House Floor

Will the House come to order? Mister Clerk, please call the roll.

[Roll Call] Madam Speaker, all 51 Members are present.

Item number two, reading of the journal, Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, may this matter be deferred.

So ordered. Item number three, messages from the governor. Mister Clerk, are there any messages from the governor?

Yes, Madam Speaker. We're in receipt of governor's message number 8, informing the house that additional funding is needed to cover the arbitration award concerning the class action grievances for collective bargaining units one and ten,

and transmitting proposed measures to fund the deficit. May this matter be received and filed.

So ordered. Item number four, Senate communications. Mister Clerk, are there any Senate communications?

Yes, Madam Speaker. If you and the Members will turn your attention to the addendum to today's order of the day. Are in receipt of communications returning the noted House Concurrent Resolutions all having been adopted in the Senate.

We are in further receipt of communications informing the House that the Senate has appointed conferees to the noted House and Senate bills.

We are also in receipt of communication informing the House that the Senate has made changes to conferees to the noted Senate bill and Senate Concurrent Resolution.

Finally, we are in a receipt receipt of a communication informing the House that the Senate has reconsidered action in disagreeing with the amendments proposed by the House and has moved to agree to the amendments to the noted Senate Concurrent Resolutions.

Members, are there any introductions? Representative Garcia.

Thank you Madam Speaker. I have the honor of introducing a couple that's in the gallery that's joining us here today who is a board certified OB GYN and has delivered over 5,000 babies.

He has been an instructor with both the University of Florida and the Florida State University. Dr. Bill Lyle and your wife please stand.

Leslie Lyle. And, these are the founders and presidents of Prolife Doc. Welcome to the Hawaii House of Representatives. One more Madam Speaker. Also joining them in the gallery, is executive director Stacy Jimenez.

Please stand. And her husband, Pastor Chris Jimenez. She is executive director of a place for women based in Waipio. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Iwamoto.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'd like to introduce two stalwart advocates for good government reform. We have Evan Weber with our Hawaii and, Aria Julia Casio with Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action.

Please stand and be recognized and welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Gedeon.

Let me speak. I have a quick introduction. Edwin Tang, would you please stand up? Edwin is the owner of Harbor Village Cuisine and LocoMoco. It's not just the fact he owns the restaurants that's inspiring, but his story.

He started off as an employee at Harbor Village Cuisine. And when the owner was getting ready to retire, instead of closing down shop, Edwin took over the business from him and kept a long loved establishment going.

A few years later, Loco Moco was in the same predicament. The owner wanted to retire. Edwin stepped up and took the reins on that and has preserved two very loved restaurants in our community.

So, Edwin, thank you for keeping small business alive. Welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative Ratcliffe.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker and Members of the house, I'm happy to introduce my staff. We have Kennedy Salas. He is a legislative aide. We have Sarah Liu, who was newly onboarded as a legislative aide.

And then Maddie Cahill who is the committee clerk. Maddie Cahill has served five sessions with the House of Representatives and she will be moving to California soon.

But I appreciate them and they've helped me so much within the past two weeks. Thank you so much and welcome to your House of Representatives.

Representative, Kahaloa.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I have an important constituent visiting the capital today. It is my spouse and better half, Elijah Johnson, who works for WM Keck Observatory. Thank you for being here and welcome to your House of Representatives.

K, Members. If there are no further introductions, we'll turn to the order of the day. Members, please note that per committee referral sheet number 34, the following measures have been referred solely to the following committees.

Senate Concurrent Resolution number 41, SD 1, HD 1, to the Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 57 SD 1 to the committee on economic development and technology.

Senate Concurrent Resolution number 99 SD 1 to the committee on culture and the arts. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 130, HD 1, to the committee on education. Senate Concurrent Resolution numbers 139 and 78, to the committee on labor.

