PRESS RELEASES Δεν έχουν δημοσιευτεί ακόμη αναρτήσεις σε αυτήν τη γλώσσα Μείνετε συντονισμένοι... MORE PRESS RELEASES NEWS ARTICLES READ MORE Hawaii Senate bills aim to protect farmers, boost ag theft penalties Original Article Star Advertiser John Burnett, Hawaii Tribune-Herald February 20, 2025 Senators Mentioned: Senator Herbert "Tim" Richards, III Two agriculture-related bills moving forward at the state Legislature would increase penalties for agricultural theft and allow farmers and ranchers to use deadly force against intruders under certain circumstances. Senate bills 1248 and 1249, both introduced by Sen. Tim Richards (D-Kohala), have cleared the Committee on Agriculture and Environment. Both bills on Feb. 13 passed their second readings. SB 1248, the stand-your-ground legislation, has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, while SB 1249, an omnibus agricultural measure, has been referred to a joint session of the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. SB 1248 would allow a farmer or rancher, under certain circumstances, to use deadly force without retreating. Richards calls the measure the “Cranston Duke Pia Act.” Pia was a 39-year-old Makaha rancher, who was — in Richards’ words — “executed in front of his mother” for protecting his cattle from hunting dogs on Feb. 17, 2024. Pia died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Chantston Pila Kekawa, then 17, of Maili, was charged as an adult with second-degree murder, first-degree terroristic threatening, firearm offenses and first-degree theft. He’s pleaded not guilty and has a trial scheduled for April 7 in Honolulu Circuit Court. Richards said Pia’s mother visited his office four days after the shooting. “Mutual friends brought her in with Cranston’s widow,” Richards said. “I gave her my word I would work very diligently on trying to make a difference, and not let Cranston’s murder be for nothing. That’s been my driver. “We’ve hit some headwinds, as you can imagine … but it is making progress and it is highlighting the problems of crimes against agriculture.” The measure received written testimony in support by the state Department of Agriculture, Kapapala Ranch, Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council. In her written testimony, Lani Cran Petrie of Kapapala Ranch in Kau said that she, as president of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, presented a resolution in Pia’s memory earlier this month to a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association committee. “The resolution was accepted by the committee and is moving towards its presentation to the full membership for vote at the next annual convention,” Petrie wrote, calling the response from fellow ranchers at the convention in San Antonio “humbling and overwhelming.” The Hawaii Farm Bureau testified that Pia’s death “highlighted the vulnerabilities that agricultural workers face, particularly in remote areas where law enforcement response times may be delayed.” “In recent years, the agricultural community has reported an increase in confrontations with trespassers, including incidents where farm workers and landowners have been physically threatened,” the testimony states. “In some cases, criminals have returned multiple times, emboldened by the knowledge that response times from law enforcement are slow or that penalties for agricultural crimes are minimal. Farmers and ranchers need stronger protections to defend themselves and their families when faced with imminent threats.” Pia’s father, Mike Pia, told lawmakers in live testimony on Feb. 10, “I want to see this thing pass.” “Until today, I still ask the question, why?” Mike Pia testified. “Why a young kid took my son away, my youngest son, of my four children?” “I’m still grieving today. It’s very painful,” he said. According to the FindLaw website, 29 states have some form of stand-your-ground law. A companion bill to the omnibus agriculture bill, House Bill 859, was introduced by Rep. Matthias Kusch (D-Hilo, Hamakua) and passed its second reading on Feb. 5 after clearing the Committee on Agriculture. The legislation’s intent is to establish an agricultural crime prevention program within the DOA to provide grants, education and other services to the state’s agricultural industry and to strengthen laws regarding agriculture theft and hunting on private agriculture lands. “The meat and potatoes of this bill is that it more carefully lays out penalties for agricultural crimes,” said Kusch. “Right now … (perpetrators) don’t get pursued by prosecutors because it’s sort of nebulous. There are a lot of hurdles, like you have to catch someone with a camera and they would have had to have climbed over a sign saying ‘this fruit is not free.’” “We’re talking about making it sting a little bit,” added Richards. “The perpetrators are stealing avocados or papayas, whatever. And what the attorney general is working on is to stiffen the fines to make them more expensive and changing laws from saying ‘may include jail time’ to ‘shall include jail