Senate Floor

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

[Roll Call] 22 present, 3 excused.

Thank you. The Chair has read the journal of the preceding day and approves the same. Are there any introductions this morning? Senator Richards.

Madam president, it is indeed my great honor to introduce a friend and colleague from our neighbors in Utah, Senator Heidi Baldry and her husband, John, please stand and be recognized. Welcome to the Hawaii Senate.

Senator Keohokalole.

Thank you, Madam President. The, in the audience, I have a group of constituents from the Windward Side who are joining us for our annual Senate District 24 constituent field trip. They bust in from the Windward side and attended hearings and went on a tour,

had a short, discussion with the governor before they took a picture. It ran long. I'd like to introduce them. So if you can please hold your applause while I introduce, each of them and please stand and be recognized.

Yoshiko Nakaoka, John Sandor, Sherry Hanoa, Angelica Carabin, Wayland Kaneakua, Cassius Coloma, Jatin Gallario, Regina Griffin, Casey Kalaukalani, Charles Nalay Harris, and Rowena Carbon Sharrer. Welcome to the Senate, and thank you for joining us.

Senator Fukunaga.

Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to, introduce, Cianna and her support group from Fern Hurst YWCA. Cianna, if you'll please stand to be recognized and please hold your applause until we introduce all of them. Monique Ibarra, Director of Housing.

Sirona Faletogo, Fernhurst Manager. Stephanie Hamano, Chief Impact Officer at YWCA Oahu, and Noriko Namiki, CEO, YWCA Oahu. They are joined by my staff, Chance Na'au Ota, Brandon Lee, Hector Benagas, and Carol Kaapu. Please welcome to the welcome them to the Senate. Hello.

Further introductions, Members? Senator Awa.

Senators, I'd like to introduce the best basketball team in the state of Hawaii when it comes to high school boys. Our Kahuku Red Raiders up in the gallery today, they're being honored over at the city council. They'll go over to the lower house, the JV as I call them.

But right now, we gotta introduce them properly in the Hawaii State Senate. Please welcome them with the clap, and please keep it going. Your starting lineup for, like I said, the HHSA state champions At guard 510 senior out of Hau'ula, Tiki Akina Watson. At guard, a 66 junior.

Out of Hau'ula, Ronan Na'ihe. Another starter Ada Haula, at guard 59 junior, Cassius Bailey. At forward, a 65 junior, Noah Ofenga. At guard, a 510 sophomore, Justice Dailey out of Hauula. Roden Meredith, a forward out of Kahuku. Landon Graham, a forward out of Kahuku.

Sina Fonoi Moana, a guard out of Kahuku. Kaimi Dowling, not present, but out of Paola DC, Al Castitino out of Laie who is not president, and our last three. At guard, a 63 sophomore, Makai Gu.

And also at guard, a six foot sophomore, Caleb Rees. And last out of Kahuku, a Ford at 65 a senior, Adrian Meredith, joined by state championship coach, Brandon Akana out of Laie and Sino Fono in Moana in the stands

as well. One more time, if we can please welcome them. It was 4038 over rival Punahou. They came back down from 22 to 9. We love to see it. Thanks for bringing us our second state championship.

Congratulations. Further introductions, members? If not, madam clerk.

Governor's message number six, transmitting proposed changes to the fiscal year 27 executive supplemental budget.

File.

On page two, house communication number 448 returns Senate bill 3123 Senate Draft 1 that passed third reading in the house unamended.

File.

Standing committee report numbers 3167 to 3200 for adoption.

Senator Wakai.

Madam president, I move for the adoption of standing committee reports numbers 3167 to 3200.

Senator DeCorte.

Madam president, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, the motion is carried.

Referrals and re referrals.

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

No further business, miss Madam President.

Are there any announcements today? Senator San Buenaventura.

Thank you, Madam President. It's that time of the year again, colleagues, for Dress for Success. Please, start collecting and donate your new and gently used women's business attire on between April 13 to April 17 at my Office Room 213. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Further announcements. Senator DeCoite.

Thank you, madam president. You know, I just gotta say this. I'll be remiss if I don't speak now. First of all, congratulations to the team, but I have to tell you this. Brandon O'Connor is from Molokai, so I'm gonna take the credit on this one.

You know, we're so proud of you, Brandon. You know, he's from Molokai, his brother and Aye, Jaren are classmates and, you know, their family goes way back. They're a sports family. And they have been, very respectful, humble. Just wanted to say congratulations.

Congratulations for your leadership. Mahalo and congratulations to all of you. So thank you. Thank you, Madam President.

Were there announcements, Members? Senator Awa?

Mahalo. We'll take them. We don't recruit players, though. Only coaches. Just kidding.

Just kidding. On a lighter note or on a heavier note, actually, I was gonna come down here today and ask each of you if you could chip in a thousand dollars out of your office budgets because we didn't know how we were gonna pay for diesel out there on the North Shore.

But today, the county finally came through the six days in, and then the final the county's diesel trucks finally out there filling up the machinery.

If you guys weren't aware by now, volunteers have been using heavy machinery to clean up all their debris. Volunteers have been shoveling mud out of people's houses.

People are living with mud in their houses. They go sleep in the bed, wake up stepping in mud. It's pretty bad. There's gonna be a lot of costs to the Senator from Wahiawa. Let's get the rainy day funds on the floor and get them released so we can pay the bills.

But what we did, last Saturday, we took 4,500. I kinda got the, you know, the a. You might wanna think about this from Carol all the time she's giving me that with how we spend our money. But I took 400 $4,500 out of our account, and we paid for fuel in the community,

gas for the community, to which we then found out there was a need for diesel. So the next day, we got donors to pay for that, and that's how we've been keeping that up.

Like I said, the county came through finally on that issue, but there are many other issues, including housing. If anybody, you know, has a connection to a contractor who can set up Kohale or anything like that, let us know.

Or if you got money you wanna contribute, let us know. Because like I said, there are a lot of needs out there, but the one thing that they don't have is a place to stay. There's nothing close. Thank you.

Thank you. Further announcements, members? If not, Senator Wakai. Oh, I'm sorry. Before you do that, I do have one announcement.

All majority senators, please report to the Majority Caucus Room immediately after session. Senator Wakai.

Madam president, I move that the Senate stand adjourn until 11:30AM, Monday, March 30.

Senator DeCorte.

Madam president, I second that motion.

It's been moved and seconded. If there are no objections from the Members, the Senate will stand adjourn until 11:30AM, Monday. We are adjourned.