Hawaii made history today with the final passage of legislation that would prohibit the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. The bill now goes to Governor David Ige, whose signature would make Hawaii the first state in the nation to raise the tobacco sale age to 21.

This bold step will reduce smoking among young people, save lives and help make the next generation tobacco-free, according to Matthew Myers, president for Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Hawaii would join at least 64 cities and counties in seven states that have raised the tobacco age of sale to 21, but would be the first state to raise the sale age across the board. There has been growing momentum across the nation in support of such action, with statewide bills under consideration in California, Washington, New Jersey and elsewhere. By passing this bill, Hawaii is leading the way for these efforts.

Today’s action follows a March report by the Institute of Medicine, which concluded that increasing the tobacco sale age would yield substantial benefits to public health. The report found that increasing the sale age to 21 would significantly reduce the number of adolescents and young adults who start smoking; reduce smoking-caused deaths; and immediately improve the health of adolescents, young adults and young mothers who would be deterred from smoking, as well as their children.

“Increasing the sale age to 21 will reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults, age groups when nearly all smoking begins and that are heavily targeted by the tobacco industry,” said Myers. “We know that 95 percent of adult smokers began smoking before they turned 21, and tobacco companies spend $27.4 million annually in Hawaii to market their deadly and addictive products. Raising the tobacco sale age to 21 will help counter the industry’s efforts to target young people at a critical time when many move from experimenting with tobacco to regular smoking. It will also help keep tobacco out of high schools, where younger teens often obtain tobacco products from older students.”

In Hawaii, tobacco use claims 1,400 lives and costs $526 million in health care bills each year. Currently, 10.4 percent of Hawaii’s high school students smoke. Today’s action will help to reduce tobacco’s toll on these vulnerable segments of the population.

A survey released last month showed that more than seven out of every 10 Hawaii voters favor this legislation. The proposal garnered support from a broad-based coalition of voters throughout the state, including large majorities of voters across key demographic groups—men and women, Republicans and Democrats alike. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that some regular smokers also support this legislation.

MANA, Movement for Aloha No ka ʻᾹina, is calling upon the lahui kanaka (Hawaiian community) and supporters to join us in occupying the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for an extended vigil from Wednesday April 22, 3 p.m. until positive results for the protection of Mauna Kea are achieved. Concerned community members are being asked to bring their sleeping bags, toothbrushes, flags and banners and occupy the office until the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.

Two primary demands will be made of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs:

That OHA Board of Trustees must agendize the Mauna Kea TMT issue

That OHA must join the lahui kanaka and utilize its vast resources and position to protect Mauna Kea and support the efforts of beneficiaries who are occupying the mountain

“OHA’s own strategic plan provides every reason and justification that they need to support and stand in solidarity with their beneficiaries to oppose the building of the TMT and to do their part to bring an end to any further desecration of the most sacred place in all of Hawaiʻi,” said MANA spokesperson Andre Perez. “Despite weeks of testimony and calls to the board over Mauna Kea, it’s entirely absent from this week’s agenda. OHA cannot continue to sit and ignore the most important and volatile Hawaiian issue of the decade. It is their responsibility to support their beneficiaries.”

Ku Kiaʻi Mauna organizers Lanakila Manguail and Kahoʻokahi Kanuha will be present at the occupation and will provide an update on the situation on the mountain. Other activities will include workshops, mele lahui (national songs) by Palani Vaughn and Jon Osorio, and Aloha ʻᾹina speeches by Kaleikoa Kaʻeo and others.

Hawaii hospitality and healthcare union Local 5 has filed eight unfair labor practice charges against Aston Waikiki Beach and Hotel Renew, alleging violations of federal labor law against non-union workers at the two hotels.

The charges allege that the two hotels, both managed by Aston Hotels & Resorts, violated federal law through the unlawful organization of an aggressive anti-union campaign that included threats, interrogation and surveillance.

In February, workers began organizing for a fair process for union representation. The Aston Waikiki Beach and Hotel Renew employ 160 and 25 workers, respectively. Workers from various departments have voiced concerns about the lack of respect from management.

“One of my supervisors told me, ‘You’re already old and supposed to retire. Don’t sign [in support of a fair process].’ And after I joined a rally in support of the union, another supervisor told me she could write me up for going,” says Elpidio Sera, an employee in the housekeeping department at Aston Waikiki Beach, “This makes me not want to come into work because they’re bullying and intimidating me.”

