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Molokai residents call air service failures ‘life and death’ as Senate committee advances bill with amendments
Summary
Multiple Molokai residents and health providers told a joint Senate committee that repeated commercial-flight shutdowns created medical and logistical crises. The committees passed SB1570 with amendments and asked DOT to pursue an emergency charter procurement and runway planning, while accepting attorney-general edits.
A string of public testimonies from Molokai residents and health-service providers convinced two Senate committees to advance SB1570 with amendments aimed at strengthening emergency response when commercial air service to Molokai or Lāna‘i is interrupted.
Why it matters: Molokai and Lāna‘i rely on single commercial carriers for scheduled air service. Testimony detailed canceled medical appointments and delayed essential travel; the committees approved amendments and asked the Department of Transportation to pursue procurement and planning actions to reduce future service gaps.
What testifiers said Kimberly Sveton, who identified herself as president of Molokai Drugs, described multiple multi-day shutdowns by the island’s carrier and told the committees:…
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