And House Resolution number three, House Draft 1, to the Committee on Public Safety. The committees on economic development and technology, agriculture and food systems, Judiciary and Hawaiian affairs,

and the committee on finance waive their referrals to their respective measures. And therefore, it is appropriate for the House to consider action for adoption. We'll be taking up three motions. Representative Kahaloa.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules of the house to reconsider action previously taken on Senate Concurrent Resolution number 41 SD1 HD 1, Senate Concurrent Resolution number 57 SD 1. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 99 SD1.

Senate Concurrent Resolution number 130 HD1. Senate Concurrent Resolution numbers 139 and 178, and House Resolution number 3 HD 1.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Any questions? Members will be taking a voice vote. All those in favor, say Aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried.

Representative Kahaloa.

Madam Speaker, I move to reconsider action taken pursuant to the recommendations contained in Standing Committee Reports numbers 2201-26, 2222-26, 2208-26, 2203-26, 2197-26, 2199-26, and 1600-26. Recommending referral to their designated committees.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker second motion.

Representative Kahaloa.

Any discussion? Members will be taking a voice vote all those in favor say Aye. All those opposed say no. The motion is carried.

Madam Speaker, I move to adopt. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 41 SD 1 HD 1. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 57 SD 1. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 99 SD 1. Senate Concurrent Resolution number 130 HD 1.

Senate Concurrent Resolution numbers 139 and 178. And House Resolution number 3 HD 1as listed on pages one and three. One through three.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Any discussion on these items beginning with SCR number 41, SCR number 57. Representative Iwamoto.

Reservations.

So ordered. SCR 99.

Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered Representative Alcos.

No vote.

So ordered Representative Reyes Oda.

Reservations.

So ordered Representative Pierick.

So ordered. Representative Shimizu.

No vote.

In opposition.

Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I've commented on this before and again, I comment again that, I don't believe government should be competing with nonprofit and trying to establish a nonprofit. And I would, hope that we understand that. Thank you.

Representative Muraoka.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Matsumoto.

Same request.

So ordered. Representative Gedeon.

Same request, please.

So ordered. Senate, SCR number 130. SCR number 139. Representative Cochran.

Alright. Thank you so much. And I stand I stand in support with comments.

Please proceed.

Okay. Thank you so much. And I'm especially very supportive of course, and agree about a state wide work force, strategy. But for me to wait until 2045 to come up with a final report is just ridiculous in my mind.

I wanna just state, that there was a report out that since the wildfires of Lahaina in 2023, Maui's population has decreased by a thousand residents.

And, the increase of out migration and declining in migration has resulted in millions of dollars in annual income, shortage of annual income.

And another survey in 2023 that, took responses from 3,200 working families, 33% of those families are were preparing at that time to leave due to the high cost of living and just not being able to survive here in our islands.

So these migration effects, come with huge economic repercussions. And, the residents, from the fire actually have, cost us 60,000,000 in annual income to our Maui County, and, the state as a whole, 50,000,000 in annual income, has been reduced in GET revenues.

So to compile all of these figures just of recent times, and then add nineteen years down the road in 2045 to come up with some solutions and some projected, strategies, to me, should is ridiculous.

And so with that, I am of course supporting in us getting some type of process going and strategy, but the timeline really needs to be now. Thank you so much.

Senate Concurrent Resolution number 178. Representative Cochran.

Thank you so much. And so for this one, I am in support. There's just one point. So I'm in support in the sense that, subcontractors here in Hawaii are often our small business owners, and are harmed by delays in retainage.

And this resolution will give them a public tool to verify they're being paid on time. The government, accountability to the private sector, where public agencies should not be able to quietly delay payments to contractors.

And a public facing website would remove this ability. Prompt payments keep contractors solvent, keeps projects on schedule, and reduces the cost of doing business with government, and basically all pro market outcomes, would come with this.

Agencies that cannot comply simply explain why in writing. The legislature then addresses barriers. That is a measured proportionate approach, which would be very, helpful.

The one thing that I think is not needed here is that public works division already has a built in working model, and this resolution asks other agencies to replicate it, and not to reinvent it. So, with those, yes, I'm in support, but there are just, a couple things. Thank you so much.

