House Floor

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

[Roll call]

Madam Speaker, 48 Members are present. Two are excused.

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?

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 communications returning the noted House Concurrent Resolutions all having been adopted in the Senate.

We are in further receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has reconsidered action in disagreeing to amendments proposed by the House and has agreed to the amendments to the noted Senate bills.

We are in further receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has agreed to the amendments proposed by the House to the noted Senate Concurrent Resolutions. We are in further receipt of communications informing the House of the Senate has appointed conferees to the noted House and Senate bills.

Finally, we are in receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has made changes to conferees to the noted Senate Bill.

Members. Are there any introductions? Representative Kahaloa.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Ms. Madam Speaker. Sorry about that. Today in the gallery my session staff. Is here and I just wanted to acknowledge them today few ladies will stand. We have Maya Sanishi and Mandy Mccarthy. Thank you for all you do this session and welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Marten.

Thank you. In the gallery today we have some proponents fighting child abuse. We have Members of Hawaii Children's Action Network, Prevent Child Abuse, Hawaii Hawaii Children's Trust Fund Coalition and Epochana like to introduce. If you could stand and Please hold your applause to the end My hall. Chevelle Davis, Noreen Cole, Courtney Velasquez and Dana Matsunami.

Welcome to your House of Representatives and Members, if you will note, we have these pinwheels outside on the grounds around the Capitol that are a reminder of our mutual desire to end child abuse through preventive Members measures.

Prevent it from stuff starting in the first place by providing families that are at risk with resources, with community and with training. Thank you very much and welcome.

Members. Any further introductions? Seeing none. We'll move on to the order of the day. Item number five, Reports of Standing Committees. Representative Quinlan.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt Standing Committee reports numbers 2121 through 2124 as listed on pages 1 and 2, and that the accompanying Senate Concurrent Resolutions be adopted. Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion. Members, any discussion on these items beginning with Standing Committee report number 2121. Representative Pierick.

Thank you. No vote.

Top of page two. Report number 2122. Representative Souza, no vote. So ordered. 2123-2124. Representative Garcia, no vote. So ordered. Representative Pierick, thank you, no vote. So ordered.

Representative Matsumoto. Same request. So ordered. Representative Alcos, no vote. So ordered. Representative Shimizu.

Thank you. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition.

Please proceed.

Thank you. Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, colleagues, I stand here in the full belief that we as a body are united in our cause to serve the people of Hawaii in the spirit of unity and cooperation.

Madam Speaker, this resolution's main content does highlight the important issue of addressing the Federal Government use of our state lands and the upcoming renegotiation of leases for these lands. The resolution requests the Attorney General to produce and provide a list of state lands currently leased to the United States Government.

However, included in the resolution is a paragraph that I believe is completely unnecessary and introduces language that I believe is, in my opinion, speculative of one's opinion and stating soundbites without the benefit of a full context. And I believe it ultimately fosters unwanted and undesirable judgment. Division, I referenced the language in the paragraph mentioning the Trump Administration.

We as a body should not be including such disparaging language in our legislation. Our House Rule 28.3 states allusions are critical references to the speaker or Members are not in good order, and it would be my understanding that this would apply to others beyond the speaker or Members, and certainly to the Office of the President.

Additionally, House Rule 62.3 states: Members should treat their fellow House Members, staff and the General public with Respect, courtesy, fairness, equity, dignity and inclusion, regardless of political or religious beliefs in others. Again, I would say that this certainly applies to the office of the President of the United States. I would bet.

And you all know I am totally against gambling. So I use this phrase to make a point that if I or anyone had made some similar remarks referencing Governor Green's Administration and bringing into question something debatable, that would be totally unacceptable and cause much consternation, and rightfully so.

Madam Speaker, we are elected leaders here to serve for the public good and benefit. To be an example which should include respect, honor, cooperation, and most of all, aloha. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Representative Muraoka in opposition.

And can I adopt the previous Speaker's. Words as my own.

So ordered. Representative reyes Oda, reservations. So ordered. Representative Belatti.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, in support. Please proceed. Madam Speaker, I really respect the remarks of the previous two speakers because I think it's important that we do treat each other without disparagement.

I, however, respectfully disagree with his characterization of that whereas clause, because what this resolution does is simply refer to actions that the current Administration has in fact taken through its Executive orders.

I think what should be the focus of this resolution and the reason why so many in both the Senate and the House have supported this, is that we are at a critical time in our state's management over public lands. And so what this resolution is just simply doing is to ask for more information.

In numerous committees throughout this session, there has been questions and many, many questions and many vehicles through which we have asked for this information about federal lands.

And so this, again, with all due respect to my colleague from Moanalua who I have just enjoyed, because I think the conversations have been so important that we've had in our committees.

With all due respect, I support this resolution as a way for us to move forward so that we, we as a state Legislature can determine how to better manage our lands at the time that the military leases are going are to be resolved. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members, Representative Hussey in support. Please proceed.

And with reference and apologies to our colleagues from the minority party, I don't believe that that our House rules would apply to President Trump. He's simply not a Member of our body. Thank you.

Representative Souza, in supporting. Can I have the words from the representative from Waki inserted into the record as my own? So ordered. Thank you. Representative Garcia in opposition. Please proceed.

And I'd like to adopt the words of the representative from Waiʻanae as my own.

So ordered. Representative Shimizu. Second time still in opposition.

Second time still in opposition. Thank you, Madam Speaker. With all due respect to my Chair of Public Safety, and I have high respect for her and want to maintain good relationships with all of our colleagues here I reference the testimony from the Deputy Attorney General who testified in our Committee yesterday regarding this resolution.

And as I state verbatim, the AG has the following comments. Currently, the resolution, in addition to asking for a list of current leases that are leased out to any federal entities, also requests that the AG opine on the legality of both current and potential lease renewals.

The AG understands that with the upcoming expiration of numerous military leases in 2029, there are many questions regarding both renewal and continued leases. This is clearly an important topic with significant legal questions. The current resolution is quite broad in terms of the legal opinion being requested.

The AG's suggestion is that rather than doing this through a resolution, legislators approach the AG after the conclusion of the session with specific legal questions. That way, they can tailor their response and provide better advice and more detail. So there is no question that the body of this resolution is of paramount importance.

And I don't disagree at all. My comment was mainly in opposition to one paragraph. So going back to the testimony from the Deputy Attorney General, which I just stated, that with that important factual testimony.

Madam Speaker, I urge this body to vote no on this resolution and concur with the AG's office, our state's highest legal authority, to rely on their recommendation to have more involved discussions for their office to address, rather than doing it through this resolution. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Members we'll be taking a voice vote. All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried. Item number six, Announcements. Members, are there any announcements? Representative Matayoshi.

She controls your CIP. Like Santa, she has a list of all your needs. If the food is spicy, she stays away. Happy Birthday to the other Rep from Kaneohe.

Happy Birthday, Representative Kitagawa. Members, any additional announcements? Seeing none for the motion to adjourn. Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I move that this House stand adjourned until 11:30am tomorrow.

Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

All those in favor say aye. All those opposed say no. The House stands adjourned until 11:30am tomorrow.