Two Important Actions at the Capitol this Thursday!
Please show your support in person at the Capitol this Thursday, March 28th for two important actions!
Please join Lāhainā Strong, who will be at the Capitol at 9 am for a grassroots lobby day to support important housing/rent protection bills.
Please also join the rally to Save the Hawaiʻi Ceasefire Resolution at 11am at the Capitol
Support for Lāhainā Strong:
From Lāhainā Strong:
“As we near the last month of this legislative session, we want to extend a heartfelt mahalo to each of you who have followed and submitted testimony thus far. Your dedication and engagement have been instrumental in advocating for our community's needs.
As we enter the final push, we need your support now more than ever. Lāhainā Strong will be at the Capitol this Thursday, March 28th, and we invite you to join us in making Lāhainā's presence known. Walking the halls of the Capitol together, we will ensure that our legislators understand the importance of our issues and recognize the seriousness of our concerns.
This is a critical moment for us to demonstrate our unity and resolve. By actively participating in the legislative process, we can make sure that our voices are heard loud and clear. Moreover, this is an opportunity for hands-on learning about the legislative process and the final stages of our advocacy efforts this session.
Engaging directly with our legislators firsthand not only broadens our understanding but also fuels our passion for positive change. Just one day of immersion in this environment can provide a wealth of perspective and information that is both enlightening and empowering.
Please mark your calendars and plan to join us THIS Thursday, March 28th at 9:00am. Together, let's show our legislators that we are watching closely, and that Lāhainā’s future is of utmost importance to us.”
To start off this final push, we also need your help! SB2908 has a hearing, and we need to call Rep Yamashita to make sure we get a hearing on SB2919.
SB2908 is a bill that prohibits residential rent increases in affected areas for an unspecified period after a severe storm warning or issuance of an emergency proclamation. - JHA, Testimony to be in Tuesday afternoon by 2:00 pm, late testimony will be taken until the hearing on Wednesday, 3/27, 2:00 pm.
We also need to let Representative Kyle Yamashita know we want SB2919 to get a hearing! SB2919 is a bill that allows counties to enact a zoning ordinance to amortize or phase out transient vacation rental units. Politely call or email Rep Yamashita's office and let them know why you want SB2919 heard.
Call: 808-586-6200
Email: repyamashita@capitol.hawaii.gov
As always, this is our best opportunity to make sure our legislators, the media, and the public know where the people of Lāhainā stand.
SB2908, HD1: Prohibits rent increases - JHA on Wednesday, 3/27, 2:00 PM. [LINK TO SAMPLE TESTIMONY GOOGLE DOC]
Please submit written testimony ASAP and if can, join to testify via Zoom, or if you're on O'ahu, in person at the Capitol.
Support for Hawaiʻiʻs Ceasefire Resolution
From Rise for Palestine:
“The Hawaiʻi State Senate has called for an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza by adopting SCR13/SR6, the Senate version of the Hawaiʻi Ceasefire Resolution.
The House version—HCR215/HR195—is stuck in the House JHA Committee, held up by House Leadership.
The resolution must be heard in committee by April 3 or it will die before we get to testify. (SCR13 could be heard in a House committee as late as April 19.)
We've been calling and emailing JHA Chair Tarnas, Vice Chair Takayama, House Speaker Saiki, and Majority Leader Nakamura, and the calls are working.
To push the House over the threshold, we want all supporters of human rights that can to join us for a show of power at the Capitol rotunda on Thurs., March 28, from 11–11:30 AM.
We know it's a weekday and we absolutely get folks are busy, so we're keeping the rally short. This is a critical moment for our campaign, and we are asking everyone to please, please do everything possible to attend.
To ensure House lawmakers continue to move in a positive direction, we want to stick to collaborative messaging that invites them to join us in standing on the right side of history. (We will be formally inviting all lawmakers and their staff to attend as well.)
DO bring signs with core movement messaging such as: Ceasefire Now, Save Gaza, Stop the Genocide, Free Palestine.
DON'T bring signs that single out individual state lawmakers or are unnecessarily hostile toward government. There will be time for that should they fail to adopt the resolution.
Rally Chants:
What do we want? Ceasefire! When do we want it? Now!
Aid defunded because of lies, another child in Gaza dies!
If the Senate can do it, the House can too! If the Senate can do it, why can't you?
Hey House Leadership, what do you know? A ceasefire NOW is the way to go!
In our House we raise our voice, lawmakers must make a choice!
Regardless of whether or not you can attend the rally, please use our updated legislator contact tool to send another round of fresh emails, and to make automatic patch-through phone calls to the offices of ALL the JHA committee members, Speaker Saiki and Majority Leader Nakamura. This step is critical.
Ask them to support passage of HCR215/HR195 through the JHA committee before the April 3 deadline.
Note: Sometimes the patch-through function can be buggy! You can also make your phone calls directly using this JHA Committee Member Guide. Remember you can leave voice messages if you call outside of business hours, and that's just as helpful.
David Tarnas, Chair: 808-586-8510
Gregg Takayama, Vice Chair: 808-586-6340
Luke A. Evslin: 808-586-6270
Daniel Holt: 808-586-6180
Linda Ichiyama: 808-586-6220
Greggor Ilagan: 808-586-6530
Sam Satoru Kong: 808-586-8455
Tyson K. Miyake: 808-586-9444
Sonny Ganaden: 808-586-6010
Kanani Souza: 808-586-8465
Scott Saiki, Speaker of the House: 808-586-6100
Nadine Nakamura, Majority Leader: 808-586-8435”