time’ to lock these people up.” Written testimony in support has been submitted by Hawaii County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General and the state Department of Agriculture. Written testimony in opposition was submitted by the Office of the Public Defender. Waltjen told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Tuesday that he supports the efforts by Richards and Kusch “to aid farmers and ranchers by providing funding to protect and secure their crops and livestock, establishing more appropriate penalties to hold offenders accountable to deter future crimes, and supporting local law enforcement with additional resources.” “Agricultural crimes — including theft, trespass and poaching/hunting on private agricultural lands — have been an ongoing concern across our state,” Waltjen said. “To my knowledge, our office is the only law enforcement office in the state that conducts agriculture crime awareness and prevention efforts by visiting local farmers markets. “Our investigators educate vendors and members of the public about agriculture theft, the impact of purchasing stolen fruits, vegetables and produce, laws regarding ownership and movement certificates, document recent agriculture theft incidents for victims, and share methods farmers and ranchers can employ to protect their crops, animals, produce and equipment.” Waltjen said the measures, if passed, “will further support these types of efforts” statewide. Bill to ban algorithmic price-setting in Hawaiʻi’s rental market moves ahead in Senate Original Article Maui Now Brian Perry February 19, 2025 Senators Mentioned: Senator Jarrett Keohokalole Senator Carol Fukunaga Senator Angus L.K. McKelvey Senator Herbert "Tim" Richards, III A bill aimed at protecting Hawaiʻi renters from algorithmic price-setting has cleared the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, which has recommended passage on second reading and referral to the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. Senate Bill 157 Senate Draft 1 would prohibit the use of algorithmic price-setting in Hawaiʻi’s rental market. It would require the Department of the Attorney General to develop and undertake a public education program regarding the prohibition, and it would establish fines and penalties. A YouTube video of the committee hearing can be seen here . According to a committee report , the bill’s purpose is to prevent artificially inflated rental prices by banning the use of algorithmic price-setting, which has been used in local housing markets to share private data, including current prices, available square footage, vacancy levels and the number of applicants for a particular unit. The committee found that third-party price setters use that data to recommend rent and occupancy levels and advise landlords to hold some units off the market to raise the price of a unit, creating artificial scarcity and displacing island renters. “Because Hawaiʻi already has the highest median rent in the nation, this measure will help ensure units are filled via competitive pricing, rather than through cooperation to set prices,” the committee report says. In public testimony on the bill, Maui Chamber of Commerce President Pamela Tumpap said that while the chamber agrees that Maui rents were inflated by post-wildfire rental support practices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the bill might be “challenging to enforce effectively.” “We would encourage the consideration of additional proposals and innovative ideas to address the broader issue of escalating rental prices,” she said. “We share this concern and are increasingly witnessing residents being forced to sleep in their cars due to the lack of affordable rental options,” Tumpap said. Jordan Hocker, education and outreach coordinator for the Maui Housing Hui, a grass-roots organization formed after the 2023 Maui wildfires, said that rents in Maui County have gone up 44% in the last two years and were climbing even before the wildfires disaster. “The rate of houselessness in the state of Hawaiʻi has grown by 87%,” she said. “We acknowledge that renters, those making 70% area median income and below, are most at risk of becoming unhoused and face the greatest challenges under our housing crisis.” Hocker said a forward-thinking bill such as Senate Bill 157 is needed “to protect Hawai’i’s renters from the unrelenting condition of corporate greed and price-fixing to the detriment of our community.” “Hawaiʻi’s renters cannot afford any additional compounding factors,” she said. Michael EKM Olderr also supported the bill, saying: “These algorithmic, AI-driven rent pricing schemes prey on vulnerable tenants and exploit those who are struggling to have enough money to support themselves. They are driven not out of necessity to cover damages, mortgages, or upkeep costs but as a lazy attempt to satisfy a landlord’s greed.” Lyndsey Garcia, director of advocacy for the Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS®, noted that in August 2024, the Department of Justice and