Gov. may veto 2 important bills - Please kōkua

Dear Colleagues:

The Governor intends to veto 2 measures of great importance for our beneficiaries and we respectfully ask your help to change her mind.
 
HB1552 CD1 RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS - Authorizes DLNR to issue long-term residential leases to qualified persons in state living parks. Establishes living park planning councils to develop state living park master plans to ensure the living park achieves its purpose and goals; establishes 2-year moratorium on evictions of residents of Kahana valley state park.
 
According to the Governor, HB 1552  is special interest legislation that establishes a moratorium against the eviction of Kahana Valley residents, even when there are illegal activities occurring on the premises or these tenants fail to pay their rents and fulfill certain legal obligations to live in the valley.
 
OHA finds that living parks within state parks allow individuals to reside within the state park as an essential part of the purpose of the living park, to nurture and foster native Hawaiian culture and spread knowledge of its values and ways. It provides 'ohana that have appropriate connections and kuleana to these special lands with the opportunity to obtain long-term residential leases so that they can continue to contribute to the larger effort of protecting the resources and perpetuating the traditions of Kahana Valley for generations to come.  OHA supports the residents who have faithfully and respectfully worked to share Kahana Valley with the larger community whereby the resources within this ahupua`a can be comprehensively managed from the mountains to the sea, ensuring a healthy, thriving natural and cultural environment.
 
SB1005 CD1 RELATING TO PUBLICITY RIGHTS - Establishes property rights in the commercial use of a person's name, voice, signature, or likeness.
 
According to the Governor, SB1005 inappropriately attempts to establish a "publicity right" and to allow that right to be registered as a trade name when, in fact and in law, trade names and publicity rights are not related. Publicity rights are covered as intervivos and estate transfers and are not connected to the uses and conveyances of business trade names.
 
OHA finds that protecting an individual or personality's publicity rights will be invaluable to writers, composers, and recording artists in Hawaii.  These individuals deserve to have confidence that the laws of Hawaii protect the commercial value of their name, voice, signature, photograph, or likeness.  Also this measure tempers the exploitation of the names, voices, signatures, photographs, and likenesses of a deceased individual or personality with compensation to their heirs.
SB1005 is based upon a law in the State of Washington that has sustained minimal challenges in its enforcement over the past decade.
 
Public comments on the 65 bills being considered for vetoes on July 15 may be sent to the Governor's office as follows:

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Fax: (808) 586-0006

Mail:
Office of the Governor
Hawai'i State Capitol, Executive Chambers
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96813

For a complete listing of her intent to veto CLICK ON> 65 Bills with an Intent to Veto .