#Gregg Takayama
Hawaiʻi health measures up for final passage on the House floor
“These bills address urgent health needs in our community — from mental health to medical cannabis access, and care for those with disabilities,” said House Committee on Health Chair Gregg Takayama.
Senate bill advances to strip county council approval of state-funded housing projects
A bill to exempt state-financed housing developments from county council approval has passed second reading on the Hawaiʻi Senate floor and advanced to the Ways and Means Committee.
Fireworks task force bill passes out of committee; now headed for final reading
The Hawaiʻi Senate Ways and Means Committee passed Senate Bill 222, which would fund an illegal fireworks task force. Although the amount of funding is not specified, the measure is now headed for third reading on the Senate floor before crossing over to the House of Representatives.
Recreational cannabis use passes House committees, with public safety protections
After a nearly three-hour hearing, members of the House committees on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture & Food Systems voted Tuesday afternoon to recommend passage of a bill to legalize adult recreational marijuana use.
House panel recommends passage of bill to prohibit homeless encampments near schools
The House Committee on Human Services & Homelessness advanced a bill Thursday to prohibit homeless encampments near schools.
‘Return-to-Home program’ proposed for homeless people to return to their home states
A bill introduced by 13 representatives in the state House calls for establishing a permanent “Return-to-Home program” with an as yet undetermined amount of funding to return homeless people in Hawaiʻi to their home states.
Working group proposed to study squatting on private property
State lawmakers want a working group to study the problem of people unlawfully occupying private property without the owner’s consent.
Bills help address the physician workforce shortage, especially on the neighbor islands
The Hawaiʻi Physician Workforce Assessment Project Report indicates that Hawaiʻi is in need of at least 750 doctors, with the greatest statewide shortage being in primary care specialties. The proportional need is greatest on the neighbor islands, with both Maui and Hawaiʻi County experiencing a physician shortage of 40%.
