Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure that your cell phone and other communication devices are turned off and placed on silent

Summary: The conference committee on the House State Administration Budget and Senate Agriculture, Environment, and General Government met briefly to organize its work and exchange budget offers. Senator Brodeur moved to nominate Representative Maggard to chair the conference committee, and Representative Maggard outlined that the House had made movement on the budget spreadsheet to narrow differences on several issues. Senator Brodeur said the Senate would review the House offer and likely would not respond that evening. Representative Maggard then noted the Senate had also made an offer on SB 2508E, the conforming bill for the State Agency Law Enforcement Radio System, and said the House would review it and follow up. No public comment was offered. Members were told to watch for notice of the next meeting, likely the following day, and the committee adjourned without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure all cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed on silent mode

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please ensure cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed on silent mode.

Summary: The conference committee on Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations and House Justice Budget Subcommittee met briefly to exchange budget conference materials. The House, through Vice Chair Mani, presented its first counteroffer, including budget items, proviso language, back-of-bill language, implementing bill language, and conforming bill language related to judges. Chair Garcia acknowledged the offer and said the committee had made progress, especially on judges, and would review and respond to the House proposal. Members emphasized the goal of reaching agreement and avoiding a budget “bump.” No public comment was offered, and no substantive debate or amendments occurred during the meeting. The committee reminded members that future meetings would be on one-hour notice. The only action taken was adjournment, moved by Representative/Senator Wright and approved without objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure that your cell phones and all other communication devices are silenced.

Summary: The Appropriations Conference Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government met to review a Senate budget spreadsheet offer. Chair Lopez explained that highlighted yellow figures on the left side of the spreadsheet marked areas where the two chambers had made movement or likely reached agreement, with much of the remaining material already grayed out. Members described the Senate proposal as aggressive and said the House would review it and return with a response soon. The discussion was brief and focused on the status of budget negotiations rather than specific line items. Senator Brodeur was thanked for the offer, and both sides expressed that the conference process had been productive and that further progress was expected. No public testimony was offered. At the close of the meeting, members were reminded to watch for notice because the committee was operating under a one-hour limit. Representative Banks moved to rise, and the meeting adjourned without objection.

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• So we actually manufacture these devices here in Hawaii.
• So we actually manufacture these devices here in Hawaii.
• So we actually manufacture these devices here in Hawaii.
• provide<00:32:23.440> more<00:32:24.000> uh<00:32:24.159> it another device
• and provide more uh it another device and provide more uh it can<00:32:24.559> provide<00:32:

Bills: HB2284

Keywords: energy assistance, low-income households, electricity costs, Hawaii home energy assistance program, energy efficiency, 910, house, all

Summary: The hearing covered House Bill 2284, which would create the Hawaii Home Energy Assistance Program in the Department of Human Services to help qualifying households pay energy bills and direct the Public Utilities Commission’s public benefits fee administrator to provide information and assistance to recipients. Testimony from the Division of Consumer Advocacy, DHS, and the Public Utilities Commission was in support. A committee member asked about how the program would interact with existing TANF-related energy assistance and whether rules could be adjusted to avoid duplicative benefits; DHS said logistics would need to be worked out and that the agencies would make the rules. The committees noted the bill’s $1.5 million appropriation and moved it forward with amendments, including blanking out amounts and noting them in the committee report. Both committees voted to pass HB 2284 with amendments, with the recommendation adopted. The committee then heard House Bill 2486, relating to plug-in or balcony solar. DCCA, the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission stood on prior testimony in support of the bill’s intent. Multiple advocates and organizations, including Carbon Cashback Hawaii, 350 Hawaii, Bright Saver, Sierra Club of Hawaii, and others, testified in support, arguing that plug-in solar would lower electricity bills, expand access for renters and condo residents, and reduce emissions. Several speakers urged the committee to remove or avoid registration, reporting, feed-in tariff, interconnection fee, and other requirements they said would create barriers. Bright Saver testified that the systems are safe and would not back-feed during outages. No vote was taken on HB 2486 during the excerpt. Finally, the committee heard House Bill 1568, which would prohibit the importation or storage of LNG in the state and the construction of related infrastructure. State agencies including the Consumer Advocate, Hawaii State Energy Office, Public Utilities Commission, and Hawaiian Electric opposed the bill, with the Energy Office arguing LNG would perpetuate oil use on Oahu and expose the state to price volatility. Supporters included Life of the Land, Sierra Club of Hawaii, Greenpeace Hawaii, 350 Hawaii, Earthjustice, Our Hawaii, and others, who argued LNG would lock Hawaii into another fossil fuel dependency, create major infrastructure costs and safety risks, and undermine the state’s renewable energy goals. Several testifiers cited climate and affordability concerns and urged the committee to reject LNG. The excerpt ends during testimony on HB 1568, before any committee action or vote is shown.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure that your cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed on silent

Summary: The Conference Committee on State Administration, Budget, Agriculture, Environmental, and General Government Appropriations met briefly to receive the Senate’s first offer on the budget spreadsheet, proviso items, projects, the back of the bill, and the implementing bill. Senator Brodeur said the offer included many areas already agreed to, with numerous items grayed out or highlighted to show movement toward compromise, and he described it as a strong first offer that would narrow differences on several issues. House members responded positively, saying the proposal looked good and thanking the Senate for its work. No additional substantive comments were offered by Senator Brodeur or other members. There was no public comment. The committee reminded members to watch for notice of the next meeting, noting that only one-hour notice is required. The meeting then adjourned without any votes or formal actions beyond receiving the Senate offer.

