Just say no to pot Part 1: Think this might be the year for Hawaii to allow people 21 years of age and older to smoke marijuana without fear of getting busted? Think again.

On Friday, the Hawaii House of Representatives came within just one or two votes of killing Senate Bill 3335, the legislation allowing for recreational use of pot. And it came on the second reading of the bill, usually a routine procedural matter that directs legislation to its next committee.

A total of 22 legislators voted no on moving the measure along, including all six Republicans. But a whole bunch of Democrats voted against the bill, too, while two others voted with reservations — meaning yes but with … um … reservations.

And here’s where it gets weird. Rep. Rose Martinez said on the floor that she would vote no as well, which would have made it 23 against. But for some reason Martinez left the floor and so was excused from voting. Cedric Gates, Sean Quinlan and Sonny Ganaden were not present Friday, and Elle Cochran was also excused.

So, let’s do some math: There are 51 members in the House. Subtract three — Gates, Quinlan, Ganaden — and that makes 48. Had Martinez’s no vote counted, that would have made 23 votes against pot. Add one more and it would have made 24.

Had the vote been 24-24 — a tie — SB 3335 would have died.

And SB 3335 still has two more committees to clear in the House. If it makes it past the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee Tuesday, next up would be the House Finance Committee, where 11 of the 16 members, according to Friday’s tally, are now on record opposing recreational pot.

Even if SB 3335 does manage to survive (The Blog advises that you exhale now) it is almost certainly headed to the black hole that is conference committee, where the House and Senate will have to agree on the bill’s language. That’s because the House has significantly amended the bill.

Just say no to pot Part 2: Upset with the passage Wednesday of the “rec pot” bill in his chamber 19-5, state Sen. Kurt Fevella took to the Senate floor Thursday to say he would do everything in his power to kill the legislation. He warned that pakalolo is a gateway to “higher drugs and crime” and even death.

And if Senate Bill 3335 does become law, Fevella added, he would introduce a bill next session to require that all legislators go through “some kind of sobriety test before we start session and making laws for our community, so we make sure that we’re not under any influence when we doing the people’s work.”

Hmm. The Blog isn’t sure sobriety is the kind of test these lawmakers need. See next item, for example.

Just say no to booze: In a related note, Fevella and his colleagues rejected a resolution Friday to amend Senate rules in order to prevent senators from drinking alcohol anywhere within the Capitol.

The resolution explained that the responsible and sober conduct of legislative affairs “is essential to uphold the integrity and public trust” in the legislative process, but the use of alcohol “may compromise the decorum and efficiency” of legislative proceedings.

The sole voice speaking in favor of Senate Resolution 97 was its introducer, Sen. Brenton Awa. A former KITV news anchor, Awa predicted that the measure would fail. He then proceeded to channel his old job:

“Good evening. Tonight’s top story: Hawaii senators vote to preserve their right to get tipsy on taxpayer time. Current loophole allows lawmakers to drink on the job despite a statute that prohibits alcohol at our state Capitol. Constituents today criticizing lawmakers for taking a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach.”

Sen. Dru Kanuha, however, said it was inappropriate to amend Senate rules mid-session. And Fevella — one of only two Republicans in the Senate along with Awa, and who have yet to decide which of them is the minority leader — also spoke against the resolution. He said Awa introduced the idea only to get back on the evening news.

Of note: Smoking — tobacco, not pot — is forbidden at the State Capitol, though smokers are able to light up on the mauka and makai ends of the Rotunda.

Blast from the past: Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie is back in the spotlight since he’s now on the University of Hawaii’s Board of Regents following what appears to be a political fence-mending with his old adversary, Sen. Donna Mercado Kim. This hit The Blog’s inbox recently so thanks to whoever sent it.