The Capitol Notebook is closing with the end of the session. We hope to be back just before the next session in January.

We’d like to thank all of the state representatives and senators and staff — especially the staff — for their patience with our many requests for information.

We invite our blog readers to look for our stories on government and politics in the print and online versions of The Advertiser. Please continue to share tips and story ideas.

*Update: State House dissidents have fallen short of the votes necessary to oust state House Speaker Calvin Say, D-20th (St. Louis Heights, Pälolo Valley, Wilhelmina Rise).

Although accounts vary, several sources said the dissidents had approached or broken 20 and were negotiating with the seven House Republicans to reach the 26 necessary for a majority. The likely new speaker had they hit the magic number? State Rep. Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl).

The dissidents have tried before to replace Say but have been outplayed by loyalists close to the veteran Democrat.

The challenges to pull it off Thursday — the last day of session — included convincing some liberal Democrats to align with Republicans and the risk of political retribution to those who publicly side with the dissidents if the move fails on the floor. At least a few Democrats who have been critical of Say in the past said they won’t go along if Republicans are involved.

Without a cushion, the coalition could also fall apart by next session because of House turnover after the November elections.

Hawaii Superferry substantially underreported its state lobbying expenses last year as it fought an environmental impact statement and then asked for special legislation that allowed it to resume ferry service after an environmental review was ordered by the state Supreme Court.

Superferry executives at first reported $21,960 in lobbying expenses but, after being contacted by the state Ethics Commission, amended the reports to reflect $379,431 in lobbying expenses.

Ian Lind, a freelance writer and blogger who works for state Rep. Lyla Berg, D-18th (Kuliçouçou, Niu Valley, çAina Haina), had written the Ethics Commissions with his suspicions about the accuracy of Superferry’s reports and separate reports filed by the advocacy group National Popular Vote.

Lind reported the new Superferry lobbying figures in his blog on Tuesday and previously reported the amended reports for National Popular Vote.

Dan Mollway, the executive director of the Ethics Commission, said the commission usually asks for voluntary compliance with the lobbying disclosure law before seeking enforcement action. Willful violations of the law can bring $500 fines.

Mollway said the lobbying disclosure law can be confusing but he could not explain the large discrepancies in Superferry’s reports.

“I’m not sure how the requirements were missed,” Mollway said, adding that Superferry was eager to amend the reports after being contacted by a commission staff attorney.

The Advertiser reported last year that Superferry had hired some of the state’s top lobbyists and public relations executives to help the project at the state Legislature and with the media.

“Last year there was a great deal of legislative activity related to Hawaii Superferry which required continuous information updates and production of briefing materials for legislators,” the company said in a statement tonight. “Our initial filing reflected fees paid to lobbyists. We, subsequently, reviewed our expenses and were advised by counsel that lobbying expenses should also include public opinion research and the production of materials that might be viewed by legislators.”

National Popular Vote, a California-based group that wants states to elect the president by popular vote instead of the Electoral College, spent $74,979 on state lobbying between May and December last year, mostly on media advertising. The group had initially reported $7,778 in lobbying expenses for that period.

State House and Senate leaders have warned their troops of a possible late night Thursday if Gov. Linda Lingle takes the full amount of time she has to veto a bill restricting her emergency powers.

The Republican governor has 10 days to sign or veto the bill, with the 10th day ending at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, the last day of session.

The Senate clerk’s office explained that the bill reached the governor the day after lawmakers had intended.

House and Senate leaders have not said whether they have the two-thirds’ votes necessary for an override, or whether enough lawmakers will stay late if the veto does not come until the very end.

There has been some discussion about whether the 10 days end at the time-stamp from when the governor’s office received the bill, or at the close of the business day, or whatever.

Of course, state Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nänäkuli, Mäkaha), has been here before.

Lt. Gov. James “Duke” Aiona has a new fundraising letter out that previews some of the themes Republicans may use against majority Democrats in this year’s elections.

The themes: tax relief, medical-malpractice liability reform, taking away the governor’s emergency powers, and restricting the administration’s spending of federal welfare money.

The only Democrat mentioned by name in the letter is state Rep. Tommy Waters, D-51st (Lanikai, Waimänalo), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who has become a target on malpractice reform.

Aiona, who is running for governor in 2010, opens with his characterization of this year’s session:

Lackluster, arrogant, hurtful. These are some of the adjectives used to describe this year’s legislative session. Let me share with you a few examples of why the Legislature has failed our State and how the Lingle-Aiona Administration is overcoming the obstacles put before us.

The letter was addressed to a Colleen W. Hanabusa of Kapolei …