Ban GMOs on Hawaii Island

Please pass on the message below from Kerri Marks.  Mahalo.

Jim Albertini

★ ACTION ALERT Rally to Protect Hawaii Island Wednesday September 4th at the County Building in Hilo from 10 am to 1 pm. Come stand with us to protect Hawaii Island from GMO. Bring a sign or borrow one of ours. Bring a friend, bring a drum, bells, bring your keiki…this is a family friendly event. Then come inside and testify for your favorite GMO prohibition bill at 1:30. We need LOTS of testifiers to show up on Wednesday and possibly Friday the 6th. You can testify in a group, meaning before you read your testimony say that you are also representing the following people, and then list their names. The time you spend reading the names will NOT be counted against your 2 minutes. Make sure you say your name, where you live, and who you are (i.e. mother, organic farmer, business owner, etc) Bring 15 copies of your testimony with you that day to give to the clerk; keep one for yourself to read from, then give it to a press person.

You can submit written or video testimony NOW. Make sure you write which bill or communication you are testifying on and whether you SUPPORT or oppose it. Also write the name of the Committee, which is “Public Safety and Mass Transit.” Please try and keep your comments positive and constructive. 

Council Committee meets in HILO but you can testify there or at satellite locations in Ocean View, Kona, or Waimea. The Pahoa office is CLOSED until further notice. Each testifier will be allowed TWO MINUTES TOTAL for testimony, no matter how many items they testify on. There are 4 items on the agenda; Ms. Ford’s Bill 109, Ms. Wille’s Bill 113, forming a GMO ad hoc committee task force, and a report on the 8/19 Big Island GMO Summit.


★ Please WEAR GREEN in solidarity.

UPDATED AGENDA – The PAHOA office will be CLOSED; no testimony in Pahoa, you have to come to Hilo
http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/Weblink8/DocView.aspx?id=795049

These are the FOUR items you can testify on. You need to submit separate testimony for each one. 
★ Send in your testimony NOW
* Video Public Testimony: Those submitting video testimony may email a complete web address (url) to videotestimony@hawaiicounty.gov before 12:00 noon TUESDAY 9/3. The email should include the following: Date: 9/4/13, the name of the Committee is “Public Safety and Mass Transit,” agenda item (the communications and bill numbers are listed above), and number of testifiers on the video submittal. Send SEPARATE VIDEOS for each agenda item. Video submittals may contain up to three (3) individual testifiers and shall each be up to three (3) minutes in length. Video testimony will not be played during the meeting; however, it will be distributed to Council Members prior to the meeting. If submitted after the deadline, Council Members will receive the video testimony after the meeting. The Office of the County Clerk reserves the right to refuse testimony containing inappropriate content or that is not in compliance with Council Rule 13 (Public Statements and Testimony) .

Allowable video formats are to be internet-based, downloadable, and accessible to this office and the general public; e.g. YouTube being the most commonly known but any, of similar functionality and format we can access and review, is acceptable.

*Written Public Testimony: The deadline for submission of written public testimony is before 12:00 noon TUESDAY 9/3. The Office of the County Clerk will accept receipt of your written public testimony by mail to the Office of the County Clerk at 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, HI 96720, by facsimile to (808) 961-8912 or by e-mail to counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us . Please submit SEPARATE WRITTEN TESTIMONY FOR EACH AGENDA ITEM.

Written Public Testimony Submitted Past Deadline: If you miss the deadline for written public testimony, the Office of the County Clerk will accept your written public testimony at the Committee meeting. When submitting written public testimony at a Committee meeting, please see a Committee Services staff person stationed at the front entrance of the Council room and provide them with your written public testimony. The Office of the County Clerk advises that you bring fourteen (14) copies of the written public testimony to expedite distribution to the Council members during the meeting.

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