“After an unfair labor practice charge was filed against our housekeeping supervisor, she said to us during one of our morning briefings, ‘You guys wrote me up. Now I’m going to write you guys up.’ Then she specifically called out two coworkers and me. She was speaking much louder than usual. I felt threatened, but I stood my ground,” says Tino Fabro, who also works in the Aston Waikiki Beach housekeeping department.

Miami-based Interval Leisure Group, which owns Aston Hotel & Resorts, reported that Aston’s Hawaii resorts have increased their revenue per available room, or RevPAR, by 4.2% year over year.

The Mauna Kea Hui responded to Governor Ige’s April 17 announcement at a press conference on Oahu, today, April 20, 2015, at 11:00 am:

Aloha. Mahalo for coming to this press conference and for all your diligence and hard work in reporting this evolving and momentous story now unfolding in Hawaiʻi.

First, let me say that we are deeply moved and gratified by the overwhelming public support we’ve received from throughout the archipelago and across the globe—from people of all ethnicity in Hawaiʻi and people from many countries and cultures around the world. Aloha Nui…Aloha Nui!

In regard to Governor David Ige’s April 17 statement on the TMT controversy, we want to thank the Governor and his staff for acknowledging—and respecting—the Mauna Kea Hui’s right to appeal through our court system wrongful decisions made by the State, and in so doing seeking justice.

We also appreciate the Governor’s recognition of two important tasks ahead: the decommissioning and removal of older telescopes “to restore the summit” of our sacred mountain—something we’ve long called for—and “reducing the level of activity on the summit,” which now bustles with intrusive observatory traffic and and cultures around the world. Aloha Nui…Aloha Nui!

We also appreciate the Governor’s recognition of two important tasks ahead: the decommissioning and removal of older telescopes “to restore the summit” of our sacred mountain—something we’ve long called for—and “reducing the level of activity on the summit,” which now bustles with intrusive observatory traffic and commercial tour operators.

We called this Press Conference, however, to address some of our continued concerns:

To deliver our Protect Mauna Kea petition now with over 53,000 thousand signatures signed by Mauna Kea Supporters from Hawai`i and beyond…

First, we flew from Hawai`i Island to deliver to Governor Ige our Protect Mauna Kea Petition that has over 53,000 signatures of Mauna Kea supporters from Hawai`i and beyond. The Petition count is still rolling and will continue to roll. What these signatures show is that there is an awakening …awakening of Aloha and it is far reaching. The awakening not just a Hawaiian issue or a local issue it is a global issues—and it is not about us versus them—or even about winning or losing. It is about re-visioning how we want to live in the world—we are the children of Papahānaumoku (Earth Mother) and Wakea (Sky Father) and we want to live in harmony within our world and to do this we must change the way we live for our children and our children’s children so they will have a place on Earth and a future.  This is Aloha `Aina! 

We’re asking Governor Ige to intervene on behalf of the Mauna Kea 31

Second, we are distressed that the Governor in his April 17 message said nothing about our brothers and sisters—the Mauna Kea 31—who were arrested on April 2 trying to protect their mountain from further desecration. These people are scheduled to be arraigned on various charges on April 28 and May 7. We call on the Governor to intervene on behalf of the protectors by insisting that enforcement officials of his own Department of Land and Natural Resources drop the charges, and by asking the Hawaiʻi County Prosecutor to do the same.

Labeling as criminal those peaceful acts of civil assistance (not disobedience, in that we were preventing the TMT construction workers from committing the crime of desecration under HRS 711-1107), and acts done out of love to protect the mountain, insults Hawaiʻi’s long traditions of aloha, compassion, and respect. What is perhaps most egregious is that these acts of protection are being so labelled in order to protect a special interest corporation from California and abroad.

Governor Ige’s Attorney General appointment has a Mauna Kea conflict of interest

We called this press conference to ask the Governor to withdraw his nomination of Mr. Doug Chin for State Attorney General because of his deeply troubling conflict of interest in the adjudication of our Mauna Kea appeals. He was the managing partner of the law firm Carlesmith Ball LLP,  the very law firm that is representing the University of Hawai’i and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT Project) in our current lawsuits. This is completely unreasonable and sends a message that nothing has changed and it is business as usual—a position you have tried to change. Now is that time for that change Mr. Ige. We call on you to withdraw Doug Chin’s appointment or to appoint a special Deputy AG who does not have such a conflict to review the Mauna Kea situation. Because Mr. Ige, this simply will not work.

Aloha and Mahalo, Ms. Kealoha Pisciotta, primary spokesperson for the Mauna Kea Hui and Mauna Kea ‘Ohana