Aloha Friends,
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to represent you in the Hawaii State House of Representatives for the past six years. This year I served as Vice Chair of the Water, Land, Ocean Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs Committee. It was a rewarding experience working on land use laws, important agricultural land designation, agricultural incentives, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs settlement, just to name a few.
I also served as a member of the Finance Committee and Energy & Environmental Protection Committee. I returned to my House leadership position as a Majority Whip, which I served from 2004-2006.
This information page highlights my policy accomplishments in my six years as your state representative. I will continue to work hard to better our community and state. I humbly ask for your vote on Saturday, September 20, 2008 in the Primary Election and Tuesday, November 4, 2008 in the General Election.
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
Representative
41st District: Waikele, Royal Kunia, Village Park, Waipahu
REPRESENTATIVE JON RIKI KARAMATSU’S POLICY ACHIEVEMENTS
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Preventing Harassment and Harassment by Stalking
In 2009, I introduced a bill to expand the definition of “harassment” and “harassment by stalking” to include contact through electronic communications. I worked on this issue for the past five legislative sessions. It was signed into law by the governor as Act 090 on June 5, 2009.
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Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds
In 2009, I ontroduced a bill to replace and update the existing uniform management of institutional funds act. The law provides guidance and authority to charitable organizations concerning management and investment of funds held by those organizations, while also providing additional protections for charities and interests of donors. Among other things, this legislation affords charitable institutions the ability to cope with fluctuations in the value of the endowment. The bill was signed into law by the governor as Act 135 on June 19, 2009.
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Temporary Restraining Orders Relating to Household Pets
In 2009, I introduced a bill allowing temporary restraining orders to be issued to prevent the abuse of household animals in domestic violence situations, which was signed into law by the governor as Act 159 on June 26, 2009.
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Commission on the Status of Women
In the beginning of the 2003 Legislative Session, I helped organize legislators to stop Governor Linda Lingle from eliminating the Commission on the Status of Women, which works on policy affecting women such as discrimination, equal pay, domestic violence, and sex abuse.
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Mandatory Ethics Training for State Government Officials
I introduced a mandatory ethics training bill in 2003 that later became law in 2004, which requires ethics training for elected and appointed state government officials in order to encourage better dialogue between the Ethics Commission and government officials, which can help clear confusion in ethics rules because rulings by the commission are based on a case by case basis.
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Preventing Identity Theft
I introduced a bill in the 2003 Legislative Session to remove the requirement for candidates for elected office to collect residents’ full social security numbers on their nomination forms. A similar bill to mine became law in 2004 and now candidates only need to get their residents’ last four digits of their social security on their nomination forms.
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Protecting Personal Information Collected and Maintained by Government Agencies from Identity Theft
I served on the Hawaii Identity Theft Task Force from 2007 to 2008. This legislative session, I introduced a bill that included recommendations from the task force that included creating a security council to oversee guidelines to ensure personal information collected and maintained by state and county agencies are protected from identity theft.
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Discouraging Harassment by Impersonation
In 2008, I authored a law to discourage persons from committing the offense of harassment by impersonation when they pose as another person, without the express authorization of that person, and makes or causes to be made, either directly or indirectly, a transmission of any personal information of the person to another by any oral statement, any written statement, or any statement conveyed by any electronic means, with the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm any person. Harassment by impersonation is a misdemeanor.
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Beach Restoration
I worked on a bill in 2008 to restore our beaches. It was incorporated into the state budget bill that passed the legislature, appropriating $1 million from the special fund for tourism (BED 113) for fiscal year 2008-2009 for beach restoration, provided that restoration projects on resort beaches shall be matched dollar-for-dollar from private sources and shall be on beaches with public access. This beach restoration fund for resort beaches is to be administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.
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Empowering Native Hawaiian Craft Makers and Protecting Consumers
In the 2004 Legislative Session, I introduced and passed a bill into law to require the Department of Agriculture to authenticate Ni’ihau shell leis to empower Hawaiian Ni’ihau shell lei makers and protect consumers from fraudulent sales.
