House Standing Committee on Economic Development & Technology

Hey. Good morning. This is ECD. We're in Room 430. It's 08:30AM on April 17.

Okay. We have a packed room this morning. Glad you could all find seats. Let's see. In order to allow as many people to testify as possible, there will be a actually, we're not gonna have to worry about the time limit this morning for for testifiers.

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Please avoid using any trademarked or copyrighted images, and please refrain from profanity or uncivil behavior. Such behavior may be grounds for removal from the hearing without the ability to rejoin. We're joined this morning with Chair Ilagan, Representative Templo, and Representative Ratcliffe. And we're gonna start with our first measure, which is SCR 184. We have testimony from Constance Yonexiro from the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.

Is Constance here?

Okay. Let's see.

Is would anyone else like to testify on this measure? Okay. Any questions or discussion from the committee? Okay. Very good.

We'll move to the next item. SCR 169 SD 1. We have testimony from Dennis Ling from DBEDT and also from Sherry Menor from the Chamber of Commerce.

Hello, Chair, vice chair, committee members. Dennis Ling with DBEDT. DBEDT stands in support of this measure. DBEDT has received a letter from the Governor of El Agata, and we are, they are very interested in becoming a sister state. There is a relationship already going on regarding culinary rice development.

So there are exchanges already taking place within the state. So we stand in support of this measure. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Any further testimony on this measure?

Okay. Any questions from our committee?

I do have one.

Dennis, do you know how many sister state relationship we have in Japan?

Yes. We have six.

So this would be the seventh?

This would be the seventh.

Okay. And then Okayama would be the eighth?

8th, Okiyama would be.

Okay, thank you.

Actually, Mister Ling, could you wait for a second? Can you give us just sort of an overview? What does sister state relationship entail in all of these different relationships?

Well, the sister state relationship sets the basis for other relationships, be it government agencies or nonprofit organizations or other private organizations to get into relationships with these organizations in those particular jurisdictions.

For instance, there is a relationship between our Departments of Transportation with a sister state in Korea in Jeju. There is a relationship with Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan with the Department of Health. So but it all stems from the sister state relationship.

Thank you very much. Any other questions?

Alright. Let's move to SCR 47.

We have five measure five, testimonies in support. DBED, council member of the Santos Tam from the City Council, Honolulu, Sherry Manor from Chamber of Commerce, Roberta Yurita, and Diane Suetta Naco as individuals. Would anyone like to testify in person on this measure? No? Mister Ling?

Sure.

Yes. Chair.

Yes.

Yes. DBEDT stands in strong support of this relationship also. There is a lot of educational exchanges going on with Okayama and our DOE, and that should be encouraged and promoted. This relationship can help do that. The governor also, Abokayama, has indicated via letter and visit that, he is in strong support of this. So we'll be in town in, May, to actually do the signing.

Thank you very much. Any other testimony or questions, comments? Okay. We'll move then to SCR 57 SQ1. We have, testimony from Sherry Menor to Chamber of Commerce.

Would anyone else like to testify?

Thank you. Mahalo, representatives. Good morning. My name is Jerry Chang, the director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. I'm on very honored to be here to, make my, testimony.

This year marks the thirty third anniversary of the our sister state relationship, and our bad attitudes between the great state of Hawaii and Taiwan continue to to grow, as we reflected reflected in the resolution such as, education, culture, economy, as well as disaster management. So on behalf of Taiwan's government and the people, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for your strong support and your genuine friendship.

We value the good relationship we've built over the past several decades, and we are looking forward to more operation and exchanges with your great state. With the adoption of this resolution, I'm very confident that our bilateral ties will reach new heights in the future. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Any questions or comments for our presenter? Thank you very much. Any further testimony?

Yes, Chair, Vice Chair, committee members. We apologize. We did not submit testimony on this, but we can follow-up with testimony. But the reason why we've it was difficult for us to determine that we probably should have submitted testimony offering comments. It's the part that doesn't relate to the sister state relationship between Hawaii and Taiwan.

We are very much in support of the relationship with Taiwan. It is one of our most active, most strong sister relationships. And as director general Chang has said, there are a lot of activities between Hawaii and Taiwan. The part that did cause us some concern was the double taxation. That doesn't, relate to the sister state relationship, and that was the only reason why.

So we apologize. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other testifiers? Questions? concerns? comments? Okay. We'll move to SCR 170.

We have two testimonies for this measure. Dennis Ling and Catherine StanAway. Mr. Ling.

Yes, chair, vice chair, committee members. I believe it stands in strong support of this, international relationship with Aotearoa. There is a lot of commonality. There is a lot of activity, especially and we can learn a lot from them, especially in the areas of biosecurity, food innovation. So the relationship because they are a country, we cannot do a sister state relationship.

So it would have to be some other type of a vehicle. And, this vehicle would help. Thank you very much.

Thank you. Any other testifiers?

