Senate Standing Committee on Hawaiian Affairs

This is the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs. We're at the 1:00 on February 13th here in Conference Room 224. We have two things on our agenda. And before we get started, we are at the deadline right now to get these things wrapped up. This meeting is being streamed live on YouTube.

If we have to stop or take a break for technical difficulties, we will reconvene as quickly as possible to try and get these matters through. I want to remind testifiers you have two minutes for your testimony. If you have submitted written testimony, we have it, we have read it.

You can stand on that just in the interest of time. We appreciate your understanding as we go through this. And with that on the first Measure, Senate Bill 1410 testifier this.

DHHL.

Yeah, DHHL.

Support.

K. Watson. DHHL.

Yeah, called you. Good calling. I know, I was looking for my. Okay, next Kali. Go ahead please.

Good afternoon Kali Watson, with the Department of Hawaiian Homelands Chairman Richards and Vice Chair Aloha. The particular bill is pretty straightforward. You know, we're always wanting the counties who's in better position to maintain this infrastructure to take that over. So this facilitates that transition.

Typically we have a kind of a hard time getting them to take it over. So this not only gives a deadline, but more importantly kind of mandates them too. If we submit the proper application. Application requesting. They're taking it over. They're required to respond in a timely manner.

Okay, thank you Kali. Just might as well sit there. This is a short test of our list. Is there anybody else in the room would like to submit oral testimony it. Do we have anything on or anyone on Zoom for testimony?

Nobody on Zoom. Chair.

Okay, thank you. Open for questions. Seeing none, thank you, Kali. Okay. Moving on to the next on the agenda, Senate Bill 1549, and--all right, Kali. Back up again.

Yes, again, good afternoon. Kali Watson. With respect to Senate Bill 1549, it's always very heartening as well as encouraging, and more importantly, a great reflection on the community when they take the initiative to move forward on projects like this. With the Kanehili Community Association and various parties, they're attempting to get the financing to put in this multi-service center with all kind of nice amenities that really makes the community--you know, it's a place where you want to live because you have all these different things you can participate in.

So this is a way to fund it. We're very supportive of it. Bonding obviously is a more cost-effective way to do it, and so whatever we can do to help facilitate this, we're there to support.

Okay, thank you, Kali. Next on the testifier, I have Iwalani Laybon-McBrayer in the room.

We're gonna have Nadia pass it out to you folks what I have.

Thank you.

Aloha, Chair Richards, Vice Chair Buenaventura, and committee members. I am Iwalani Laybon-McBrayer, Kaupea Homestead Association president, and I'm also with the SCHHA, which stands for Sovereign Council of Hawaiian Homestead Association, Oahu Mokupuni Council. I am here on behalf of Kanehili President Randy Akau who is unable to attend today in his prior commitment, so he has asked me to speak on this Kanehili project that we have worked together since on its inception.

There has been 16 years of a lifetime--a timeline of inclusive and collaborative planning in its Kanehili Homestead Project with the community members.

In 2009, Kanehili was built with 403 homes, representing over 2,000 plus family members that currently reside in the Homestead Community. Two years later in 2011, Kanehili Homestead was created and registered. In the next three years, from 2011 to 14, the community gathered together in the designing and planning of their park.

A year later in 2015, DeBartolo Development, Ed Kobel from the developer of Ka Makana Ali'i and Kapolei provided $500,000 for phase one of the park in Kanehili. In the next four years, in the next four years, in 2019, Kanehili established their 5013c and they engaged with SHADE, a nonprofit, architect Dean Sakamoto, who's here today to help plan phase two.

A year later in 2020, phase one of the park was complete which consisted of a playground, a basketball court, a volleyball court, and some green space and a little picnic table where it was a gathering place. Two years later in 2022, the plan and budget is complete. The Kanehili Homestead Association is ready to build and needs of funding.

Please wrap up.

Yes. Why is this SB 1549 important? This project aligns with two federal laws: the 1921 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act and the 1959 Admissions Act to take on the responsibilities of the beneficiaries on their homeland. This project also--

Thank you. Thank you. Please wrap up.

