This years Christmas joke! "What do you learn at Santa's helpers school? "The ELF-A-BET" Happy Holidays everyone! #glennwakai #hawaiisenate #christmas

"As a single mom, I'll always cherish Christmas with my son, Micah. Memories of the time we spent together, just the two of us, will forever remind me of the joy we've shared and the love that has bound us as a family." #hawaiisenate #donnamercadokim #christmas #christmasmemories

One of my favorite holiday memories comes from my children. I would usually take each of them Christmas shopping individually, mind you that meant FOUR separate trips to the mall, so they could purchase gifts for their siblings, dad, etc. On one trip with my son Shane, we passed one of the Angel Trees where you could pick an Angel card off the tree and purchase a gift for a child in need. I had stopped to choose one, and while talking with one of the helpers, Shane started to ask questions wanting to know what the giving tree was about. Hearing that there were children who might not get gifts, Shane proceeded to pick two angels from the tree and spent all his Christmas money buying gifts for other children. It was a moment of pride for me to see him make that incredibly generous choice all on his own. Until today, that wonderful memory stands out as a reminder of the true giving nature of the holidays. #senatorkidani #michellekidani #hawaiisenate #christmas #christmasmemories

STATE NOW ACCEPTING GRANT-IN-AID APPLICATIONS Deadline for GIA applications is January 19, 2018 HONOLULU, Hawai‘i – Senate Ways and Means Committee Chair Donovan M. Dela Cruz and House Finance Committee Chair Sylvia Luke announced that qualified nonprofit and other organizations can now apply for State Grants-in-Aid (GIA) for the 2018 Legislative Session. The deadline to submit grant applications is 4:30 p.m. January 19, 2018. Last year, the Legislature awarded nearly $30 million in grants to non-profit organizations across the state for various public purposes recognized as priorities and seen as complimentary to state government functions, including health, educational, workforce development, social services and cultural and historical activities. Information on the GIA process and the application is available on the Legislature’s website at http://capitol.hawaii.gov/ # # # #grantinaid #donovandelacruz #hawaiisenate

How Hawai‘i’s payday loans both help and hurt residents who use their services were examined in an informational briefing held at the State Capitol today. Senator Rosalyn Baker (Dist. 6 – South and West Maui), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, along with members of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, heard from the Stephen Levins, head of the DCCA Office of Consumer Protection on the present status of Hawai‘i’s payday lending laws. Hawai‘i and 15 other states have APR rates of approximately 460% or higher. Nick Bourke, Director of Consumer Finance with The Pew Charitable Trusts, explained that when payday loans were introduced 25 years ago as short term loans, they were created with good intention. Bourke told lawmakers that today the law around payday lending is broken and reform is needed. Several states have made efforts to reform payday lending laws and Bourke shared a survey that found 3 in 4 Americans want payday loans to be more regulated. Bourke suggested elements to make loans safe and fair including making payments affordable, spreading the repayment cost over the life of the loan, give borrowers a reasonable time to repay the loan, and lower the cost of the loans, as well as guard against harmful practices. Jeff Gilbreath of the nonprofit Hawai‘i Community Lending , shared data gathered on a three-year small dollar loan pilot project. The agency offered loans to 184 qualifying clients at 8 to 16 percent annual interest rates. Gilbreath said the pilot shows how it is possible to loan clients at lower rates and still earn a profit. Hawai‘i legalized payday lending in 1999 as a way to regulate the check cashing business. Many states have either banned payday loans or capped the loan rates on the industry that is currently worth $30 billion nationally. The purpose of the informational briefing is to gather data that may be used in legislation to improve payday lending laws. #rozbaker #willespero #paydayloan #nickbourke #pewcharitabletrusts #jeffgilbreath

Senators Donna Mercado Kim and Rosalyn Baker teamed up with members of the House Health Committee to host the annual Flu and Hepatitis-A Shot Day at the State Capitol. This is the seventh year Legislators have hosted this event as an effort to promote workplace wellness at the Capitol and throughout the state departments. Sen. Kim thanked Kaiser and 5 Minute Pharmacy for partnering with lawmakers in providing the shots to state employees and the public. The service is 100% covered by most insurance plans. “It’s this kind of partnership with the community that we need in order for our communities to stay healthy,” said Sen. Kim, who got her flu shot that morning. *flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaiisenatemajority/albums/72157690633080785 #donnamercadokim #rozbaker #5minutepharmacy #Kaiser #thrive

WHO: Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, and House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce WHAT: Informational Briefing WHERE: Conference Room 229 State Capitol WHEN: Friday, December 8, 2017 9:00 a.m. Senator Rosalyn Baker (S Dist. 6 – South and West Maui), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, along with Representative Roy Takumi (H Dist. 35 - Pearl City, Manana, Waipi‘o), Chair of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce, are holding an informational briefing on Fri., December 8, 2017 in Conference Room 229 at 9:00 a.m. to review the current payday lending laws and how these policies are impacting the community. Stephens Levins, Executive director for the State Office of Consumer Protection, will provide the current status of payday lending in Hawai‘i. Nick Bourke, Director of Consumer Finance with The Pew Charitable Trusts, is scheduled to present the payday loan reform efforts occurring across the country. Jeff Gilbreath of Hawai‘i Community Lending will discuss local initiatives to provide sustainable small-dollar loans. To view the informational briefing notice: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/hearingnotices/HEARING_CPH-CPC_12-08-17_INFO_.HTM For further information or if you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the informational briefing (i.e. ASL or foreign language interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the Office of Sen. Baker at 586-6070 so that arrangements can be made. # # # #rozbaker #hawaiisenate #pewcharitabletrust #roytakumi

