Decisions are being made about your business, without your input. Legislators make laws and regulations affecting Hawaii's and businesses often with limited knowledge of the hotel industry, the people it serves, or the people it employs. The HHLA is fully committed in this area, and its firm belief that, first and foremost, effective advocacy on the local and national level to our success. We recognize the need for better communication with government to help solve problems in our (tourism) industry, and we recognize the membership can change the political future of the hotel industry by spekaing with a united voice. We support these efforts via HotelPAC, our non-profit, bi-partisan political action committee, which helps elect qualified individuals who recognize the importance of the hotel industry.

Click here for:  2009 LEGISLATIVE TRACKER

Click here for :  2009 HHLA POSITION STATEMENTS

Final Legislative Report

This session came to an unfortunate conclusion as the Legislature overrode Governor Lingle’s veto of SB 1111 CD 1 Relating to Taxation.   This bill provides for an additional increase on the gross rental or gross rental proceeds derived from furnishing transient accommodations of 1% beginning on 7/1/09 to 6/30/10 and 2% beginning on 7/1/10; and requires the revenues collected shall be deposited into the general fund.  Sunsets 6/30/15.

This tax increase is now the law of the land.  Thank all of you who contacted your legislators to express our opposition to the increase.  I encourage you to contact and thank the following legislators who voted to OPPOSE the VETO OVERRIDE of SB1111 CD1:

SENATE:

Senator Roz Baker - senbaker@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Bobby Bunda - senbunda@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Carol Fukunaga - senfukunaga@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Josh Green - sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov
Senator Fred Hemmings - senhemmings@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Senator Sam Slom - senslom@Capitol.hawaii.gov

HOUSE:

Representative Della Au Belatti - repbelatti@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Lyla Berg - repberg@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Tom Brower - repbrower@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Lynn Finnegan - repfinnegan@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Faye Hanohano - rephanohano@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Barbara Marumoto - repmarumoto@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Angus McKelvey - repmckelvey@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Kimberly Pine - reppine@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Cynthia Thielen - repthielen@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Glenn Wakai - repwakai@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Gene Ward - repward@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Representative Jessica Wooley - repwooley@capitol.hawaii.gov

Most of the other tourism related bills did not pass.  The contents of many of these bills were included in HB 754 CD2 Relating to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.  This measure requires convention center construction contracts to be subject to certain provisions of the procurement code.  Transfers tourism research and statistics functions from the department of business, economic development, and tourism to the Hawaii tourism authority (HTA).  Removes ex-officio members from the HTA Board and places them in an advisory group to HTA.  Expands the scope of a tourism emergency.  Provides additional funds to the tourism special fund for one fiscal year.   Effective on July 1, 2009.

HB 754 CD2 has a variety of features some of which are certainly better than others.  The best features of HB 754 CD2 are that it modifies the reasons for accessing the Tourism Emergency Trust Fund to include economic reasons and it provides approximately $7 million in additional funds to the Hawaii Tourism Authority in fiscal year 2010-2011.

Finally, two other business related bills passed.  HB 952 CD1 Relating to Labor; and SB 695 CD1 Relating to Workers Compensation. 

HB 952 CD1 certifies entities as exclusive representatives without an election where no other representatives are certified as the exclusive bargaining representatives for employers with an annual gross revenue of $5 million or more.  Requires immediate collective bargaining between parties once entities are certified as exclusive representatives.  Makes it a violation for an employer or employee to commit unfair or prohibited practices interfering with an employer's or employee's statutory rights or discriminating against an employer or an employee for exercising protected conduct, subject to a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation.  Effective July 1, 2009. 

HB 952 CD1 would only apply to Hawaii businesses that are not covered by the National Labor Relations Act.

SB 695 CD1 requires the employer to continue medical services to an injured employee despite disputes over whether treatment should be continued, until the director of labor and industrial relations decides whether treatment should be continued.  Effective July 1, 2009.

Again, mahalo for your efforts and support.  If you would like a full copy of these bills, they can be accessed at http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at (808) 923-0407 or email me at mtowill@hawaiihotels.org