Senate Floor

Will the Senate please come to order? Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]. All 25 members are present.

Thank you. The Chair has read the Journal of the Preceding Day and approves the same. Are there any introductions this morning? Senator Inouye.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to introduce my staff and appreciate the work that they do this year and all the things that's been happening at the Capitol and in the Senate; my Office Manager, Tammy, as well as my Committee Clerk, Monique, and of course, our longtime friend and session hire for the last five years, Mel A. Chang, and we thank you for the work that you did, having Derek here. Mahalo. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. Further introductions? Senator Wakai.

Haisai. That is Aloha in Okinawan, and I wanted to talk to you or introduce you to a number of folks from Okinawa. For 35 years, students from Okinawa have been coming to Hawaii. It's Hawaii's longest standing foreign exchange program, and today we welcome 20 students from Okinawa, as well as four individuals from their Board of Education.

Please hold your applause till I read off the names. We have Hajime Miyagi from the Okinawa Board of Education. Mr. Miyagi, if you could just rise so we know who you are? Oh, he's not here. Sorry. Naoki Oshiro from the Okinawa Board of Education, Tomoaki Yamada, an English teacher, Shiori Shimabukuro, an English teacher.

Locally, we have David Arakawa from the Community Relations at the Hawaii United Okinawan Association, as well as John Itomura, the Executive Director of the Center, and, Mr. President, I'd like to ask that the names of the 20 Okinawan students be entered into the Journal. Welcome.

Could we have the 20 students rise, please? Welcome and thank you. Further introductions? Senator Lee.

Thank you, Mr. President. I'd like to introduce some folks who are here today from the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, which I think, as a number of folks know, it's a national organization similar to NCSL, focused on environment, conservation, clean energy, climate, transportation, housing, and the nexus, with pretty much everything out there, composed of about 1,500 state legislators from all 50 states, bipartisan, about 20 staff, and we're fortunate today to have several with us, I'd like to introduce.

The first is Kate Burgess, the Conservation Program Manager, and Grant Gliniecki, Outdoor Policy Coordinator, and Logan Christensen, the Wildlife and Habitat Specialist, and joining, who just had to run to the airport, was Ruth Musgrave, who was, up until a couple weeks ago, the Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Jay Inslee in Washington. Can we welcome them to the Hawaii Senate?

Thank you. Further introductions? If not, Madam Clerk.

On Page One, Governor's Message Number 653: withdrawing nomination to various departments and commissions.

File.

Governor's Message Number 654 to 664: transmit nominations to various boards and commissions.

Governor's Message Numbers 654 to 664 are referred in accordance with the referrals on the Order of the Day.

Beginning on Page Three, Standing Committee Report numbers 276 to 402 for adoption.

Senator Wakai.

Sorry, Mr. President. I move for the adoption of Standing Committee Reports numbers 276 to 402.

Senator DeCorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Any objections? If not, the motion is carried.

Referrals and re-referrals.

Referrals and re-referrals are made in accordance with the Order of the Day and the Supplemental Orders of the Day that may be filed later today.

No further business, Mr. President.

Are there any announcements today? If not, the Chair has one. All Majority Senators, please report to the Majority Caucus Room immediately after session. Senator Wakai. Oh, Senator Awa. Further announcements?

Mahalo. I would just like at this time to recognize and congratulate Kailua's own Tulsi Gabbard, confirmed by the Senate as Director of National Intelligence.

Any further announcements? If not, Senator Wakai.

Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned until 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.

I was thrown off on that. Senator DeCorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. If there are no objections from the members, the Senate will stand adjourned until 11:30 a.m. tomorrow.