House Floor

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

[Roll Call]. Madam Speaker, 49 members are present, 2 are excused.

Thank you. Item number two, reading of the journal; Representative Morikawa.

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?

Yes, Madam Speaker, we're in receipt of Governor's message number eight, transmitting proposed changes to the fiscal biennium 2025-2027 Executive Budget. May this matter be received and filed.

So, ordered. Item number four, Senate communications. Mr. Clerk, are there any Senate communications?

Yes, Madam Speaker. We're in receipt of a communication returning the noted House Bill, having passed third reading in the Senate.

Members, are there any introductions? Representative Peruso.

Madam Speaker, I'd like to first introduce one of my constituents. If you would please rise. Dean Osorio is a relatively new member of our community, but we are very honored to have you both in the community and in your House of Representatives today. Thank you for joining us.

Madam Speaker, I would also like to introduce the Youth of the Year finalist, Mikaela Kopakowski from the US Army Garrison. If you're here, please rise. Thank you. So, she is the Hawaii Child and Youth Services Bennett Youth Center Awardee. She's a Leilehua High School senior and she's accompanied by her parents, Veronica Kopakowski and Michael Kopakowski.

If you could stand to be recognized, along with the Youth Director, Luz Sharon, Youth Administrator Corinne Burns. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Morikawa.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. All the way from the island of Kauai, we are happy to introduce our Boys and Girls Club under the guidance and leadership of Tina Albao. If you could stand, Tina; right in Kauwai. And then members of the Club: David Braman, Nainoa Hirokane, Michaela Alcaraz, and Tessa'd Kuchu-Sheldon. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Muraoka.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to introduce from the Waianae Boys and Girls Club, some Students of the Year candidates. When I call your name, please stand: Shanda Fernandez, Matthew Masaya Cargo, and Cecilia Teixeira. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Templo. Excuse me, Representative Templo.

Thank you, Speaker. In the audience, members, I'm happy to recognize the Adult Friends for Youth. So, in the gallery, we have the President and CEO, Ms. Debbie Spencer Chan. Please, please stand. We have Ms. Titi Takai, Director of Redirectional Services, and Ms. Lisa Tomoshiro, Director of Operations and Special Programs.

So, since 1986, Adult Friends for Youth has devoted passion, energy and resources to provide healthy alternatives to gang membership, violence and school facilities. So, with their 39 years of service, they're really an organization that's been doing boots on the ground services for our youth especially. And I'm just happy that they're here.

And welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Ilagan.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have a part one of part two introduction. And our first introduction, today is actually Manufacturing and Innovation Day. And I have the honor to introduce to you the organizers. I want to start off with HTDC, the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation. If we could please stand.

If the Interim Director, her name is Sandi Kanemori. And then we have also Wayne Inouye. He's the MEP Center Director for Innovate Hawaii with HTDC. Can we please give them a round of applause? The other organizer is the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. And we have the fearless leader, Sherry Menor, the President and CEO.

If you could please stand. And we have, to her left is Tonga Hopoi. She's the VP for Economic Development, Government Community Relations. And also, all the way to her far right, far, far right is Nicole Monton. She's the Communications Director. As you can tell, she's doing the video.

There will be a part two for this introduction, but for now, can we please welcome the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii to the Hawaii House of Representatives. Madam Speaker, I yield to the previous ECD chair.

Representative Holt.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Somebody was mysteriously left out up there of the hardworking chamber team. She's been working very hard for the Manufacturing Day and many other causes up. My beautiful wife, Nadia Holt, if you may stand. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Miyake.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I wanted to introduce the candidates for 2025 Boys and Girls Club from Maui. If the Maui candidates can please rise along with the staff, Darnell and Casey. Welcome to your House of Representative, Madam Speaker, may their names be inserted in the general.

Thank you.

So ordered.

Are there any further introductions? Representative Kila.

Mahalo, Madam Speaker. I am privileged to introduce to you folks amazing members from the Nanakuli Boys and Girls Club. Ladayna Aranas is one of the not just candidates, she is also one of the three finalists representing the Nanakuli Boys and Girls Club.

And accompanying her is Kekoa Tupua, the nephew of the office manager for the good representative from Hilo. Colleagues, please join me in welcoming them to the House of Representatives.

Representative Reyes Oda.

Thank you, Speaker. For many of us who have come up through the ranks in the neighborhood boards, we are always thankful for the neighborhood assistance that we have in our room. So, if my former neighborhood assistant and still current assistant to the Ewa neighborhood board, please rise. Jeffrey Jones: welcome to the House of Representatives.

