HONOLULU, Hawaii – Yesterday we had an extensive report on the full day of voting at the Hawaii House of Representatives, which passed over 150 bills on second crossover.

Today, we have an interesting bit from the same day of voting in the State Senate. Republican Senator Sam Slom, who rises to voice his minority opinion more than any other lawmaker, had a warning about one bill that he says goes too far.

House Bill 849 HD2 SD2 updates Hawaii’s emergency management statutes, clarifies the relationship between the state and county emergency management agencies, and delineates the emergency management functions and powers of the Governor and mayors.

Slom points to the section on “Additional powers in an emergency period” granted to the governor or the mayor:

(7) Exercise additional emergency functions to the extent necessary to prevent hoarding, waste, or destruction of materials, supplies, commodities, accommodations, facilities, and services, to effectuate equitable distribution thereof, or to establish priorities therein as the public welfare may require; to investigate; and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, to regulate or prohibit, by means of licensing, rationing, or otherwise, the storage, transportation, use, possession, maintenance, furnishing, sale, or distribution thereof, and any business or any transaction related thereto;from House Bill 849 HD2 SD2

The bill passed third reading in the Senate, and on Thursday the House disagreed with the Senate’s amendment. It will now head to conference committee.