Here's a big mahalo nui to the 56 legislators who see the value in protecting our community by establishing a re-entry system for people exiting incarceration and who voted to override the governor's veto of SB 932 at last Tuesday's special session.

The reasoning for the governor's veto was flawed. The bill's accompanying committee report, which clarifies the intent of the legislation, says: "return offenders incarcerated on the Mainland back to Hawai'i one year before their release date: (A) Is to be contingent upon the existence of the appropriate programs in Hawai'i and shall be consented to by the offender if the offender is participating in a successful rehabilitation or re-entry program in the Mainland facility at that time."

It is disingenuous for the administration to use the fear factor of a public safety crisis when their reasoning is wrong and research has shown that the half-step of community-based re-entry/reintegration programs actually enhance public safety because they work to ensure that people exiting prison are ready to become contributing members of our community.

Let's have a little truth here — too much spin leaves us in the exact same unproductive place.