Due to COVID-19 restrictions, when state lawmakers start their regular session on Wednesday the usual opening-day festivities will be shelved. And it’s likely that the state Capitol will be physically closed to the general public through the session, which is slated to wrap up in late April.

However, public hearings will be livestreamed, with public testimony conducted through Zoom video conferencing. In a recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser “Hawaii Spotlight” webcast, state Rep. Della Au Belatti said a “silver lining” in the pandemic is that “we have all learned as a community how to interact virtually.” So much so that we could see a sizable spike in public participation.