Right to life to rally

Hawaii Right to Life is holding its 38th annual "March for Life Hawaii" rally from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. tomorrow at the state Capitol. The event marks the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which allowed legal abortions in the U.S. For more information, visit hrtl.org.

Transportation chairman backs rail

A key Republican committee chairman in the U.S. House is backing Honolulu’s rail project.

Rep. John Mica of Florida, who heads the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says he will work with federal officials to push the project forward.

His comments were included in a statement from Hono-lulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, who is in Washington for a U.S. Conference of Mayors gathering. Carlisle and about 220 other municipal chief executives are to meet President Barack Obama today at the White House.

Mica’s support for the rail project comes as other House Republicans proposed cuts of $2.5 trillion in domestic spending over the next decade that could slash funds for Honolulu’s system.

The proposal from the Republican Study Committee, however, faces long odds, including likely opposition from the White House and Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, a Democrat.

NEIGHBOR ISLAND

Cattle fence plan called off

A Kauai cattle company has abandoned plans to build a fence that would have blocked a public access point to Lepeuli, also known as Larsen’s Beach.

The fence was intended to contain cattle but would have cut off a path generations have used to get to the beach.

The Garden Island newspaper reported Monday the path is also believed to be part of a historical trail circling Kauai’s coast.

Paradise Ranch earlier this month surrendered the permit granted last February.