Strengthening Families Remained a Key Focus in 2008
Lt. Governor Aiona remained committed throughout 2008 to helping shape policies intended to strengthen families in Hawai`i, where his assistance efforts ranged from signing laws that protect children from online predators to rolling out after-school programs for students who are vulnerable to risky behaviors caused by a lack of adequate supervision once the school bell rings.
The Lt. Governor volunteers to help Habitat for Humanity, Maui.
Under the child-safety bill he signed into law in May as acting governor, online predators face tougher penalties for crimes committed against children over the Internet.
Between August and October, the Lt. Governor also stepped up help for students at four middle schools on the neighbor islands, where families are now benefitting from safer, structured learning opportunities provided by after-school programs.
“As a former family court judge, I know that after-school hours are a critical time for our youth,” Lt. Governor Aiona told a crowd of parents, students and school officials gathered in the cafeteria at Hilo Intermediate in August. “That time can represent either an opportunity to learn and grow, through quality after-school programs, or a time to experiment with unsafe behaviors, such as using drugs, drinking alcohol, or engaging in risky sexual behavior.”
Among other family-strengthening initiatives:
- In August, the Lt. Governor spoke out forcefully against an unsuccessful attempt by some college administrators to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18, calling the national effort disappointing when “considering the progress Hawai‘i has made to prevent and reduce underage drinking.”
- Also in August, he was among 200 volunteers helping a dozen Native Hawaiian families on Maui build the homes they will live in. The construction work was part of the 5th annual “Build-A-Thon” led by the non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity.
- In November, Lt. Governor Aiona held a news conference to recognize a multi-agency initiative for a nearly decade-long decline in teen smoking across the state.
- In December, when the Lt. Governor spoke at the Early Childhood Leadership Conference, he helped to promote programs that aim to improve the overall well-being of children.
The Lt. Governor also played a key role in the Administration’s efforts to reimburse hospitals that are legally obliged to see all patients who enter their doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
