“The legislature shall convene annually in regular session at 10:00 o’clock a.m. on the third Wednesday in January.”

-Article III, Section 10 of The Constitution of the State of Hawaii

Photo from Hawaii House Blog

Today is the first day of the Twenty-Fifth Legislature in Hawaii, commonly called “session.”  2009 is the first year of the two sessions that comprise each Legislature.  It’s usually a day filled with speeches and pageantry, and despite the more subdued tone it will have to reflect hard times, entertainment and entertainers will fill the House and Senate chambers.  Just as I did with my post on the convening of the 111th Congress, I will share some resources to stay informed of the goings-on at the “big square building.”

But first, a local mini-civics lesson. The Legislature is comprised of 76 members, divided into two chambers or houses:  the Senate with 25 and the House of Representatives with 51.  Offices for their members and accompanying staff occupy the Basement, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the Hawaii State Capitol, located at 415 South Beretania Street in downtown Honolulu.  The offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor are located on the 5th floor.  Currently, Democrats comprise the majority in both chambers, while Gov. Lingle and Lt. Gov. Aiona are Republicans.  Holding the gavel and presiding over the Senate is Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, in the House it’s Speaker of the House of Representatives Calvin Say.

The absolute best resource at the Hawaii State Capitol, especially if you are going there in person, can be found in room 401, home of the Public Access Room.  There, visitors can get hands-on, expert, and friendly assistance from the staff on almost anything related to the Legislature or the legislative process.  PAR has computers with internet access to help you look up bill status or even write testimony.  They provide photocopying for testimony, legislative documents like hearing notices, reference materials like the HRS (Hawaii Revised Statutes, our state laws), and workshops on process and other information.  While wireless internet is available throughout the Hawaii State Capitol, PAR also provides a place for citizen lobbyists, or just citizens, to sit and gather their thoughts and things during the sometimes-grueling legislative schedule.  If not visiting in person, you can call them at 808-587-0478 (neighbor islands may use the state’s toll-free number for their island and dial the x70478) or email them at par@capitol.hawaii.gov. 

Official Sites and Blogs:

• HI Legislature (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov):  The main site for the Hawaii State Legislature.  From there visitors can also visit either the House or the Senate pages.  One of the most used and useful pages – especially during session – is the Bill Status & Documents page that includes sponsor information, status, referrals, and actions taken by the Legislature.  Pages for individual Senators and Representatives lists biographical data including birthdate, spouse, children, professional and volunteer history, as well as committee assignments.
• Hawaii House Blog (http://hawaiihouseblog.blogspot.com/):  Written by Georgette Deemer (Communications Director of the House Majority) and Thelma Dreyer (Assistant Communications Director), this is quite possibly the best resource for goings-on in the House.  You can follow them on Twitter, and I’m happy to report that they’re quite willing to interact with the public.
• Hawaii Senate Majority (blog, http://www.hawaiisenatemajority.com/):  Features information similar to the Hawaii House Blog, but specific to the Senate chamber.

Blogs of Individual Legislators:

• Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu, blogs at http://jonriki.wordpress.com/.
• Rep. Maile Shimabukuro blogs at http://maile45.blogspot.com/.
• Newly-appointed Rep. Gil Keith-Agaran is on micro-blogging service Twitter.
• Senate Majority Leader Sen. Gary Hooser blogs at http://garyhooser.livejournal.com/.
• Update, 1/24:  Sen. Kalani English is also on micro-blogging service Twitter.

Other resources:

• Government 101 has a wealth of information for working with and through the maze of government.  The author is a professor, an attorney, and has worked in government for 21 years, a good many of those at the Hawaii State Capitol.  In short, she’s a bit of an expert.  It’s a lot like PAR, but just not at the Capitol and with a wider scope.
• All Hawaii News is written by Nancy Cook Lauer, a veteran journalist who most recently served as Capitol reporter for Stephens Media Group (West Hawaii Today and Hawaii Tribune-Herald).
• The Notebook is one of The Honolulu Advertiser’s blogs.  Written by Derrick DePledge and Peter Boylan, it covers government and politics.  While some of the posts cover City government, it’s still a great resource.  You can also follow @ddepledge on Twitter for some up-to-the-minute updates.

Mahalo!