U.S. Senate acts on the shrinking airline seat

Can airline seats, or the space between them, get any smaller?

Maybe not. The Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018, passed by the U.S. Senate, includes a directive that the FAA set minimum standards for seat pitch, width and length on commercial passenger planes, according to Hawaii’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz.

“This bill, which will soon be law, gives the FAA the authority to step in and say enough is enough,” Schatz said in a press release.

Yes, the seats are small enough. Let’s hope the FAA can withstand the airline industry’s lobbyists and do something about it.

School surcharge amendment goes to court

The intensifying battle over the proposed “school surcharge” constitutional amendment just got more intense, now that the Hawaii Supreme Court is involved. The court has agreed to consider the four counties’ attempt to invalidate the Nov. 6 ballot question that asks voters if the state should get the power to tax property in order to fund education. The counties and business interests call the question vague and unclear, but the teachers union and supporters say the funding is vital for quality public education. The timing provides more drama: the court will hear arguments Oct. 18, five days before walk-in voting begins, and just about the time mail ballots start getting sent to voters.