Quiet Please!
  • Home
  • Measuring Noise
  • Our Worst Noises
    • Our Worst Noises
    • Illegally Modified Motorcycle Exhausts
    • Illegally Modified Exhausts Of Automobiles And Trucks
    • Illegally Used "Boom Car" Stereos
  • Hawai'i Noise Laws
    • Hawai'i Noise Laws
    • The Quiet You Are Entitled To!!
    • HPD's Poor Record of Enforcement
  • Things You Can Do
    • Things You Can Do
    • Reporting Noise Violations
    • When Enforcers Don't Enforce
    • Neighborhood Boards - Be Active
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Related Links
  • Our Noise BLOG

2021 Legislative Update - Two Important Measures on Fireworks Noise That You Will Want To Know About.

6/2/2021

6 Comments

 
Did you every watch "Professional" Wrestling?  If you did you're probably aware the fix was in long before the fight, long before the match was even scheduled.  Wins and losses were carefully orchestrated to keep the public interested.  Can't have a single winner all the time, nor an over-and-over loser.  Who would watch?  Not unlike professional sports - hence the trades and drafts to keep all the teams relatively competitive - again, can't have one bracket of winners and another bracket of losers.  Have to mix it up.
So what does that have to do with politics?  The fix in in.  More crooked than professional wrestling or professional sports.  Here's an example.  A Representative's constituents make noise about wanting this or that legislation.  That desire/need is FIRST evaluated against the party's political agenda.  If it fits, it has a chance, if it doesn't fit or it may alienate other voters, it has to go.  But how does the Representative make the constituent "think" they're being supported while at the same time keeping the Party happy?  The introduce a Bill that addresses the constituent's need/desire, and then with a "wink-wink-nod-nod" ensures that the Bill never sees the light of day.  That's accomplished by running it through endless committees - all of which may approve the Bill - but at the end they run out the clock.  The Bill doesn't come to the floor for a vote, usually just dying in one of the endless, and endlessly useless, committees.

So, you may ask, is this the case for EVERY Bill/Measure and EVERY Politician.  Simply, No.  Not EVERY Bill/Measure, not EVERY Politician, not EVERY time.  But, Yes, it happens far, far more often than anyone of us would realize.  The remedy?  Be vigilant, track legislation, know how your Representative is voting and whether they're voting in YOUR interest.  Email them, call them - it's the ONE TIME this website will ever say "Be Noisy."  Let your voice be heard, and heard loudly and often.

Let's look at a couple of those from 2021 and how they are faring.  Please bear in mind that the 2021 Legislative Session is Pau on 29 April.  Any Bill/Measure not passed simply dies.


Measure:  HB508 HD1
Measure Title:  RELATING TO FIREWORKS.
Report Title:   Fireworks; Penalties
Description:  Increases the fines associated with the illegal use of consumer fireworks and display fireworks, articles pyrotechnic, and aerial devices outside of the times permitted by law. Effective 1/1/2050. (HD1)

Introducer(s):CULLEN, AQUINO, TAKAYAMA, TAKUMI, YAMANE
STATUS:
Picture
So as the legislature returned from mandatory 5-day recess on 4 March, this Bill - which increases fines for illegal fireworks use, is still in committee. (Note: we had inadvertently and incorrectly previously (and in our email) said "adjourned 4 March."  It should be as now written "returned from mandatory 5-day recess on 4 March.)

If this issue is important to you, let your Legislator/Representative know ASAP.  A list of Representatives and their Contact information can be found here:    https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/members/legislators.aspx?chamber=H


Next up:

Measure:  HB1246 HD2
​Measure Title:RELATING TO FIREWORKS.
Report Title: Fireworks; Fireworks Control Law; Air Pollution; Noise Pollution; Civil Penalties; Violations; Citations
Description: Specifies that certain violations of the Fireworks Control Law shall be considered an activity that causes air pollution under the Hawaii Air Pollution Control Act and a violation of noise control rules under the Hawaii noise pollution laws, and punishable by civil penalties and subject to citations under those respective laws. Effective 1/1/2050. (HD2)
Introducer(s):JOHANSON, AQUINO, BELATTI, BRANCO, CULLEN, DECOITE, ELI, HAR, HASHIMOTO, ICHIYAMA, ILAGAN, KITAGAWA, B. KOBAYASHI, LOPRESTI, LOWEN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, MATSUMOTO, MCKELVEY, MIZUNO, MORIKAWA, NAKAMURA, NAKASHIMA, NISHIMOTO, PERRUSO, QUINLAN, TAM, TARNAS, TODD, WILDBERGER, YAMANE
STATUS:
Picture
So as the legislature returned from mandatory 5-day recess on 4 March, this Bill - which increases fines for illegal fireworks use, is still in committee. (Note: we had inadvertently and incorrectly previously (and in our email) said "adjourned 4 March."  It should be as now written "returned from mandatory 5-day recess on 4 March.)

If this issue is important to you, let your Legislator/Representative know ASAP.  A list of Representatives and their Contact information can be found here:    https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/members/legislators.aspx?chamber=H

Our MUCH Mahalos to contributors on Legislative Activity:  Jinan Banna and Team!  They do great work in keeping us informed!
6 Comments
Ann
6/6/2021 12:16:51 am

9:00 pm, 6/5, Saturday night; Waimanalo; 2 sets of LOUD fireworks and aerials have gone off - near Village, homes. There were definitely a couple M80s among them. when are we going to be able to live in peace??

Reply
Beth
11/19/2021 08:07:01 pm

M80 just went off in Waimanalo; 11/19 6 pm. Please stop this!!

Reply
Beth
12/4/2021 08:01:56 pm

WHY are there firework bombs going off on average (in Waimanalo) - every other night??? This is a constant problem. We do NOT want to live with this!! WHEN ARE THE LAWS GOING TO BE ENFORCED?? Besides being illegal, they are damaging our hearing, polluting our air, aina, flora - and terrorizing our pets. They do this right on the streets in our neighborhoods!! PLEASE START ACKNOWLEGING AND STOPPING THIS, PLEASE!!!

Reply
Beth
12/17/2021 01:53:23 pm

New fireworks laws are great - ONLY if they're ENFORCED!!! I've heard m80s EVERY night in Wamanalo village - evey single night in the past week.

Reply
Elizabeth Ann Trapani
1/9/2022 04:55:28 pm

Today is Jan 9th. There are STILL m80 bombs going off in Waimanalo DAILY. some ar coming from Waikaloa Street in the Village, off Mooiki, turn left. THE NEW LAWS WILL NOT WORK UNLESS THEY ARE ENFORCED. These offenders care about nothing & nobody, except making the loudest noise they possibly can.

Reply
Beth
1/30/2022 06:41:15 pm

1/30 - m80s going off in Waimanlo - one after another. PLEASE DO SOMETHING! It is beoming a daily thing. WHERE ARE THE POLICE???

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Take The Time To Comment

        Let us know what you think.  Are you tired of the noise?  Do you have ideas on how to combat the noise?  Tell us about it.
     
        Also, use the "Contact A Quieter O'ahu" form (under "About Us" on the menu bar) to let us hear from you.  We continue to compile email addresses of those interested in reclaiming quiet for our island to inform of noise and related issues of interest.  From time to time Quieter O'ahu may recommend contacting City Council or the Legislator to make your feelings known on a particular noise or related Bill.
     
        TOGETHER we can affect positive change.

    Blog Archives

    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2015
    November 2013
    October 2013
    June 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011