[0:10] be seated.

[0:13] The house come to order

[0:19] ?

[0:19] Members who wish to

[0:22] participate, please rise.

[0:37] >> a low let us pray.

[0:41] Dear heavenly father, we pray

[0:42] for the people of tonga to get

[0:43] through this difficult time of

[0:49] tragedy and uncertainty.

[0:50] We pray for guidance as we

[0:51] begin another session.

[0:52] Let we develop good policies.

[0:57] We pray for all those affected

[0:58] in this unprecedented pandemic

[0:59] that we can look forward to a

[1:01] healthier future.

[1:03] We ask for the strength to

[1:05] continue being the leaders that

[1:08] people depend on.

[1:09] And, heavenly father, we thank

[1:14] the for all our blessings and

[1:15] continue to watch over us as we

[1:19] begin another session in our

[1:30] people's housemen.

[1:34] >> thank you.

[1:35] Esther clerk, please call the

[1:37] role.

[1:40] >> MS. Belatti.

[1:43] MR. Bronco.

[1:47] MR. Colon.

[1:51] MR. Gates.

[1:51] MS. Harr.

[1:52] >>

[1:53] present.

[1:55] Present.

[2:01] >> MR. Hashem.

[2:12] MS. Ichiyama.

[2:14] MR. Kobayashi.

[2:21] MR. Dale kobayashi.

[2:23] MS. Luke

[2:24] .

[2:32] MS. Martin.

[2:36] MR. Mcdermott.

[2:49] MR. Mizuna.

[3:45] [Roll call] MR. Speaker, 50

[3:45] members are present there

[3:46] >> MR. Clerk, under any

[3:47] messages from the governor?

[3:48] >> yes, MR. Speaker.

[3:49] We received a message and from

[3:50] the house the budget directives

[3:51] have been electronic in this

[3:51] received in filed.

[3:59] >> MR. Clerk, under any senate

[4:00] comedic asians?

[4:00] >> MR. Speaker there are none.

[4:01] >> item 4, MR. Clerk, are there

[4:02] any messages from the governor?

[4:06] >> yes, we received 830 linda

[4:07] clark to the district.

[4:07] MAY this must be received for

[4:08] immediate action pics

[4:09] >> so ordered.

[4:09] Will the sergeant and arms

[4:22] please escort MS. Clark?

[4:25] Chief justice, would you please

[4:26] proceed with the oath of

[4:27] office?

[4:30] >> good morning

[4:31] , olelo, and

[4:32] thank you for the honor of

[4:37] inviting me to join.

[4:37] Please raise your right hand

[4:38] and repeat after me.

[4:40] I, linda clark.

[4:41] Do solemnly swear that I will

[4:43] support and defend the

[4:44] constitution of the united

[4:48] states and the constitution of

[4:52] the state of hawaii.

[4:53] And that I will faithfully

[4:56] discharge my duties as a member

[4:59] of the house of representatives

[5:02] of the state of hawaii to the

[5:06] best of my ability.

[5:06] Congratulations,

[5:08] representative.

[5:13] Clap back

[5:27] [Applause]

[5:28] >> thank you, chief justice and

[5:29] congratulations, represented of

[5:29] clark.

[5:31] I just wanted to note I'm here

[5:31] to support rep or sedative

[5:32] clerk, our chief sounds.

[5:33] Would you please stand to be

[5:41] recognized?

[5:41] Members, we will be taking a

[5:43] short recess to congratulate

[5:44] representative clark.

[14:42] Recess.

[14:44] 3 with house come to order?

[14:45] Item 5.

[14:48] >> MR. Speaker, I move that all

[14:51] bills laying on the clerk.

[15:12] [Indiscernible]

[15:17] >> representatives of the 30.

[15:18] [Indiscernible] Represented

[15:22] belatti?

[15:23] >> MR. Speaker, I seconded the

[15:23] motion via

[15:26] >> is there any discussion?

[15:41] If not, all in favor say aye.

[15:42] Opposed say no.

[15:42] It is adopted.

[15:43] MR. Clerk, is there another

[15:43] resolution for action?

[15:44] >> yes, MR. Speaker.

