House Floor

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

[Roll Call]

Excused.

[Roll Call]

Here.

Madam Speaker, 49 members are present. One is excused.

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

Madam Speaker, I move we dispense with the reading of the journal of the 15th through the 39th days and approve the same as though read through Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

It has been moved and seconded that the journal days 15 through 39 be approved. Any discussion? If not, all those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried. 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?

Yes. Madam Speaker, if you and the members will turn your attention to the addendum to today's order of the day. We are in receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has disagreed to the amendments proposed by the House to the noted Senate bills.

We are in further receipt of communications returning the noted house bills, all having passed third reading in the Senate.

Representative Todd.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt. I move to disagree to the amendments made by the Senate to house bills returned to the House with senate drafts.

Any discussion? Members, we will be taking a voice vote. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried. Members, are there any introductions? Representative Ilagan.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Thank you. Madam Speaker. Quickly, I want to highlight a constituent of mine all the way from Puna. The young little Tucker. Actually, Hayden is an amazing young man. And he's no longer, he's no longer a little boy and he's grown into a very talented man.

So I just want to introduce him, and please, members, let's welcome him to our House of Representatives. Madam Speaker, I actually wanted to do an introduction. Would you allow me to do two more?

Please proceed.

Thank you. Members, I actually wanted to introduce to you a very important group of people because today is the startup tech day, and they're here to advocate for startups. Madam Speaker, as your leadership, I wanted to have a panel of women in tech. And today they are here, and I want to introduce the board, women in tech.

If you could please stand up. Margaret, Sandra, Jennifer, Kia, Meta, Cindy, Rani. And if I didn't call your name, please stand up. Madam Speaker, this group of people have advocated for women, and they have organized a panel of women today at 10 to 11.

And I want to introduce the panel before we give them a round of applause. In the panel, we have Joelle, Christine, Ogla, Nicole. These amazing and incredible women led a panel today in tech and shared and inspired other young girls and others who's interested in tech to be in tech.

Please let's welcome them to our House of Representatives. You may sit down. The other group is Alda Startups that came here today from one to four. They're gonna be upstairs at the fourth floor. Please visit them. We have Trung, Kai, Amberlynn, Vincent, Sandy, Kat, Panu, Benson, Samantha. If I didn't call your name, please rise.

These incredible visionaries and entrepreneurs are here to share how they're solving the challenges we have in our state. Please, let's welcome them to our House of Representatives. And finally, Madam Speaker, we have our Chamber of Commerce who I've worked very well with, and they have allowed us to share a lot of things in tech and business.

If I could please introduce to you Sherry, Tonga, McKenna, Lord. And of course, our own representative's lovely wife, Nadia. And if I didn't call your name, please rise, please. Members, let's welcome them to our House of Representatives. Thank you.

I know I'm cutting through my quota, but I just want to quickly address one family of business owners father and son duo. We have Sean. Please rise. He is the face of this start language access app. And I want to also have his father, who is the backbone and does the coding.

I forgot his name, so I can't tell you his name, but I really wanted to introduce them because they're here to see how we work. And thank you for being here. Members, let's welcome them to our House of Representatives.

Representative Morikawa.

Thank you.

So ordered.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I see in the stands students and the principal from Kauai Charter School, Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha. Can you stand and be recognized? Come on. Madam Speaker, may I have permission to enter their names into the journal?

Representative Iwamoto.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to recognize a business leader in my district in Kaka'ako. Nam Vu, he is the head of the the hub coworking spaces, was the entrepreneurial sandbox. Thank you. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Keohokapu-Lee Loy.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Native Hawaiian Caucus Chair, along with the good representative from District 5. And in addition to our Native Hawaiian public charter school school from Ke Kula Niihau O Kekaha, we also have more haumana from our charter schools.

And if you could please rise when I call your school, we have Kanu O'Ka Aina, Waimea Middle Public Conversion Charter School, Kekula Mihau O Keaukaha. If you could stand again, along with my favorite charter school, Ka 'Umeke Ka'eo Public Charter School from Hilo. Members, haumana, our po'okumus, and our hopepo'okumus, welcome to the House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, permission to enter their names into the journal.

So ordered. Representative Holt.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The National Conference of State Legislators was created by state legislators and legislative staff in 1975. It serves America's 50 states, commonwealths, territories, and the District of Columbia. In the gallery today. Joining us is Martha Saenz. Can you please stand?

Martha is Associate Director of the Women's Legislative Network, the Quad Caucus, and she oversees the State of Hawaii. Martha Saenz leads strategic programs and events designed to serve targeted members. With her this morning, visiting our Capitol is her sister, Luisa Garcia, and niece, Adelita Blan. Please stand.

And members, may we please welcome them to our House of Representatives. And just as a reminder, Madam Speaker, NCSL is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, and we look forward to seeing everybody in Boston.

Thank you. Representative Reyes Oda.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I see in the gallery that just walked in we have my friend Lillian Shaw, who is the a teacher at Kawananakoa Intermediate and also the Honolulu Government Relations Member for the Committee. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Anyone else? Okay, let's move on to the order of the day. Item number five. Excuse me. Move on to the adjournment. Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I move that this.

Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me. Order of the day. Item number five. Announcements. Members, are there any announcements? Representative Ichiyama.

Thank you, Madam.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Just wanted to send out a brief reminder about our Easter basket drive. Will be tomorrow, Friday after session in the retenda, please bring your baskets down following the end of the house floor session. And we'll be having pictures with our Easter bunny and chick to be announced. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Any other announcements? Representative Ilagan.

Members, on the fourth floor, we have the Capital Connect Hawaii Stack Ecosystem. It starts from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please check it out. Thank you.

Representative Morikawa.

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

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 tomorrow.