Finally, HR number three. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Muraoka.

So ordered. Representative Alcos.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

In opposition.

Please proceed.

So this resolution asks quote, urging the governor to take action to protect transgender members of the Hawaii National Guard from discriminatory federal policy and permit qualified transgender service members to continue their service.

The president, Supreme Court, secretary of defense have already given rulings on this, so this resolution is asking our governor to advocate upon transgender members at the federal level.

Even if this resolution were to pass and the governor were to take action, it's not gonna change the president's mind, Supreme Court's decision, or the secretary of defense's decision. So voting no.

Okay. Members will be taking Oh. Representative Matsumoto.

I'll vote in permission to insert written comments into the journal. Opposition?

Yes. And written comments. Show ordered. Thank you. Representative Gedeon.

With reservations please.

So ordered representative Belatti.

Thank you Madam Speaker in support with just a few remarks.

Please proceed.

Madam Speaker in support during the first administration of during the first time this administration was in office, Hawaii stood in opposition to many of these same discriminatory policies.

It's not about changing the minds of the president or the secretary of the Department of Defense. It's about announcing to the world what our values are here in Hawaii.

And almost a decade ago, Hawaii stood for its traditions of aloha, compassion, and inclusion, and that's what this resolution states. So in strong support, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Representative Souza.

In support, Madam Speaker.

Please proceed.

I'd like to insert the words of the former speaker into the record as my own.

So ordered.

Thank you.

Representative Iwamoto.

Thank you. In support and same request.

So ordered. Representative Tam.

Same request.

So ordered. K. Members, if there's no further discussion, we'll be taking a voice vote. All those in favor, say Aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. On item number six, reports of standing committees, Representative Kahaloa.

Madam speaker I move to adopt Standing Committee Reports numbers 2255-26 through 2276-26 as listed on pages four through nine and that they accompanied Senate Concurrent Resolutions as may be amended be adopted.

Representative Morikawa.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

Members, any discussion on these items beginning with House Standing Committee Report number 2255, 2256. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Alcos.

Reservations.

So ordered. Representative Muraoka.

Reservations, please.

So ordered. Report number 2257. Representative Iwamoto.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. With reservations and a brief comment.

Please proceed.

Thank you.

Although this is seems like on its face, a really great idea to be able to discard lithium ion batteries in a responsible way, giving this task to a government agency instead of current so for those who do not have an electric car and who've never,

kept it long enough to replace the battery, normally you purchase the battery, at the dealership or whoever you get serviced, and then they, take your old battery and they often send it to the producer of the battery, of where the batteries come from.

They don't, so it's a form of extended producer responsibility. And I fear that if we move towards putting government in charge of this task of receiving old batteries, we're moving in the wrong direction.

We should be actually putting more responsibility on the producers and who actually create the the product and ship it back to them so that they could dispose of it or recycle whatever parts they can.

So, again, this is going kind of going in the wrong direction, when we should be, again, putting more pressure on producers of the lithium batteries. Thanks.

Representative Garcia.

With reservations.

So ordered. Representative Muraoka.

In strong opposition.

Please proceed.

My opposition doesn't come from the fact that we need to create a lithium ion and all battery disposal facility. My opposition comes from the constant demonstration of in the inability of the county to figure out their disposal solutions.

They cannot even figure out where to put the new landfill, so they're stuffing them back down in my community. So we don't need that. My fear is this probably gonna be stuffed on our throats as well.

The city and county's constant failures when it comes to landfills, disposals, and the the likes of just that's where my opposition comes from.

Representative Alcos.

Reservations.

So ordered. Representative Shimizu.

Reservations and a brief comment.

Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I'm supportive and, with reservations. This is requesting City and County of Honolulu to consider developing a facility to discard lithium ion batteries. My reservation is there was no testimony, especially from City and County of Honolulu.

There was no opportunity to ask questions and just find out what is the situation. So it is a good idea for them to consider it, but I have that reservation. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Representative Gedeon.

Reservations.