[15:45] House resolution number one

[15:51] belated to recess stays for the

[15:51] 2022. This current resolution

[15:52] is offered by you, MR. Speaker

[15:53] . Representative belatti.

[15:54] >> I moved to adopt hcr number

[16:01] one.

[16:02] >> MR. Speaker, I second the

[16:02] motion.

[16:03] >> is there any discussion?

[16:04] If not, all those in favor say

[16:04] aye.

[16:05] All opposed say no.

[16:06] Hcr one is adoptedr. Clerk,

[16:09] is there another resolution for

[16:09] action?

[16:10] >> yes, number 2 requesting the

[16:20] governor -- this current

[16:21] resolution is offered by you,

[16:22] MR. Speaker.

[16:23] Representative belatti?

[16:23] >> MR. Speaker, I moved to

[16:24] adopt hcr number 2.

[16:25] >> I 2nd the motion.

[16:38] >> is there any discussion?

[16:39] If not, all those in favor say

[16:39] aye.

[16:40] Those opposed say no.

[16:40] Hcr 2 is adopted.

[16:41] Clerk, is there further

[16:42] resolutions for action?

[16:44] >> MR. Speaker, there are no

[16:45] further resolutions for action.

[16:46] >> so ordered.

[16:46] The chair has some brief

[16:47] remarks.

[16:53] And the title of this speech is

[16:53] justice.

[16:56] Justice.

[16:57] I wanted to start off by saying

[17:04] over the past 2 years, hawaii

[17:05] has worked together to overcome

[17:06] great challenges.

[17:08] It is a reflection of the

[17:13] public's resilience and sins of

[17:13] community.

[17:20] But it is also a reflection of

[17:20] your work here in the

[17:21] legislator and in your

[17:22] neighborhoods.

[17:23] I know that the past 7 months

[17:25] have not been easy for you and

[17:27] your constituents.

[17:29] Just when we thought the

[17:34] pandemic was over the surge

[17:35] overcame all of us know

[17:38] that you have worked in your

[17:39] communities to vaccinate and

[17:43] test thousands and thousands of

[17:46] people.

[17:50] On SEPTEMBER 17, 1959

[17:52] , one

[17:53] month after statehood, doctor

[17:53] martin luther king JR. Visited

[17:57] hawaii and spoke here in the

[17:59] house of representatives.

[18:05] He spoke of his work in other

[18:06] states and recognized hawaii as

[18:07] a noble example

[18:08] , an area of

[18:15] racial harmony and racial

[18:16] justice.T has been 62

[18:16] years

[18:17] since that speech.

[18:19] And as you know, doctor king's

[18:26] teachings extended beyond race

[18:27] and included economic and

[18:28] environmental justice.

[18:29] It is time to reassess doctor

[18:33] king's observation about hawaii

[18:37] and to articulate what we can

[18:39] do to advance his call for

[18:42] justice.

[18:45] In JANUARY, 2020 we were

[18:46] prepared to enact a proposal

[18:48] that would have increased the

[18:53] minimum wage and provided more

[18:54] tax relief to working families.

[18:55] This proposal followed a report

[18:59] conducted by the olelo united

[19:02] way that found that 47% of

[19:05] hawaii's families were

[19:06] financially distressed and

[19:11] simply cannot make it here.

[19:12] But 6 weeks later the

[19:13] legislative session was

[19:16] suspended when the spate --

[19:22] state was shut down and we were

[19:23] forced to defer action on our

[19:24] ambitious agenda.

[19:25] Since that time, I stated

[19:27] publicly that the house would

[19:32] revisit a proposal when

[19:33] conditions improved.

[19:37] Well, conditions have improved

[19:41] and it is now time for us to

[19:41] act.

[19:44] Through the work of

[19:45] representatives, the house will

[19:50] advance legislation to

[19:50] increase

[19:51] the hourly minimum wage to $18

[19:58] , increase the food tax credit,

[19:59] and make the earned income tax

[20:01] credit refundable and

[20:01] permanent.

[20:04] This package will give a family

[20:09] an additional $33,600 in

[20:12] income.

[20:20] But we know that wages alone

[20:21] will not lift working families.

[20:21] Families cannot afford housing

[20:22] and need help.

[20:23] And, regrettably, the

[20:29] demographic group that has been

[20:30] hardest hit and most priced out

[20:34] of housing is native hawaiians.

