Senate Floor

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

[Roll Call] 24 present, one excused.

Thank you. The Chair has read the journal of the preceding day and approves the same.

Mr. President.

Senator Kim.

Introductions.

Please proceed.

Thank you. I just wanna thank again pastor Chenan for doing our moment of contemplation. And while he had to leave, I do have two of my hardworking staff members in the audience to support him. My office manager, Kathy Nee and my education specialist and, Mahi.

Further introductions, Senator Kanuha, the birthday boy.

Thank you, Mr.President. Appreciate the birthday wishes. In the gallery, we have your daughter-in-law and the better half of Dan Kouchi, Katie Chang, and her friend, Christy Ferreira, who is a UH law student and the co editor in chief of the UH law review.

Can you please stand and be recognized. Welcome to the Senate.

And I believe, although my eyesight is not as good, that, yes.

And may I have another introduction, Mr. President?

Proceed.

And we have Rebecca Lieberman. Please stand and be recognized.

Who's also in law school. Any further introductions? If not, madam clerk.

House communication number 482 returns Senate bill 2256 that passed third reading in the house unamended.

File.

House communication numbers 483 to 493 return various Senate bills that passed third reading in the House in an amended form for agree disagree.

Senator Wakai.

Mr. President. I move that the Senate disagree to the amendments proposed by the house to said Senate bills.

Senator DeCorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Any objections? If not, the motion is carried. Oh, the motion is carried. Conferees may be named at a later date.

House communication numbers 494 to 496 transmit various House Concurrent Resolutions, which were adopted in the House for referral to committee.

So ordered.

Beginning on page 5, Standing Committee Report numbers 3612 to 3655 for one day notice and Standing Committee Report numbers 3665 to 3694 for 48 hour notice.

So ordered.

Standing Committee Report numbers 3656 to 3664 for adoption.

Senator Wakai.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of standing committee reports numbers 3656 to 3664.

Senator DeCorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Is there any discussion? Any objections? If not, the motion is carried.

On page 14, advise and consent.

If there are no objections from the Members, we will be taking advise and consent on consent.

Standing Committee Report numbers 3478 and 3479 on governor's messages for adoption.

Is there any discussion? If not, do we have unanimous consent? Any reservations? Any no votes?

24 Ayes.

Thank you. The nominees for said governor's messages have been confirmed.

On pages 15 to 56, adoption of resolutions, Standing Committee Report numbers 3460 to 3477, 3480 to 3505, and 3508 to 3611 for adoption.

Senator Wakai.

Mr. President, I move for the adoption of said Standing Committee Reports.

Senator DeCorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

It's been moved and seconded. Under discussion, I will start from what is my left or Senator Awa and then see who may have any reservations or no votes. And if you'd identify them for yourself on all of the resolutions, then we'll go one by one. Discussion, Senator Elefante.

Thank you, Mr. President. Rise in opposition to I'll receive. Two resolutions. Thank you. This is on page 34 and 35 of the order of the day.

SSCR 3532 and 3533 respectively. This is SCR 64 Senate draft one and SR 58 Senate draft one. Please register my no votes. Thank you.

So noted further discussion. Senator Inouye.

Thank you, Mr. President. On page 4, 3532 and 3533, a no vote as well as a reservations on page 11, 3 I'm sorry. SCR 164 and SR 155 with reservations. Mahalo.

So noted. Further discussion, Senator Gabbard.

Mister Fred, on SSC four SS CR 3482, 3483. No vote, please.

So ordered. Senator Rhoads, then Senator Moriwaki.

Thank you, Mr. President. On page 46, SCR 189 and SR 179 in support, and I'd like to say a few words.

Please proceed.

Thank you. Many people don't recall that right after the cold war ended when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Ukraine was for a while the third largest nuclear power in the world. It was United States, so and Russia, and Ukraine.

They had 3,000 nuclear weapons. They voluntarily gave up those nuclear nuclear weapons for security guarantees from Russia, The United States, and Great Britain.

Unfortunately, a few years later, the Russians decided to invade Ukraine, and that war has been going on now for longer than The US involvement in World War two. On the Russian side alone, there have been 1.2 at least 1,200,000 casualties.

So basically, all of Oahu, all of Maui County is either dead or injured if you're Russian. On the Ukrainian side, a third of the country a third of the civilians in the country have been displaced.

Because of our, legal and moral commitments, The United States' legal and moral commitments to defend Ukraine. I introduced this resolution that calls on us to continue our defense of Ukraine and calls on the Russians to leave Ukraine.

And stop their naked aggression against that independent country. Finally, I would note that in solidarity with Ukraine, I've worn Ukrainian color flags since my attire today, yellow and blue. So I've urge your your support for this resolution. Mahalo.

