Aloha e Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. As always, feel free to contact me at 586-6830 or email sengabbard@capitol.hawaii.gov if I can help you or your family in any way. You can also follow me on Twitter @senmikegabbard, Instagram @sengabbard, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/senmikegabbard.
Ideas for Legislation
The 2016 Legislative Session will kick-off on January 20, 2016. Leading up to that date, I’ll be working on bills to introduce with the goal of improving our quality of life. I’m also interested in getting ideas from you on things we can do at the Legislature to make positive changes. Please contact my office if you’d like to weigh in. It doesn’t have to be a fully fleshed-out concept. All we need is a few bullet points to get the process going.
Governor Releases Funding for UH West O‘ahu
I was very pleased to get word from Governor Ige on October 15th that he had released $7 million in funding for the construction of a new Administration and Allied Health Facility at UH West O‘ahu in Kapolei. The total cost for this project is $36.7 million and the plan is to have it completed by 2018. This will make our great university even better!
Live and Let Live 2015
My office is once again on the Steering Committee for the 2015 Live and Let Live Campaign. You might remember that this is the driver safety awareness campaign which encourages people to not speed, drink and drive, or use cell phones while driving during the Christmas Holiday Season. Live and Let started on the Wai‘anae Coast in 1985 and currently involves the Kapolei and Wai‘anae Coast communities. There will be a Kick-Off event on December 5th from 10am to 2pm at Kapolei High School. There will also be a sign-waving event on December 8th from 7:00am to 7:45am on Kapolei Parkway from Kamokila Boulevard to the Kapolei Middle School. I hope you can participate!
Honoring Don Harlor
I surprised Don Harlor with an Honorary Certificate from the State Legislature at the Ewa Beach Library on October 15th. In 2008, the Harlor ohana moved to Ewa Beach from Los Angeles. As you might remember, in 2011 O’ahu was hit by heavy rain and strong 55-mph winds which toppled power lines resulting in a lengthy power outage in Ewa Beach. A few months later, Japan experienced a catastrophic earthquake and devastating tsunami, by which Hawai’i was threatened but miraculously spared. It was at that time, that Don Harlor helped to form the Ewa Emergency Preparedness Committee (Ewa EPC) and became its chair. Mr. Harlor led the Ewa EPC in conducting a very successful inaugural “Get Ready Emergency Preparedness Fair” at Ewa Makai Middle School in 2011, followed by four more successful annual fairs. Thanks to Mr. Harlor’s guidance, Ewa Beach has qualified as a NOAA-certified StormReady and TsunamiReady community. Mahalo to Don for his tireless hard work and dedication to making the Ewa community a safe place to live and raise families. We wish him luck as he steps down from the Ewa EPC in January. He has left a legacy that will be remembered and will inspire others for many years to come
