The Hawaii House of Representatives today adopted a resolution formalizing new committee assignments.

The new committee assignments are part of a broader House reorganization and administrative housekeeping that naturally follows from the change in Speaker at the end of the 2017 regular session.
There were more than 50 of changes made to committee assignments based on:
- Member requests;
- Changes to caucus;
- GOP caucus asking for changes; and
- Committees reorganized.
Committee assignments are as follows:
Agriculture
Chair Richard P. Creagan
Vice Chair Lynn DeCoite
Cedric Asuega Gates
Kaniela Ing
Matthew S. LoPresti
Calvin K.Y. Say
Gregg Takayama
Cynthia Thielen
Consumer Protection & Commerce
Chair Roy M. Takumi
Vice Chair Linda Ichiyama
Henry J.C. Aquino
Ken Ito
Aaron Ling Johanson
John M. Mizuno
Calvin K.Y. Say
Chris Todd
James Kunane Tokioka
Ryan I. Yamane
Bob McDermott
Economic Development & Business
Chair Mark M. Nakashima
Vice Chair Jarrett Keohokalole
Sharon E. Har
Daniel Holt
Linda Ichiyama
Aaron Ling Johanson
Kyle T. Yamashita
Lauren Kealohilani Matsumoto
Education
Chair Justin H. Woodson
Vice Chair Sharon E. Har
Richard P. Creagan
Mark J. Hashem
Kaniela Ing
Sam Satoru Kong
Angus L.K. McKelvey
Takashi Ohno
Rickard H.K. Onishi
Sean Quinlan
Lauren Kealohilani Matsumoto
Energy & Environmental Protection
Chair Chris Lee
Vice Chair Nicole E. Lowen
Ty J.K. Cullen
Sam Satoru Kong
Angus L.K. McKelvey
Ryan I Yamane
Bob McDermott
Finance
Chair Sylvia Luke
Vice Chair Ty J.K. Cullen
Romy M. Cachola
Lynn DeCoite
Beth Fukumoto
Cedric Asuega Gates
Daniel Holt
Jarrett Keohokalole
Bertrand Kobayashi
Matthew S. LoPresti
Nicole E. Lowen
Nadine K. Nakamura
Kyle T. Yamashita
Andria P.L. Tupola
Gene Ward
Health & Human Services
Chair John M. Mizuno
Vice Chair Bertrand Kobayashi
Della Au Belatti
Marcus R. Oshiro
Chris Todd
Andria P.L. Tupola
Higher Education
Chair Angus L.K. McKelvey
Vice Chair Mark J. Hashem
Richard P. Creagan
Sharon E. Har
Kaniela Ing
Sam Satoru Kong
Takashi Ohno
Richard H.K. Onishi
Sean Quinlan
Justin H. Woodson
Lauren Kealohilani Matsumoto
Housing
Chair Tom Brower
Vice Chair Nadine K. Nakamura
Henry J.C. Aquino
Mark J. Hashem
Sean Quinlan
Joy A. San Buenaventura
Bob McDermott
Intrastate Commerce
Chair Takashi Ohno
Vice Chair Isaac W. Choy
Romy M. Cachola
Beth Fukumoto
Ken Ito
Richard H.K. Onishi
James Kunane Tokioka
Justin H. Woodson
Gene Ward
Judiciary
Chair Scott Y. Nishimoto
Vice Chair Joy A. San Buenaventura
Tom Brower
Chris Lee
Dee Morikawa
Mark M. Nakashima
Marcus R. Oshiro
Gregg Takayama
Bob McDermott
Cynthia Thielen
Labor & Public Employment
Chair Aaron Ling Johanson
Vice Chair Daniel Holt
Sharon E. Har
Linda Ichiyama
Jarrett Keohokalole
Mark M. Nakashima
Kyle Yamashita
Lauren Kealohilani Matsumoto
Legislative Management
Chair Bertrand Kobayashi
Vice Chair Della Au Belatti
Isaac W. Choy
Cindy Evans
Dee Morikawa
Andria P. L. Tupola
Ocean, Marine Resources & Hawaiian Affairs
Chair Kaniela Ing
Vice Chair Cedric Asuega Gates
Richard P. Creagan
Lynn DeCoite
Matthew S. LoPresti
Calvin K.Y. Say
Gregg Takayama
Cynthia Thielen
Public Safety
Chair Gregg Takayama
Matthew S. LoPresti
Richard P. Creagan
Lynn DeCoite
Cedric Asuega Gates
Kaniela Ing
Calvin K.Y. Say
Cynthia Thielen
Tourism
Chair Richard H.K. Onishi
Vice Chair Beth Fukumoto
Romy M. Cachola
Isaac W. Choy
Ken Ito
Takashi Ohno
Justin H. Woodson
Gene Ward
Transportation
Chair Henry J.C. Aquino
Vice Chair Sean Quinlan
Tom Brower
Mark J. Hashem
Nadine K. Nakamura
Joy A. San Buenaventura
Bob McDermott
Veterans, Military & International Affairs & Culture and the Arts
Chair Ken Ito
Vice Chair James Kunane Tokioka
Romy Cachola
Isaac W. Choy
Beth Fukumoto
Takashi Ohno
Richard H.K. Onishi
Justin H. Woodson
Gene Ward
Water & Land
Chair Ryan I. Yamane
Vice Chair Sam Satoru Kong
Ty J.K. Cullen
Chris Lee
Nicole E. Lowen
Angus L.K. McKelvey
Cynthia Thielen
Filed under: Hawaii, Legislature, Politics, State Affairs | Tagged: 2017 Hawaii House of Representatives | Leave a comment »
Mayor Harry Kim Opposed to Permanent Cap on Counties’ Transient Accommodation Tax
Testimony by Harry Kim, Mayor, County of Hawai’i before Senate Ways & Means Re: SB 4:
The County of Hawai’i opposes the permanent cap on the counties’ share of the Transient Accommodation Tax (TAT). This cap is unnecessary to achieve all other aspects of the bill to finance Honolulu’s rail. The bill proposes to finance rail by extending the General Excise Tax (GET) surcharge period to 12/31/2030, increasing the share of the surcharge that goes to rail by decreasing the administrative charge retained by the State, and increasing the TAT rate by 1% and dedicating all of that increase to rail. There is no reason related to rail financing to cap the share of the TAT to the counties.
A cap on the counties’ TAT share is contrary to the Legislature’s own working group report and the original intent of the TAT tax summarized as follows:
The State has multiple sources of revenues. The counties only have property tax, motor vehicle weight tax, and public utility franchise tax. Our out-of-control homeless problems are a symptom of the soaring cost to rent or own a home in Hawai’i. And you want to offer us the power to increase the GET tax, the most regressive form of taxation that impacts the lower income the greatest. We already had to increase our property tax to make ends meet. With the collective bargaining decisions dominated by the State, we again will face possible increases. We ask only for our fair share as recommended by the Working Group, to maintain quality services that uphold the tourism industry and affordability for our people.
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Filed under: Announcements, Big Island, Community, Economy, Guest Commentator, Hawaii, Legislature, Oahu, Politics, State Affairs, Tourism, Transportation | Tagged: Hawaii Senate Bill 4, Honolulu Rail Project, Mayor Harry Kim Testimony | Leave a comment »