Bill to fly homeless back to mainland killed by legislators ADVERTISING Bill to fly homeless back to mainland killed by legislators HONOLULU (AP) — State lawmakers killed a bill Tuesday that would have funded a program to fly homeless people
Bill to fly homeless back to mainland killed by legislators
HONOLULU (AP) — State lawmakers killed a bill Tuesday that would have funded a program to fly homeless people back to the mainland, saying some people might view it as an opportunity for a tropical vacation.
The program, which currently isn’t funded, aimed to send homeless people who aren’t from Hawaii back to the states where they have support systems, and was supported by the state’s largest provider of homeless shelter services.
But Rep. Dee Morikawa, Chairwoman of the House Human Services Committee, stopped the bill from advancing, saying she wants to be very careful about how the state spends its limited money.
“It’s like a vacation maybe for some people to come here and know that they can fly home because Hawaii will pay for it, and I’m worried about that,” Morikawa said.
Lawmakers eye making urn theft a felony crime
HONOLULU (AP) — State lawmakers are looking to protect families mourning the loss of a loved one by cracking down on urn thefts.
A bill being introduced in the state Legislature would make stealing an urn a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
There currently is no statute that applies specifically to the theft of an urn. The degree of theft is instead determined by value, with first-degree theft exceeding $20,000 and fourth-degree theft less than $100.
Democratic Rep. Ryan Yamane of Waikele and Mililani said the bill will help ensure a person’s remains are safely kept.
“I think this has been an ongoing problem, but now the public is demanding a solution,” Yamane said.
