House Standing Committee on Culture & Arts

Aloha, everyone. Good morning. Welcome to the very First Committee on Culture and the Arts. I'm Chair Jeanne Kapela. And then to my left I have Vice Chair Sam Kong. And then if the other Members would also like to introduce themselves, Mike Lee, District 50.

Jackson Sayama, District 21. Andrew Takuya, Garrett, District 22 chair. Looking forward to serving on this Committee this year.

We are in Conference Room 309. The time is 10:32. Gaveling in for our 10:30am on Wednesday, January 29th. We have four bills on the agenda. And then I'm also going to read just some some overarching kind of guidelines for our Committee this morning in order to allow for as many people to testify as possible.

I won't be doing a time limit for today's hearing, but try not to go on forever because we are a morning hearing. We do have to adjourn prior to noon for floor session. And then please keep yourselves muted.

If you're joining us via Zoom and your video off while you're waiting to testify and after your testimony is complete, the Zoom chat function will allow you to chat with the technical staff only. Please use the chat for only technical issues. If you are disconnected unexpectedly, you may attempt to rejoin the meeting.

If disconnected while presenting testimony, you may be allowed to continue if time permits. Please note that the House is not responsible for any bad Internet connections on the testifier's end at the end of a network. In the event of a network failure, it may be necessary to reschedule the hearing or schedule a meeting for decision making.

In that case, an appropriate notice will be posted. Please avoid using any trademarks or copyrighted images in your Zoom backgrounds and please refrain from any profanity or uncivil behavior. Such as such behavior may be grounds for removal from the hearing. Without the ability to rejoin, we're going to move on with our first measure relating to surfing, HB133.

First up, I have the Department of Education providing comments in person.

Aloha, Chair Kapela, Vice Chair Kong, Members of the Committee. Winston Sakurai, executive assistant for the Office of Curriculum, testifying on behalf of the department. Thank you for the opportunity. We stand on a written testimony offering comments. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your testimony. I also have Addison Bulosan, individual in support on Zoom. Okay, that's all I have on my testifiers list. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Okay, seeing none. Members, are there any questions? I have a question for Department of Education. In your testimony, you outlined that it would cost approximately $4,000 per event. Do you have a breakdown of what that number is?

We do. I'm going to call up our extracurricular administrator and OIA Director Bryce Kaneshiro to explain.

Thank you so much.

Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. So I got these figures from outreach of the surfing community. We asked people who are, who know the surfing meets. And so the breakdown was judges was 1400, beach marshal $200, tabulator $200, production staff 350, two lifeguards would be 400, a bonded security officer $300, contest director $600, admin services, meals, and supplies would be 900. And that's per event.

Thank you so much. I guess I have one more question for the department. $900 seems a little bit, a little bit much for admin and food. Is that the same cost for like a football sporting event which you folks also outline as being approximately $1,800? That would be a majority of the money if that is the case.

For the surfing, I'm not sure what the, I just got the numbers for them. As for a football game, the meals are only for the workers. So we're not talking any concession stand money or anything like that. The meals wouldn't be as much because we don't have as much workers when it comes to feeding people.

Usually it's the ticket takers, the people who are working in the concession stand. But as for schools, they just sort of taking care of themselves because they basically take care of their own workers. In this case, this would probably be because it's at the beach. I mean, they would probably have to buy food for the people who are working. And that would be like judges and all that. We take care of all the people who are bringing their time there and spending their time there.

Okay, and then one more question for the department. I guess this is not the first time we've seen this bill. And I think that there is a lot of cultural reference to the importance of surfing to the State of Hawaii. Why are places like, California is able to do this? I guess what's the barrier here? We're not the first state to do this. And why are we coming back year after year to try and get this done?

Well, when it comes to introducing new sports, it's usually chosen by league. The surfing is allowable within the Department of Ed because Maui has it now. And so I contacted Maui to find out how they're handling that. And the person that runs Maui basically can lower the costs because he has a lot of things that he personally owns to, and he donates the time. And it's just basically a grassroots effort on Maui to keep the surfing alive. Every league has their own decisions on how they introduce the sports, and surfing hasn't been introduced.

