Surviving Second Crossover

With a flurry of final Finance Hearings and budget negotiations, we are now preparing for the first crossover of Resolutions and the Second Crossover for Bills. Last week, the Senate heard HB1800, the State Budget Bill, which included several amendments and changes from the original House version. As we head into the second crossover, both Chambers must agree on the Budget to fund legislation still surviving the legislative process.

We are still waiting for a handful of our bills to be scheduled for hearing by the Senate Ways & Means Committee. These bills must be heard before this week's end to survive this session. These include the following measures:

HB1530 HD1 SD1: RELATING TO FIRE PROTECTION

Its fire staffing service is at a level of not less than four on-duty firefighters in each company.

HB2515 HD1 SD1: RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

Clarifies the types of events that constitute disasters and emergencies for emergency management.

HB2544 HD1 SD1: RELATING TO MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION.

Establishes within the Department of Health a 2-year pilot project to charter flights from rural islands to an urban island to provide rural island residents with reliable transportation to medical care on urban islands.

HB2702 HD2: RELATING TO ROAD IMPROVEMENTS.

Appropriates funds for equipment and positions within the Department of Transportation to conduct improvements to Hana Highway.

We are hopeful Ways and Means Chair Dela Cruz will schedule these measures; however, a polite email to his office from District 13 constituents asking for a hearing may be helpful.

Art at the Capitol

If you are visiting Honolulu on April 12, please join us for Art at the Capitol from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This event features a formal program in the Rotunda, allowing the public to explore the Capitol and enjoy . The evening will commence with a poetry reading by Poet Laureate Brandy Nālani McDougall, Ph.D., followed by the music of the Honolulu Youth Symphony and a performance by Ballet Hawai‘i. The program will also include locally produced films from the Hawai‘i International Film Festival, a panel by Hawai‘i Contemporary, and more.

As always, I love hearing from our community! Please don't hesitate to reach out anytime we can be of assistance.

Me ke aloha,

Mahina

25th Annual Easter Basket Drive

On Wednesday, March 27, Legislators donated Easter baskets filled with new household and hygiene products to organizations such as the Domestic Violence Center (DVAC), Institute for Human Services (IHS), Mohala Mai Women's Prison Project, and other organizations serving needy families. Mahalo to our "Easter Bunny" Representative Miyake and "Chick" Senator Elefante, who dressed up to help us celebrate the holiday. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday enjoying family and friends celebrating the holiday!

Spectrum Outage for Hāna

We were recently notified that Spectrum has a planned service interruption affecting all services in Hāna on Friday, April 19, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. According to the provider, this interruption is part of ongoing maintenance efforts to improve service in the area.

Lahaina Wildfire Investigation Underway: Phase One Report to be Released Soon

Attorney General Anne Lopez confirms the Phase One report on the independent investigation into the Maui wildfires will be released on April 17, 2024.

Based on scientific evidence, the Phase One report analyzes how the fire incident unfolded during the first 24 to 72 hours of the fire and its aftermath and includes a comprehensive timeline of events. The Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) is widely recognized as the world's premier fire safety science organization and was selected to provide its scientific analysis of the fire event and recommendations for the future.

The FSRI research team encountered unexpected delays when gathering the critical facts for review, which had a direct impact on the rescheduled Phase One report release date. In November of 2023, the Department of the Attorney General served three subpoenas seeking documents relevant to the investigation.

The County of Maui stated that subpoenas would be required for all further information, including documents and interviews with county personnel. As a result, the Department has needed to serve upon County of Maui agencies and officials, eight additional subpoenas for documents and 53 additional subpoenas for interviews.

Read the full press release, here.

Quarterly Statewide Geological Informational System (GIS) Users' Meetings

The Statewide Geographic Information System (GIS) Program held its quarterly Users’ Group meeting in January.

Jonathan Chin from the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office (HSEO) presented an overview of the Advanced Assistance Project. This Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)--funded project developed a Common Operating Picture (COP) for energy to be used for emergency response, to fulfill energy security planning requirements, and to prioritize energy resilience investments. The COP is a key component of HSEO’s Geospatial Decision Support System (GDSS).

Craig Clouet from the Governor’s Office provided insight into the geospatial collaboration and coordination that occurred during the State’s response to the devastating wildfires on Maui. Those efforts continue as the efforts shift from response to short- and long-term recovery. Craig showed some of the public-facing dashboards and maps that were developed that pulled together data from federal, State, and non-profit organizations.

Links:

Recording of the January 12, 2024, State GIS Users Group Meeting

State Disaster Recovery Hub Site for DR 4724 (Maui Wildfires)

Advanced Assistance Project Overview Presentation

Maui Housing Pipeline

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Special Research Grants Program

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is offering $1.9 million in grants to support research aimed at developing a sustainable and thriving U.S. aquaculture industry.

Eligible applicants include:

State Agricultural Experiment Stations
Colleges and universities (including junior colleges offering associate degrees or higher)
University research foundations
Other research institutions and organizations
Federal agencies
National laboratories
Private organizations or corporations
Individuals who are U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
And any group consisting of two or more entities identified above

Eligible institutions do not include foreign and international organizations.

Application deadline: April 15, 2024

For more information and to apply, visit the USDA website here.

Request for Proposals: Integrating Coastal Zone Management in Hawaiian Home Lands

The Hawai'i Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a research study to examine the current challenges and inconsistent legal interpretations for Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) beneficiaries and agency staff when navigating county and State requirements for conducting activities in the shoreline area as well as identify potential strategies to address these. The study will assess feasible management frameworks to guide existing and new development along the shoreline and increase coastal resiliency on HHL.

Interested vendors are encouraged to review the RFP, as amended, here.

Come Visit the Capitol!

The Capitol is OPEN to the public. However, it will continue to offer hybrid options for hearings and testimony.

Capitol Hours: Building hours for the State Capitol are 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Photo identification is required for entry into the building. All guests will receive an entry wristband upon completing the security checkpoint.

Paid Public Parking: The Capitol parking lot has reopened for paid public parking.

Rep. Mahina Poepoe

District 13 House of Representatives

415 S. Beretania Street Room 331

Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 586-6790