So ordered. Representative Reyes Oda.

No vote.

So ordered. Standing Committee Report 2258. Representative Cochran.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. And I'm in strong support with brief comments, please.

Please proceed.

Thank you so much. So in reference to, obviously, the Lahaina wildfire fire, which I am a survivor.

Survivors are still in a temporary housing situation. The brush clearance and open evacuation corridor corridors are not an abstract policy. They are an immediate public safety necessity. Maui County already has passed this fire code in December 2024.

This resolution simply urges the county to enforce what is already enacted.

The state legislature is not overriding county authority. It is urging the county to use its own legally established tools.

Negligent property owners who fail to clear vegetation shift avoidable risk fire risk onto neighbors and communities, And conservative property rights principles include response responsibility not to harm others.

The 2023 fire was the deadliest in our American history for over a century, and supporting enforcement of fire code provisions in its aftermath is the minimum responsible action this legislature can take.

So I really, really ask for, support on this measure, and mahalo for all your care, love, and aloha. Thank you.

K. Members, we're at the top of page five, standing committee report number twenty two fifty nine, twenty two sixty, twenty two sixty one, twenty two sixty two. Representative Cochran.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. For this, I am in support, of course, to, you know, streamline things, and especially in reference to county permitting.

The only, I think, points that I wanna make is that there's no real deliverables with this, and the only one thing is to deliver a report to us, you know, prior to opening of session, but looking back on this audit that we've been waiting for, this hasn't happened.

For me, there's just no really much teeth in that statement being put upon audits and reports and everything moving through the ledge. And there's no, real time line given.

So I think, it would be best for us to have a streamline process as a deliverable in this, and also the comments from Aloha Independent Living Hawaii, who supports people with disabilities, they, of course, also support streamlining, but they don't want it to,

inadvertently bypass compliance with federal and state accessibility laws and building codes. So with that, supportive and just wanted to make some comments. Hello.

Report number 2263. Representative Iwamoto.

Reservations. So ordered.

Report number 2264. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Muraoka.

No vote.

So ordered. Report number 2265. Representative Garcia.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Alcos.

No vote.

So ordered. Representative Matsumoto.

Same request.

So ordered. Representative Muraoka.

With reservations.

So ordered. Representative Gedeon.

Same request, please.

So ordered. Representative Pierick.

No vote.

So ordered. Report number 2266. Representative Cochran.

Mahalo Madam Speaker. I rise with, with reservations with brief comments. Please.

Please proceed.

Thank you. So depart I'm all about audits, like them.

Department of Education internal audit office has requested to conduct semi annual performance and management audits of the DOE and its attached agencies were the objective of increasing student academic success and workforce readiness,

but the only pathway mentioned in the SCR is through reallocation of revenues. Reallocation of revenues seems like only a small piece needed to achieve this objective. In my opinion, this SCR reveals a lack of a well thought out thought out results chain.

Additionally, performance and management audits go beyond internal audit offices scope.

For example, this SCR calls for looking into academic performance of existing programs compared to the strategic plan objectives for the the Department of Education.

This would require more than an audit, but an evaluation which would require more time and likely a different skill set from existing staff. With that, those are my reservations. Thank you.

Standing Committee Report number 2267. Top of page seven, 2268, 2269. Representative Cochran.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, for this opportunity. I rise in opposition to this resolution.

Please proceed.

While I appreciate the intent behind the housing ladder program, this resolution asks for state, for state agencies to collaborate on yet another new government initiative without a single dollar of accountability attached. No performance metrics and no timeline for results.

We already have agencies responsible for housing. We already fund counseling, job training, transitional assistance through existing programs.

What we don't have is evidence that adding another layer of bureaucratic coordination will actually move one family off a waiting list or into a market rate home.

I want to briefly draw my colleague's attention to some state auditor, Les Kondo, issued an urgent mid audit warning about the Kauhali initiative, flagging nearly 1,700,000 in improper unsupported invoices connected to statewide office of homelessness and housing office.

