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In March, we submitted testimony in support of many bills to the Hawaiʻi Legislature, and several are moving forward to becoming law. In April and May, we have a number of social, educational, and political events for you to join!
A Look Back at Last Month
March 15: YDHI is excited to announce that it has adopted new brand guidelines and imagery. We will be showcasing sweeping landscapes to demonstrate the diversity of Hawaiʻi, and we will be following the theme of "riding the blue wave" to symbolize progress and change with blue being our predominant color moving forward.
We've adjusted our logos to reflect this new brand, as you can see here!
March 20: YDHI's Legislative Committee met 3/6 and 3/20 and recommended to the Executive Board that we support four more resolutions and bills, all of which the board agreed to support:
SCR 88, which would support and adopt the goals set forth in the Digital Equity Declaration for Hawaiʻi adopted by the Broadband Hui.
SCR 215, which would recognize the historic, cultural, and strategic connections between the peoples of Oceania, of which Hawaiʻi and The Freely Associated States are a part.
SB 263, which would transfer oversight of the "Made in Hawaii" program as it relates to manufactured products to the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; would place the "Grown in Hawaii with Aloha" program under the management of the Department of Agriculture; and would transfer ownership of the "Made in Hawaii with Aloha" Trademark from the Department of Agriculture to the Hawaiʻi Technology Development Corporation.
HB 1176, which would establish a state job corps program within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to help address the unemployment impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and support economic diversification. YDHI submitted testimony in support of this bill, and it has passed all its committees in the House and will be crossing over to the Senate!
April 1: YDHI Vice President Danicole Ramos and Secretary Keoni Williams met with with the Young Labour Party of New Zealand. It is the youth arm of New Zealandʻs current ruling party, famously led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. We shared what our respective organizations are doing and look forward to collaborating with them in the future to engage youth all across the world in the political process, especially in the Pacific region.
April 7: The newly formed Membership & Events Committee met to plan exciting upcoming events like monthly Pau Hanas, a quarterly speaker series, and a special review of the 2021 Legislative session in May.
A Look Ahead to April and May
April 20: The YDHI Legislative Committee will meet at 7 PM. The Legislative Committee researches legislation, communicates with elected officials, drafts testimony on behalf of YDHI, and advances our legislative priorities. Join it by emailing ydhilegislative@gmail.com.
April 27: The YDHI Community Impact Committee will meet at 7 PM. The Community Impact Committee is dedicated to volunteering with organizations serving various communities across the state, hosting voter registration drives, and participating in local events for outreach. Join it by emailing ydhicommunityimpact@gmail.com.
April 28: Save the Date! Our first YDHI virtual Pau Hana will take place in just a few weeks from 5:30 - 6:30 PM. It will be a fun, informal chance to meet other members, have a drink, and play some trivia. Watch for future emails to RSVP or, better yet, go to youngdemshawaii.org to join become an official member of YDHI and get an invitation to our Slack channel where we share everything we are doing!
May 4: Save the Date! The Legislative Committee will host an event open to all members that goes over what happened in the 2021 Hawaiʻi Legislature's session and how the bills we supported fared. Watch for future emails to RSVP or, better yet, go to youngdemshawaii.org to join become an official member of YDHI and get an invitation to our Slack channel where we share everything we are doing!
May 5: The YDHI Membership & Events Committee will meet at 7 PM. The Membership & Events Committee tries to spread the word about YDHI to get new members to join and to set up events to get those members to connect. Join it by emailing ydhimembershipevents@gmail.com.