Winter 2005 Home   Newsletters

Spring 2006

June 2006

President's Message
This Year's Education Bills (Mary Anne Raywid)
Affordable Shelter (Jackie Parnell)
New LWV State Website (Andrea Dean)
2006 Freedom of Information Compliance Audit (Jackie Parnell)
League Makes it to the Wheel (Jean Aoki)
Voter Owned Elections (Clean Elections) (Kory Payne)
Education Committee Report (and why political reform...) (Mary Anne Raywid)
Never Say it Makes No Difference (Jean Aoki)
Court Rules Private Serial Communications Violate State's Sunshine Law
Martha Black Dies
Gambling: Hopefully a Non-Issue This Legislative Session (Judy Rantala)
Century of Accountability (Mary Anne Raywid)
Prophecy Gone Wrong (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
Chapter Reports: Kauai (Carol Bain)
Chapter Reports: Honolulu (Jackie Parnell)
Chapter Reports: Hawaii (Marianna Scheffer)
Chapter Reports: Maui (Joshua Cooper)

Gambling: Hopefully a Non-Issue This Legislative Session

It looks as if we may get through this legislative session with no bills related to gambling coming to a vote. Of course, as Ira Rohter always reminds me, "It ain't over 'til the Fat Lady sings,", so we in HCALG keep an eye out for any insertions or sudden additions to bills that on the surface have looked totally unrelated to the issue. We have, however, been tracking two bills proposing that the state establish a lottery and use the proceeds for educational purposes. These bills included the proposal that a gambling oversight committee be established, an issue that Rep. Souki introduces every year (he was a signer of the bill). As far as we can tell, neither of the bills has moved far enough to be heard. However, what we did discover, to our dismay and disgust is that one of them, House Bill 3085, introduced by ten members, included five who have stated firmly and clearly in all of our bi-annual polls that they are totally OPPOSED to gambling. They are Jon "Riki" Karamatsu, Dist. 41; Ken Ito, Dist 48; Tommy Waters, Dist.51; Clift Tsuji, Dist 3; and Michael Magaoay, Dist. 46. You may want to tuck this information away for future reference at election time.

The Hawaii Coalition Against Legalized Gambling is in the process of determining how best to call these five to account, and to use the information as a warning to others in the Legislature, that lying about their stance on gambling, is not taken kindly by us nor is it going to be overlooked. Their excuse may be "I was doing it for a constituent or a colleague", but that is not good enough if you have publicly stated that legalized gambling is not good for Hawaii.

In other areas, we are still struggling to find the time and person to set up a more up-to-date Web site as well as to scan into the computer many of the very good articles and studies we have amassed related to every form of gambling. When these tasks are accomplished our resources will be easily available to everyone with a computer.

We continue to be grateful for the support of the League of Women Voters. It is comforting to know that if we need you to help us stop gambling from being legalized in Hawaii, we can count on your assistance.

Mahalo Nui Loa,

Judy Rantala
President HCALG;
and League member

Winter 2005 Home   Newsletters June 2006