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Renovations for Aloha Stadium
In the 2004 Legislative Session, I introduced a resolution requesting the Department of Accounting and General Services to conduct a study on the cost of maintaining Aloha Stadium versus building a new stadium. Upon conclusion of the study, the department decided that renovation of Aloha Stadium would be more cost effective.
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Supporting Hawaii Filmmakers
In the 2003 Legislative Session, I introduced a bill to give rental discounts at state film facilities to Hawaii filmmakers. This bill brought the issue to the attention of the Hawaii Film Office, which in turn decided to give these discounts administratively, and therefore legislative action was no longer necessary.
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Developing a Film Industry in Hawaii
I introduced a bill in the 2006 Legislative Session to give tax incentives to the film industry to attract more film projects to Hawaii and create more jobs for residents. The Senate companion bill to my House bill passed that year.
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Developing Hawaii’s Technology Industry
In the 2006 Legislative Session, I introduced and passed a bill to expand a grant program for start-up technology businesses in Hawaii.
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Developing Hawaii’s Technology and Renewable Energy Industry – Hoku Scientific, Inc.
In the 2006 Legislative Session, I introduced and passed a bill to float $10 million in special purpose revenue bonds for Hoku Scientific, Inc., which was used to build their facility in Kapolei. Investors in these bonds do not have to report their interest income for tax purposes. Hoku Scientific, Inc. is a materials science company focused on clean energy technologies, which will help Hawaii and the world be less reliant on fossil fuels. The company develops new products for hydrogen fuel cells and are now forming two new businesses: an integrated photovoltaic, or PV, module business, and a polysilicon business, which is a primary material used in the manufacture of PV modules.
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Developing Hawaii’s Renewable Energy Industry – Sopogy, Inc.
In 2007, I introduced a bill that became law that authorized the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $10 million to develop a solar farm power plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii in Kona or another suitable site in the state. In addition, In 2008, I authored a new law that authorizes the issuance of as much as $35 million in special purpose revenue bonds to assist Sopogy, Inc., a local renewable energy company, with the development of a solar farm power plant on Oahu. Sopogy, Inc. specializes in the development, manufacture, and distribution of proprietary concentrated solar power systems that generate electricity.
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Education to Prepare Our Children for the Knowledge-Based Economy
I introduced a bill in the 2005 Legislative Session to create a kindergarten to twelfth grade science and technology magnet school to prepare our children for exciting careers in Hawaii’s knowledge-based economy such as science, technology, biotechnology, medical research, agricultural research, film, and digital media. Although my bill did not pass, a similar resolution passed that year, which will form a task force to create a plan in creating such a magnet school. In 2006, Governor Linda Lingle made innovation in education a priority and the Legislature passed a bill to expand project-based learning in science, technology, engineering, and math.
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Peace Day
In 2007, I authored a bill that became law, which established September 21 of each year as Peace Day to promote peace programs, improve international relations, and increase international relations of peace. This designated day encourages citizens to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace. I chaired the Peace Day Hawaii Committee that planned the 2007 Peace Day Hawaii event at the Hawaii State Capitol. Our program included entertainment, a peace expression contest, a peacemaker award, speeches, and a silent candlelight prayer for peace. I am continuing as chair of the 2008 Peace Day Hawaii event, which will be held at the Hawaii Convention Center on September 21, 2008 from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
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Some Notable Capital Improvement Projects Funded by the State of Hawaii During Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu’s Career
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Waipahu High School improvements;
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Waipahu Intermediate School’s cafeteria;
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Waipahu Intermediate School’s Olelo studio;
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Honowai Elementary School’s air conditioning for its library;
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Kaleiopuu Elementary School improvements;
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Waikele Elementary School improvements;
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University of Hawaii West Oahu, funds to build a new campus;
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American Box Car’s facility;
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Kunia Agricultural Park, funds to develop the park;
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Waipahu United Church of Christ improvements;
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Leeward YMCA’s facility;
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Filipino Community Center improvements;
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Waipahu Cultural Garden improvements;
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H-1 Contraflow
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Kunia Road widening and improvements; and
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Kamehameha Highway, funds for improvements