I can only speak for the OIA in the Oahu that it hasn't been introduced in that sense. There are still some factors that some people, or I should say that we're not really comfortable with yet. And so that could be some of the barriers when it comes to like safety, especially when it comes to the open water, the nature of Mother Nature, of being able to control that situation.

And those are some factors that can come up off the top of my head. As far as how California runs it, I would have to go and find out from them. I mean how they, how they approved it and what are some of their safety concerns that they can alleviate for the general public.

Thank you. Thank you so much. Members, any further questions? Okay, seeing none. We're going to move on to the next measure, HB 307, relating to special license plate numbers. This authorizes the issuance of a special number number of plates to recognize the island of Kahoʻolawe. First up to testify, we have Faith Kahale Saito from the Protect Kahoʻolawe Ohana in person.

Aloha, Chair Kapela and Vice Chair Kong and to the rest of the Committee. Mahalo for hearing us today. I'm standing here on behalf of the Protect Kahoʻolawe Ohana, and we are asking for the support of issuing the special license plate for the island. And we stand on the testimony that we submitted and any questions or concerns you may have for us.

Fantastic. Thank you so much for your testimony. Up next, I have Michael Nahoʻopiʻi in support in person.

Hello, Chair and Members of the Cultural Arts Committee. Mike Nahoʻopiʻi, executive director for the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission with Kahoʻolawe under our jurisdiction. We stand in support of this measure and here to answer any questions. Thank you.

Thank you so much for being here. Up next we have Kuʻulei Salazar in support via Zoom.

Aloha mai kaua. My name is Kuʻulei Salazar, and I'm here in standing strong support of bill and also standing in my written testimony. Mahalo.

Thank you so much. Up next, we have Kaipulaumakaniolono Keala, individual in support, testifying via Zoom. Okay, I should have practiced that. So shame. Okay, we have Davianna McGregor, professor of ethnic and history in support. Okay. Not present. We have testimony from Kialoa Mossman in support. Okay, perfect. Is not present.

Is there anyone else wishing to testify via Zoom or in person on this measure? Okay, Seeing none. Members, are there any questions? Okay, I just have one question. And we have talked online, but I just for edification for the Members and for community who are watching or who may potentially watch. Just to clarify, making sure that the money is going to you folks. Can you tell us the name exactly that you need in the, in the bill to make sure that the funding is going to you folks from, from the special license plate?

Okay, I can clarify that. And I just want to clarify two things. Our name under the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs is Kohemalamalama O Kanaloa. But then under our bank account, our Bank of Hawaii account, it is Kohemalamalama O Kanaloa, Protect Kahoʻolawe Fund.

Perfect. Thank you.

And I also just wanted to add, we did run a petition for the last four days, and we got 251 responses and 260, 216 plate interests. I think we need 150 for the plate to continue. So I just wanted to share that too.

Thank you so much. And thank you for the work that you folks are doing. Okay, Members, any further questions? Seeing none. We're going to move on to the, to the next measure. I also want to note on that last measure that we've had numerous pages of support for that measure and for the issuance of a special license plate. So I want to thank every individual who submitted testimony. Next, we have HB 450, relating to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

This would transfer the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and the King Kamehameha Celebration Commission from the Department of Accounting and General Services to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. This transfers the authority held by the Comptroller over the Works of Art Special Fund to the Director of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Up first we have Karen Ewald, Executive Director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, submitting comments in person.

Good morning. Chair Kapela, Vice Chair Kong, members of the Committee. I'm Karen Ewald, the Executive Director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. And we stand on our written testimony with comments.

Thank you so much. Up next we have testimony from Rick Manian.

Aloha, Chair Kapela, Co-Chair Kong and members of the Culture and Arts Committee. We at DBEDT, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Cultural--well, it's actually CID, Creative Industries Division, stand in strong support of our written testimony for House Bill 450. Thank you.

