The last day of the legislative session ended Friday just like it did in 2023: with House Republicans snapping at one another on the House floor shortly after senators walked across the state Capitol, held hands with House members and sang “Hawai‘i Aloha.”
Then, moments later, Republicans began squabbling openly among themselves over the latest version of Senate Bill 1434, which provides state funding for “universal” immunization, which prompted Republican Reps. David Alcos III (R, Ocean Pointe-Barbers Point) and Garner Shimizu (R, Moanalua-Aliamanu-Foster Village) to speak about other immunization bills that already died this session.
Their Republican colleague, Rep. Kanani Souza (R, Kapolei-Makakilo), twice rose to say that their comments had nothing to do with SB 1434, which she voted for and the House ultimately passed.
The second time Souza spoke in support of SB 1434, Shimizu interrupted and said, “Is this referring to the bill?” prompting Souza to say, “Excuse me, sit down. I’m speaking. You’re out of order,” prompting laughter.
House Speaker Nadine Nakamura then struck her gavel and called for another recess to bring the House to order.
During two recesses, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu) strode across the House floor in an unusual move to talk to some of the eight members of the Republican caucus.
Following the dust-up among Republicans, majority caucus leader Rep. Chris Todd (D, Hilo-Keaau-Ainaloa) then rose to make one of the last comments of the legislative session and said that his speech “was not intended to be funny, but it is a little funny now.”
Before Todd could elaborate, Nakamura cut him off, pounded her gavel again and said, “Recess,” leading Nakamura and Quinlan to speak quietly to Todd as people laughed.
Todd did not finish his comments.
Later, House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto (R, Mililani-Waipio Acres-Mililani Mauka) said, “One of the beautiful things about the floor is we can have debate and you can have different ideas. … Maybe you can see it as refreshing that we do have a lot of dialogue happening.”
Asked to explain what was said between him and House Republicans, Quinlan said, “It was a robust discussion about the House rules … but ultimately we ended with a smile and handshakes.”
The last day of the 2023 legislative session also ended with Souza in a public dispute with her fellow Republicans when she interrupted Matsumoto for saying in her floor speech that “this is the most cohesive the caucus has been.”
Souza later told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “I found that to be a blatant lie.”
Following her interruption of Matsumoto, Republican Rep. Diamond Garcia (R, Ewa-Kapolei) then interrupted Souza on the House floor.
“I found it very rude and brash, and so I had to call it out,” he later told the Star-Advertiser.
Throughout this year’s legislative session, Matsumoto repeatedly praised the “unprecedented” cooperation between majority Democrats and the Republican minority.
So the outbursts Friday among her own Republican members particularly stood out among a day of picture taking, presentations of lei and speeches thanking supporters and House staff and the singing of “Hawai‘i Aloha.”
The House and Senate did finalize other important bills Friday that now head to Gov. Josh Green for consideration.
SB 97, in particular, generated last-minute, impassioned speeches on both the House and Senate floors.
It would increase penalties for drivers convicted of excessive speeding three or more times within five years, impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days and allow judges to order vehicles used in the offenses to be surrendered.
Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D, Puna) voted against SB 97 because of the forfeiture provision, which she said could result in the loss of the only vehicle shared by a multigenerational household.
“When that vehicle is forfeited because of the reckless actions of one — I agree with punishing that one person,” she said. “But when you start punishing a family by removing their ability to go to work or go to school, then I have a problem with that.”
Sen. Chris Lee (D, Kailua-Waimanalo-Hawaii Kai) noted that vehicle forfeiture would be at the discretion of a judge.
The bill passed the Senate by an 18-7 vote. The House voted 44-4 to pass it.
Both chambers’ approval of SB 1396 represented the most significant progress yet in Green’s efforts over the past three legislative sessions to have tourists, primarily, generate millions of dollars in new revenue to help the state adapt to climate change and reduce the risk of future wildfires through a so-called climate impact fee, or “green fee,” that Green said he will sign.
In a statement, Green called it “the first of its kind in the nation” and said it “represents a generational commitment to protect our ‘aina. Hawai‘i is truly setting a new standard to address the climate crisis, and I want to thank lawmakers for their unrelenting work these past two years in bringing this to fruition.”
It will increase Hawaii’s transient accommodation tax to 11% from 10.25% on top of the 3% county tax that each county already charges, resulting in an overall 14% TAT.
The state Department of Taxation told the Star-Advertiser that revenue has been projected to raise $90 million to $100 million annually.
“Given the devastation we saw on Maui in August of 2023, this measure is crucial because it will help us to deal with wildfire risk resulting from the climate change crisis,” Green said in his statement. “It is foundational to our ability to provide a safe and secure Hawai‘i for our children, our residents, our visitors and the environment.”
Senate President Ron Kouchi cited the importance of tourism to Hawaii’s economy and the need to protect the islands’ natural beauty.
“The greatest thing that we have to sell is the people of Hawaii and the aloha spirit,” he said. “But what makes our people so special is the beautiful landscape with which we stand. And it’s challenging in finding the ways to protect our natural resource. But without the quality of the natural resource, then the beauty of our people will not shine as brightly as it has, and it is imperative that we find ways to ensure that we take care of our natural resources, and there are no easy choices. So I appreciate all of the discussion, the debate. We’ll see going forward if that (bill) works.”
He noted the passage of other bills, including greater enforcement against illegal fireworks, and SB 1044, which would have a pair of state entities sell property loss insurance to condominium associations in an effort to stabilize insurance premium spikes.
In the 25-member Senate, the final day of this year’s regular legislative session was more congenial than in the 51-member House, with courteous dissent and debate, while a first-term member who is one of three Republican senators expressed appreciation to all her colleagues.
Sen. Samantha DeCorte (R, Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha) told all of her Senate colleagues that she absorbed something good from every one of them.
“As I conclude my very first session here in the Senate, in the Hawaii state Legislature, I just wanted to really take the time to thank all of my colleagues,” she said on the Senate floor. “Everybody that is sitting here on the floor has been responsible of some kind of lesson learned.”