FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Senator J. Kalani English
Chair, Committee on Energy and the Environment
State Capitol, Room 205
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 587-7225

CONTACT: Beth (808) 587-7225

PRESS RELEASE
October 31, 2003

SENATE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE WILL VISIT HANA TO BETTER ASSESS REGIONAL NEEDS

Hana, Maui --- Senator J. Kalani English, (District 6, Hana, East Maui, Upcountry Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe) will be leading a delegation of Ways and Means Committee members to Hana to conduct a Hana region issues briefing on November 4, 2003. The delegation will include Senator Brian Taniguchi, Chair of the Committee, Senator Shan Tsutsui, Senator Rosalyn Baker, and others. Representative Sol Kaho'ohalahala, whose district includes Hana will also accompany the delegation.

Senator English remarked, "I am pleased to host the Senate Ways and Means Committee on a visit to my home. Hana has many important issues that are unique to our location and way of life. I also believe that by traveling from Hana by car, my colleagues will truly get a taste of what it's like to live in and commute from Hana."

The delegation will depart Hana by way of traveling the Hana Highway. This is the first time a legislative money committee has visited the Hana community.

English, the only member of the Senate of Hawaiian ancestry and a resident of Hana, emphasized the significance of the visit and the important role the Ways and Means Committee plays in the legislative process. "Any program that requires state funds has to be first approved by the money committees of the Senate and House. Remote rural communities such as ours are dependent on the services provided by the State because simply, we are either too small or too remote for many private service providers to locate here. That is why it was so important for me and my colleagues from Maui to obtain funds for programs such as the Hana Community Health Center and the air ambulance service. Rural residents deserve access to such services," said English.

The delegation will tour the Hana region and be briefed on health, education, and recreational infrastructure issues affecting residents and visitors. In particular, the tour will make stops at Hana Wharf, Hana Comprehensive Health Clinic and Hana School. Other locations that will be addressed include, Keanae School, Waianapanapa State Park, and rest facilities at Pua'a Ka'a and Kaumahina State Parks along Hana Highway. Finally, on their way to Kihei for an evening briefing, the delegation will make a stop at the Makawao Library, which recently received capital improvement funds for expansion and renovation. Chair Taniguchi noted, "The Ways and Means Committee possesses a long history of addressing the concerns of the State's remote communities. We look forward to continuing this tradition in the upcoming legislative session."

The delegation will then continue on to other locations around Maui on November 5, 2003, addressing issues such as education, health, and transportation. Senator Baker added, "This visit will help ensure that my colleagues not only hear about the concerns of Maui residents, but also experience first-hand the hardships and inequities that exist between neighbor island communities and Oahu."

END

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