Legislators poised to finish work in 2 days

Hawaii’s state Legislature has two working days left to pass every law they want this year.

On Thursday the 2013 session ends.

Lawmakers are in recess today and Wednesday but plan marathon sessions on Tuesday and Thursday to fully vote on all bills left. Conference committees worked into Friday evening to finalize language to be presented to each chamber for floor votes, approving bills that created funding for a new school readiness program, an entrepreneurship initiative and emergency funds, among other things.

More than 100 bills will be voted on this week, House Clerk Brian Take­shita said. Take­shita said the majority of bills will likely get floor votes Tuesday, including the biennial budget — the top priority for the House and Senate this year.

The $23.8 billion proposal agreed to in conference committee is about $262 million short of what Gov. Neil Abercrombie requested but dedicates millions to capital improvement projects and drawing down the state’s unfunded liabilities.

Lawmakers will also vote on, among other bills:

» A pilot project to develop school lands to raise money for school infrastructure repairs.

» Whether to extend and change Hawaii’s shield law, which expires at the end of June. The shield law outlines protections for journalists from being compelled by courts to reveal confidential sources except in certain cases.

Coast Guard helps look for missing sailor

Hawaii-based Coast Guard planes joined the search Sunday for a British citizen who fell overboard 500 miles west of Midway Atoll.

The missing sailor, 35, is wearing a yellow life jacket and was reportedly conscious when he went into the water, the Coast Guard said Sunday. The remaining person aboard was described as an inexperienced sailor and was lifted off by a helicopter from the USS Pele­liu, an amphibious assault ship that was diverted to the scene.

Both are British citizens who were aboard a 38-foot sailboat.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Hono­lulu was contacted by its counterpart in Falmouth, England, at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, notifying them that one of two crew members had fallen off the boat.

Two Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplanes left Barbers Point Air Station on Sunday to join the search. The crews can deploy a life raft should they locate the missing mariner.

House addition burns in blaze

The back room of a single-story home in Pahoa burst into flames early Sunday morning, officials said.

Hawaii County firefighters responded to the blaze on Nenue Street at 3:47 a.m. to find a 500-square-foot addition to the home engulfed in flames.

Officials said the fire was extinguished less than 10 minutes later.

Neighbors told firefighters they didn’t know who owned the home, officials said.

No injuries were reported. Damage is estimated at $12,500.

Driver indicted in fatal collision

A Hawaii island man has been indicted in a collision that killed two former Honokaa High School athletes last year.

A Kona grand jury last week indicted Ronald Ramsey Hayward, 41, of Waimea on two counts of negligent homicide and one count of driving under the influence, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports.

Police say Hayward was legally drunk when his Ford F-350 pickup truck collided with a Honda two-door sedan driven by 19-year-old Destin Baquiring of Paauilo shortly after midnight May 6.

The collision in South Kohala killed 19-year-old Kauaheakeokaua Lactaoen of Waimea and 18-year-old Rocky Pactol of Honokaa, passengers in the Honda. Neither was wearing a seat belt, and both were thrown from the car upon impact.

Pactol was a 2011 graduate of Honokaa High School and had been on the golf team. Lactaoen was a 2010 Honokaa High graduate and wide receiver on the football team.

Baquiring, a 2010 Honokaa High graduate, was arrested on suspicion of two counts of negligent homicide plus drinking while driving and possession of marijuana. He has not been charged.