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• >> Please silence all electronic devices. We have microphones.

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• MAKE SURE CELL PHONES AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DEVICES ARE TURNED OFF. WE WANT TO WELCOME REP.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• PLEASE ENSURE CELL PHONES AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DEVICES ARE TURNED OFF OR PLACED ON SILENT MODE.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please silence all of your electronic devices.

Bills: AB404, AB428

Keywords: brew pub, alcoholic beverages, liquor store, licensure, regulation, Department of Taxation, fertility preservation, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, oncology, reproductive medicine, infertility, cancer treatment, egg freezing, embryo freezing, oocyte cryopreservation, sperm banking, assisted reproductive technology, health insurance mandate, Medicaid

Transcript Highlights:

• Please silence all electronic devices. Senator Hooper, the House has several offers for you again.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please ensure that cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed in silent mode

Summary: The conference committee on the House Justice Budget Subcommittee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met to continue budget negotiations. Members discussed offers related to the budget, projects, proviso, implementing language, and conforming language for House Bill 5403E, with both sides noting progress and expressing hope for timely responses so more items could be closed out. They also referenced ongoing efforts to finalize agency funding and member projects. No public testimony or public comment was offered. Members were reminded that the committee is now on a one-hour notice schedule for the next meeting. With no further business, Senator David Smith moved to rise and adjourn, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure all cell phones and other devices are on mute or silent mode.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please ensure that cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed in silent mode

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure that your cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed on silent

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure all cell phones and other devices are on mute or silent mode.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Conference Committee met to continue negotiations on the higher education budget, projects, and proviso language. Senator Harrell presented the Senate’s counteroffer on the budget and projects, noting that changes from the original budget and project lists were highlighted in the packet, and said the Senate was ready to keep working toward agreement. The House presented its first proviso offer, focused on items that differed most from the chambers’ starting positions, and said it would review the Senate’s proposal. No public testimony was offered, and members did not raise questions or comments during the meeting. Both sides expressed optimism about continued progress and a desire to conclude negotiations soon. The committee took no substantive votes or actions on the merits of the offers. Representative Young moved to adjourn, and the meeting was concluded with notice that the committee remains on one-hour call.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please ensure that cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed in silent mode

Summary: The conference committee on the House Justice Budget Subcommittee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice met to discuss budget-related negotiations, including projects, proviso items, implementing language, and back-of-the-bill provisions tied to House Bill 5403E. Members exchanged offers and noted that progress had been made on closing out projects, with both sides expressing optimism that additional items could be resolved with more time. Senate and House members thanked each other and staff for their work and indicated they would continue reviewing offers and preparing responses for a later meeting. No public testimony or public comment was offered. The committee reminded members that future meetings would be on one-hour notice. With no further business, Senator David Smith moved to rise and adjourn, and the committee adjourned.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure that your cell phones and other communication devices are turned off or placed on silent

Summary: The Conference Committee on State Administration, Budget, Agriculture, Environmental, and General Government Appropriations met briefly to receive the Senate’s first offer on the budget spreadsheet, proviso language, projects, the back of the bill, and the implementing bill. Senator Brodeur said the offer included substantial movement and agreement, with many items grayed out or highlighted to show progress toward compromise, and he expressed hope it would bring the chambers closer on several issues. House members responded positively, saying the offer looked good and thanking the Senate for its work, while noting they would review it and follow up soon. No additional substantive comments were made, and there was no public testimony. With no further business, the committee reminded members that the next meeting would be noticed on a one-hour basis and then adjourned without any votes or formal actions taken.

Transcript Highlights:

• Everyone, please make sure your electronic devices are turned off or on vibrate.

Transcript Highlights:

• Please make sure all cell phones and other devices are on mute or silent mode.

Summary: The Higher Education Budget Conference Committee met to continue negotiations on the higher education budget, projects, and proviso language. Senators and House members noted that both chambers had submitted new offers, with the Senate presenting a counteroffer on budget and projects and the House presenting its first proviso offer. Members said the changes were highlighted in the packet and focused on areas where the chambers’ starting points differed most. Senator Harrell thanked the House for reviewing the Senate’s initial offer and said the Senate had also worked through project items in addition to the budget. House members said they would study the Senate’s offer and continue working toward agreement. No public testimony was offered, and no questions or substantive objections were raised during the meeting. The committee adjourned after brief closing remarks from both sides expressing hope for a quick conclusion to the negotiations. Representative Young moved to rise, and the meeting ended with a reminder that the committee was on one-hour notice for future meetings.