Transcript Highlights:

• Moving on then to Marishia Palma Elmore from SAG ARA. >> Hi, Marishia Palma Elmore, ARA.

Bills: HB2118, HB2473

Keywords: business development, arts, cultural affairs, Hawaii, commissions, administrative transfer, funding appropriation, Hawaiian culture, sense of place, land management, environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, 910, house, all

Summary: The committee heard several bills related to permitting and economic development. On HB 2603, relating to permits, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development said it supported the measure with comments. Committee discussion focused on the fact that the state’s facilitated permit process appears to have been rarely or never used, the need to identify specific projects that would use it, and whether DBEDT would need dedicated staffing to administer it. DBEDT said it had found no projects under the current process, had no capacity to run the program as structured, and estimated it would need about 7 to 9 FTEs, including permitting, coordination, data, systems, and possibly legal support. The chair suggested exploring a staff assignment and comparing the concept to federal FAST-41-style expedited permitting. On HB 2140, relating to essential permitting positions, the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development again supported the bill with comments. Testimony and questioning centered on a pilot program to help counties pay competitively for permitting staff. A DBEDT representative said the issue of competitive pay affected both county and state permitting offices and that the bill was intended as a temporary pilot, though a more permanent solution would be preferable. When asked how counties would fund the salary support, the witness said that was not yet discussed with the counties and agreed to follow up. The committee also noted the bill applies to participating counties. On HB 2598, relating to the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation, the State Procurement Office and HTDC offered comments, and the Department of the Attorney General raised constitutional concerns. The AG said the bill’s residency-based certification requirements, when tied to procurement, could implicate the dormant Commerce Clause, and that the required 1% contribution tied to state contracts raised unconstitutional-conditions concerns. In questioning, the AG characterized these as legal risks rather than automatic lawsuits. The committee did not take a vote. The committee then heard HB 2141, relating to state enterprise zones. Taxation, DBEDT, HCDA, the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, and HTDC testified in support, while the Tax Foundation noted the program was intended to help economically depressed areas create jobs. HTDC said the bill would help preserve the Maui Research and Technology Center’s enterprise-zone status after rezoning. Committee discussion focused on whether the enterprise zone program is being used effectively, how the bill might attract businesses to areas where the state is investing, and whether the program’s labor requirements are too burdensome for new businesses. DBEDT explained that the program requires a 10% workforce increase in the first year, which must be sustained, and said it promotes the program through county coordinators and in-person outreach. No votes or final actions were taken in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• Think of Elmore, Windhall, Marlboro, Jamaica, Concord, and West Windsor, close to our hearts, Peru, South

Keywords: 927, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Hi, my name is Marisha Palma Elmore. I'm not here for what you all normally know me as.

Keywords: 910, house, all

Summary: The committee on Economic Development and Technology met on March 12, 2025, and heard testimony on several measures. On SB 9, the Hawaii Food Industry Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Hawaii Technology Development Corporation testified in support, and there were no questions or objections. On SB 148, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs offered comments, and a member of the public testified in support of combining boxing and MMA oversight into a single combat sports commission, with amendments to preserve safety standards and separate or distinct treatment for the two sports. Committee discussion focused on whether proposed requirements were primarily safety-related or cost-related, how to handle smaller events, and whether a one-year implementation delay was necessary; the department said many safety provisions already exist in the MMA program, that it was open to continued discussion on costs, and that it needed time to combine rules and appoint new commissioners. The chair suggested possible amendments to account for event size and to reduce burdens on smaller events. The committee then heard SB 816, which drew extensive testimony on providing legal representation for immigrants in immigration proceedings. Supporters included the Hawaii State LGBTQ+ Commission, ACU Hawaii, the Refugee and Immigration Law Clinic, the Legal Clinic, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, the Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Pride at Work Hawaii, and others. Supporters argued that immigration cases can be as serious as criminal cases, that counsel is essential for due process, and that representation improves outcomes; several also emphasized the economic importance of immigrants to Hawaii. One supporter noted a suggested amendment to include training for attorneys and partners doing deportation defense and asylum work. Opposition came from a Navy veteran who argued the bill would use state resources for a federal issue, create inequities, and impose fiscal burdens. The chair noted 69 testimonies in support and 44 in opposition, and later an additional supporter brought the total to 70 in support. No vote was taken in the portion of the meeting provided. The committee also heard SB 125, with the Department of Economic Development, the Agreed Business Development Corporation, and the Hawaii Food Industry Association in support, and the Tax Foundation of Hawaii offering technical comments about complicated nested definitions in the bill. Testimony on SB 125 focused on updating the Enterprise Zone Program so local manufacturers selling directly to retail could qualify, along with value-added products and certain health-related sectors. Finally, on SB 732, the State of Hawaii Creative Industries testified with comments, raising concerns about county permit-fee waivers, implementation timing, and the bill’s lack of a carry-forward provision for the film tax credit. The witness said uncertainty in the credit was already causing productions to delay coming to Hawaii and urged stability to support the industry and local workers. The committee then moved on to additional testimony on the measure.

Transcript Highlights:

• Also, we have the Youth Leadership of Elmore County.

Keywords: 1136, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• > Served four terms as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, representing Autauga and Elmore

Keywords: 1136, house, all