Hawaii Calling -- Is There Something Better Than a Coconut Wireless?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Hawaii Calling -- Is There Something Better Than A Coconut Wireless? CHARLOTTE A. CARTER-YAMAUCHI Researcher Report No. 2, 1995 Legislative Reference Bureau State Capitol Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 FOREWORD We extend our sincere appreciation to all who contributed and without whose cooperation this study would not have been possible. In particular, the Bureau would like to thank the individuals interviewed for their input and insights. Wendell K. Kimura Acting Director January 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD ............................ .... ................................................................... II ... TABLE OF CONTENTS ............... .. .................................................................. Ill 1 . INTRODtrCTiON ....................... ..... ................................................................ ? Objective of the Study ......................... .. ................................................. 1 Organization of the Report ........................................................................ 2 Endnotes ................................................................................................. 2 2 . STATE WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICES ............................................................... 4 ueneral/, Background ............ .. ................................................................. 4 Office Budgets ......................................................................................... 6 Staffing ........... .. ............ .. ...................................................................... 7 Duties and Responsibiiities ............ 3 Clients ................................ .. ......................................................... 3 Tasks Performed ............................................................................ 10 Sources of Help Used ...................................................................... 12 Greatest Contributions of State Washington D.C. Offices ........................... 73 Survey Responses on Pros and Cons of Establishing a State Washington Office.................................................................................... 13 Greatest Barriers to State Washington Offices ........................... .. ......... 18 Endnotes ................................................................................................. 19 3 . STATE OF HAWAII. WASHINGTON. D.C. OFFICE ................ ~ ............................ 24 Organizational Structure 24 Staffin 25 Duties ......................... ..... ............................................ 26 Budget .................... .. ...................................................................... 31 Other Comment 31 Endnotes 35 4 . LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO WASHINGTOP4 ................ 37 General Approaches Taken ....................................................................... 37 WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBW ............. 40 Budget ............................................................................................ 44 Other Comments 44 NEW YORK LEGISLATIVE OFFICE IN WASHINGTON ... Organizational Structure Staffing ......................................................................................... ,. Duties .... ... .. .. .. .. .. , .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. Budget Other Comment TEXAS OFFICE OF STATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS ...................... .. ........ Organizationai Structure Staffing ..................................................................... ,,................ .... Duties .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... Budge Other Endnotes .... .. .. .. .. ... , . .. .. .. .. ..,.. , , .. ., , . .. .. .. .. .... Alternative Approaches ........... APPENDICES House Concurrent Resolution No. 215? The House of Representatives, Seventeenth Legislature, !994 Regular Sessicn, Sla?eof Hawaii ......... House Resolution No. 204, The House of Representatives, Seventeenth Legislature, 1934 Regular Session, State of Hawaii ............................................ Table 1: Background Data on State Washcngton Offices ............... ................... Federai Report .... ... Hail of tP,e States Teiephone Diiectcry, June ?394 ... Table 2: State Waskinston Offices' Ciients: Disiribuiion of Professionai Staff Tme Some of Requests for information 3i Other Assrs:ance ........ Table 3: State Washington Offices' Services: Percentage of Professional Staff Time by Task Performed ... ................................ Table 4: State Washington Offices' Sources: Percentage of Professional Staff Time Spent With Various Groups in Order to Fulfill Client Requests for Services ..... ... ... .... ................. .............. ... .............. .... .... ... ..........., . Letter with Questionnaire to Mr. Philip R. Shimer, Hawaii State Office ................. Response from Philip R. Shimer, Director of Washington, D.C. Office 95 Out-Of-State Administrator, Washington, D.C Assistant Out-Of-State Administrator, Washington, D.C ..................... Administrative Assistant, Out-Of-State Office ...................................................... Actual Expenditures, FY 1994, Washington, D.C. Office ..................................... Letter to Ms. Debby Kilmer, Florida State Office An Organizational Flow Chart and Act Establishing the lllinois Commission on intergovernmental Cooperation ........................................................... Washington Office of the Illinois General Assembly, Pamphlet Grant Alerts, Vol. 2, No. 1, January 1994 ........................................................... Budget Summary of Washington Office's Fiscal Operations Month's Breakdown of State Services Organization State Services Organization, Revised Rent Invoice Tex. Government Code Ann. Chapter 751 ............................ ............ .................. Texas Office of State-Federal Relations Organization Chart, With Number of Personnel ................................................................................ Table 1: Agency Summary by Bill Pattern and Table 3: 1994 Operating Budget Strategy Level Detail .. ..................................... Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION It has been posited that, because of Hawaii's unique geographic location, its cultural and political history, and its proximity to Asia and the South Pacific, its needs as a State are unique and require special attention.' This proposition has served as a primary rationale for the establishment of the Hawaii State Office in Washington, D.C. This office reportedly does an excellent job of reporting back the latest events, digesting the latest issues and trends, and recommending action the Governor can take.' Nevertheless, concern has been expressed that this Office serves primarily as the "eyes and ears" for the executive branch and that there have been times, and yet may be times, "when legislative and administrative priorities may differ."3 The Legislature has recognized that, increasingly, it must make informed and responsible decisions over a number of issues in Hawaii that inevitably are affected by federal policy makers and C~ngress.~Moreover, as the struggle to reduce the federal deficit continues, "an increasing number of functions that were once the responsibility of the federal government are being entrusted to the state legislatures to be dealt with on a local level ...."s For these reasons, and to ensure that the Legislature remains an independent arm of state government, the Legislature has determined that it needs to explore establishing its own communication and information network within the Washington, D.C., beltway.6 Objective of the Study Resolutions expressing the foregoing sentiments were adopted during the Regular Session of 1994. House Concurrent Resolution No. 215 (hereafter H.C.R. No. 215) and House Resolution No. 204 (hereafter H.R. No. 204) are substantially identicaL7 The text of these Resolutions appear as Appendices A and B; respectively. These Resolutions direct the Legislative Reference Bureau (hereafter the Bureauj to "undertake a study to determine the most cost effective options the Legislature may use to develop a communication and information system which meets its needs as an independent arm of State government." The Resolutions also specifically request that the study include an examination of: HAWAII CALLING -- IS THERE SOMETHING BETTER THAN A COCONUT WIRELESS? (1) All options, including those taken or being taken by other state legislatures to enhance their abilities to communicate with and obtain current information from the federal government; and (2) The feasibility of the Legislature establishing some presence in Washington D.C.,similar to the Governor's state Washington office. Organization of the Report The Hawaii House of Representatives' Committee on Intergovernmental Relations and International Affairs, to which both Resolutions were referred, estimated, in its committee reports, that approximately forty states and territories, including Hawaii, have established some type of direct representation in the nation's capital.* For thirty-some states, this representation takes the form of a Washington office with full-time staff. In addition, the Committee asserted that a few state legislatures also have moved to establish their own separate offices in Washington D.C.9 Because the Resolutions specifically request an examination of the feasibility of the Clawaii Legislature opening its own office, the existing state Washington D.C. offices may well serve as models. Accordingly,