[20:35] We will appropriate $600

[20:39] million to enable beneficiaries

[20:41] of the plot hawaiians own land

[20:47] trust to acquire their own

[20:47] homes.

[20:53] [Applause]

[20:57] 3 representative holt and

[21:00] representative eli, who was the

[21:01] only hawaiian homelands

[21:05] beneficiary in the house,

[21:13] caucus will play a leading role

[21:14] on this historic piece of

[21:15] legislation.

[21:16] Members, it is time to give the

[21:17] department of hawaiian

[21:17] homelands the resources it

[21:21] needs to fulfill its fiduciary

[21:21] duty.

[21:27] [Applause]

[21:28] Cultural justice requires the

[21:34] restoration of cultural

[21:35] practices.

[21:35] The house will expend

[21:36] community-based efforts to

[21:36] restore fishponds

[21:42] , repatriate

[21:43] cultural artifacts, teach

[21:55] financial literacy, and provide

[21:56] cultural training to the

[21:57] military.

[21:57] Related to this is the issue of

[21:58] tourism managemente need to

[21:59] take action now before our

[22:03] visitor, again reaches 10

[22:04] million people.

[22:05] We need to better incorporate

[22:06] culture into tourism because by

[22:12] doing so this will also protect

[22:13] our natural resources.

[22:14] We will do this by relying on

[22:15] initiatives and organizations

[22:17] that can assist the hawaii

[22:22] tourism authority.

[22:23] Last year the house created a

[22:24] working group to propose a new

[22:30] government structure.

[22:31] Through the work with

[22:32] representatives nakashima,

[22:39] tartness, colin, and eli and 11

[22:39] committee members the house

[22:40] will advance a proposal that

[22:41] will create a management

[22:44] structure that will carry above

[22:46] the 6500 foot elevation line

[22:47] through an integrated

[22:51] culturally and environmentally

[22:52] conscious approach

[23:00] [Applause]

[23:00] When it comes to the

[23:01] environment, just 2 words

[23:03] example if I the need for

[23:06] environment of justice.

[23:08] Redhill.

[23:09] In DECEMBER, the house called

[23:12] for the decommissioning of

[23:15] redhill.

[23:17] We will reiterate that call for

[23:21] action.

[23:22] The house will not allow the

[23:24] military to put the aquifer

[23:26] that supplies water to all

[23:33] residents at risk.

[23:43] Representatives began work a

[23:44] few weeks ago to monitor state

[23:46] and military progress on red

[23:51] hill.

[23:52] We will continue that work

[23:53] through the formation of a

[23:54] special committee on red hill

[23:54] .

[23:55] Its emphasis will be the

[23:57] containment

[24:06] , remediation, and

[24:07] prevention of contamination.

[24:08] We will continue to insist that

[24:09] the federal government must be

[24:14] responsible for red hill costs.

[24:16] Tate taxpayers should not be

[24:21] asked to pay for this cleanup.

[24:26] So, members, this house is

[24:27] proposing unprecedented

[24:28] legislation that taken together

[24:33] will help over 100,000

[24:37] households provide homes and

[24:39] restore cultural practices that

[24:41] ordinary people have fought for

[24:43] and even died for throughout

[24:45] their lives.

[24:46] As I said before

[24:48] , the house of

[24:52] representatives is a leader on

[24:54] policy.

[24:57] We must continue to be that

[25:02] force for needed change.

[25:03] Like DR. King, we cannot

[25:05] hesitate to institute reform so

[25:13] that we can achieve justice.

[25:14] Thank you very much, and have a

[25:15] productive session

[25:23] [Applause]

[25:24] All right, the chair would like

[25:33] to recognize minority leader

[25:34] okimoto for her remarks.

[25:35] >> thank you, MR. Speaker.

[25:43] MR. Speaker, majority leader,

[25:43] friends, colleagues, and

[25:44] members of the public who are

[25:45] watching online, good morning

[25:59] and aloha.

[26:01] This is the first time I've had

[26:01] the privilege of standing

[26:03] before you and addressing you

[26:03] on opening day.