Thank you, and what I like to say that this--

Thank you. You've had two minutes.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you. All right. Those are the only registered testifiers. Do we have anybody else who would like to speak? Please come up. Happy to do it that way. That's good.

Hi. My name is Patti Tancayo, and I'm a beneficiary of the Hawaiian Homelands Trust, and I want to continue on what Iwalani was saying. Why is Senate Bill 1549 important? Because it aligns with two federal laws and it aligns with the Hawaii State Constitution. This is kind of moving for me, I'm sorry. So sorry.

I always get choked up. I get really choked up on this. Okay. This project aligns with state and federal law. It was created--this trust was created when the Hawaiian people were in peril. Everything was--our people, our language, everything. So this is the state's responsibility, and the Hawaiian Homelands Act is not only about awarding leases, it's about building our community, and this Homestead Community, they've been working on it for 16 years. They're ready. So help them to build their community. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there anybody else in the room that would like to testify? Okay. Seeing none. Senators, questions?

Yes, I do. Okay. Come on up. Since you're--have you raised any monies apart from requesting the state for GO bonds towards this Kanehili community hale?

We have raised 200,000. That was in grant.

Okay. And so that paid for the design that we--that got passed out or--

That was in the first set. We had the 500,000. That was from DeBartolo, from Ed Kobel. We used some of that money for the designs. Yes.

And I think I know the answer to this, but I need to ask. When you folks came up with this design for the Kanehili Community Association, I'm assuming you folks had community engagement?

Yes, community engagement. They established in 2009. In the next four years, they did the park. For the last 16 years, the community has been collaborating, getting meetings, and the little SHADE gives you a little bit pictures of what they did--SHADE that been working with Kanehili Homestead.

Okay, so I'm looking at what was passed out.

And it looks like a design.

Yes.

But I don't see the Hula mound, the laau lapaau garden, the certified kitchen that is stated in your testimony. I don't see that in this design.

Yes.

I think because--

Okay. The Hula mount--okay, excuse me. The Hula mound is there, but where's the laau lapaau garden?

This is the architect.

Okay, architect. Okay, so you passed this out right before you came here. So where's, where's the garden going to be?

Okay, it's the, the--yeah. We have the--if you look at the--this side, the bottom part, that's what we call the lei garden, and then, and then the Hula mound is up here where it's supposed to be. And we have the Iwu Hale, and the community center is here with the red dot because that's what we want to build first.

So the lei garden is going to also double as the laau lapaau garden?

Yes, yes. And then we're planning in the future to have a craft pavilion so the kupuna and keiki can learn how to do that.

And where's the Lua martial arts practice and exercise space? Is that the community center?

Yeah, that can be in the general play area, and then we also have an area for Native Hawaiian games up in the--it's not marked on the map, but it's near a splash pad. There's no swimming pool because, you know, we'll get rocks in a swimming pool.

If I may, again, my name is Dean Sakamoto, and I represent SHADE Institute, which is a nonprofit public interest design foundation. We work with other 501[c3]s to help them to do the planning and design portion, and a big part of how we work is we, we do community engagement.

So over the past, since 2020, we've had like three versions of workshops and we have, you know, we had huis, like from different stakeholders, interests, like people interested in the crafts, people interested in sports, and--was it four of them?--and culture and recreation. That's the four. And they would all come up with ideas and we--you know, this plan was basically the result of all those workshops. We did it through Covid too. We did hybrid and in-person with masks.

Thank you. Thank you, and, like the prior witness said, I'm, I'm impressed but I wanted to make sure that everything she said was actually designed into this. Thank you.

Yes, you're welcome.

Okay, thank you. Any other questions? Senator Fevella.

Can you, can you just share with the committee on the networking that you guys do in Kanehili with Akau Jodi, Security Watch so they can understand how engaged that pretty much every single member of the community is?

We are, we are very engaged, Kanehili Community, as Senator says. When we go about and doing our neighborhood watch, it's 60 plus, and we, you know, combine other communities. Even the waitlist we're able to put in their mana'o on this, so Senator is always with the Homestead Community, so yes, they really engage. And from Kaupea, they're actually showing us how the planning and building would do for future projects on Homestead.