eight states (not including Hawaiʻi) filed a lawsuit against software company RealPage . The department alleges an unlawful information sharing scheme that allowed property managers to increase apartment rental prices through the use of RealPage’s algorithmic pricing tools. The lawsuit, which is still ongoing, does not currently target the property managers who utilize the tool, according to Garcia. Hawaii bill would subsidize fencing to control ungulates Original Article Star Advertiser Michael Brestovansky Hawaii Tribune-Herald February 18, 2025 Senators Mentioned: Senator Herbert "Tim" Richards, III Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura A proposal to help subsidize the installation of animal control fences is the only survivor of four bills in the state Legislature aimed at controlling pigs, goats and sheep. Senate Bill 523, co- introduced by Kohala Sen. Tim Richards and Puna Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, would require the state Department of Agriculture to establish a biosecurity fencing cost-sharing program that would reimburse farmers up to a certain percentage of the cost of installing animal control fences. As currently written, farmers who can demonstrate their active agricultural operations and have developed an “approved conservation plan” can apply to have “not less than 50%” of fencing expenses reimbursed. The bill currently has a blank spot where an upper reimbursement limit per person would be established. Similarly, it does not yet specify what the program’s total yearly budget would be. “People are afraid to go into their own backyards,” said San Buenaventura. “But the fencing cost per acre is huge.” Bob Duerr, commissioner on the Big Island Game Management Advisory Commission, said the cost of fencing can reach $1 million per mile in some places. He added that fences have proved to be effective for animal management, driving problem animals from areas with fences to areas without. “Large swaths of mauka lands in the hands of federal, state and private landowners are fenced and game animals eradicated,” Duerr said. However, Duerr said, this also has interfered with hunters, who can no longer rely on access to their common hunting grounds. “Hunting game animals for food is an effective population control that is disappearing,” Duerr said. “Fencing with access corridors is a must for game management.” Other pig-related bills have failed to move through the Legislature. Another San Buenaventura bill, SB 315, died Wednesday when two Senate committees deferred the measure. That bill would have expedited the Department of Land and Natural Resources’ permitting process to allow for the destruction of feral pigs on private land, if the animals have caused or are likely to cause substantial damage to crops. House Bill 347, which would have prohibited the DLNR from establishing bag limits for goats in public hunting areas, also was deferred earlier this month, and a companion bill in the Senate hasn’t moved at all since being introduced. Finally, Senate Bill 568 would have designated the DLNR as the state’s primary agency for trapping feral goats and sheep, and would require it to establish a program to humanely manage feral animal populations. That bill also has failed to move at all since its introduction, to Duerr’s chagrin. “Though looking like having no chance of passing, this bill puts its finger on the game animal problem’s pulse,” Duerr said. “No one is responsible for the conservation and control of game animals in the state of Hawaii. At GMAC we have only seen DLNR talk about eradication, which means fencing tens of thousands of acres and killing all the ‘invasive’ game animals within. “For years now at GMAC, we have not seen DLNR nuisance animal population studies or game management plans for problems beyond fence and kill.” MORE ARTICLES

2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WATCH HEARINGS UPCOMING HEARINGS FIND YOUR SENATOR OUR LEADERSHIP RONALD D. KOUCHI President of the Senate LORRAINE INOUYE Majority Whip MICHELLE N. KIDANI Vice President of the Senate HENRY J.C. AQUINO Assistant Majority Whip DRU MAMO KANUHA Majority Leader TROY N. HASHIMOTO Assistant Majority Whip GLENN WAKAI Majority Floor Leader JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Assistant Majority Whip LYNN DECOITE Assistant Majority Floor Leader CHRIS LEE Assistant Majority Whip LES IHARA, JR. Majority Policy Leader HERBERT "TIM" RICHARDS, III Assistant Majority Whip STAY CONNECTED:

ABOUT THE SENATE There are 25 members of the Hawaiʻi State Senate. Senators are elected to serve staggered four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Senate President. Other officers of the Senate include the Vice President, Majority Leader, Majority Caucus Leader, Majority Floor Leader/Whip, Majority Whip, and Assistant Majority Whip. The officers of the Senate are elected by a majority vote of the Senate members. The Hawaiʻi Senate Majority consists of 22 Democrats for the Thirty-Third Legislature, which will convene on January 15th, 2025.

