The Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday barring the state from selling or transferring ceded lands was quite a bombshell. The court’s opinion can be downloaded from the Judiciary’s web site. Does anyone know if the recorded oral arguments are accessible? Or even if there were oral arguments in this case?

Austal, builder of the Hawaii Superferry, was one of three shipbuilders to land Navy contracts yesterday for preliminary design of the proposed new Joint High Speed Vessel, according to published reports.

According to a Navy press release:

Once preliminary design is complete, the Navy will receive detail designs and construction proposals from the three teams. The Navy intends to award a single Phase Two detail design contract with construction options in late 2008. The first ship, an Army vessel, is expected to be delivered in 2011.

The news lifted Austal stock slightly, although it remains down nearly 50% from its 52-week high.

Threats of election vengeance against lawmakers by Kawika Crowley, who has been lobbying against the state’s strict smoking ban and claims to represent thousands of other smokers, didn’t stop the Senate Committee on Human Services and Public Housing from approving a bill (SB 2408) that could ban smoking in public housing projects. Crowley, one of a small group of smokers who have lobbied legislators almost daily for the past year, responded to saying the groups he represents will now attempt to defeat legislators who support the smoking ban. A 1-page leaflet distributed at the capitol yesterday calls for the defeat of Kauai Senator Gary Hooser.

But by staking out a public stand opposing the election of certain lawmakers, Crowley and his organizations now must be considered political committees subject to the state’s campaign spending law. It isn’t clear whether any of the groups have spent the $1,000 necessary to trigger reporting and disclosure requirements, but with travel and other costs it is certainly possible.

I also wonder whether Crowley should be registered as a lobbyist? State law doesn’t require lobbyist registration if you are only spending your own money. But if you take money from others to fund the lobbying effort, then the registration and disclosure requirements of the Ethics Commission kick in. I would expect that election threats will bring some push back from legislators in this area as well.

Speaking of elections, the Campaign Spending Commission has updated its listing of candidate fundraisers. Check out the notice of Mayor Hannemann’s fundraiser on January 15, 2008, organized by Jason Grosfeld of Irongate Capital Partners. Grosfeld is a principal in the Trump Waikiki tower and had already given the maximum allowed to Hannemann’s campaign. In this case, according to the notice, tickets for the affair at the Halekulani were going for up to $4,000 each.

For some reason, Ms. Harry took up a position in the mango tree just in front of our deck a couple of mornings ago. She seemed perfectly happy, but then started crying loudly and making a fuss. Eventually she made the big jump onto the roof of the house, and I had to stand on a chair and lift her down off the roof. Maybe she really wanted me to drag her down from tree, although I couldn’t reach her there. Oh, well, in any case, she become’s today’s Friday Feline.