[26:04] As a representative from

[26:04] district 36, and now as the

[26:06] minority leader, my staff knows

[26:07] all too well how difficult the

[26:07] speeches can be for me.

[26:09] The difficulty comes when I

[26:10] reflect on the last 4 years and

[26:10] how much I want to include in

[26:11] these moments.

[26:12] Ira number how different my

[26:14] first session was and how

[26:15] hopeful I was.

[26:16] I had so much to say back then,

[26:22] and now there is too much to

[26:23] say.

[26:23] Over the last 2 years, the

[26:24] challenges have been

[26:26] extraordinary.Ut so have our

[26:27] communities and our people.

[26:28] First and foremost, I want to

[26:29] say thank you.

[26:29] Thank you to our people and to

[26:34] their unwavering spirit.

[26:34] They have fought to lead

[26:35] hawaii's come back and recover

[26:39] from the pandemic.

[26:39] have made great sacrifices to

[26:41] keep their children educated

[26:41] and in school.

[26:42] Change their business models to

[26:46] fit a post covid world, and

[26:47] tolerated and adapted to an

[26:49] ever-changing mandate and

[26:50] regulations.

[26:54] >> recording stopped.

[26:58] >> today the legislator opens

[27:05] to a state --

[27:05] >> recording in progress.

[27:06] >> thank you.

[27:14] To fight as hard as they have 2

[27:15] ensure a future for our

[27:16] children.

[27:17] I am confident that this body

[27:17] is ready for the challenges,

[27:18] and this is why.

[27:23] During one of the most economic

[27:24] downturns in hawaii history,

[27:25] our finance committee moved at

[27:26] an incredible pace to pave the

[27:40] way for our economic recovery,

[27:41] ensure funding, crucial funding

[27:42] during interim all while

[27:43] crafting a balanced budget that

[27:44] reflects the values that this

[27:45] state believes in.

[27:45] While finance was doing their

[27:46] due diligence, our committees

[27:48] on land and water and

[27:52] environment protection and

[27:52] energy made crucial strides

[27:52] toward protecting the critical

[27:53] resources that our state is so

[27:53] beloved for.

[27:53] I mention this not to boast of

[27:54] great victories, but because we

[28:03] convene today not under the

[28:04] shadow of a prolonged period

[28:04] hardship, but under the light

[28:05] of resilience and

[28:06] responsibility.

[28:07] And shared responsibility each

[28:15] of us has to make their that

[28:16] the tragedies we have all gone

[28:17] through our hard life lessons

[28:18] that must be applied to

[28:18] solutions and not just

[28:19] headlines.

[28:19] On JANUARY 9, 1790 long before

[28:20] these pitiful islands became a

[28:22] state, george washington panned

[28:23] a letter to writer and

[28:26] historian kathleen that

[28:27] included the sentence, the

[28:31] establishment of our new -- for

[28:32] promoting human happiness.

[28:35] By reasonable compact and civil

[28:35] society.

[28:39] That great experiment dash

[28:55] through that great experiment

[28:56] many people believe that

[28:56] experiment has failed.

[28:57] They could not be more wrong.

[29:00] They let perfection, or rather

[29:00] their idea of perfection be the

[29:01] enemy of good.

[29:02] This state isn't perfect, and

[29:03] it will never be that is the

[29:03] beauty of it.

[29:04] It can be ever-changing.

[29:06] It can adapt and overcome.

[29:07] We carry that mantle today in

[29:07] these holes that are

[29:08] constructed to represent that

[29:31] belief of a more perfect union

[29:32] because the pursuit of

[29:33] happiness is more noble and

[29:33] necessary.

[29:36] Our constituents sent us so we

[29:36] can prove those words right.

[29:37] Even in the face of seemingly

[29:38] insurmountable changes and

[29:39] unfathomable loss.

[29:39] Although our state, like the

[29:40] entire country, feels more

[29:41] divided than ever I have never

[29:42] seen our islands, our people as

[29:45] united in their vision for our

[29:45] future.

[29:46] We have so much more in common

[29:46] than what divides us.

[29:47] And we feel that the most when

[29:48] we are at home.

[29:48] Whether home is a rental

[29:49] apartment in town, a family

[29:51] nestled in the green hills

[29:53] , or

[29:54] a house that exists in a price

[29:55] range you can afford, every

[29:56] hawaiian wants and deserves

[29:57] many of the same things.

