Lawmakers in Hawaii conclude 2025 legislative assembly on a disheartening note

A Tumultuous Last Day at the Capitol

That final day of the 2025 legislative session was far from peaceful, ending much like the previous year – with House Republicans snappin' at one another's throats on the House floor. The Senate had just finished their usual sing-along of "Hawai’i Aloha" when the chaos erupted, this time over Senate Bill 1434, a bill providing state funding for universal immunizations.

Republican reps David Alcos III (R, Ocean Pointe-Barbers Point) and Garner Shimizu (R, Moanalua-Aliamanu-Foster Village) used the opportunity to voice concerns about other immunization bills that had died earlier in the session. Their fellow Republican, Rep. Kanani Souza (R, Kapolei-Makakilo), rose twice to support SB 1434 and statewide immunization efforts, but Shimizu couldn't help but interrupt.

"Is this referring to the bill?" he asked, prompting Souza to respond, "Excuse me, sit down. I'm speaking. You're out of order." Laughter filled the room as House Speaker Nadine Nakamura called for a much-needed recess to restore order.

During the recesses, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan (D, Waialua-Haleiwa-Punaluu) could be seen strolling across the House floor, engaged in some unusual conversations with several Republican caucus members.

The rift between Souza and her fellow Republicans remained, as the last-minute interruptions and heated exchanges dominated the floor. Towards the end of the session, House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto (R, Mililani-Waipio Acres-Mililani Mauka) defended the overall dialogue, stating, "Maybe you can see it as refreshing that we do have a lot of dialogue happening."

However, behind the scenes, Quinlan explained that the discussions focused on House rules, eventually resulting in smiles and handshakes.

In other legislative news, the House and Senate approved significant bills on that fateful day, including SB 97, increasing penalties for excessive speeding. The bill, which passed both chambers, would impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days and permit judges to seize vehicles used in these offenses, if they so choose.

The legislation also marks the most substantial progress to date in Gov. Josh Green's efforts over the past three legislative sessions to generate millions of dollars through a climate impact fee, or "green fee," on tourists. The fee, expected to bring in $90-100 million annually, is seen as crucial for addressing the wildfire risk resulting from the climate change crisis.

In a more congenial Senate, courteous dissent and debate characterised the final day, with first-term Sen. Samantha DeCorte (R, Nanakuli-Waianae-Makaha) expressing gratitude to her colleagues for the valuable lessons learned during her first session in the Senate.

Insight: The general consensus among legislators is that the green fee will help address the impacts of climate change, particularly the wildfire risk, and bring in significant revenue. However, opponents argue that the forfeiture provision may lead to the loss of vehicles for multigenerational households, resulting in financial hardship for entire families. [2] [3]

In the midst of the Senate's usual "Hawai'i Aloha" sing-along, the floor erupted into chaos over Senate Bill 1434, a bill providing state funding for universal immunizations.
The rift between Republican representatives, such as David Alcos III, Garner Shimizu, and Kanani Souza, was evident during the session, with interruptions and heated exchanges dominating the floor.
Amidst the tumultuous session, significant policy-and-legislation advances were made, including the approval of SB 97, increasing penalties for excessive speeding and potentially generating revenue through a climate impact fee, or "green fee," for tourists.
Behind the scenes, House Majority Leader Sean Quinlan was engaged in discussions with fellow Republicans, focusing on House rules, resulting in eventual smiles and handshakes.
The green fee, expected to bring in $90-100 million annually, is seen as crucial for addressing the wildfire risk resulting from the climate change crisis, but opponents argue that the forfeiture provision may lead to financial hardship for entire families due to the loss of vehicles for multigenerational households.