Senate Standing Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection

Thank you for joining us for this committee joint committee on the Committee on Energy, intergovernmental affairs, and our good friends from the committee on consumer commerce and consumer protection on this Thursday, April 16 at 03:00, Room Room 224. This hearing is being streamed live on YouTube. If we have any kind of catastrophic ending, we will post a public notice as to when we will reconvene. We ask that those who are, interested in testifying to please limit your testimony to two minutes.

We have one measure on this agenda that is house Concurrent Resolution 202 HD2.

On our testifiers list, we have Hawaii State Energy Office. Monique?

Afternoon chair, vice chair, member, no members. White Monique Zanfes for the Hawaii State Energy Office. We stand on our written comments, and I'm available for questions. Thanks.

Thanks, Monique. Johnny Tumor or someone from the CPN?

Hello. Good afternoon, Chair, vice chair, members of the committee. [Inaudible]...

Thank you, Ashley. Michael Angelo?

Good day, chair.

Thanks for joining us.

Thank you for having this. I think I just wanted to express my support for this resolution. I think it's an important thing that we consider. There's a lot of factors that go into play. Affordability and reliability are two big aspects.

And if you look at our testimony, you can see the just the costs that are related to generation. So getting an understanding of what is the right amount of thermal generation, the right amount of renewables as we continue our pathway forward towards 2045 for renewables.

It's going to be critical to understand that relationship and make sure these projects, these renewable projects keep going into the ground and we continue to get the most cost effective, generation projects to really help rate payers in the state. Thank you.

Great. Thank you, Michael. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 202? IT by a chance, Natasha, anybody online?

No one online, chair.

Okay. Thank you. The chairs, co chairs have, have conferred on this measure. I think neither of us have quorum, but we'd like to just mention the recommended amendments to this measure. And each of us will announce when our committees will be taking a vote on this measure.

And then, welcome.

The suggested amendments for this task force would be to also include one of the things that they're gonna study is a separation of ownership and control the electric generation versus the transmission and distribution part of it, similar to a Senate bill that we saw earlier this session.

Just adding that as to one of the areas that they're going to study. And then although this is a measure that was initiated in the house, they have clearly put house members on there. We wanna make sure we have some Senate participants and wanna join the party.

So we're gonna add specify that in addition to the members already mentioned in the language of this task force, that the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee having primary Jurisdiction over energy or that chairperson's designee beyond this task force, as well as the chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection for that chairperson's designee are also going to be part of this task force.

So those are the three amendments to the measure. Any discussion?

If not, for the committee on Economic excuse me, Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs, we'll be making decisions and taking a vote on this measure tomorrow, Friday, April 17.

I'm here.

Perfect time. April 17, 01:30 in Room 016.

Okay, thank you. And for the CPN committee, the recommendation is to pass with amendments. Any discussion?

Seeing none, chair votes aye.

Thank you. Vice chair also votes aye. Senator Lamosao is excused. Senator McKelvey?

Yeah.

Senator Awa is excused.

Your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you very much.

K. Thank you. This joint committee is adjourned. Thank you for your patience. We're convening the committee on energy and intergovernmental affairs on this April, on our three zero one agenda in Room 224.

And we have one measure on this agenda that is house Concurrent Resolution 165, and this is regarding pickleball in Hawaii Kai. On our testifiers list, we have nobody, and we do have two pieces of supported testimony. And I've conferred with myself Yeah. Please make sure.

We have someone on Zoom.

Oh, we do? Oh, okay. Please welcome them in, Nakasha. Hi. Welcome.

Tina.

Hi. Hi. Honorable chair. I guess my testimony here. So hi.

I live in Kaimuki, community and I'm actually live in one of the homes by the park that has the proposed pickleball courts here. I'm actually here to oppose this bill. I actually have three points of concerns as part of my testimony. And my main point is just to raise concerns regarding long term community impact. And the first point here is just regarding permanent lights.

I believe this will actually increase noise complaints within the community, light pollution, and potential safety concerns for those who actually live nearby the park like myself. And it'll be very difficult to control hours of operation. And then second point, permanent nets. I think that changes the use of the multi use courts and the flexibility for future community needs, especially for those who use the court today, they already actually bring their own nets. And then thirdly, the bill doesn't clearly define operational oversight, maintenance, and cost.

And, as I mentioned earlier, just enforcement plans as well. I am overall an advocate for health and fitness in the community, but I would highly recommend keeping the court as is multi use. And I feel like any changes should be evaluated with long term, the community impact in mind. And just to end this, you know, funding should be directed towards needs that benefit the entire community, not towards permanent upgrades that serve just a narrow segment of users.

I thank you for your time and opportunity to testify on this matter.

Thank you.

Okay. And then you I my eyes are really bad. So you're Tina? Is that

That's correct.

Identify yourself?

T sorry. My name is Tina Cheng.

Okay. Thank you, Tina. Appreciate your commentary. Natasha, anybody else online?

No one else online, chair.

Okay. So after having conferred with myself, I recommend that we pass this measure as is. The committee on EIG will be taking a vote on this measure tomorrow. That is April, at 01:30 in Room 016. Okay.

Everybody okay with that? Yeah. Woo hoo. Okay. Wait, John.