[30:03] A safe reliable place to lay

[30:04] your head to rest.

[30:05] A stable income that allows you

[30:06] to provide for yourself and

[30:17] your family.

[30:18] A life free from violence and

[30:19] termination.

[30:20] The sad reality is that far too

[30:23] many hawaiians have been left

[30:23] behind and ultimately we are

[30:24] here to change that.

[30:24] To do our part in making sure

[30:25] every person is able to achieve

[30:26] the life and future they

[30:27] envision for themselves and

[30:27] families.

[30:29] To help protect the pursuit of

[30:29] happiness.

[30:30] I am really excited for our

[30:31] speakers announcement today

[30:32] t has been somewhat clich

[30:33] for the minority leader to

[30:34] declare on opening day that

[30:35] this upcoming session will be

[30:35] the most consequential in

[30:42] history.

[30:43] That declaration has never felt

[30:44] more appropriate as we begin

[30:45] the 2022 legislative session

[30:46] with the public left outside

[30:48] government transparency dash

[31:01] with the public left -- sorry.

[31:02] With the public left outside

[31:03] government transparency, this

[31:04] has never been more important

[31:05] as we begin to shape hawaii's

[31:06] future.

[31:06] The public's absence in these

[31:07] halls cannot go understated.

[31:08] We opposed, nay, we must make

[31:09] changes to drastically increase

[31:11] the supply of affordable

[31:11] housing to expand our

[31:22] workforce, do invest in

[31:23] responsible develop it and to

[31:23] stabilize our health system

[31:24] that has been struggling to

[31:25] help our most vulnerable and to

[31:26] finally get a hold on the

[32:02] mental health epidemic that

[32:02] plagues our population.

[32:03] We will be talking about how to

[32:04] invest in our most important

[32:05] asset, our children to make

[32:06] sure they have the education,

[32:07] training, and support their

[32:07] futures need.

[32:08] We must support small

[32:09] businesses, grow our state

[32:14] economy, and make sure that our

[32:16] recovery continues to lift up

[32:17] all hawaii.

[32:17] How can we possibly do that

[32:18] without our people?

[32:19] One of the most important

[32:20] lessons I have learned as a

[32:20] legislator is to make the most

[32:21] of every opportunity because a

[32:22] 2nd chance is never guaranteed

[32:23] and tomorrow is never promised

[32:24] each of us will eventually walk

[32:25] out of the chamber for a final

[32:26] time and once we have said

[32:27] goodbye our legacy won't be

[32:28] measured by the titles we

[32:28] collect or the size of our

[32:29] office.

[32:29] Our legacy will be measured by

[32:30] all the ways our people will

[32:31] fill by the choices we make for

[32:32] years to come in the ways they

[32:33] experience this opportunity to

[32:33] be public servants.

[32:37] Is hawaii the -- would choose

[32:38] to invest in affordable

[32:39] housing.It is the small

[32:40] business owner that keeps their

[32:41] doors open and employees on the

[32:42] payroll because we create

[32:46] problems that help them weather

[32:46] tough times.

[32:47] It is a young man and women who

[32:48] start to put future as a

[32:49] priority they can achieve

[32:50] because we work together today

[33:03] to ensure they have

[33:03] opportunities our parents

[33:04] wanted for us.

[33:05] It is the combat veteran who

[33:06] comes home from deployment and

[33:06] is able to enjoy the freedoms

[33:07] they fought to protect because

[33:08] we fought for them in the

[33:08] capital.

[33:11] It is the girl that grew up

[33:12] next to cane fields and blue

[33:12] oceans who ensures anything is

[33:13] possible and she will never be

[33:14] hawaii's last.

[33:16] Our legacy will be measured not

[33:16] by whether or not we resolve

[33:17] all our problems in 60 days,

[33:18] but by how we use 60 days to

[33:32] religiously pursue a more

[33:32] perfect union.

[33:33] This session, especially as the

[33:34] demands of legislating put us

[33:36] to the test, we cannot this

[33:36] fact sight of the fact that

[33:37] hawaii's future gets better

[33:38] with the relentless optimism

[33:38] that better is possible, but

[33:39] better will not only be

[33:39] possible if

[33:41] we can be honest

[33:41] with ourselves.

