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City Council members have a bit of a breather this week before the next round of committee meetings starts up. Meanwhile, the Carlisle administration is busy transitioning its rapid transit division into a new semi-autonomous agency.

City officials are also watching the action across the street, to see how the effects of state lawmakers’ spending decisions will trickle down to city government. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Stricter Cap on TAT Proposed

4:31 p.m.
New details on the latest draft of a measure that would cap counties’ share of TAT revenue. Sen. Donna Mercado Kim presented a new version of for lawmakers’ consideration.

In her version, the cap on counties’ share of TAT revenue would be $85 million instead of $102 million. She says the measure would generate $44 million for the state next year and $54 million the year after that. Rep. Marcus Oshiro expressed concerns about the stricter cap Kim proposed.

Thanks to Civil Beat’s Nanea Kalani for calling in this report from the capitol.

Mayors Speaking Up Against TAT Cap in Hours Before Decision

3:51 p.m.
Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi have issued statements urging lawmakers against capping TAT revenue for counties.

State lawmakers repeatedly delayed making a decision on a possible $102-million cap this week. They’re expected to take up again this evening.

Honolulu City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia did not return a call Thursday or an email Friday requesting comment. Garcia and Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle have both expressed concern about the measure.

Keep track of more legislative news as it develops in Capitol Watch’s live blog.

Toxicology Tests Preliminary for Suspects Killed by Police

Honolulu police officers shot and killed two suspects this month. In both cases, reports of toxicology results showing the men killed had used crystal meth followed almost immediately. But how did these results emerge so quickly, when in other cases it takes weeks or longer for toxicology results to be produced?

For answers, we turned to Roland Yap, a forensic scientist at the Honolulu Department of the Medical Examiner. First things first. Yap says to ignore any reports that characterize either men as having been “high on crystal meth.”

“We don’t say that an individual is high on crystal meth,” Yap said. “We just say whether there is a presence of a drug because individual reactions to the drug (would vary).”

Yap says his department was able to quickly identify the presence of crystal meth in the cases of Herbden Gabriel and Mark Ahnee — both of whom police shot and killed this month — through preliminary testing.

“The tests that we do are usually screening tests and that means that we need to be rather firm about our answer before we give it out,” Yap said. “In this particular case (Herbden Gabriel), it was found in urine. Urine is a metabolic waste product. It doesn’t tell us exactly what was happening at his point of death but the recent past. In certain instances we may want to proceed and look at it more closely… and that’s when it gets sent out to a labortory in the mainland who looks at it in a different way, the golden standard, to further confirm through a blood test.”

Yap called Ahnee’s case a “similar situation” in which crystal meth was found in urine. He says blood samples from both Ahnee and Gabriel have already been sent to a mainland laboratory that he declined to name.

“Particularly a police shooting, we would send it out for a definitive answer of whether it’s found in the blood,” Yap said. “The turnaround time is now depending on the kuleana of the lab.”

Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

April 28, 2011: Koko Crater trail to close for cable removal; Still no word on counties’ share of TAT; Honolulu shoppers could be forced to pay for disposal bags.

April 27, 2011: State lawmakers delay decision on TAT again; Mayor wants Ironworkers’ O’Donnell on Liquor Commission; Transparency portal gets one new doc; Honolulu residents eligible for tsunami relief.

April 26, 2011: Other unions “very unlikely” to beat HGEA deal, Sumner LaCroix says; Third time’s a charm for Panos Prevedouros?; City and County of Honolulu joins Facebook.

April 25, 2011: State lawmakers urge benefits for residents near landfills; Utility relocation for rail under way; Who gets a “honolulu.gov” email address?

April 21, 2011: City Transportation Chairman Breene Harimoto heads to Copenhagen; Some overlap between HART, corporation counsel for Carrie Okinaga; City’s new top lawyer to be Bob Godbey; Council member Tom Berg‘s chief of staff slams ethics director, Civil Beat over inquiry about Berg’s use of City Council letterhead.

April 20, 2011: City Council member Nestor Garcia discloses his part-time job again and again (and again); City Council advances fuel tax hike; Fireworks legislation back before council; Rail officials submit new financial plan; Kirk Caldwell mulls running for Honolulu mayor, U.S. House.

April 19, 2011: Honolulu to be nation’s first city to comply with federal-standard ID cards; Oahu hotels to get electric-car chargers; Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle launches re-election campaign.

April 18, 2011: Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle taps Don Horner, Buzzy Hong and Carrie Okinaga to new transit agency; City Council Transportation Chairman Breene Harimoto picks Ivan Lui-Kwan, Damien Kim and Keslie Hui for HART.

April 15, 2011: City Council member Tom Berg to kick off Tea Party rally; City plans to spend $248 million to acquire property for rail; Shootout in East Oahu ends in suspect death, traffic gridlock.

April 14, 2011: City Council member Stanley Chang turns to Charles Djou on “unfinished business;” City says Waimanalo Gulch back to “normal;” City Council member Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo defends possible cuts to the arts.

April 13, 2011: City Council Budget Chairman Ernie Martin calls mayor’s take on fuel tax “inaccurate;” Zoo considers sending rhino to hospice; Free parking for some city workers could end; City Council rejects move to reclaim some rail money.

April 12, 2011: City Council member Stanley Chang passionate about funds for roads; Council advances real property tax measure; Council on a roll with disclosures.

April 11, 2011: Two rail protests filed against city; Tom Berg speaks out against state money grab; U.S. Senate race could have ripple effect on City Hall.

April 8, 2011: City Council member Ernie Martin taps IBEW business manager for HART; Peter Carlisle distant from Big Island, Kauai mayors; Government leaders attend prayer breakfast.

April 7, 2011: Hawaii mayors issue joint response on tentative HGEA deal; Was Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle cut out of labor bargaining? U.S. Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood chats about Honolulu’s “light rail.”

April 6, 2011: City, state and other Hawaii counties agree to deal with HGEA; Council grows capital spending; City Council member asks for legal fees to fight administration.

April 5, 2011: Council member Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo says her deployment to Afghanistan is unlikely; HART nominees still not official; City cites $1.4 billion for Ansaldo contract.

April 4, 2011: Todd Apo and Don Horner surface as mayor’s possible picks for transit authority; Tom Berg nominates Panos Prevedouros for transit authority; State awaits results on more dengue cases; Losing rail bidders set for debriefs.

April 1, 2011: Gov. Neil Abercrombie taps former City Council candidate; GOP wants Nestor Garcia ethics investigation; Budget Chairman Ernie Martin schedules two special budget meetings.