Thank you for your patience. We're convening our joint committees with the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs and our good friends from the Committee on Transportation at 03:30 on this April 3 excuse me, seventeenth, Thursday, 04/02/2024. We have two items on this agenda. I have to make an announcement about we are streaming this hearing via YouTube live. And if there's any kind of technical disruption, we will post a notice as to when we will reconvene.

We ask those who are interested in testifying to limit your testimony to two minutes. First measure on this agenda is HCR 154. And for our testifiers, we have Daintree Bartoldis from the State Council of Developmental Disabilities who might be not is not here. Natasha, anybody online willing to or interested in testifying on HCR 154?

No one online, chair.

Okay. Thank you. We're gonna now hand it over the gavel to my illustrious co chair, Senator Inouye.

Oh, thank you, chair. What do we say about mail for illustrious? What should we say?

Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you. He's like on a Mila. Okay. Incredible.

Incredible. Oh, yes. I would say Incredible. Yes. Yes.

And my colleague, Mahalo. Yes. Senator Wakai. Let's proceed with HCR 43, and this is urging the Department of Transportation Services for the city and county of Honolulu to install raised crosswalks at the University Avenue, Lauiiki Street and Komoco Street intersections with Heehiwei Street to improve pedestrian safety near Ala Wai Elementary School and the surrounding communities. We do have hopefully, Daintree, Baltois, in support, and she was gonna be in person, or is she on Zoom?

Not present on Zoom, Chair.

And this is testifying for the State Council of Development Disability. Oh, wait, no. Well, I'm sorry. Sorry. This is yours.

Sorry. Okay, sorry.

Sorry, sorry. Okay.

It's fine.

There you go.

Let's go with testifiers for HCR 43, and from Ala Wai Elementary School in support, as well as several supports from Laura Ruby, who I know does very well work with, Gipty and Michelle DiBasca and F Sammis. Is there anyone else wishing to speak on HCR 43? Please, yes, come on up and state your name. Mahalo for being here.

Thank you for your patience.

Good afternoon, Chairs and Vice Chair and members of great to be here. My name is Morgan Lee, and I am the Chair of the Macaulay Moayili Neighborhood Board. I also live about 200 feet from the intersections in question. And I did submit testimony about this, and I just wanted to maybe highlight three things for you guys. First of all, the area that we're talking about has an elementary school, a park, Iolani schools, and a bunch of high rises.

And so we have dog walkers. We have people going to school. We have so many pedestrians, really, at all hours of the day, which is one of the best parts of this neighborhood, but I just wanted to give you guys some of the context for what we have here. The other thing is, is that this is like a very weird part of town, where you essentially have like a giant U-turn area.

And we have two areas where there's cars that make lefts that have no stop signs.

And these are kinda strange three way intersections, but it's not very typical for cars to be able to make lefts without any type of thing that stops them. And so what you end up have happening is people confidently start making that left, and they don't always actually see the crosswalk. And so that's part of the reason we wanna make it raised. And then finally, because this calls for several different crosswalks, there is currently a painted one right now that goes from my street, which is Laueki.

It's the middle one that goes straight to Ala Wai Elementary.

And that one does not have any stop sign. There's, like, nothing there to protect children. There's no even, like, big well, there's some signage, but nothing that's really helpful. So a race crosswalk would be really helpful. One, because we have a lot of Keiki that are coming across to go to the school there.

And then two, we end up with a lot of cars that idle when they're picking up for Iolani, and they just sit in the crosswalk. And so if we had a race crosswalk there, that would also keep cars from doing so.

But you already have a crosswalk? Where is it crosswalk? The recommendation is to to get it higher.

For visibility and so people don't just kinda sit in the crosswalk.

Sure. So, okay. Any questions for her since she took the time to be here? Thank you so much.

Right?

Mahalo. Thank you. Okay. Alright. Okay.

Is there anyone else wishes to speak to HCR 43? Hearing none, then, our favorite, partner here.

I was incredible a moment ago.

Oh, yes. Alright. Alright. Incredible chair of the Committee on Energy.

Thank you, Missus Terrific.

Okay.

The two chairs have conferred

Yes. You're okay. Yes.

Oh, see. We conferred

Yes.

Teachers have conferred on the first measure, HCR 154. We would like to pass this measure out as is. Any discussion? For EIG, we do not do not have quorum, so we're gonna have decision making on this tomorrow, April 17 at 01:30 in Room 016.

Okay. The committee on transportation has a quorum. So chair's recommendation is to pass HCR 154 as recommended by the chairs, to pass unamended. Okay. Any discussions?

Vice chair for the vote. Chair goes aye.

Chair's recommendation is to pass HCR 154 unamended. Chair and vice chair vote aye. Senator Kanuha is excused. Senator Lee? Aye.

Senator Decor? Aye. Madam chair, recommendation's adopted.

Thank you. And for HCR 43, this is the Committee on Transportation, as well as the committee on energy and intergovernmental affairs. However, the chair's recommendation on HCR 43 is to pass as is. Any discussion? For the Committee on Transportation, we do have a quorum, yes, chair's recommendation then to pass HCR HCR 43 as is.

Okay. Vice chair for the vote, chair goes aye.

Chair's recommendation is passed HCR 43 unamended of the four members present. Any no votes or votes or reservations? Hearing none, madam chair, recommendations adopted. Okay.

Point. Yes.

For EIG, we will take a vote on this measure to pass it out as is tomorrow, Friday, April 17 at 01:30 in the afternoon in Room 016. With no further business, we adjourn. Thank you.