan Dennison, 808-587-0407

Once the comment period closes, both agencies will review the comments received and begin development of the document.  For the Service, comments previously submitted during the first comment period do not need to be resubmitted.  The draft programmatic environmental impact statement will be published in both the Federal Register and the Environmental Notice and provide another public comment period for review.