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”Giving More Driver Mandates the Gas”
If the majority of Democrat Senate lawmakers have their way, by 2012 Hawaii drivers will have to pay between $500 and $700 to alter their automobiles to accommodate Ethanol in their fuel.
Sens. Kalani English, Suzanne Chun Oakland, Roz Baker, Willie Espero, Colleen Hanabusa, Clarence Nishihara, Lorraine Inouye, Les Ihara, Ronnie Menor, Clayton Hee, Brian Kanno and Russell Kokubun, signed onto a bill, which passed third reading on Feb. 21, 2006. All of the Senate Democrats voted for the bill, with two of five Republicans also voting for the measure including Sens. Fred Hemmings and Bob Hogue. Just three Republicans opposed the bill: Sens. Gordon Trimble, Sam Slom and Paul Whalen.
The bill, which “directs the Department of Health to develop greenhouse gas emission standards and adopt rules that achieve the maximum feasible reduction of greenhouse gases emitted by passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks,” is one of the first to pass the Senate this session and cross over to the House.
The measure is heavily supported by the sugar cane industry, because Ethanol is a byproduct of sugar cane and requiring its use will essentially force Hawaii