Thank you. Senator Moriwaki?

Yes, Mr. President. On page, 34 and 35, I vote no on SSCR 3532 and SSCR 3533, SSCR 64, and SR 58. Thank you.

So noted. Further discussion? If not, madam clerk, all resolutions would pass. Oh, Senator Awa.

I thought discussion was just the discussion part, not the no vote part. Please mark down my no votes for SCR 45, SR 44, SCR 189, and SR 179 with respect to the Judiciary term. Thanks.

Sorry. Senator DeCorte?

Thank you, Mr. President. Please note my no votes for SSCR 3533 and SSCR 3532, SSCR 3568 and SSCR 3569, SSCR 3482 and SSCR 3483. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator Fevella.

Thank you, Senate President. Wanted to put in my no vote for SSCR 45, 44, 58, and 189, but I have a few words for SCR45 SD1.

Proceed.

Thank you, Senate President. I just wanted to share with everyone here that, you know, we're stockpiling medication for administrating or putting in for abortion purposes.

Yeah. I said that we stockpiling measures for abortion or the pill or whatever they like to call. Them. We should be teaching and having more education programs on preventive measure when it comes to this medication.

So we wanna stockpile three years or whatever it is for these kinds of drugs, but we don't stockpile anything else that is actually needed for our families that have cancer or any other kind of stuff.

So we wanna highlight that we wanna do termination and having somebody have easier time to terminate the pregnancy and not having education of how not to get pregnant. So that's one of the things that I wanted to, put into the to the notes.

And I have also, one more that I wanna talk about, and it's on page sorry. It's on page 25, my opposition to SR 7.

You know, when when I was contemplating this and I was talking to my family and everything, a lot of people in in this building always say it's only a resolution.

I've been here for eight years. There's so much abortion bills and promoting of abortion and making it easy for abortion in this bill. Reason why I have a hard time with this bill, and it has nothing to do with the wording. I said couple of words.

One of them is the title is affirming, supporting, and the requirements that hospitals provide lifesaving emergency care for pregnant people.

Only people that can get pregnant is women. So, again, they take women out and all the strides and everything that we went through with women, here we are with title nine. We're putting people. Only person that can give birth or have babies is women. Okay?

Other one is, again, we are talking about having this termination of, in an emergency for, again, the last sentence is abortion. So I'm okay with taking care of the women when they go to the emergency and they need to get emergency treatment,

but they should also give the women alternatives besides abortion. And I don't know how much emergency doctors you guys know that know anything about giving birth. They're only there for emergency situation, life saving situations.

So again, we are we are putting again in medical terminology, in life saving issues for everybody to think that women okay.

You're not supporting women's health care. Yes. I do. But we conflict we're con conflictedly consistently putting in, again, health care with abortion. Termination of birth, termination of having a baby has nothing to do with prolonging of anything else, and I understand that.

My concern is if we have a a patient that is not incoherent and the emergency doctor decides to go ahead and terminate this pregnancy but is beyond the the person's beliefs or maybe even want to do I gave you guys a great example.

My mom, when my sister gave birth, the doctor told her she bled out. She had to have emergency transfusion. The doctors told my mom she can never have any more kids because she had a massive hemorrhage. K?

But my mom continued to pray. She wanted to give my dad, yeah, a son. If she had listened to the doctors and all the people that was saying to terminate the pregnancy, here today, I would not be standing because, again, she had an alternative to either pass away

on the table which she said she rather have she rather have died having me and that's her choice. Right? We got what we can.

I'm not taking away any women's choice, but again, we should not be always highlighting stuff and I know it's just a resolution they said, But again, it's over the eight years that I have been here that all I hear about mostly is about how easy it is to have an abortion.

Abortion is more easy to have than giving birth. Birth is more hard and more risky of dying giving birth than, again, preventing abortion. So again, guys, I understand, the the complexity of this thing.

We wanna take care of women's health care, but that's my strong opposition to this bill.

And, again, we should not be mixing up the two health care for women and emergency health care for women is not a consist of abortion. Thank you, Senate President.

Thank you. And, again, the objection is to the resolution, not the bill. If you will give me a moment, we need to get some clarification, for the clerk on the votes. I'm gonna ask for a short recess.

Will the Senate please come back into order?

Senator DeCorte, if you would rise and clarify the reservation or no votes that you have, please.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. Please, mark my no vote for SSCR 3494 and SSCR 3495 on page 46. Thank you very much.

So noted. Senator Fevella.

I did register my no vote for standing committee report. 3482, 3483, 3494, 3495, 3532, 3533, 3568, 3569. You, Senate President.

