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House panels approve resolution asking federal, state agencies to study Kolekole Pass as expanded emergency exit
Summary
The House committees on Transportation and Public Safety voted March 25 to pass HCR121 and HR117 requesting the United States Department of Defense and the State Department of Transportation to coordinate with state and county agencies to expand and plan use of Kolekole Pass as an emergency exit route.
The House committees on Transportation and Public Safety voted March 25 to pass HCR121 and HR117 requesting the United States Department of Defense (including the Army and Navy) and the State Department of Transportation to coordinate with state and county agencies to study expanding Kolekole Pass as an emergency exit route.
The resolutions ask federal and state agencies to plan and coordinate work related to using Kolekole Pass as an expanded emergency exit route; proponents said the measure would formalize interagency planning. Josh Green of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism testified in support, and Robert Cheeshedo of the Hawaii Department of Transportation spoke for HDOT and referenced written testimony.
Committee members said the measure affects island communities that need additional evacuation routes. One representative thanked the committee chair for introducing the resolution and said it “directly affects my community,” noting long-standing community interest. A member of the Public Safety Committee recorded opposition on equity grounds, saying other communities also need secondary ingress and egress and that responsibility should not fall unevenly across neighborhoods; that speaker’s remarks were entered on the record but were not tied in the transcript to a full roll-call explanation.
On the Transportation Committee roll call, the chair and vice chair voted aye; Representatives Kitagawa, Miyake and Mora Oka also recorded aye votes; Representatives Cochran, Evelyn and others were excused. On the Public Safety Committee roll call, the chair and vice chair voted aye; Representatives Hashem, Ichiyama, Morikawa, Poipoi and Shimizu recorded aye votes; one member recorded a no vote. The chair’s recommendation to pass both measures was adopted in both committees.
The resolutions direct federal and state agencies to work with appropriate state and county departments to expand, plan and coordinate work related to Kolekole Pass; they are requests for study and coordination rather than directives to build specific infrastructure. The transcript records written testimony from state agencies and several community or advocacy groups in support.
Next steps: the resolutions as passed will be transmitted per legislative process for any further consideration or follow-up studies; the measures request interagency coordination but do not appropriate funds or order construction.
