Friday, January 29, 2010
Twitter with Mike
I just found Senator Mike Gabbard on Twitter. For updates on what is happening at the Capitol or what Mike is up to, check him out at http://twitter.com/SENMIKEGABBARD. (@senmikegabbard).
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
For A Legislator That Really Listens, Try Senator Gabbard
Senator Mike Gabbard hosts informal meetings in different parts of his district every month. If you have never been to one of these meetings, I highly recommend it. You can sit down with your morning coffee and talk to Senator Gabbard in a truly relaxed way. The people that attend the meetings have the opportunity to talk story about any and all of their concerns and if Mike can't answer their questions at the meeting, he or a member of his staff will be sure to get back to you with an answer quickly.
Although there is certainly a lot of "talk story" going on at these meetings, Senator Gabbard decided to call them "Listen Story" meetings to make it clear that the constituents that attend are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have and Mike will be listening much more than talking. Check out his website for the next meeting date and place- www.mikegabbard.com
Another indication that Mike is not only listening to residents but also acting on their ideas and suggestions, is that he introduces legislation based purely on constituents' ideas. He says he "gets ideas from residents at his listen story meetings, when he runs into someone at a store, or at church" and he's "always happy to get input on how we can make our home a better place to live."
A lot of people probably think of great ideas on how their lives and others around them could be made better if there was only a bill for this or that. But, they may not ever share that idea with anyone because they think that their lawmaker wouldn't be interested. Let me assure you that Senator Mike Gabbard, whether or not you are in his district, will certainly listen!
Although there is certainly a lot of "talk story" going on at these meetings, Senator Gabbard decided to call them "Listen Story" meetings to make it clear that the constituents that attend are encouraged to discuss any concerns they have and Mike will be listening much more than talking. Check out his website for the next meeting date and place- www.mikegabbard.com
Another indication that Mike is not only listening to residents but also acting on their ideas and suggestions, is that he introduces legislation based purely on constituents' ideas. He says he "gets ideas from residents at his listen story meetings, when he runs into someone at a store, or at church" and he's "always happy to get input on how we can make our home a better place to live."
A lot of people probably think of great ideas on how their lives and others around them could be made better if there was only a bill for this or that. But, they may not ever share that idea with anyone because they think that their lawmaker wouldn't be interested. Let me assure you that Senator Mike Gabbard, whether or not you are in his district, will certainly listen!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Senator Mike Gabbard Takes a Strong Stand to Oppose HB444, the Civil Unions Bill
Today at the Hawaii State Capitol there was a big vote on a controversial issue. HB444, the bill that would allow for civil unions for homosexuals, has drawn tens of thousands of opponents from every religion, every ethnicity, and every walk of life to the State Capitol to rally in large numbers.
Mostly these rallies have been peaceful and held with the intention of showing lawmakers that a majority of residents, and voters, still oppose civil unions and same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, Senator Gabbard was physically and verbally attacked by a HB444 supporter at the rally last week.
Mike has forever been tied to this movement in Hawaii for his brave and determined efforts to lead the fight to protect traditional marriage beginning in the early 90s. Thanks in large part to his efforts and to voters who made their wishes clearly known, we passed a constitutional amendment with a 70% majority to protect marriage.
Mahalo Senator Gabbard for continuing to take a strong stance to protect the foundation of our society!
Mostly these rallies have been peaceful and held with the intention of showing lawmakers that a majority of residents, and voters, still oppose civil unions and same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, Senator Gabbard was physically and verbally attacked by a HB444 supporter at the rally last week.
Mike has forever been tied to this movement in Hawaii for his brave and determined efforts to lead the fight to protect traditional marriage beginning in the early 90s. Thanks in large part to his efforts and to voters who made their wishes clearly known, we passed a constitutional amendment with a 70% majority to protect marriage.
Mahalo Senator Gabbard for continuing to take a strong stance to protect the foundation of our society!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Senator Gabbard to Speak at Energy Policy Event
An important event titled “Energy Fuels our Hawai‘i Economy,” organized by the Energy Policy Forum, is happening January 8th, 10am to 12pm at the Hawai'i State Capitol Auditorium. The speakers will focus on key industry needs for the 2010 session. The closing remarks will be presented by Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee.
The presenters at the briefing will discuss everything from exciting energy efficiency projects to initiatives recommended for the upcoming legislative session. Available for questions after the presentations will be experts in every kind of clean energy imaginable.
Join Sen. Gabbard at this event and learn how we can all support a cleaner powered Hawai'i.
The presenters at the briefing will discuss everything from exciting energy efficiency projects to initiatives recommended for the upcoming legislative session. Available for questions after the presentations will be experts in every kind of clean energy imaginable.
Join Sen. Gabbard at this event and learn how we can all support a cleaner powered Hawai'i.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Tapped the Movie Makes a Big Splash with Senator Gabbard
Tapped the Movie was recently screened at the University of Hawai'i Law School. Senator Mike Gabbard was invited to be a panelist along with the Sierra Club's Executive Director Robert Harris, Marvin Heskett of the Surfrider Foundation, Carol Feinga of Kokua Foundation Hawai’i, and Tamara Armstrong of the KYA Sustainability Studio after the film to discuss their thoughts on the documentary.
Tapped is a powerful movie that clearly shows the negative health and environmental impacts created by the bottled water industry. Last year, Hawai’i residents went through 895 million glass bottles, cans, and plastic bottles. Of the 895 million, there were 186 million plastic bottles. We had a 79% redemption rate and 147 million plastic bottles were recycled. However, 39 million bottles ended up in the landfill or became litter.
Senator Gabbard feels strongly that it is important for the government to lead by example, so he will be introducing a bill for the upcoming legislative session to prohibit state agencies from using public money to purchase single-serving bottled water. Other cities like San Francisco and Seattle have been successful with similar laws.
If you haven't checked out the film or the trailer, go to www.tappedthemovie.com and get ready to support Senator Gabbard's bottled water bill by submitting testimony or testifying in person.
Tapped is a powerful movie that clearly shows the negative health and environmental impacts created by the bottled water industry. Last year, Hawai’i residents went through 895 million glass bottles, cans, and plastic bottles. Of the 895 million, there were 186 million plastic bottles. We had a 79% redemption rate and 147 million plastic bottles were recycled. However, 39 million bottles ended up in the landfill or became litter.
Senator Gabbard feels strongly that it is important for the government to lead by example, so he will be introducing a bill for the upcoming legislative session to prohibit state agencies from using public money to purchase single-serving bottled water. Other cities like San Francisco and Seattle have been successful with similar laws.
If you haven't checked out the film or the trailer, go to www.tappedthemovie.com and get ready to support Senator Gabbard's bottled water bill by submitting testimony or testifying in person.
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