Senate Floor

Will the Senate please come to order? Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

[Roll call]

Thank you. The chairs read the journal of the preceding day and approves the same. Are there any introductions this morning, senator Chang?

Thank you very much, mister president. You all met, our intern, Ella Matsui, this morning, a proud Kalani High School graduate in attendance in the gallery today. We have several members of her family here to support her. Grandma Catherine, please stand, a long time employee of the US Army at Fort Shafter. We have grandpa Oh, and if you can hold your applause until the end.

We have grandpa Greg, a veteran of the United States military who received a Purple Heart after serving in the Vietnam War. Thank you for your service. Father Tyson who is a history teacher at Kalani High School. Mother Tracy who is an educator at Luna Lillo Elementary School. Brother Tristan a student at Kalani High School.

And best friend CJ a future educator majoring in education at All of them except grandpa went to Kalani High School and they are accompanied today by our office manager Ruben Sierra, our legislative assistant Zephany Smith Eisenstadt, and our committee clerk Casey Shoji. Thank you so much, and welcome to the Senate.

Thank you, Senator Chang. I guess, very appropriate contemplator and family for education week. Further introductions, Senator Kidani.

Thank you, mister president. Today marks the second day of our 2026 Senate education week program, And I am pleased to welcome the remarkable honorees joining us. The accomplishments of our students are made possible through the encouragement and guidance of a strong school community. And today's recognition reflects excellence across many parts of that community. This afternoon, we are honored to recognize both the dedicated professionals who support our schools and the outstanding students who represent the future of our state.

Today's awards highlight excellence across our education community, including the Charter School Teacher of the Year, the Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, the US Senate Youth Program delegates, and recipients of the Hawaii Association of School Librarians Awards. Together, these honorees exemplify the commitment, leadership, and achievements that strengthen education in Hawaii. Today, I have the privilege of recognizing our first honoree of the day from District 18, the 2026 United States Senate Youth Program Delegate, Lotus Yesuda. Lotus, please stand to be recognized. Lotus serves as Waipahu High School's student government president, as well as Hawaii State student council chairperson representing over 165,000 public and charter school students across the islands.

She collaborates with student leaders to organize the annual secondary student conference and student leadership conference to strengthen students' legislative knowledge and leadership skills. Lotus is on track to earn her associate degree in liberal arts from Leeward Community College this May. She plans to continue her education in environmental studies and international relations, aspiring to make a meaningful impact through public service and global sustainability efforts. Please join me in congratulating and congratulating Lotus and welcoming her guests in the gallery, her parents, Monica and Chris and her sister Skye. Are you here?

Please stand. Her grandparents, Keiko, Richard and Naomi, As well as Waipahu high school's principal Zachary Sheets and complex area superintendent Richard Foggardo and principal Matthew assistant principal Matthew Mitsuyuki. Thank you for joining us today. I now yield the floor to the senator from District 1.

Senator Inouye?

Mahalo, mister president, and mahalo to you, senator Kidani. I'm proud to join you in recognizing excellence in education during this week's Senate education week. I am thrilled to recognize the awardee who lives in my district, the 2026 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, Judith Elise Hannigan. Elise, may you please tend to be recognized? Elise is the Freshman Academy Coordinator and Senior Mentor Teacher at Keaau High School, Of course, in the district of our dear colleague here, Senator San Buenaventura.

And she's also proud of you as well, Elise, where she has dedicated the last thirteen years of her career. After teaching English for eleven years, she now focuses on supporting freshmen, helping to create a welcoming and inclusive environment as students transition to high school. Since taking on this role, the school has been seen a notable drop in ninth grade retention rates, and the Freshman Academy has earned certification as a model academy from the National Career Academy Coalition. This year, Elise's exceptional dedication and impact have been recognized with two prestigious honors. In addition to being the 2026 Hawaii State Teacher of the Year, She was also named as Hawaii's district Kau Keau Pahoa Complex Area Teacher of the Year.

Please join me in congratulating Elise Hannigan on her outstanding achievements and welcoming her husband in the gallery, Chris Hannigan. Please stand to be recognized as well. Mahalo, Elise. You may be seated. I now yield the floor to the senator from District 6.

Senator McElveen.

Thank you very much, mister president. I today have the honor of recognizing on behalf of myself, senator Coit and senator Hashimoto, an awardee of my district as a 2026 United States Senate Youth Program delegate, Anna Nguyen. Can you please stand? At Maui Preparatory Academy, Anna serves as National Honor Society President, Model UN Co President, Student Senate Treasurer, Admissions Ambassador, and founding member of Mock Trial. And Mock Trial, she has earned eight outstanding attorney awards and advanced to the state finals.