OUR CAUCUS Assistant Majority Whip Henry J.C. Aquino Senate District 19 Pearl City, Waipahu, Wet Loch Estates, Hono‘uli‘uli, Ho‘opili Stanley Chang Senate District 9 Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu, ‘Āina Haina, Wai‘alae-Kāhala, Diamond Head, Kaimukī, Kapahulu Lynn DeCoite Assistant Majority Floor Leader Senate District 7 Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Molokini Donovan M. Dela Cruz Senate District 17 Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village Brandon J.C. Elefante Senate District 16 ‘Aiea, ‘Aiea Heights, Hālawa, Pearlridge, Newtown, Royal Summit, Waimalu, Waiau, Momilani, Pacific Palisades, and Pearl City Carol Fukunaga Senate District 11 Mānoa, Makiki/Punchbowl, Tantalus and Papakōlea Mike Gabbard Senate District 21 Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, portions of Fernandez Village, and ‘Ewa Troy N. Hashimoto Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 5 Wailuku, Kahului, Waihe‘e, Waikapu Mauka, Wai‘ehu Les Ihara, Jr. Majority Policy Leader Senate District 10 Pālolo, St. Louis Heights, Maunalani Heights, Ala Wai mauka, portions of Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Mō‘ili‘ili, McCully Lorraine R. Inouye Majority Whip Senate District 1 Hilo, Pauka‘a, Papaikou, Pepe‘ekeo Dru Mamo Kanuha Majority Leader Senate District 3 Kona, Ka‘ū, Volcano Jarrett Keohokalole Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 24 Kāne‘ohe, Kailua Michelle N. Kidani Vice President Senate District 18 Mililani Town, Waipi‘o Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, portion of Waipahu, Village Park, Royal Kunia Donna Mercado Kim Senate District 14 Kapālama, ‘Ālewa, Kalihi, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, Red Hill Ronald D. Kouchi President Senate District 8 Kaua'i, Ni'ihau Chris Lee Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 25 Kailua, Waimānalo, Hawai‘i Kai Angus L.K. McKelvey Senate District 6 West Maui, Mā‘alaea, Waikapū, South Maui Sharon Y. Moriwaki Senate District 12 Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, McCully Karl Rhoads Senate District 13 Dowsett Highlands, Pu‘unui, Nu‘uanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, and Downtown Herbert M. "Tim" Richards III Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 4 North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona Joy A. San Buenaventura Senate District 2 Puna Glenn Wakai Majority Floor Leader Senate District 15 Kalihi, Māpunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor, and portions of ‘Aiea and Pearl City

OUR CAUCUS Assistant Majority Whip Henry J.C. Aquino Senate District 19 Pearl City, Waipahu, Wet Loch Estates, Hono‘uli‘uli, Ho‘opili Stanley Chang Senate District 9 Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu, ‘Āina Haina, Wai‘alae-Kāhala, Diamond Head, Kaimukī, Kapahulu Lynn DeCoite Assistant Majority Floor Leader Senate District 7 Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Molokini Donovan M. Dela Cruz Senate District 17 Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village Brandon J.C. Elefante Senate District 16 ‘Aiea, ‘Aiea Heights, Hālawa, Pearlridge, Newtown, Royal Summit, Waimalu, Waiau, Momilani, Pacific Palisades, and Pearl City Carol Fukunaga Senate District 11 Mānoa, Makiki/Punchbowl, Tantalus and Papakōlea Mike Gabbard Senate District 21 Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, portions of Fernandez Village, and ‘Ewa Troy N. Hashimoto Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 5 Wailuku, Kahului, Waihe‘e, Waikapu Mauka, Wai‘ehu Les Ihara, Jr. Majority Policy Leader Senate District 10 Pālolo, St. Louis Heights, Maunalani Heights, Ala Wai mauka, portions of Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Mō‘ili‘ili, McCully Lorraine R. Inouye Majority Whip Senate District 1 Hilo, Pauka‘a, Papaikou, Pepe‘ekeo Dru Mamo Kanuha Majority Leader Senate District 3 Kona, Ka‘ū, Volcano Jarrett Keohokalole Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 24 Kāne‘ohe, Kailua Michelle N. Kidani Vice President Senate District 18 Mililani Town, Waipi‘o Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, portion of Waipahu, Village Park, Royal Kunia Donna Mercado Kim Senate District 14 Kapālama, ‘Ālewa, Kalihi, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, Red Hill Ronald D. Kouchi President Senate District 8 Kaua'i, Ni'ihau Chris Lee Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 25 Kailua, Waimānalo, Hawai‘i Kai Angus L.K. McKelvey Senate District 6 West Maui, Mā‘alaea, Waikapū, South Maui Sharon Y. Moriwaki Senate District 12 Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, McCully Karl Rhoads Senate District 13 Dowsett Highlands, Pu‘unui, Nu‘uanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, and Downtown Herbert M. "Tim" Richards III Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 4 North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona Joy A. San Buenaventura Senate District 2 Puna Maile S.L. Shimabukuro Senate District 22 Ko ‘Olina, Nānākuli, Mā‘ili, Wai‘anae, Mākaha, Mākua Term of Office Ended: 05/31/2024 Glenn Wakai Majority Floor Leader Senate District 15 Kalihi, Māpunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor, and portions of ‘Aiea and Pearl City