“One Christmas when I was a kid, we took a family vacation to Vancouver. It was the first time I saw snow. When my dad explained to me that it was below freezing outside, I asked him, "Does that mean if I leave ice cubes outside, they won't melt?" "You can try," he replied. So I took some ice cubes and left them outside our hotel room, and sure enough, the following morning, they were still there, intact. That was a true surprise for a kid growing up in Hawaii.” #StanleyChang #Christmas #hawaiikai #hawaiisenate

On the latest episode of Aupuni Connections, Senator Russell Ruderman of Puna discussed the topic of increasing Hawai’i’s minimum wage, in future initiatives for the idea. Senator Ruderman discussed his opinion about the current minimum wage not being a livable wage. You can find air-dates below and channels information or watch the show by visiting the video on demand page, naleo.tv/vod/ . (Airdates 12/4 at 3:00 PM on Channel 53, 12/5 at 12:30 PM on Channel 54, 12/6 at 8:30 AM, Channel 53, 12/7 at 11:00 AM on Channel 54 and also 12/8 at 6:30 PM on Channel 53 #hawaiisenate #minimumwage #aupuni #aupuniconnections

Members of the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health were given an update of the state’s effort to fight the growing opioid epidemic. The Senators were joined at the State Capitol on Dec. 1 by members of the House Committee on Health as the State Department of Health (DOH) presented an overview of the opioid initiative plan by DOH Director Dr. Virginia Pressler and Edward Mersereau, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division Chief. It is estimated about 150,000 Hawai‘i residents are currently struggling with pain medication addiction. That figure is up from the 50,000 people addicted to opioids a decade ago. There were 56 opioid related deaths in 2016 and 37 of those deaths involved people with prescription painkillers, according to DOH statistics. Although Hawai‘i is ranked the eighth lowest in the nation for opioid mortalities, the impact on the state’s hospitals billed for treatment on opioid-related overdoses is staggering: about $9.8 million in hospital charges in 2016, according to the Hawaii Health Information Corp., a nonprofit that collects health care data for policymaking. The Legislature granted $200,000 last session to the DOH to develop the opioid plan in collaboration with other state agencies and community groups. The DOH plans to request another $200,000 this coming legislative session. Opioids are a highly-addictive narcotic commonly used to treat pain prescribed to an estimated 400,000 people in Hawai‘i each year. It takes about three weeks for a patient to become addicted to the drug, which can stop a person’s breathing and heart, resulting in death when combined with alcohol and other depressants. As with the rest of the country, opioid misuse represents only one facet of the broader addiction problem in Hawai‘i. The Hawaii Opioid Action Plan is intended to be a living document and will be reviewed and adapted by individuals and institutional stakeholders as needed to address opioid and other substance misuse problems in Hawai‘i. #rozbaker #jilltokuda #russellruderman #stanleychang #hawaiisenate #opiod #substanceabuse

Requiring licensing of family boarding and private homes that provide healthcare to the elderly or disabled, and finding ways to encourage builders and developers to make homes safer and easily accessible to the elderly and disabled, are just some of the proposals being considered for introduction by the Kupuna Caucus. The Caucus meets regularly throughout the year to discuss issues facing kupuna and their families. The most recent gathering in early December was to prioritize legislation ahead of the 2018 Legislative Session. Another priority is to maintain current levels of funding for essential services. It is estimated that by 2020, 19 percent of Hawaii’s population will be age 65 and older and increase to 23 percent of the population by 2030. The State Legislature has demonstrated its support of Hawaii’s seniors over the years. Last year, the Legislature passed HB607 which created the Kupuna Caregivers Program to assist family members in obtaining care for their elders while remaining in the workforce. This program is the first of its kind in the nation. The Kupuna Caucus is in its 12th year and is comprised of a bi-partisan group of House and Senate state legislators, a broad array of community organizations, government departments, businesses, and individuals concerned about the well-being of the elderly in our community. More photos on our Flickr Site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaiisenatemajority/sets/72157688530879492 #kupuna #kupunacaucus #HB607 #hawaiisenate #LesIhara

WHO: Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, and House Committee on Health and Human Services WHAT: Informational Briefing WHERE: Conference Room 329 State Capitol WHEN: Friday, December 1, 2017 1:00 p.m. Senator Rosalyn Baker (Dist. 6 – South and West Maui), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, along with members of the House Committee on Health and Human Services, are holding an informational briefing on Fri., December 1, 2017 in Conference Room 329 at 1:00 p.m. to appraise lawmakers of the status on opioid use across the state and how the state is addressing the growing epidemic of opioid abuse. Dr. Virginia Pressler, Director of the State Department of Health and the state health department’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division Chief, Edward Mersereau, will provide an overview of the Opioid Initiative Plan with a focus on treatment access, prescriber education and pain management practices, data-informed decision making, prevention and public education, pharmacy-based interventions, and law enforcement and first-responder support. To view the informational briefing notice: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2017/hearingnotices/HEARING_CPH-HHS_12-01-17_INFO_.HTM For further information or if you require auxiliary aids or services to participate in the informational briefing (i.e. ASL or foreign language interpreter, or wheelchair accessibility), please contact the Office of Sen. Baker at 586-6070 so that arrangements can be made. # # # #rozbaker #hawaiisenate #senatecommittee #commerce #consumerprotection #health #virginiapressler #edwardmersereau