Representative Cochran.

Thank you, Speaker. And I just wanted to highlight that we have Kyle Thomas and Ehelei from Lahaina with Boys and Girls Club awardees. So, I just want to add an extra - please stand, guys, so you can be recognized. Welcome to your House of Representative. And also congratulate them. And also, Adult Leader Destiny. Thank you so much.

Thanks for coming all this way. I know it's a truck from Maui and Lahaina. Mahalo.

Representative Cochran.

Yeah. And one more introduction. Thank you. We'll have a big presentation in a few seconds, but I also want to introduce Commander Khan, who I believe is in the gallery here too. So, she's with our wonderful - here she is with the wonderful Lei. And thank you for being here, Commander. I appreciate all your bravery and hard work too. Speak more about it. Thank you. Aloha.

Representative Muraoka.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. You know, I forgot to mention Coach Raymond Berdon. It's leaders like that that help guide our children into the programs and the success that they're going to run into. Thank you. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

If there are no further introductions, let's move on to the order of the day: item number five, floor presentations. Mr. Clerk, are there any floor presentations?

Yes, Madam Speaker. We have one floor presentation today. House Resolution number 213, commending the US Coast Guard station Maui for its courageous response to the Lahaina Wildfire. This resolution is offered by Representative Cochran.

Representative Cochran.

Mahalo. Madam Speaker and I move to adopt the resolution.

Representative Amato.

Thank you, Speaker. I second the motion.

It has been moved and seconded. That the resolution be adopted. Any discussion, Representative Cochran?

Yeah. Thank you, Madam Speaker. And today I am most honored, really, to recognize these outstanding members of the Coast Guard Station Maala, Maui, for their courage and exemplary service during and after the wildfires that destroyed Lahaina town in August 2023.

Despite perilous wind gusts of more than 50 knots and two to three foot sea swells, with Hurricane Dora passing on the south, oppressive smoking heat emanating from Lahaina and surrounded by imminent danger, Coast Guard. Sorry.

Cost Guard Station Maui rescued 17 individuals from the ocean, assisted in evacuation of approximately 40 individuals along the shoreline, coordinating with Maui Fire Department and DLNR, and then over the following weeks removed more than 90 burned vessels obstructing Lahaina Harbor and removed over 10,000 gallons of petroleum products from the marine environment.

This is taking me back to that day. Really sorry. We're delighted to have four of these Coast Guard Members here from Maui. Please welcome to the house of Representative Botswain Mate 2nd Class Kaleope Guth, whose hometown is Lahaina. And I also know mom and dad, Patrick and Naomi. They're just wonderful.

And I'm sure your parents are so proud. Thank you for being here. Also Machinery Technician 2nd Class Mason Anthony, hailing from Bel Verde, Texas. Mahalo for your service. Petty Officer Cleop Guth and Petty Officer Mason Anthony were the first Coast Guard response boat to deploy to the scene.

They stood on the weather deck to look out for people in the water with zero visibility conditions. First they encountered one person stranded on a sailboat, the first rescue. Then they entered Lahaina harbor with more than 80 vessels engulfed in flames.

Yet amidst the blazing fires with hot embers hitting them in the face, Petty Officer Anthony and Petty Officer Guth rescued seven people on the breakwall by throwing a heaving line through the darkness. Yelling through the intense noise for each person to hold on, they carefully pulled their survivors to safety.

They assisted in recovering two people from the pier. And out in the mooring field, they helped find recovered two more passengers hailing for help from a boat.

During this last rescue, Petty Officer Mason Anthony as engineer played a critical role in assessing an unusual vibration coming from the the starboard engine, making recommendations to coxswain to maneuver safely and troubleshoot the cause. They ultimately recommended that they return to the station to Maalaya for repairs.

And during the one and a half hour transit back to station, Petty Officer Kaleope Guth played a critical role in physically assessing, comforting the 12 survivors on board, all of whom were experiencing symptoms of smoke inhalation and severe mental distress duress. Mahalo you guys. Wasn't easy for you folks too.

Then, also from Texas free friends with Texas Electrician Mate 2nd Class Nicholas Smith. Petty Officer Nick Smith volunteered to serve as a liaison aboard Trilogy to a sailing catamaran. Acting as a Good Samaritan vessel, he played a key role in coordinating a rescue plan for people stranded along the shoreline. 40 people were evacuated.