Chad Khan is one of our advisors. Also, I encourage you guys to use the QR code. You can find out more about the project. You scroll down, you'll see all the workshops. Everything is there back down to 2019. It was the first idea when I met Iwalani and Jodi.

2016.

Oh, 2016? Yeah.

We don't have time for a talk story. Sorry. Yeah. Okay. Senators, any other questions? Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. All right, I'm ready to roll into decision making. All right. On Senate Bill 1410, it's recommendation of the chair to pass as is Vice Chair for the vote.

[Roll Call]

Thank you. And on subject Senate Bill 1549, it is recommendation of Chair to pass as is SB 1549.

Chair's recommendation is to pass unamended with the excused absence of Senator Ihara. Are there any reservations? Are there any? No, seeing none. Chair recommendation has been adopted.

We're at the end of our agenda. We are adjourned.

This is the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs for the 1:10pm agenda on Thursday, February 13th. We have one, we have one bill on the agenda, Senate Bill 903. Essentially, this is a housekeeping bill and the intent is to create a vehicle to allow for funding of OHA. The current working group will be sunsetting.

And what this does is allows the funding to go forward for OHA. There's a proposed senate draft one. And it's the chair's recommendation for this initial public decision making meeting that will pass this bill with amendments and recommit back to Hawaiian Affairs Committee. The amendments are to insert the contents of the proposed senate draft one. Yeah. And again, this is a housekeeping bill.

[ROLL CALL]

Thank you, Vice Chair. We stand adjourned.

Good afternoon. We're convening the joint committees on Transportation and Culture and the Arts and Committee on Hawaiian affairs. On our 1:15pm agenda here in State Capital Conference Room 224, we have two measures up. The first is Senate Bill 614, relating to Hawaiian Independence Day.

We'll be asking folks to keep their comments to one minute so we have time to get through to everybody. And testifying first on SB 614 is the Office of Collective Bargaining.

Chair, we stand on our testimony providing comments.

Thank you. We also have testimony on opposition from Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies and support from Office of Hawaiian Affairs as well as the Association for Hawaiian Civic Clubs. And online testifying would be Reece Flores. Good afternoon.

Hi. Good afternoon. Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and Members of the Committee. [Hawaiian]. My name is Reese Flores and I am a student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Social Work.

I also currently work at Windward Community College mentoring first year students one on one to help them transition into college and the workforce. I am submitting testimony in strong support of SB 614, which would make Hawaiian Independence Day an observed state holiday. I grew up in Hawaii my entire life, but was unaware of much of our true history.

And as I got older, I began researching Hawaii's past and the true nature of how we became a state. What I learned was eye opening and disheartening. As a Kanaka Maoli, I find this to be an important part of our history that deserves recognition.

We should be reminded that our ancestors fought and sought Independence to keep our nation sovereign. However, despite their efforts, Hawaii was illegally occupied by the American government, leading many to forget our previous independence from the British.

A common argument I hear today is that Hawaii would have been taken over eventually, but in reality, we were recognized as a sovereign state by the British. Honoring this as a state holiday would help restore this lost history and educate the keiki of this ʻāina.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Up next is Beighlee Parlor Brook Vidinha. I apologize. I probably just butchered that.

You said it completely right. Thank you. Aloha Mai Kakou Chair Members of the Committee, my name is Beighlee Vidinha and I'm a social work student at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I'm here to support Bill SB 614 in establishing Lā Kūʻokoʻa, or Hawaiian Independence Day as an observed state holiday.

As a Kanaka Maoli, I think it is extremely detrimental to put in all efforts into cultural preservation and protection. When it comes to Native Hawaiian practices, history and observations, it is crucial for us to recognize our gained Independence and honor our history and sovereignty.

If we can honor Statehood Day and American Independence Day as state or federal holidays, we can honor Lā Kūʻokoʻa, an important indication of our Independence and sovereignty as people. Our history is our future and we are forever in debt to the greatness that comes with being a part of the Luhui of Hawaii.

This is a part of our identity as sovereign people before our identities as American citizens. Establishing Lā Kūʻokoʻa as an observed state holiday recognizes our joys and our patriotisms as Native Hawaiians in our own homeland.

