ハワイ旅行･ホテル･ショッピング･グルメ･求人

The anti-rail group Stop Rail Now was denied its petition by the City Clerks office yesterday. The group, after struggling for several months to collect the required number of signatures to have the rail issue put to a vote, was denied on the grounds of improper wording. Stop Rail Now collected over 49,000 signatures from registered voters on Oahu in its bid to bring the Honolulu mass transit rail plan to a vote.

In rejecting the petition, Honolulu City Clerk Denise De Costa maintained yesterday that the groups petition asked the rail plan to be voted on in a 'special' election and not a 'general' election. According to the City Charter, a petition initiative calling for a special election needs to be submitted at least 180 days before a general election. The Stop Rail Now petition, therefore, cannot be placed on the upcoming ballot.

During a press conference yesterday, the group said that it will take the issue to court by filing a lawsuit forcing the Clerk's Office to process its petition and signatures. The deadline for the city to submit any information on the general election ballot is September 5, however, which only gives the courts about a month to make a decision on the case.