He also deployed deployed a dedicated off duty lifeguard and a Coast Guard Member, Petty Officer Joshua Marzili, who unfortunately is not in attendance today. These two bravely swam beyond reef to rescue four individuals including two children whom Petty Officer Smith ensured they reunited with their parents. Missionary Technician 2nd Class George Chihara, also hailing from Lahaina like Ms.

Guth and I know his dad really well. Walter Chihara and mom are such heroes in our community too. And in the first 72 hours of the wild fire, Petty Officer George Chihara coordinated with US Coast Guard search and rescue units, Fire Department, Ocean rescue and numerous Good Samaritan vessels to seamlessly ensure impeccable communication and collaboration amongst them all.

He worked long hours for several weeks battling fatigue, tenaciously maintain comprehensive search coverage and enforce 6 nautical mile safety zone. He not only contributed directly to the rescue of the 17 individuals, but also to the extraction of 90 plus vessels from Lahaina harbor and removal of over 10,000 gallons of petroleum products.

Mahalo to all of you for continuously keeping our communities safe and for the help you did during that very horrific day, which I was a part of too and know exactly what you saw and felt. Not quite as intense, but I also.

Madam Speaker, if I may, I want to just say how this entire resolution and honoring you folks came to be. I was this past Christmas at Joint Hickam Joint Air Force Base at a Christmas party at Admiral Sam Papo's home.

And representative from District 1440 was there along with the good friend Faith Chase of Reuse Hawaii and talking to Rear Admiral Fred Regan and ended up finding out that he is the. He was the head of the U.S. Coast Guard nationwide all of the orientation and oceania.

And at that time I had heard right after the fires that Coast Guards are not allowed to jump into the water to save someone. I'm like, that can't possibly be. But since I have your Rear Admiral in front of me, I'm going to ask you that question, which I did.

And his response was yes, they are not allowed by protocol. I'm like, wait, what? Please explain. So he explained the story of these heroic men and women during the line of fire and how they had gotten in on their own. You know, they made that decision going against protocol. Yes.

But knowing that they could safely save people and come out safely themselves. So the Coast Guard obviously did not reprimand them, but gave them the highest awards given to people in non combat.

So I applaud them again for making that split second decision, putting their lives on the line, but saving people and themselves to at the same time.

And the other thing I want to thank, Maalaya Coast Guard in particular is that every Christmas they deliver a thousand presents to the island of Molokai for the Salvation Army Angel Tree program. So thank you folks. I didn't realize, but I'm like, you know, we need to know more about the community efforts you do for us.

So thank you, thank you for that. And lastly, on the federal level, Cutter Stone took off over half $1.0 billion worth of drugs off our oceans and streets. So on the federal level, nationwide, the U.S.

Coast Guard really, really just has so much accolades and successes going on daily, not just here in our maritime borders and waters, but all the way up into the Arctic area which I've been tracking. So mahalo, mahalo again for all your service and this is the least we can do. So thank you for being there for us.

Representative Cochran. Oh, Representative Amato.

Thank you. Madam Speaker, I rise in support.

Please proceed.

It is also my privilege to honor our Coast Guard, a service that plays a crucial role in maritime safety, security and environmental protection.

After the Maui wildfires, many of us here met with the Coast Guard in Lahaina harbor, right next to a building I used to work at that had burned down. They were there working diligently to safely restore our harbors and protect our water.

They literally went the extra nautical mile to prevent burning burned sunken vessels from polluting our ocean and reefs. For that service, I am truly grateful. After that, concurrent with storms that caused repeated, devastating flooding in my district, we had multiple shipwrecks in South Maui. There was imminent danger of oil and fuel spills on our pristine beaches.

DLNR and DOBOR had no answers and no information to share. So I reached out directly to the Honolulu Coast Guard commander. The Guard under her command were highly skilled, responsive, and helped us navigate these potential disasters. They kept me brief daily and used their training to minimize the environmental impact.

My hat is off to the Coast Guard commander and her outstanding staff, some of whom are here today.

We don't think about the Coast Guard when we talk about our good friends in the Asian Pacific region, like, like Japan, our allies in Taiwan or threats to Members of the Association of Southeast Asian nations like our good friends in the Philippines. But the Coast Guard also helps train many of our allies.

Given the degradation of NOAA and the EPA by the current Administration. Personally, the Coast Guard is the first federal service I think of when I think about ocean environmental protection in keeping critical economic drivers like responsible ocean tourism safe. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate and honor the outstanding service by our friends from the Coast Guard.

Mahalo, Madam Speaker. I yield to the Representative for District 14.