By ensuring November 28th is recognized across the state by those who reside in our birthplace, you're honoring the history of those whose land you reside on. At the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Specifically, within our social work program, we.

Ask you to summarize your time is.

Oh, okay. Yeah. So in support of Lā Kūʻokoʻa being passed.

Thank you very much. We have additional testimony from 33 individuals that's been submitted, but that is everyone who had signed up to testify in person. Is there anyone else wishing to testify this afternoon? Please come forward. Good afternoon.

My time is up. Aloha. Chair and Senators. My name is Kimmer Horsen, and I support this bill. SB614, establishing a Hawaiian Independence Day would help educate the youth of Hawaii that the Hawaiian Kingdom is still here in full effect, but under belligerent US Military occupation.

Rather than teaching that Hawaii willingly entered in the Treaty of Annexation, the Ku'e petitions would still be honored and the queen's wishes for independence kept.This holiday, sorry, this holiday would also help educate newcomers and tourists alike that Hawaii is independent, entire country of its own, like the Kingdom of Tonga. All right.

Because of its executive agreements. Okay, let me. Public schools and charter schools can happily celebrate the Hawaiian Kingdom's independent status collaboratively with the US While US Military deoccupation progresses. A bill for terminating Statehood Day would also be wise. As a suggestion. This is a step in the right direction for true Hawaiian Kingdom Independence. Mahalo.

Thank you very much. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on SB 614? Seeing none. Are there any questions? I don't believe we have anyone here from DNF. Alright. Oh, Chair.

Sorry. The Collective Bargaining, please.

Good afternoon.

After you identify yourself again.

Wilbert Holck. I'm with the Office of Collective Bargaining and I'm the Chief Negotiator.

Okay. Thank you. Just, do you have a estimate of what this might cost?

No, I don't.

Okay. All right. Thank you.

I can get it for you, though.

Yeah. Would you please encirculate it to the chair and we'll give it to the Committee? Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

Okay. Any further questions? Seeing none. Let's move on to the next measure on the agenda. Senate Bill 1051, relating to Hawaiian History Month. We have written testimony submitted from eight individuals, all in support. That's all the testimony we have. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on SB 1051?

Aloha, Chair and Senators. My name is Kimmer Horson. I fully support this measure, SB 1051, because the true history of the overthrow, the Big Five, the belligerent U.S. military occupation, how Queen Lili Okalani yielded to U.S. military superiority and how she saved many lives, including U.S. service members, by not going to war with the United States Military is pertinent to the Hawaii experience.

In this manner, residents and tourists alike will learn what really happened and be able to determine their own conclusions about the history, rather than the inaccurate, you know, accounting from American public schools and Treaty of Annexation that doesn't even exist.

This is a step in the right direction and long overdue. I hope that all textbooks, even, that teach that Hawaii is the 50th state, is also terminated or canceled or announced as false information or fake news. Mahalo.

Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on SB 1051? Seeing none. Are there any questions? Seeing none. All right, thank you. That's the end of our agenda. The committees are ready to go straight into decision making. Up first is Senate Bill 614, relating to Hawaiian Independence Day.

Like to recommend moving this forward with amendments, with technical amendments, and adding in a defective date, which will hopefully give us time in the next Committee to get, I think, some of the questions answered that were asked. So, any discussion on that?

Yeah. Chair, real quick. I'm going to be moving this forward and making the same recommendation you are. I do want it reflected in the Committee reports that I am concerned about the financial side.

Anyone else? If not, Vice Chair for the vote.

[Roll Call]

Thank you. Moving on to Senate Bill 1050. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

It's alright. We're trying to get through the agendas. On the Senate Bill 614, for the Committee on Hawaiian Affairs, same recommendation. Chair votes "Aye."

[Roll Call]

Thank you. Thank you. Now, we're moving on to Senate Bill 1051 relating to Hawaiian History Month. Similarly, we'd like to move this forward, passing with amendments, just adding in a defective date. Any discussion? Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

[Roll Call]

Okay. And for the Committee of Hawaiian Affairs, same recommendation, pass with the defective date. Vice Chair for the vote.

[Roll Call]

Thank you. Thank you very much.

We are at a—we're out. Return same time.