She's also a two time legal eagle b Hawaii champion and recently delivered a keynote address at a statewide policy conference. As a policy fellow with Housing Hawaii's future and a researcher's Maui zoning code and its impact on housing, advocating for meaningful reform, we needed you in Lahaina yesterday. And looking ahead, she plans to study economics and politics in college with the goal of becoming an attorney and continuing her dedication to civic engagement and public service. Congratulations, Anna, on your amazing achievements. Please join me in applauding her achievements.

And joining her in the gallery today is doctor Christopher Moylan and classmate Sofia Owen. Please stand and be recognized. Mahalo, Anna. You may be seated, and I now yield the floor to the senator from District 11.

Senator Fukunaga.

Thank you, mister president. Mahalo. It's my privilege to recognize Mira Garud as the 2025 Hawaii Association of School Librarians Golden Key Award recipient. Mira, thank you for standing to be recognized. She is a full time Mira is a full time instructor and school library co program coordinator at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she focuses on children and youth services, digital instruction and coordination of the school library media specialization.

As a 2015 program alumna, she has previously worked as an institutional analyst with Hawaii p twenty partnerships for education, and she has served as co president of the Hawaii association of school librarians from 2018 to 2020. She also works closely with the department of education, maximizing professional development opportunities for in service school librarians. Please join me in congratulating Mira, the 2025 Association of School Librarians Golden Key Award recipients. Thank you. I now yield the floor to the senator from District 19.

Senator Limassau.

Thank you. It is my pleasure to introduce my constituent, Public Charter Schools teacher of the year, Kolonaola Domingo. Kalaunoa, may you please stand to be recognized? With over thirty years of dedicated service in Hawaiian medium education, including 25 years teaching kindergarten through third grade at Ke Kula o Samuel M. Kamakau, Kumakalaua Ola created creates culturally grounded and health focused learning environments to guide her instruction, assessment, and student development.

Her teaching is rooted in daily kilo practices and by the end of the year, her students gain fluency in Hawaiian language along with the ability to identify the names the name of the rain, winds, clouds, mountain peaks, and other weather patterns in their valley. Please join me in celebrating Kalano Ola Domingo and welcoming her many guests in the gallery.

It would be helpful if you simply stand so we can see who's

the unruly candidate. We do have executive director of Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission, Ed Noll, and her many, many supportive friends and family in the gallery. Senate President, I request that all the names of her 30 plus guests be entered into the Senate journal today. Congratulations, Kalona Ola. You may be seated. I now congratulations.

Senator Lamasau, when you compiled the lengthy list of names and turned it into the clerk's office, so ordered.

Oh, mahalo. Thank you. I now yield the floor back to Senate Vice President.

Senator Kidani.

Mahalo nui to everyone who helped make day two of our Senate education week so special for our students and our educators. Your support and participation continue to make this celebration truly meaningful. We are excited for another great day tomorrow as we continue honoring the incredible achievements of our students, educators, and administrators. Senate president, I now yield the floor.

Thank you. And before, asking if there are other introductions, I simply wanna say to miss Matsui based on her contemplation, senator Kim, senator Kidani, do an excellent job through education week and having, Lotus and Anna here also, underscore as we highlight the voice of our youth and engage with them. And we will continue to strive to do even better. But, it is something that we aspire to. So it's great to have two of the students here with all of the other, teachers and librarians that have been honored so far, principals, vice principals.

Further introduction, senator San Buenaventura.

Thank you, mister president. Today, we are honored to have Senate.

Now I know their colors are light blue. I hope those are green lanyards, but I can't see that far for Saint Patrick's Day. Further introductions. If not, madam clerk. Oh, sorry.

To our honored guests, we have a short agenda. So if you just patiently wait when we conclude and adjourn, we'll have, the members greet you. We'd like to take some photographs and the sergeants will escort the family. And I think we can escort all of the friends who are here here today, to greet our honored guests. Madam Clerk.

Governor's message numbers 762 and 763 withdraw nominations to various boards and commissions.

File.

Governor's message numbers 764 to 768 transmit nominations to various boards and commissions.

Governor's message numbers 764 to 768 are referred in accordance with the referrals listed on the order of the day.

Referrals and re referrals.

Referrals and re referrals are made in accordance with the order of the day and any supplemental orders of the day that may be filed later today.

No further business, mister president.

Are there any announcements today? If Not the chair has one. There will be a Senate leadership meeting immediately after session in Room 409. Senator Wakai. Mister president, I move that the Senate stand adjourned to 11:30AM tomorrow. Senator Descourt.

Mister president, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. If there are no objections from the members, the Senate will be adjourned until 11:30AM tomorrow.