Representative Cochran.

Madam Speaker, at this time I just want to say continue support and I guess vote and we can do a certificate.

Perfect. Members, we will be taking a voice vote on this resolution commending the US Coast Guard Station Maui. All those in favor say aye. The motion is carried. Representative Cochran, please proceed with the certificate and lay presentation. The chair will call a recess to allow the Members of the House to meet and congratulate the honorees.

Recess. Will the House come to order? Item number six, reports of standing committees. Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt standing committee report numbers 1519 through 1554. As listed on pages 2 through 12 and that the accompanying House Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions as may be amended, be referred to their designated committees.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Members, we will be taking up discussion of companion measures in tandem, beginning with HSCR numbers 1519 and 1520. Any discussion? 1521 and 1522. Representative Souza.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support.

Please proceed.

As a Villages of Kapolei resident for over three decades, this is an important resolution. It's been decades, obviously since the inception of the villages years ago under the Waihee Administration that the roads would eventually be transferred over to the city from HHFDC.

And it's about time that that happens so that our roadways can be under the jurisdiction of the City and County of Honolulu and HPD can enforce the traffic code on those roadways. And also, so that the overgrown areas with shrubbery and. And grass which poses a threat to the safety of our residents.

It blocks vision in a lot of the different roadways, and it also causes an eyesore for residents. We need consistency and maintenance of the Villages of Kapolei in its entirety. And this bill urging the - I'm sorry, this resolution, urging the Hawaii House Housing Finance and Development Corporation to continue working with the City and County of Honolulu to efficiently transfer the roads within the villages of Kapolei to the City and County of Honolulu will be the start so that the Villages of Kapolei residents can finally get their due. Thank you.

Moving on to the top of page three, standing committee report number 1523, 1524, 1525. Moving on to top of page four, standing committee report number 1526, 1527, 1528. At the top of page five, standing committee report number 1529 and 1530. On the top of page six, standing committee report 1531 and 1532. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered.

Representative Muraoka.

No vote.

So, ordered. Representative Alcos.

Same request.

So, ordered. Representative Ray Souza - Ray Oda.

Reservations.

So, ordered. Representative Kila

Hello Madam Speaker; reservations, please.

So, ordered. Representative Shimizu.

Same request

So, ordered. Representative Matsumoto.

Reservations.

So, ordered. Representative Kong.

No vote.

So, ordered. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

So, order. Representative Lamosao.

With reservations. Thank you.

So, ordered. Representative Cochran.

Same recommendation.

So, ordered. Let's move on to standing committee report 1533 and 1534. Okay.

Moving on to the top of page seven, standing committee report 1535 and 1536. Standing committee report 1537 and 1538. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So, ordered. Representative Muraoka.

Same request.

So, ordered. Moving on to the top of page 8, standing committee report 1539 and 1540. Top of page 9, standing committee report numbers 1541 and 1542.

Standing committee report 1543 and 1544. At the top of page 10, standing committee report numbers 1545 and 1546. 1547 and 1548. Top of page 11, standing committee report 1549 and 1550. Representative Garcia.

Reservations.

So, ordered. Signing committee report 1551 and 1552. Top of page 12, standing committee report 1553 and 1554.

Okay, members, we will be taking a voice vote. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried. Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt standing committee report numbers 1555 and 1563 as listed, or through, 1563 as listed on pages 12 through 14, and that the accompanying House Resolutions and House Concurrent Resolutions as may be amended be adopted.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Members, we will be taking up discussion of companion measures in tandem, beginning with HSCR numbers 1555 and 1556. 1557 and 1558. 1559 and 1560. 1561 and 1562. 1563. Okay, members, we will be taking a voice vote. All those in favor, say aye. All those opposed, say no.

The motion is carried. Item number seven, announcements. Members, are there any announcements? Representative Garcia.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Just a reminder to all of us here: members and staff as well, that the minority caucus has set outside on the parlor area on the makai side, a area to record any video sentiments that you would like to share with Representative Ward; it will be compiled and sent to the family soon. So, again, they will be there for two hours following the adjournment of this floor session. Thank you.

Thank you. Representative Matsumoto.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Today is a special day, because we have not one but two birthdays in our caucus. We learned that they were born on the same day in the same year nine hours apart, but you can ask who's older. If we can just give a happy birthday to Representative Muraoka and Representative Reyes Oda: happy birthday.

Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. For the motion to adjourn, Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker I move that this House stand adjourned until 12:00 o'clock noon, Thursday.

Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

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