Cartoonist to speak at ‘Iolani

Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist David Horsey will hold a free public lecture, "Fault Lines: A Cartoonist’s Critique of America’s Fractured Politics," at 7 p.m. Tuesday at ‘Iolani School’s Seto Hall. He will present some of his cartoons while offering his assessment of the polarization of politics, beginning with the Clinton impeachment. Horsey is a cartoonist with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and syndicated in more than 250 publications.

Bill would open Obama birth records

Anyone would be able to get a copy of President Barack Obama’s birth records for a $100 fee under a bill introduced in the state Legislature that backers hope will finally dispel claims he was born elsewhere.

The bill would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records unless the requester is someone with a tangible interest, such as a close family member.

The measure was introduced by five Democrats but has not yet been scheduled for a public hearing, a required step before it can move forward. A decision on considering the bill will be made by House Democratic leadership and committee chairmen.

"If it passes, it will calm the birthers down," said the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Rida Cabanilla.

So-called "birthers" claim there is no proof Obama was born in the United States, and he is therefore ineligible to be president. Many of the skeptics claim he was born in Kenya, his father’s home country.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Furloughs on Kauai end

Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. signed a bill yesterday that erases the 11 remaining furlough days for the current fiscal year and restores funding to various county departments.

Furloughs were implemented in July as a measure to save $4.6 million for the fiscal year.

Twelve furlough days for most county offices were imposed from July through December, which saved about $2.3 million.

Under Bill 2389 about $2.4 million will be distributed among county departments that would have been affected by furloughs, according to a news release.

Plastic bag ban praised

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is praising Maui and Kauai counties for banning plastic shopping bags.

The agency said in a statement yesterday that the counties are decreasing the amount of waste they produce as well as reducing the amount of plastic that might end up in the ocean.