So noted, do we have any other reservations or no votes? If not, then we have moved and seconded. We have had the discussion, said resolutions have been adopted with the exceptions noted by those Members who indicated no or reservations. Madam clerk?

Referrals and re referrals.

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

No further business, Mr. President.

Are there any announcements today? Senator San Buenaventura then Senator DeCoite.

Thank you, Senate president. I want to remind everyone about the Dress for Success clothing drive. If you're doing any spring cleaning or have professional clothes, you're just not wearing anymore, please consider bringing them in.

We're looking for women's business attire. High need list are those of plus size clothing.

Shoe size is ten point five and up. Please prioritize those. And, collection is occurring at my office and Webb Takayama's office at Room 404 and Room 213, this coming week, April from nine to two. Please bring your clothes in reusable bags.

Put a note in your, inside with your office or agency name, and please do not include hangers.

And I have a second announcement. K. Second thank you, Senate president. Second announcement is a good one. On April 14 is a massage day, 09:30 to 1PM at the Capitol Rotunda. Thank you.

Thank you. Senator DeCoite?

Thank you, Mr. President. Also, just as a friendly reminder that we are still on for tourism day at the capital taking place tomorrow, April 10 from 9AM to 1PM here at the Hawaii State Capitol, hosted by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in partnership with the Hawaii Hotel

Association and the American Hotel and Lodging Assoc in supporting our local economy and communities. There will be an opening program in the auditorium featuring entertainment by Tihati productions, followed by performances from the Hawaiian Air Troop

and Henry Kapono Foundation. Exhibitions will also be held on the 4th Floor from 10AM to 1PM. I ask that you pray for no rain and no wind, and we look forward to seeing you all tomorrow.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Can Senator Kim, you relay the prayer request to Pastor Chinen? So we'll have Senator Gabbard, Senator Lomasao, and Senator Lee. Senator Gabbard?

Mr. President and colleagues, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish our beloved majority leader from District 3 on Hawaii Island a happy birthday, Manuilo Asofanau. The toffee has been delivered. Aloha.

Senator Lamosao.

Today, we commemorate Aralang Kagitingan or the Day of Valor observed annually on April 9. This occasion pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Filipino and American servicemen who fought side by side during World War two in defense of freedom and democracy.

This commemoration also marks the eightieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between The United States and The Republic Of The Philippines, a partnership rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and a commitment to peace and prosperity.

Here in Hawaii, that bond is especially strong. For over a century, the Filipino community has helped shape our islands and continues to enrich our culture and society.

eightieth anniversary milestone. Mahalo.

Members, please join the Filipino caucus today for a special event in the Governor Green Ceremonial Room today from two to 02:30 where we a joint house and Senate certificate will be presented to the Philippine consulate in honoring honoring the

Thank you. Senator Lee.

Oh, thank you, Senate President. They already said what I was gonna say, but I'll just add, as an announcement, AARP is having an open enrollment currently for all senators whose birthday is today.

Further announcements, Senator Fevella.

Yeah. Sorry, Senate President. I just wanted to just, highlight that if I can just enter these comments into the journal, please.

Are there there are you holding comments that you did not say out loud?

Yeah. It I just it wasn't all my comments.

For which resolution?

SR 7.

So ordered further oh, yeah.

Than 145.

So ordered, Senator Kim.

Mr. President, just wanna follow-up on the Senator from Waipahu's, announcement. If you ate the lumpia, you should show up at 02:00.

There's no free lumpia is what I would tell the majority Members of the caucus. Further announcements? Senator Dela Cruz.

I just wanted to add to, Senator Gabbard's comments that welcome to the AARP club, to the majority lead.

If not before my one announcement, I just wanted to highlight SCR 78 SD1, SR 82 SD1 on strengthening the education around menstrual health.

I wanna thank Senator Kim for holding the hearing yesterday and more importantly, through the process sharing, personal story. I heard others shared, but in the mission since 2022 and, working more closely with the Ma'i Movement,

the effort was to mainstream menstrual cycles and have it as part of the normal conversation and not stigma. And I'm proud of the Senate's leadership in this area.

We immediately, with Carol Taniguchi's help, had dispensers placed in all of the bathrooms here in the Capitol controlled by the Senate.

It's expanded to both Carol and Park who have taken it upon themselves to make sure that we are stocking the dispensers that we have.

And if any of their staff has helped them, I want them to know how much I appreciate all of their efforts and making sure that we are leading by example and not just passing resolutions that are only words.

So thank you for your work, Senator Kim. Again, thank you for holding the hearing yesterday.

The one announcement I have is the deadline for filing Standing Committee Reports on House Bills for second reading is 6PM tonight. Senator Wakai.

Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand adjourned until 11:30AM tomorrow.

Senator Decorte.

Mr. President, I second the motion.

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