[33:42] To admit shortcomings and fix

[33:42] the mistakes we made.

[33:46] We have to choose if we are

[33:47] going to do this in our best

[33:48] interest with the best interest

[33:49] of the people.

[33:50] Let's make that choice

[33:50] together.

[34:15] Before I close and for you all

[34:16] for my soapbox, I want to close

[34:16] by showing my gratitude,

[34:17] expressing my gratitude.

[34:18] We would not be here today for

[34:19] it were not for the first

[34:20] responders, the doctors,

[34:21] nurses, law enforcement, ems

[34:22] professionals, and so many more

[34:22] who have made it their mission

[34:24] to keep hawaii safe and

[34:24] healthy.

[34:24] we are indebted to them for

[34:25] their service.

[34:26] I want to publicly thank my 2

[34:39] girls, rebecca for their

[34:40] support.

[34:40] My parents and loved ones and

[34:40] to district 36.

[34:42] Thank you for putting your

[34:42] choice -- trust in me for

[34:43] representing your community.

[34:44] Thank you for your

[34:45] collaboration, your commitment

[34:45] to service.

[34:46] I look forward to continuing

[34:47] our work together and

[34:47] leadership.

[34:48] Friends, colleagues, I'm with

[34:49] you.

[34:49] Let's get to work.

[34:50] [Applause]

[34:51] >> thank you, representative

[34:56] okimoto.

[34:57] >> thank you, MR. Speaker, vice

[34:58] speaker, house minority leader

[35:08] okimoto. To our represented as

[35:09] an hard-working staff for this

[35:10] opportunity to address you, and

[35:11] more important, to address the

[35:11] people of hawaii on this

[35:12] auspicious moment.

[35:19] To all of you who are viewing

[35:20] this from your work computer,

[35:21] from home, from school, on your

[35:22] mobile devices, thank you for

[35:23] tuning in to be a part of this

[35:24] day even though we are not able

[35:26] to welcome you in person.

[35:26] It is hard to believe we are

[35:27] heading into the 3rd year of

[35:28] this global pandemic.

[35:29] It is disrupted lives,

[35:30] workplaces, and homes.

[35:31] Economic disruption,

[35:33] uncertainty

[35:34] , and pivoting has

[35:42] become the norm.

[35:42] One of the biggest

[35:43] highlights

[35:43] and take away for me about this

[35:44] pandemic has been how you, the

[35:45] people of hawaii, have come

[35:46] together as communities across

[35:50] our state to help each other

[35:51] navigate through this storm.

[35:52] I'm going to do something I

[36:04] shouldn't do.

[36:05] Going to mention some agencies,

[36:05] and I know I will have left out

[36:06] some organizations.

[36:07] But as we plan for this moment

[36:07] a month and half ago, I

[36:08] imagined this room filled with

[36:09] representative from the

[36:09] community.

[36:10] From places like the community

[36:15] foundation, counsel -- catholic

[36:16] charities hawaii, maui economic

[36:17] opportunity, hawaii food bank,

[36:18] all of these rooms filled with

[36:20] people and communities that

[36:22] have helped us whether through

[36:22] this storm.

[36:23] We know that navigating this

[36:28] time has not been easy.

[36:28] We are not nace in thinking

[36:33] that this pandemic has treated

[36:33] people equally.

[36:34] We understand and know that

[36:35] inequities that existed

[36:37] previously have only been

[36:42] exacerbated.

[36:43] Today, our speaker has laid out

[36:56] an ambitious agenda to address

[36:57] these inequities.

[36:58] These inequalities, and to

[36:59] MARCH toward justice.

[37:00] We, the hawaii house of

[37:01] representatives, are committed

[37:02] to tackling these long-standing

[37:02] issues.

[37:03] To reinvest in our communities.

[37:07] To ensure we have the

[37:07] infrastructure, the social

[37:08] service programs, the schools

[37:09] and the teachers that will

[37:10] build the capacity of our

[37:21] people.

[37:22] Our greatest assete are

[37:23] here to recommit to our

[37:24] hard-working families and

[37:25] individuals who make our

[37:28] government, businesses, and

[37:29] communities run.

