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House passes package of bills on final reading; several measures drew objections and recorded reservations
Summary
The House passed a group of House bills on final reading by voice vote after motions to agree to Senate amendments and to consider bills by consent. Members entered reservations, recorded no votes on individual measures and debated some items, including the repeal of a greenhouse-gas task force.
The Hawaii House of Representatives passed a package of House bills on final reading after the chamber agreed to Senate amendments and suspended rules to consider the bills by consent. The House adopted the motions to agree to Senate amendments, to suspend the rules for consent consideration, and to pass the listed House bills on final reading by voice vote.
Representative Todd moved to agree to Senate amendments for a set of bills and then moved that the bills listed on pages 4 through 6 pass final reading; Representative Morikawa seconded the procedural motions. The clerk recorded that the motions were carried after voice votes. The clerk later announced that, on measures before the House, "all majority members vote aye with the exception of the following," and specified individual no votes.
Bills included in the final-reading package as announced on the House floor were: HB 413 HD1, HB 477 HD1, HB 871 HD1, HB 951 HD2, HB 1002 HD1, HB 1017 HD1, HB 1065 HD1, HB 1120 HD2, HB 1152 HD1 and HB 1379 HD2. The motion to pass those bills on final reading was carried by voice vote. The clerk recorded that Representative Kong voted no on HB 1002 HD1 SD1 and Representative Iwamoto voted no on HB 1017 HD1 SD1; the record also shows members entered written reservations or requested that remarks be placed in the journal against certain measures.
Several measures drew extended floor comment before final passage. Representative Parekh objected to a provision he described as making it "easier for people to collect unemployment," arguing the change would reduce accountability; other members disputed that characterization and said the bills primarily modernize Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) procedures and allow more online filing. Representative Shimizu and Representative Iwamoto spoke at length during debate on a bill that repeals a greenhouse-gas sequestration task force; Iwamoto said the task force should be funded rather than repealed and read scientific testimony on climate impacts, while supporters said the task force had completed its work and members requested sunset dates for commissions and task forces.
Representative Morikawa reported the recorded no votes and the clerk declared the bills passed final reading. Members then moved to adjourn.
The package’s text, any enacted amendments and roll-call details for measures where members requested recorded votes will appear in the official journal and the House clerk’s certified record.
