Newswatch
Drugged-out drivers will soon be compelled to submit to testing under the terms of a bill that's poised for passage in the House and Senate. Drugged-out drivers face
police test or license lossAfter a bit of last-minute fine-tuning Friday, conferees from both chambers agreed to details of the measure, which establishes implied-consent provisions for motorists suspected of driving under the influence of drugs.
"It's about time," said Lt. Charles Hirata of the Maui County Police Department's traffic section. "It's coming at a critical time now that we're going to be training more officers (in drug detection). It's a necessary tool. Up to this time all of our testees have been voluntary. If they refused, there were no ramifications."
The bill calls for a one-year license suspension for refusing to submit to a drug test. Under current law, motorists suspected of drunken driving face license suspension if they refuse to take a blood alcohol test.
The bill also authorizes roadblocks to nab motorists driving under the influence of drugs. If it garners final approval and is signed by the governor, the law will take effect Jan. 1.
Federal officials have declared another success as they try to stem the flow of prostitutes to Waikiki through the "northwest passage." Two brothers face charges
of importing prostitutes to islesU.S. Attorney Stephen Alm Friday announced the arrest of two men in Washington state who will be prosecuted in Hawaii for conspiring to transport people for the purpose of prostitution. That marks the third indictment since 1995 against pimps bringing women from the northwest to Waikiki.
Andre Louis Young, 30, and his 32-year-old brother, Frederick Jerome Young, were indicted last month for transporting three Canadian women and a 16-year-old girl from Washington to Hawaii between February and July of 1992 to work as prostitutes.
Police Capt. Forrest Broome of the Waikiki District estimates that there are currently 120 women prostitutes and 20 pimps in Waikiki. He also said there is a "turf and power struggle" going on among the pimps.
David Dodge, president of the Waikiki Improvement Association, applauded the latest law-enforcement effort against prostitution in Waikiki.
"We have to stop making prostitution profitable," he said.
The Young brothers are expected to be brought to Hawaii from Seattle next week, Alm said.
Andre Young is charged with five counts of transporting women, three counts of importing aliens and three counts of harboring illegal aliens. He faces up to 80 years of imprisonment and $3 million in fines.
Frederick Young is charged with transportation counts and three harboring counts. He faces up to 25 years of imprisonment and $1.25 million in fines.
A city councilman says Hawaiian Electric Co. should be forced to use excess profits to put its power lines underground. HECO urged to put
lines undergroundBut a HECO spokesman said the utility has not been receiving an unreasonable amount of return and is due a profit.
Councilman Andy Mirikitani Friday introduced a resolution to have the state Legislature require the Public Utilities Commission to order HECO to place future power lines underground whenever they earn profits in excess of the fair and reasonable rate of return.
The reasonable rate, set by the PUC, is 9.16 percent.
HECO profits exceeded the reasonable rate by $5 million in 1996 and an estimated $2 million in 1997.
HECO spokesman Chuck Freedman said Mirikitani's numbers are misleading. From 1992 to 1994, he said, HECO earned below the fair and resonable rate of return, he said.
"And over the last five years, HECO on the average has earned significantly below what the PUC determined to be fair and reasonable," Freedman said.
HECO is in the process of planning the alignment of 138-kilovolt power lines.
Community concern has been widespread. Critics say whatever plan HECO chooses will destroy Honolulu's view planes.
Freedman said HECO won't decide where the lines will go - and how much will go underground - until a draft environmental impact statement is completed and the public is given a chance to comment.
See expanded coverage in Saturday's Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
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