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Hawai‘i State Senate Senate Legislative Program Twenty-Ninth Legislature 2018 ​ Hawai'i is recognized as a global leader in addressing sustainability and climate change challenges, building on a history of systems-thinking and traditional knowledge. These 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will reinforce the efforts of the Senate to build a more resilient future for Hawai'i. - Senator J. Kalani English We, the Hawai'i State Senate are dedicated to the protection Global Goals and sustainability of our people, communities, natural resources, and economic prosperity. By enacting the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into state law, we can achieve this. Implementation of these goals at the state level through the Aloha+ Challenge , a local sustainability framework, will significantly improve the quality of life for future generations. The legislation that the Hawai’i Senate enacts to attain the 17 Sustainable Development Goals will enable Hawai’i to join local, national and global partnerships. It is the Hawai‘i State Senate’s sincere hope that we can work collaboratively with the House of Representatives, the Governor, and the Judiciary to achieve all the goals outlined in this Program. The Hawai'i State Senate will focus on a local platform to implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals during the 2018 Legislative Session No Poverty We will ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources by implementing and enacting appropriate measures and social protection systems. Zero Hunger We will eliminate hunger by doubling food production, increase food security, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices. Good Health and Well-Being We will guarantee good health and well-being by ensuring access to quality healthcare, end epidemics of communicable diseases, and support indigenous health programs. Quality Education We will achieve quality education by guaranteeing that all children have access to equitable and quality preschool, primary, secondary and higher education as well as quality technical and vocational training. Gender Equality We will provide gender equality and empower women and girls by promoting policies that end all forms of discrimination and harmful practices to ensure full participation and leadership opportunities. Clean Water and Sanitation We will ensure availability and access to safe drinking water, adequate and equitable sanitation for all through cooperation with the counties and local communities. Affordable Clean Energy We are committed to affordable, reliable, and modern energy production, achieving clean energy from renewable sources and encouraging statewide collaboration to facilitate these goals. Decent Work and Economic Growth We will promote sustainable economic growth; encourage diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, improving state resource efficiency, protection of labor rights, and the promotion of sustainable jobs. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure We will develop quality, reliable, and resilient infrastructure to support economic development, promote sustainable industrialization, encourage research and innovation, and increase access to communications technology Reduced Inequalities We will achieve economic growth by empowering and promoting the inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic status by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices. Sustainable Cities and Communities We will explore options that will provide access to adequate, safe and affordable housing, and increase livability and resilience through implementation of smart sustainable communities. Responsible Consumption and Production We will work diligently to achieve sustainable management, efficient use of natural resources, promote sound management of all wastes, enact methods for companies to adopt sustainable practices and provide people with relevant information for sustainable lifestyles. Climate Action We will continue our commitment to strengthen our resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement. Life Below Water We will take action to sustainably manage and protect our marine and coastal ecosystems by supporting policies that aim to reduce pollution and enhance ocean-related management. Life on Land We will protect life on land, work to ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of our 'āina and natural resources by integrating ecosystem and biodiversity values into local and state planning. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions We are dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable institutions at all levels. Partnerships for the Goals We encourage partnerships between government, the private sector and civil society to enhance statewide economic prosperity, policy coherence for sustainable development and mobilization through collaboration on Aloha+ Challenge, a statewide commitment to sustainability. Please reload Click the Senate Seal to download a PDF copy.