[37:29] I would like to share something

[37:30] with youe have a lot of

[37:31] organizations that bring us

[37:31] ideas and thoughts and agendas

[37:32] and priorities.

[37:33] I want to point out one

[37:33] group.

[37:46] You can find them at ina red

[37:47] hill 5 -- these are the things

[37:54] we need to do.

[37:55] We need to achieve circular

[37:55] economies that prioritize

[37:56] environment or climate

[37:57] resiliencee need to

[37:58] encourage the development of

[37:59] regenerative business

[38:00] opportunities, including

[38:03] working with all tourism and

[38:05] communities to develop

[38:06] regenerative tourism.

[38:12] We need to address and empower

[38:13] historically marginalized and

[38:14] disempowered populations to

[38:30] advance economic equity.

[38:31] We join today with the

[38:32] thousands who have already come

[38:32] together to commit to these

[38:33] things.

[38:33] We will take the next 60

[38:34] legislative days.

[38:37] They will be ups and downs.

[38:37] There will be discussions.

[38:38] There will be caucuses.

[38:39] There will be hearing and

[38:40] testimonies.

[38:41] We welcome all of you to come

[38:42] and participate, and we will

[38:43] revisit the reopening of our

[38:43] state capital.

[38:47] We will revisit the reopening

[38:48] of the people's house because

[38:49] it is in person, it is

[38:49] together, and now it is

[39:00] virtually how we can commit to

[39:00] each other.

[39:01] MR. Speaker, to the house of

[39:02] representatives, thank you for

[39:03] this opportunity, and I look

[39:04] forward to the work of the next

[39:04] 60 days.

[39:05] Aloha.

[39:19] [Applause]

[39:20] >> thank you, representative

[39:21] belatti. Members, we are on

[39:22] items 7. Are there any

[39:25] announcements, representative?

[39:26] >> speaker, my announcement

[39:27] today is to mark this day as a

[39:27] historical day in the history

[39:28] of the people of hawaii.

[39:29] I'm not referring to 1959 when

[39:31] martin luther king was noted,

[39:37] but from 1920 when the hawaiian

[39:38] homes commission was founded

[39:39] and, speaker, what came out

[39:40] today I think is going to be a

[39:41] new day for the people of

[39:41] hawaii.

[39:46] Particularly the hawaiian

[39:46] community that is on the

[39:47] waitlist that is now 20,000

[39:48] people strong.

[39:50] Thank you for what you are

[39:50] doing, and I urge all my

[39:51] colleagues to get behind to

[39:53] keep the word for which after

[39:54] 100 years has been lacking.

[39:54] Thank you, speakerhis is a

[39:55] day that's going to go down in

[39:57] history as marking a turning

[39:58] point for 100 years of neglect

[40:04] to facing it straight on.

[40:05] Genuinely thank you and for the

[40:06] chair of finance, thank you,

[40:08] and for all of us, this is a

[40:09] day that we can really fulfill

[40:10] a promise that we have given,

[40:11] but broken, and now we are

[40:18] going to turn the tide.

[40:18] >> representative kong.

[40:21] >> thank you, MR. Speaker.

[40:29] As many know, my office manager

[40:30] is a tongan and just so happens

[40:39] my legislative aide is also

[40:40] tongan.

[40:40] In fact, she is the reigning

[40:41] MISS Tonga of hawaii.

[40:47] just so happens these ladies

[40:48] that adorn my neck are also

[40:49] tongan.

[40:52] I ask this body to truly

[41:04] remember tonga and their people

[41:05] in your hearts, and especially

[41:06] in your prayers as we wait to

[41:07] hear news from that beautiful

[41:08] lovely island nation.

[41:08] Thank you, speaker.

[41:16] >> all right, members, are

[41:17] there further announcements?

[41:18] If not, the motion to adjourn?

[41:24] >> MR. Speaker, I move that

[41:25] this house adjourned until

[41:26] 12:00 noon tomorrow.

[41:27] >> MR. Speaker, I train on the

[41:27] motion.

[41:28] >> all those in favor say aye.

[41:29] Those opposed say no.

[41:30] This is adjourned until 12:00

House Opening Day 1/19/2022

Agenda

Transcript