Hawaii lawmakers set to convene this morning

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

State Rep. Dee Morikawa was with her hanai daughter Naomi Francisco as she practiced the Pledge of Allegiance on Tuesday. Naomi will recite it for this morning’s opening program.

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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM

Lehua Saturnio, left, and Heather Keli‘i arranged flowers Tuesday in the House of Representatives to prepare for the opening of the Legislature.

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The state Senate and House of Representatives are set to convene the 30th Biennial Hawaii State Legislature this morning at the state Capitol.

The ceremonial start of this year’s 60-day session will begin at 10 a.m., and the House will feature entertainment by Henry Kapono & Friends as well as remarks by House Speaker Scott Saiki (D, Downtown-Kakaako-McCully), Minority Leader Gene Ward (R, Kalama Valley-Queen’s Gate-Hawaii Kai) and Majority Leader Della Au Belatti (D, Moiliili-Makiki-Tantalus).

The proceedings in the Senate also will begin at 10 a.m., and will feature opening day speeches by Senate President Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau) and Sen. Kurt Fevella (R-Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point), the lone Republican in the 25-member Senate.

After the session is formally launched during the ceremonies on the House and Senate floors, many lawmakers traditionally host open-house events in their offices in the Capitol and invite guests and constituents in to visit.

Doors open to spectators in the House and Senate galleries at 9:30 a.m. Seating will be limited, and there will be no public parking at the Capitol, but the House floor proceedings will air live on ‘Olelo channel 49 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Senate proceedings will air live on ‘Olelo channel 53 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Neighbor island residents can watch the opening day proceedings live through their local public access stations.

House and Senate programs also will stream live online at olelo.org/49 and olelo.org/53, and will be archived on the ‘Olelo Senate and House video-on-demand websites at olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=13.