Dear Friends,

Thank you for your time and interest in state government. I welcome you to the Majority Caucus website and hope it will serve your needs.

I am deeply honored to serve the people of Puna, Ka'u, South Kona, and North Kona. Your concerns and ideas are highly valuable and I welcome your voice and participation.

Recently, I was appointed to succeed Representative Hiraki in chairing the Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce and I am honored and humbled to serve in this new capacity. I look forward to a productive 2006 session!

Aloha,
Bob Herkes
State Representative
5th District

TOPICS OF INTEREST

• Emergency Mobile Urgent Care for Ocean View and Volcano
  Representative Herkes represents areas that are rural and that do not have readily-available access to emergency medical care. House Bill No. 1975, H.D. 2, would have provided critical medical care services for residents and visitors of the Big Island by appropriating funds for two emergency mobile urgent care units to be stationed at the fire departments of the Ocean View and Volcano communities. However, this measure failed to gain Senate approval.
  
  
• Disaster Preparedness
  Representative Herkes believes that disaster preparedness should be one of the biggest priorities of the Legislature. House Bill No. 2325 would have provided funding to prepare for and respond to disasters and emergencies. Although this bill failed to gain legislative approval, Senate Bill No. 2214, C.D. 1, a measure that provides comprehensive funding to respond to natural disasters, has been passed by the Legislature.
  
  
• Annuity Disclosure
  As Chair of the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, Representative Herkes has made it a priority to consider measures that offer protections for Hawaii's residents. House Bill No. 2434, S.D. 1, will protect consumers of annuity contracts by requiring insurers to provide certain information to the contract applicant at the time of application.
  

NEWS AND EVENTS

• June 16, 2006. Representative Herkes urges improved disaster preparedness efforts. (Article)