Welcome to the House Democratic Caucus website!

Aloha! Thank you for visiting the House Democratic Caucus Website to see what's happening with your Representatives at the Capitol. This website is for you to explore to find out what the Democratic Representatives are doing for you and the State. They are elected by you and the other Hawaii residents and are working to address your needs and concerns. The more you know, the more you can work with and help your legislators improve our communities. Below you can find summaries and links to articles on a variety of issues that affect our communities around the State. (Your input and suggestions are always welcome!)

Learn more about the Democratic members here.

Find Your Rep - Use this webpage to find the Representative for your district.

Welcome to Our New Freshmen Legislators!

• Nov. 18, 2008. The House Majority Caucus welcomes six new members to the Caucus!
  
  Rep. Henry Aquino
  Rep. Isaac Choy
  Rep. Denny Coffman
  Rep. Chris Lee
  Rep. Mark Nakashima
  Rep. Jessica Wooley
  
  As we head into the 2009 Regular Session, updates will be provided to shed light on each of the new members, including their areas of concern and focus.

Special Committee on Vog

• Oct. 22, 2008. The recent eruption at Halema'uma'u on the Big Island and the resulting negative impacts on the health and welfare of our residents and visitors, represent a serious challenge facing our state. The House Special Committee on Vog Effects was formed to examine these effects. Appointed by the Speaker of the House, the House Special Committee on Vog conducted a series of fact finding meetings over the past few months designed to provide members, as well as the general public, with the most up-to-date information on the problems associated with vog, as well as policy response efforts to mitigate such problems.
  
  Committee Report
  Photo Gallery
  News Article
  

2008 Regular Session - Sine Die!

• May 1, 2008. Another exciting legislative session has come to a close. After four months of deliberations, discussions, and even disagreements, the House and Senate successfully worked together to pass important legislation in a wide variety of areas, including agriculture, alternative energy, and capital investments in our public infrastructure.
  
  Review of Legislation
  Photo Gallery
  
  

Hawaii Medal of Honor

• Mar. 25, 2008. The Legislature today honored those brave servicemen and women with Hawaii ties who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedoms that we hold dear.
  
  Text of Concurrent Resolution No. 61, 2008
  News articles here and here
  Photo Gallery here

Majority Package Introduced

• Jan. 22, 2008. Joint House-Senate Majority Package and House Majority Package legislation were introduced today. The measures contained in these packages focus on some of the most significant priorities for the State: energy independence and security, invasive species control and eradication, infrastructure improvements for U.H., and smart growth principles in development.
  
  Link to more information on these bills.

2008 Opening Day

• Jan. 16, 2008. The House of Representatives officially began the Legislative Session of 2008 with a message of hope and optimism, tempered with a sobering appraisal of the critical decisions facing lawmakers. Speaker Say's remarks focused on the need to make Hawaii energy independent and the importance of taking control of our own destiny. Majority Leader Caldwell urged the audience to dream big, and acknowledged several of Hawaii's brightest community-minded professionals.
  
  After the Floor Session, members and guests made their way to the Rotunda for a rousing ceremony honoring the accomplishments of several U.H. athletic teams.
  
  Text of Speaker Calvin Say's Speech
  Text of Majority Leader Kirk Caldwell's Speech
  Photos from Opening Day

Ethics at the Legislature

• Jan. 16, 2008. During the 2007 Regular Session, the House passed a resolution to evaluate the propriety, merits, and possible procedures for a Standards of Conduct Committee to address conflicts of interest and other breaches of the standards of conduct by a member of the House. A series of meetings were held to receive public input on this important topic. As a result of these efforts, a bipartisan House Select Committee on Standards of Conduct has been established pursuant to House Resolution No. 3. House Rules have been changed to address several issues of public interest, including conflicts of interest, clarifying public notice requirements for committee hearings, and removing subcommittees of the House Committee on Finance.
  
  Text of House Resolution No. 3
  News Article