Good morning, chair, vice chairs, members of the committee. Catherine Stanaway with DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. We stand on our written testimony in support of this relationship. We already have established relationships for certain activities like predator control. We really would like to work with them for biosecurity on biosecurity issues, conservation issues.

And I know that our acting chairperson has talked to, I think, the Minister of Primary Industry about establishing an MOU, but I don't know the status of that. But, yeah, they're supportive. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Anyone else like to testify in this measure?

Okay. Any questions from our committee?

Yeah. I do have one. Dennis, can you come up?

Yes, sir.

Do you know from any other states if there's a sister state country relationship?

There are relationships. As a matter of fact, Hawaii has a relationship with the country. It's an MOU with Israel. And yeah. And you know, while it was not legislatively approved or mandated, it good, it shows good faith to have the legislature involved by having measures like this authorizing the entering into the relationship with countries, cities, states, and countries.

The other country that might be considered would be Singapore, which also, has indicated some interest in being part of a sister relationship or an agreement, an international partnership agreement.

I'll just rephrase my question a little bit different. Do you know from other states if there's a program that's like a sister state to country with guidelines and policy framework of how that operates?

No. I believe a lot of it is dependent upon the governer of that particular state.

Thank you.

And so sorry for Mister Ling. So, does this SCR provide sufficient, kind of statutory or legislative?

It does provide statutory guidance as to how to proceed with this. So that would help. We would also bring in the sister state and international relations commission that is established last year by the legislature to also opine on the relationship or proposed relationship.

That's great.

I would strongly encourage then, your office and the governor to move forward with, you know whatever sort of formalization would, you know could come from this effort. Especially because, I just want to know, for the record that in a lot of ways, Hawaii established Aotearoa.

It was settlers from Hawaii who went to, what do we call now New Zealand. You know, a thousand years ago, giver or take. And established what we now think of as Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is a natural relationship.

Absolutely.

A great fit. Yes.

Thank you very much. Okay. Any other questions?

Alright.

Let's move then to, I think, our last measure. Yep. SCR 163 SD 1. For this measure, we only have one test away from Adrian Kumbley. Would anyone else like to testify?

Or is Mister Kumbley on Zoom by chance? Okay. Any questions or concerns on this measure? Okay. Very good.

Then we'll recess. Okay. We're gonna reconvene for decision making on, SCR 184. Recommendation is to pass as is. Any discussion?

Sure. Alright. Chair's recommendation is to pass SCR 184 as is. Chair votes aye. Vice chair votes aye.

Representative Ratcliffe, aye.

Representative Tam is excused for the duration of the hearing. Representative Templo, aye. Representative Yamashita, aye.

And representative Gideon is excused for the remainder of the hearing. Chair, your recommendation has been adopted. Thank you very much.

Okay. Next measure is SCR 169 SD 1. Same recommendation. Any discussion? I should specify.

Recommendations to pass assets.

Chairs, recommendation is to pass SCR 169 as is. Any no votes? Any reservations? With all remaining votes voting aye, Chair your resolution has been adopted. Thank you.

Okay.

That was 169. This next measure is SCR four seven. Recommendation is to pass as is. Any discussion?

Chair's recommendation is to pass SCR 47 as is. Any no votes? Any reservations? With all remaining votes, voting aye. Chair, your resolution has been adopted.

Thank you.

Next measure is SCR 57 SD1. Recommendation is to pass as is. Any discussion?

Okay. Thank you, chair.

Quick discussion. Did did you wanna do the tech amendment?

What do you think?

We haven't heard back from our

So I actually, I actually did.

Waited.

Just so for the members, education, if we make an amendment for this resolution, the resolution as amended will go to the Senate. And if the Senate disagrees, then it would go to conference. This is a tech amendment, so most likely, the Senate will agree and it will pass out.

Most likely, however, the fear is that the Senate would disagree and then it would go to conference and we don't know what may happen in conference. So I just wanna share that. But you're co-chair.

What would you like to do?

You know what? Let's minimize the chance of it of it dying unexpectedly. I know there's a lot of folks who want this to move forward. So let's not do the technical amendments and pass it as is. If that's okay with the committee.

Chair's recommendation is to pass SCR 57 as is. Any no votes? Any reservations? With all remaining votes, voting aye.

Chair, your resolution has been adopted.

Thank you. Okay. Penultimate. You're on SCR 170 SD1. Recommendation is to pass as is.

Any discussion? Good. Sure.

Chair's recommendation for SCR 170 is to pass as is. Any no votes? Any reservation? With all remaining votes voting aye. Chair, your resolution has been adopted.

Okay. Last measure, SCR 163 SD 1. Recommendations to pass this as is. Any discussion? Sure.

Chair's recommendation is to pass SCR 163 as is. Any no votes? Any reservations with all remaining votes voting aye. Chair, your resolution has been adopted. Okay.

Thank you. We are adjourned.