Thank you so much. That's all I have on my testifiers list. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Okay, seeing none, we're going to move on. Excuse me, Members, are there any questions? Okay, actually I do have a question for the State foundation.

Ready.

Thank you. How-- We've had a number of conversations. Can you explain to me a little bit more about, and for the public, the transition over. How long do you think the transition would need to take in order for everything to move and for all of your positions to move over?

Because I want to make sure that all of the funding that you folks get and everything that you oversee stays within the State foundation during this transfer.

Thank you for that question. Yes, since the last year, over the year I've been doing a lot of research, deep diving, talking to other agencies, especially Stadium Authority, that's most recent transfer, trying to research any and every way that we might lose funding in this move. And it appears that that's not going to be the case.

However, we did have a conversation with Stadium Authority on their experience and they suggested to take about a year to be safe, to move the budget codes over, move the payroll over. Any kind of immediate start would cause a delay in payments and things like that. So that's in our comments. That's pretty much what we request.

And we also request, since we spoke with DBEDT and we see that there might be-- there is a need for an additional staff person to help with this transfer in their ASO Department. So we respectfully request that be considered. But overall, the good outweighs the not.

Thank you, Director.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. Members, are there any further questions? Okay, seeing none. We're going to move on to our last measure on this hearing, HB 663, relating to special license plates authoring the issuance of a special number vehicle license plate commemorating the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

I don't have anyone who has signed up to testify. I will mention that I have testimony from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs advocacy. But is there anyone else who is wishing to testify on this measure? Okay, seeing none and seeing that there's no one to ask questions of, we are going to recess for decision making.

Reconvening for decision making on our 10:30 am agenda. We are going to move forward on HB 133, relating to surfing. We are going to be moving this-- Chair's recommendation is to move this measure forward. We are going to be taking in technical amendments, blanking out the appropriation and-- Blanking out the appropriation and taking in the--

Yeah, just blanking out the appropriation. Sorry we have to take a recess.

Okay. We're trying again. Reconvening for decision making on HB 133 relating to surfing.

We're just going to be blanking out the appropriation and then I would like to note in the Committee report that I would like the Committee on Education to take a look at that breakdown so that we have further clarity on the cost per event. Members, are there any questions, comments or concerns? Okay, seeing none, Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay, voting on HB 133, pass with amendments. Chair and Vice Chair vote aye. [Roll Call]. Chair recommendation is adopted.

Thank you so much. Moving on to HB 307, relating to special license plate numbers. We are going to be moving this measure forward. The name in there is already correct. We are-- it already notes that there is a fund at the end of that, so that is accurate.

And it will not be reflecting the DCCA but just the bank account. And then we will be moving this forward as is. Members, any questions, comments or concerns? Forgive me, we will be moving it forward with technical amendments defecting the day. Members, are there any questions, comments or concerns?

Okay, seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

Voting on HB 307, pass with amendments. Noting the absence of Representative Reyes Oda. Any nos or with reservations? Chair recommendations adopted.

Thank you so much. Moving on to our next measure, HB 450, relating to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. We will be making technical amendments for clarity, consistency and style. We will also be adding in the additional FTE requested by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to assist with the transition.

We are blanking out the times. However, I want to note in the Committee report that we would like to give the foundation two years to be able to successfully complete the transition and-- Yeah, that's it. Members, are there any questions or comments? Okay, seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

Okay, voting on HB 450, pass with amendments. With the exception of Representative Reyes Oda. Any nos, reservations? No. Chair, your recommendation's adopted.

Thank you so much. Okay, and then moving on to our final measure, HB 663, relating to special license plates. We will be deferring this measure simply because there is not very much testimony and support asking for this. And OHA themselves also seem to be not super supportive at this time.

I'm hoping we can potentially revisit this in the future. So the measure is deferred. Are there any questions, comments, or concerns? Okay, seeing none. Members, thank you so much. Public, thank you so much. We are adjourned.