Heads Up! Action Needed Now….
I receive an email this morning forwarded to me from Indivisible Oahu that said:
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“We have just received news that the Hawaiʻi State Senator Majority Caucus is meeting Thursday October 30 to discuss the possibility of convening a Special Legislative Session.”

This is OUR OPPORTUNITY to be heard.

Call your State Senator AND your State House Representative! DO IT NOW!!

Call today October 30 asap before noon if possible but before the end of the day!

Find your Hawaiʻi Legislative Senators and Representatives contact info by going to:

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/fyl/

IF NO ONE ANSWERS, LEAVE A VOICEMAIL:

Follow These Simple + Direct Talking Points:

My name is ____ and I live in ____. I am calling because I want Hawaiʻi lawmakers to go into Special Session in November, and immediately pass laws that address three urgent issues:

NO Masking/NO Secret Police
NO Closing of Community Health Centers & Hospitals
NO Hungry Keiki, Kupuna & Families
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AND I would remind those legislators who are Democrats – that the Hawaiʻi Democratic Party also strongly supports holding a special session!

I would add IN ADDITION to calling YOUR State Senator and Representative also call:

Governor Josh Green: (808) 586-0034
Senate President Ronald Kouchi: 808-586-6030
House Speaker Nadine Nakamura: 808-586-6100

All calls should be professional and courteous. You will like speak to a staff person or get voice mail to leave a message.

Call today October 30, asap this morning before noon!

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Other notes and my thoughts on how a special session works.

What happens, what are the rules

Basically bills are introduced – Section 15. No bill shall become law unless it shall pass three readings in each house on separate days then go to Conference Committee if needed and then pass out to the governor.

One example:
A bill is introduced on the floor on day one (first reading), scheduled for a committee public hearing on day 3 or 4, then goes back to the floor (second reading day 5 or 6) then goes to the final committee day 8 or 9 and back to the floor for final vote (third reading on day 10 or 11)…then “crosses over” to the other chamber and does the same thing…so will take 18 to 25 “session days” unless very rushed and multiple committee hearings combined into one.

One concern is that legislature rams through a bunch of bills with minimal public process.

Which is why they should start now…holding hearings prior to the start of any special session…to work out any bugs/concerns about the various bills.

What can be accomplished?

Just about anything…my hope is that:

Funding would be made available to support those essential and important programs negatively impacted or likely to be impacted by Trumps administration

Proactive legislation to deal with the ICE issue could be passed

Taxes on the very wealthy could be raised…the same groups that are receiving tax cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill and also received tax cuts from last years Hawaii legislation…billions of dollars could be raised

To further satisfy and inspire the public…”good government” and “campaign spending reform bills could also be passed. Prohibit the “two ticket to a fundraiser” money laundering…and ditto to the government contractor family and friends loophole.

*Either a 2/3 majority of the House and Senate can call a special session and/or the Governor can call one.

*A special session can be used to pass the laws necessary to provide funding for SNAP and other public services that are being cut by the federal administration.

*A special session can be used to pass any state law or resolution that the legislature feels is necessary for any state government purpose.

*The legislative action during a special session is not limited to just those issues impacted by the federal budget cuts or the federal government shut-down.

*The public needs to be “on their toes” as bills are often rushed and the special session sometimes used to pass legislation not directly related to the initial and overt reasons for hosting the session.

*The process is the same as used in a regular session however often the legislature will utilize short-cuts such as combining committee hearings – in order to fast track bill passage.

*The additional cost of hosting a special session is minimal and consists mostly of extra staff time.

*Special sessions are limited to 30 “session days” see actual constitutional language below..

Article 3 Section 10

At the written request of two-thirds of the members to which each house is entitled, the presiding officers of both houses shall convene the legislature in special session. At the written request of two-thirds of the members of the senate, the president of the senate shall convene the senate in special session for the purpose of carrying out its responsibility established by Section 3 of Article VI. The governor may convene both houses or the senate alone in special session.

Special sessions shall be limited to a period of thirty days. Any session may be extended a total of not more than fifteen days.

There could be “recess days” that don’t count as session days.

This concludes my brain dump on special sessions…

Please take action and call today…before noon if possible but no later than by the end of today.

Gary