Thielen: ‘Damn Environmental Laws, Full Speed Ahead’

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Republican Rep. Cynthia Thielen took to the House floor Wednesday afternoon (April 10) to criticize Senate Bill 755 — the environment vs. jobs bill, as some have put it.

Referring to a political cartoon by the Honolulu Weekly‘s John Pritchett, Thielen suggested the bill be retitled, “Damn the environmental laws, full speed ahead.”

Republican Gil Riviere also spoke out against the measure.

But Democrat Derek Kawakami strongly defended the bill, saying it was about expediting construction projects by exempting them from laws like Chapter 343, the state law on environmental impact statements.

Rep. Cynthia Thielen talks to Castle & Cooke employee Chris Lovvorn on Lanai.

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