House Floor

Will the House come to order? Mr. Clerk, please call the roll.

[Roll Call]

Madam Speaker, may this matter be deferred.

So ordered. Item number three. Messages from the Governor. Mr. Clerk, are there any messages from the Governor?

Madam Speaker, there are none.

Item number Four. Senate Communications. Mr. Clerk, are there any Senate Communications?

Madam Speaker, there are none.

Members, are there any introductions? Representative Perruso.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the gallery, I would like to welcome my staff. And if you could please rise as I introduce you so that the rest of the whole body can see you. First is Yvonne Yoro. She's my office manager.

We also have Diana Kontu, who's our legislative aide, Mari Quinn, who's interning with us, and Jolie Riff is our Committee Clerk. So welcome to your House of Representatives. Thank you for being here.

Representative Kapela.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. In the gallery today is a. I think he's still there. A familiar face to many in this building. Cameron Hurt from Common Cause, Hawaii. Welcome again to your House of Representatives.

Members. Any further introductions? If not, we'll move on to the order of the day. Item number five, reports of standing committees. Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt Standing Committee reports, numbers 151 through 181, as listed on pages 1 through 10, and that the accompanying House bills, as amended, pass second reading and be referred to their designated committees.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Are there any discussion on. Is there any discussion on these items, beginning with House Standing Committee report number 151? House Standing Committee report number 152? Representative Pierick.

No vote.

Standing Committee report number 153. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

House Standing Committee report number 154. House Standing Committee report number 155. Standing Committee report 156. Standing Committee report 157. Standing Committee report 158. Standing Committee report 159. Standing Committee report 160. Standing Committee report 161. Standing Committee report 162. Standing Committee report 163. Representative Garcia, with reservations. Standing Committee report number 164. Standing Committee report 165. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

Standing Committee Report number 166. Standing Committee report number 167. Standing Committee report number 168. Representative Souza.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise, with reservations. Please proceed. This measure will identify all legislative districts in the state in which at least 25% of the population consists of Native Hawaiians. It is for representation and recognition purposes.

I am voting with reservations on this Bill because I am uncertain as to what the purpose is of creating this designation. Unless further down the road, there are incentives for doing so for Hawaiians.

I understand the sentiment of this Bill, but at the same time, the terms of the benchmarks for the designation would have to be worked out further. Why? 25% and perhaps, are we discussing Hawaiians or Native Hawaiians? How are we accounting for Hawaiians within these districts? I am unsure as to what more recognition will do for our people.

And I want action. I want action for Hawaiians. I want to help provide resources for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands. I want OHA to get its proper pro rata share of ceded lands. And I want action. I don't want more recognition for Hawaiians. So I'm voting no on this measure. Thank you.

Just to confirm, Representative Souza, you're in opposition, is that correct?

I'm sorry. With reservations. Thank you.

With reservations. Any further discussion? Representative Amato?

Reservations.

Okay, then we'll turn next to standing Committee report number 169. Representative Pierick.

Voting no.

Please proceed.

Thank you. This Bill, to some extent, would allow for gambling in our state. And our state is thankfully one of two states, I believe, in the nation, that doesn't allow gambling. So we should keep it that way. Gambling is a vice.

People that go into it, they often waste hard earned dollars that they could be using to pay for gas, to pay for rent, to pay for the groceries for their families. And instead, sometimes the users of these gambling apps and sports wagers, they waste their money on this addiction that then hurts their family. And it can, in the greater picture, hurt their communities and hurt our state.

Representative Reyes Oda.

Reservations.

Representative Garcia.

No vote.

Representative Alcos.

No vote.

Representative Shimizu.

Thank you, Madam Chair. No vote. Please.

Madam Speaker, Please. Representative Shimizu. Thank you.

Sorry, I was nervous up here. Madam Speaker. Sorry.

Thank you, Representative. Representative Shimizu. You're testing me. Representative Matsumoto.

With reservations and the permission to insert written comments in the Journal.

So ordered. Further discussion on Standing Committee report number 169. Okay, then we'll turn to standing Committee report number 170. Standing Committee report 171. Representative Pierick.

So this Bill would further public financing of elections. And that basically means all our constituents, their state income tax dollars. Part of it goes to the state budget. Part of it goes to basically campaigning for Democrats and Republicans. So that means Republicans are getting taxed to Fund Democrat campaigns and vice versa. I don't think our constituents want that. And so I'll be voting no.

Representative Garcia.

No Vote.

Representative Muraoka.

No vote.

Representative Reyes Oda.

No vote.

Representative Alcos.

Same request.

Representative Belatti.

Thank you Madam Speaker in strong support. Brief remarks, please proceed. Partial public financing is in part funded by taxes that are chosen and selected by individuals who want to put this into this program.

So I think that with voters confidence and trust at an all time Low, because we know the influence of money on politics, that this is a part of the solution to have a more comprehensive partial public financing system to ensure that there is less corporate monies influencing elections.

And so this is a measure that's very important to ensuring increasing the confidence of our voters in our public elections process. Thank you Madam Speaker. Representative Souza.

Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise in support. And I would like to insert the words of the representative from Waikiki into the record as my own. So ordered. I also want to say that as a part of our good government caucus, government reform is necessary. And this is a key part of government reform.

And in my opinion this is a conservative and a Republican thing to want government reform of this nature to include public financing of elections. Thank you.

Representative Matsumoto.

With reservations and permission to insert written comments into the Journal.

So ordered. Representative Pierick second time.

I'm in opposition. I just wanted to note that with the previous comment that public trust in our Legislator or in the government processes is at an all time Low. In the past primary we had like a Low voter turnout. I think some 70% of our population didn't vote.

So instead of mandating that they get involved via money, we should potentially mandate that they get involved via voting, like Australia. I Think that's a better step in the direction of getting everybody involved versus forcing them to get their money involved?

Any further discussion on standing Committee report number 171? Seeing none, we'll turn to stand in Committee report number 172. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

Representative Muraoka.

No vote.

All right. Moving on to standing Committee report number 173. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

Standing Committee report number 174. Standing Committee report number 175. Standing Committee report number 176. Representative Garcia, with reservations. Standing Committee report number 177. Standing Committee report 178. Standing Committee report 179. Representative Pierrick.

No vote.

Standing Committee report number 180. Oh, excuse. Representative Shimizu, are you standing on 179?

Yes, Madam Speaker. With reservations, please.

Any further discussion on standing Committee report number 179? Seeing none. Standing Committee report number 180. Standing Committee report number 181. If there's no further discussion, Members, and we'll be taking a voice vote. All those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. We'll turn next to House standing Committee Report 182. Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt standing Committee report number 182 as listed on page 10, and that the accompanying House Bill, as amended, pass second reading and be placed on the calendar for third reading.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Any discussion on this item? Representative Souza.

Thank you. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this measure. Please proceed. Thank you.

This Bill is supposed to be a housekeeping measure and makes appropriations to provide for the expenses of the Legislature, the Auditor, the legislative reference Bureau, the ombudsman and the Ethics Commission as a part of the expenses of the Legislature, and more specifically, as a part of the House expenses, including for the 2025 legislative session in an amount of almost $16 million.

This Bill helps to Fund the partisan research offices of the House, the majority and the minority. However, not all House Members can utilize the partisan research offices of the House.

Even though Section 19.8 of the House Administrative and Financial Manual states that research and legal services for the House shall be provided by permanent and session only employees in the partisan offices of the House as authorized by the Speaker. Take myself, for instance. As a Republican representative, I should be allowed to utilize the House minority research office.

However, I am not allowed to utilize this office unless I participate in the caucus. As a matter of principle, disallowing a House Member from utilizing A partisan research office, regardless of the reason, is withholding a taxpayer funded resource from a duly elected Member.

This is not only wrong at a foundational level, but it further perpetuates the culture that we should be changing at the Legislature. As a matter of practicality, I utilize the Legislative Reference Bureau in lieu of HMIR anyway. But not affording a Member the option to use HMIR as a Republican is an injustice to my constituents.

Therefore, I cannot support funding that presents an inequity for myself as a Republican Member who gladly does not comply with the minority caucus directives. Thank you.

Representative Garcia.

In strong support, please proceed. Just want to thank all the hard. Working Members of the research offices of both parties and LRB for their hard. Work here in the building. Thank you Members.

Any further discussion? Representative Belatti, thank you.

In support, with reservations, please proceed. I also support and thank all of them hard working Members. But I also think it's important that if we hear a Member saying that she she does not receive access to the services that should be duly afforded to all Members, we should listen to that concern.

Thank you Representative Souza. Second time.

Second time. Thank you, Madam Speaker. I also am very thankful. The Legislative Reference Bureau has been wonderful in their support of my endeavors and in also drafting my bills. So thank you to LBR. Thank you also to HMIR for the work that you guys do and to hmso. So being thankful is not the issue here. It's the principle of whether or not a partisan Member can utilize their partisan research office. Thank you.

Still in opposition.

Yes. Thank you.

Thank you Members. Any further discussion on this item? Okay, seeing none. We're going to call for the voice vote. All those in favor please say aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried. Item number six, introduction of resolutions. Mr. Clerk, are there any resolutions for action?

Madam Speaker, there are no resolutions for action. May all others be referred to print so ordered.

Item number seven. Members, are there any announcements? Representative Tam.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today is a very special day. It is World Nutella Day. But it is also special because it is our colleague Rep Lisa Marten's birthday. So can you all join me in wishing her a very happy birthday?

Members, any further announcements? There are no further announcements. The chair would like to remind Members of today's triple referral filing deadline for any bills moving from their first committees to their second committees. In a triple referral, you must file the Committee reports with the Chief Clerk's office by 6pm this evening.

Please allow yourselves and your staff sufficient time to file your reports before this deadline. Members for the motion to adjourn. Representative Morikawa

Madam Speaker, I move that this House stand adjourned until 12:00 noon tomorrow.

Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

All those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. The House stands adjourned until 12 noon tomorrow.