Monthly Archives: May 2006

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
House Bill 3115, H.D. 2, S.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 4, 2006

I rise in support.

The “gas cap” law was created right before I was elected into the Hawaii State House of Representatives in the Fall of 2002. I believe the state government had good intent in creating the law to help the people of Hawaii get fair gas prices, but it did not work. The “cap” on the free market caused unusual behaviors in the petroleum industry such as pricing gas at the ceiling of the “cap” to maximize profits and prepare for bad economic times where they are restricted by the “cap” to recuperate.

Therefore, I support this bill's indefinite suspension of the “gas cap” law. Instead, I believe this measure is heading in the right direction by requiring additional and more pertinent information to be provided by the petroleum industry, thereby providing more transparency in the industry. Transparency will protect the people of Hawaii from unfair gas prices and allow a reasonable profit margin for the industry.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
House Bill 3060, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 4, 2006

I rise in support.

The purpose of this bill is to encourage small companies and researchers at nonprofit research institutes to work together in moving laboratory-developed technologies to the marketplace and to foster technology-based economic development.

This measure authorizes the High Technology Development Corporation (HTDC) to provide grants to local businesses that receive a federal Small Business Technology Transfer Program award or grant or apply for a Small Business Innovation Research federal grant or Small Business Technology Transfer Program federal grant. It also appropriates funds to HTDC to increase the funding levels necessary to meet the current needs of the Hawaii Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Program and Phase 0 Competition Assistance Program.

Further, the High Technology Innovation Corporation (HTIC) will be allowed to establish operational bank accounts in out-of-state locations, including foreign denomination accounts, until June 30, 2011. Moreover, HTIC will be exempted from Chapter 36, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), relating to the management of state funds, and Chapter 38, HRS, relating to deposits of public funds.

HTDC and HTIC have played a big role in developing Hawaii's technology and science industries. This bill will help these agencies expand their influential role.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
House Bill 3036, H.D. 1, S.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 4, 2006

I rise in support.

This bill is a result of the hard work and compromise between the contractors and subcontractors to better the process in payment to a subcontractor or materialman once they complete their work under a contract for government projects.

The measure requires the Procurement Officer, within 30 days, to pay the contractor all sums retained or withheld from the subcontractor and otherwise due to the subcontractor for satisfactory performance under the subcontract. It also requires the contractor to pay the subcontractor within ten days of receipt of payment by the Procurement Officer, provided that the subcontractor provides evidence of completion in the form of a “properly documented payment request” and an acceptable performance and payment bond; a period of 90 days after the day on which the last of the labor was completed has elapsed without written notice of a claim; and the subcontractor has provided to the contractor an acceptable release of retainage bond, executed by a surety company in an amount not more than two times the amount being retained or withheld by the contractor.

The bill allows the contractor or subcontractor to retain a percentage of not more than ten percent of each progress payment without incurring late payment interest penalties.

This is a huge change in the way subcontractors and materialmen will be paid upon completion of their work in government projects.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
Senate Bill 2546, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 4, 2006

I rise in support.

The purpose of this bill is to establish the Innovation Special Fund, which will receive the sum of all general fund revenues realized by the State that equals one half of one percent of general fund revenues for each fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, and ending on June 30, 2010. This fund will be used to support the advanced technology, renewable energy, and life sciences industries in the state.

In the future, the legislature will decide on what government agency will be in charge of the fund and how the fund will be invested in the advanced technology, renewable energy, and life sciences industries in the state such as research and development grants and capital investment. This measure shows the state's commitment to diversify Hawaii's economy by promoting the knowledge-based industries.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
House Bill 1889, H.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 2, 2006

I rise in support.

This bill establishes within the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, an Office of International Affairs. The Office of International Affairs will promote economic, social, cultural, and scientific relations with other countries. Further, the office will reinforce Hawaii's strong international relations with many countries.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
Senate Bill 2036, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1
May 2, 2006

I rise in support.

The purpose of this measure is to extend business and technology-based incubation services to foreign technology companies seeking to business in the State by making an appropriation for the High Technology Development Corporation to establish an international business and technology incubator program in Hawaii.

Hawaii is an attractive alternative to other technology incubator programs on the mainland United States due to its closer proximity to Asia and the State's culturally diverse population. An international expansion of the incubator program is expected to create more business and technology-based jobs, economic diversity, and a new external source of tax revenue for the State.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
Senate Bill 2570, S.D. 2, H.D. 2, C.D. 1
May 2, 2006

I rise in support.

It is a goal of mine to see Hawaii's film industry grow more prosperous. There has been a lot of competition from other states and countries offering more favorable tax incentives that have taken film productions away from Hawaii.

This bill will make Hawaii more attractive for film production by increasing the tax credit from four percent to fifteen percent for qualified production costs incurred in a county with a population over seven hundred thousand and twenty percent for qualified production costs incurred in a county with a population of seven hundred thousand or less. The measure provides a maximum amount of $8,000,000 per qualified productions for the tax credit.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
Senate Bill 2774, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1
May 2, 2006

I rise in support.

The purpose of this measure is to assist families who may lose their homes due to the closure of plantations such as Del Monte Fresh Produce by making plantation community subdivisions a permitted use in the state agricultural land use district.

This measure will help many workers adjust from the loss of their livelihood on plantations that closed production.

Thank you.

Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
Floor Remarks
House Bill 1968, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, C.D. 1
May 2, 2006

I rise in support.

The purpose of this bill is to establish a permit system for direct shipment of wine to Hawaii's residents.

I would like to clarify the following language found in the conference committee report number 89-06: “As such, your Committee on Conference would like to emphasize that this bill specifically provides that households can receive no more than six nine-liter cases of wine annually.”

This statement is broader than the language of our intent stated in the bill found on page 1, section 1, line 17 through page 2, section 1, line 3: “(b) The holder of a direct wine shipper permit may sell and annually ship to any person twenty-one years of age or older in the country that issued the permit, no more than six nine-liter cases of wine per household for personal use only and not for resale, and shall:”

Thank you.