A bunch of bills related to beach access and shoreline management issues such as setbacks have been introduced at the State Legislature. Some are ones we had a hand in drafting. Others though were written without our input or knowledge, so we're still reviewing the merits of those...
Priority number one is making sure bills we support get a hearing scheduled. To do that, we need you to contact the committee chairpersons and ask them to schedule it. Below are the bill numbers and contact info. You may find that emails will bounce because of filled mailboxes. If so, please call the office number.
To keep up to date on bill status or legislators' contact info, you can go to the Hawaii Legislator site (click here) and enter the bill number (letters HB or SB for House Bill or Senate Bill, no space, followed by number).
On that same page, if you scroll down you will see a link to SUBMIT TESTIMONY online. When bills get hearing dates, you can plug in the bill number and upload a pdf document or write your comments in the box provided.
BILLS THAT NEED TO BE SCHEDULED...
HB593 is Rep. Cynthia Thielen's bill to stop new houses from being built on Kailua Beach closer to the ocean than the existing structure on that lot for at least two years, to give the DLNR time to create a master plan for shoreline management.
Please email House WLO (Water, Land and Ocean Resources) Committee Chair Ken Ito at
repito@Capitol.hawaii.gov or call 808-586-8470 to request a hearing date. Tell him we need action to protect Kailua Beach before it becomes another Lanikai or Kahala Beach!
While you're at it, you can also ask Rep. Ito to set a hearing for HB971, which we helped draft. This bill amends the definition of obstruction to public beach access, and would allow citizens to go to court to prevent things like gates from being put up in areas with limited beach access.
On the Senate side, that same bill is listed under SB1088 and is sponsored by Sen. Gary Hooser, so we don't anticipate problems with getting a hearing.
TASK FORCE BILL - PLEASE SUPPORT!
There are other bills related to coastal zone management and access. However, until we have a body with the authority to implement changes at the state and county level, the status quo is likely to remain in effect.
Rep. Chris Lee has introduced HB1447, to form a task force which would include state and county officials, along with reps from citizen groups. They would seek to create uniform state-wide standards for access and shoreline management -- something we sorely need.
Email or call Rep. Ito today and tell him we need joint cooperation between the counties and state to resolve these longstanding problems, and protect our shorelines for future generations!
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