HOME ABOUT NEWSROOM More 2020 Senate Legislative Program We, the Hawai'i State Senate, are dedicated to the protection and sustainability of our people, communities, natural resources, and economic prosperity. To This end, we are committed to advancing the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework to achieve a prosperous and sustainable Hawai'i. ​ Hawai'i has established itself as a global leader in addressing sustainability and climate change challenges. The Senate's prioritization of the Aloha + Challenge and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals has led to policy changes while fostering partnerships between government and organizations including the Hawai'i Green Growth United Nations Local2030 Hub and the Hawai'i Community Foundation's CHANGE Framework , to promote and enhance a coherent statewide policy for sustainable development. We will continue to work with these partners and the public to improve our communities.

2nd Annual Hawaiʻi Zero Waste Summit Friday, May 28, 2021 Panelist Biography View Biographies Here Breakout Group Discussions Break Out Dialogue Guide Webinars Extended Producer Responsibility (May 15) Re-use (May 22) Surveys Single-use Plastic Survey Summit Participant Survey The Story of Plastic

Hawai'i State Senate Senate Majority Legislative Program Twenty-Seventh Legislature 2015 We, of the Democratic Majority of the Hawaii State Senate, are committed to a vision and future for Hawaii that will stabilize Hawaii’s economy and improve our quality of life for generations to come. We have a unique opportunity to serve the people of Hawaii. In that spirit, the Senate Majority is committed to being open, inclusive, and collaborative in its decision-making on behalf of the people of the State of Hawaii. We enter the first year of the Twenty-Eighth Legislative biennium with three overarching themes and priorities for legislation that will improve the quality of life for everyone in Hawaii, including our keiki, kupuna, and Ohana who are most in need. The Democratic Majority of the Senate will focus on the following areas during the 2015 Session: Energy and Food Resiliency • Ensuring a sustainable future for Hawaii will continue to be a priority. Improving energy resiliency and food self-sufficiency will have positive effects on our local job market and economy. • We will focus on renewable energy alternatives that are practical and economical for the State that take into account Hawaii’s unique geographical and topographical circumstances. As Hawaii continues to make progress in this area and with our overall clean energy goals in mind, we will encourage the availability of renewable energy, facilitate processes for the development of renewable energy, and advance projects to improve energy efficiencies. • We will ensure that Hawaii is well-prepared for any disaster, economic disruption, or other external factor by encouraging the production and consumption of locally grown and locally raised food through good agricultural practices and support of local farmers. Community Well-Being and Smart Growth • We will strengthen our social safety net to ensure that our keiki, kupuna, family care givers, and all members of a family are healthy and safe, while continuing to work together in the community development process of any and all lands to address housing, agricultural, environmental, and health concerns. Smart growth allows for future thinking on how to best utilize the different types of land available for Hawaii’s myriad of communities and their needs. • We will explore opportunities to protect Hawaii’s natural resources through preservation and protective measures, including addressing agricultural practices, climate change, and zoning concerns. Because of Hawaii’s unique geographical features, including coastline, volcanoes, and watersheds, we can implement innovative processes and procedures, as well as explore new technologies and applications to existing systems, to accommodate Hawaii residents for today and the future. • We will focus on efforts to create a holistic overview and understanding for community development in the State, such as transit-oriented development. Because comprehensive community development presents an opportunity for the State to solve many socio-economic challenges that face Hawaii’s residents, understanding the issues from various parties will further synergize the development to meet housing, critical infrastructure, and community needs. Government Effectiveness • We will support efforts that ensure that the government is providing effective services in which residents are well-served, safe, and protected. We will work toward greater efficiency, security, and accountability. • We will encourage effectiveness, transparency, and accountability across all branches of government by insisting on high standards of ethical conduct, proper training, and reliable systems and procedures. • We will strengthen and protect government infrastructure by upgrading technology and services to meet the demand of Hawaii’s residents and visitors. We will continue to promote the enhancement of the State’s information technology services and concentrate on our critical infrastructure, including broadband. It is our sincere hope that we can work collaboratively with the House of Representatives and the Governor to achieve all the goals outlined in this 2015 Senate Majority Legislative Program.