The auditor himself said that waiting for the final report will result in continued exposure of public funds to inappropriate costs.

The current control environment, in his words, does not provide reasonable assurance that improper billing will be detected or prevented. This resolution asked us to bring SO HHS to the table as a lead collaborating agency on a new program.

Resources toward an office currently under active audit scrutiny. Accountability must come before expansion. They redistribute administrative effort.

Housing mobility, we should be reducing permitting barriers, incentivizing private development, and getting government out of the way, not creating new inter agency task force that include agencies the auditor is currently investigating.

So with all of that, I urge, please, my colleagues to vote no. Mahalo.

Representative Garcia.

In opposition.

Please proceed.

And I'd like to adopt the words of the Representative of Lahaina as my own.

So ordered. Report number 2270. 2271. Representative Iwamoto.

Reservations.

So ordered. Top of page eight, Sancom report 2272. Representative Shimizu.

In support with a brief comment.

Please proceed.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I love this, resolution, and I want to encourage the state auditor to follow-up and perform the audit. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Representative Muraoka.

In strong support.

Please proceed.

Madam Speaker, this resolution is exactly what this House needs. So much in fact that I would like to collaborate with any of my colleagues here in turning this into a bill.

If this resolution goes through and then, in fact, if we can push it through a bill, it seems like the first step in bringing back trust and transparency in the government. And for those reasons, I'm in strong support.

Representative Cochran.

Thank you, madam speaker. And and thank you to my fellow colleagues' comments. I support that. Madam speaker, I rise in strong support. Please proceed.

Thank you. Resolution. And I have always stood for one principle above all others when it comes to government spending, and that's accountability. Emergency declarations should never come become a blank check.

Between 2020 and 2025, Hawaii agencies issued no bin contracts under emergency proclamations that suspended normal procurement safeguards.

The public deserves to know whether these contracts are justified, fairly priced, and awarded without favoritism. The National Kindy Foundation contracts referenced in this rezo have already raised serious questions.

When public money flows to private vendors outside the competitive building process, the burden of proof falls on government to show it was spent wisely, not on taxpayers to prove otherwise.

As currently I currently mentioned in a past about the auditor and us awaiting a final report, and that was with homemade and DHS in Lahaina temporary housing built since the fire. This audit doesn't grow government.

It doesn't spend new money. It shines a light on how existing money was spent when nobody was watching. Madam Speaker, if we claim to stand for physical responsibility, we must be willing to ask the hard questions, especially when the answers might be uncomfortable.

So I urge a strong Aye vote, and I do support, the idea of making this a bill.

Representative Bellotti.

Thank you, madam speaker. In strong support.

Please proceed.

May I have the words of the Representatives from Waianae and Lahaina entered as if they were my own.

So ordered.

Brief comment, Madam Speaker, is I think believe we might be passing on some of the emergency, powers legislation. I think that this, this resolution is going to become critically important, as the legislature moves forward in future sessions.

And so this, as stated by the previous two speakers, is an instance of where there should be absolutely, strong bipartisan support for this kind of, accountability and call for transparency.

The impacts to our state budgets because of no bid contracts that are, evading the procurement, process, raises very, very serious concerns moving into the future. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Representative Iwamoto.

In support. Sorry. In support.

Please proceed.

And I ask that the words of the Representative from Minky Keep be entered into the record as if they were my own.

Thank you. So ordered. Standing Committee Report number 2273, 2274, 2275, top of page nine, 2276. K. Members will be taking a voice vote.

All those in favor, say Aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. Item number seven, reports of conference committees. Members please note the 48 hours notice for conference committee report number one as listed on page nine.

Item number eight announcements members are there any announcements. K. Seeing none, Representative Morikawa for the motion to adjourn.

Madam Speaker, I move that this House stand adjourned until 12:00 noon tomorrow.

Representative Garcia.

Madam Speaker, I second the motion.

All those in favor, say Aye. All those opposed, say no. The motion is carried. The House stands adjourned until 12:00 noon tomorrow.