Hawaii Senate adopts committee reports, grants waivers for hearings and decision meetings

The Hawaii State Senate on Feb. 27 adopted a set of standing committee reports, approved consent-calendar measures with a small number of recorded no votes, granted waivers under Senate Rule 21 to allow hearings and decision meetings on several bills, and adjourned until 11:30 a.m. the next day.

Senators voted to adopt standing committee reports numbered 711 through 721 and 793 through 804 after a motion to adopt was offered on the floor. Senator DeCorte moved for adoption; the motion was seconded and adopted with no recorded objections in the excerpt of the transcript.

The adoption advances the listed committee recommendations to the next steps in the Senate process. On the consent calendar, the clerk reported that 25 senators voted aye for most measures. The clerk recorded exceptions: standing committee report number 704 (related in the transcript to Senate Bill 222, Senate Draft 1) and report number 705 each drew 23 ayes and 2 noes; the third-reading entry for House Bill 1440, House Draft 1 was also…