Attorney Newton J. Chu, a director at Torkildson, Katz, Moore, Hetherington & Harris, Attorneys at Law, served as the "driving force" for a new statewide law designed to streamline the approval process for obtaining a liquor license in Hawaii, according to an article about the law featuring an interview with Chu and Gov. David Ige.
Gov. Ige signed the bill (Act 012) into law on April 22 and was joined by state Rep. Clift Tsuji, the Hilo Democrat who sponsored the bill, according to an article published by the Hawaii Tribune Herald of Hilo. Under the new law, publicly-traded companies now only have to submit information about people actively involved in the purchase and sale of a liquor license instead of the company's entire list of officers. Companies can also use tax certificates to verify that the company has paid all its taxes when applying for a liquor license.
Chu praised elected officials for adopting the new law. Speaking with the Hawaii Herald Tribune, Chu said, "I represent numerous publicly and privately owned companies in connection with liquor issues in all counties and believe this bill would benefit the application process in each county."
Chu added, "This bill would create a more business-friendly environment, without jeopardizing the original purpose of ensuring that ex-felons are not involved in the sale of liquor in Hawaii, since it would only apply to publicly owned companies, who are already subject to strict regulation and oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission and other government agencies."
You can read the complete article published April 23 by the Hawaii Herald Tribune by clicking on the link provided here.