Aloha Members,

It's been approximately 2 years since we last updated this website. Despite this, ASRT continues to lobby Congress to pass the CARE Bill and maintains sanctions imposed on HSRT from August 21, 2006. Below is an article that appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser on July 1, 2009, page A11:

WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a major step toward tougher reductions of greenhouse emissions from cars and trucks. The EPA granted California's long-standing request for a waiver for more stringent air pollution rules than required by the federal government. California State Laws have been in place but unenforceable due to federal controls in place for at least 5 years. The federal government had blocked the State of California and other states by refusing to provide a required waiver to allow stricter air pollution rules.

This is but one clear-cut example of federal laws over riding state laws. Dilution of a federal law can cause state standards to change over an extended period of time. Thus resulting in the intent of a state law to change.

Upon legal advice and careful consideration by its membership, the HSRT Board of Directors understood the complex problems inherent in the CARE Bill, its local political ramification, and the relationship of Hawaii Laws to federal laws.

The HSRT membership voted not to support the CARE Bill for these reasons.

Mahalo,
HSRT Board of Directors