Senator Jill Tokuda Member Feed

Windward Students Artwork on Display at the Hawaii State Capitol

Senator Tokuda's Art Review (STAR) Program will once again be displaying the artwork of students from Windward O‘ahu at the Hawai‘i State Capitol. The artwork from students studying at Windward Community College, Ben Parker Elementary, Kane‘ohe Elementary, and Kapunahala Elementary can be viewed in the chamber level of the State Capitol throughout the months of January and February and will feature various mediums of art.

"With so many people coming to the Capitol for the start of the legislative session, it is only fitting that they be greeted by the artistic expressions and visions of Hawai‘i's future leaders," stated Tokuda. "Our Windward public schools have a longstanding commitment to the integration of arts in education and the work on display is a testament to the talents of both teachers and students."

The public is welcome to view the artwork at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, Chamber Level, during normal building hours Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (excluding holidays) and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, call 587-7215.

View the press release for more information.

About Senator Jill Tokuda

Senator Jill Tokuda currently serves as Chair of the Ways and Means committee. She also sits as a member on the Government Operations and Tourism and International Affairs committees.

Representing the community she was raised in, Senator Tokuda was first elected into the 24th Senatorial District, encompassing Kāne‘ohe, Kailua, He‘eia, ‘Āhuimanu, and Kāne‘ohe MCAB in 2006.

Senator Tokuda and her husband, Kyle Michibata, have two sons, Matt and Aden. Senator Tokuda is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from the James B. Castle High School and received a B.A. in International Relations with a Minor in Japanese Studies from the George Washington University.

HPD CHIEF CANCELS MEETING WITH HAWAII WOMEN'S LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS AND WOMEN HONOLULU CITY COUNCILMEMBERS

The Hawaii Women's Legislative Caucus today announced that they received a call from the Honolulu Police Department's (HPD) Chief of Police's office canceling Thursday's meeting with the Women's State Legislative Caucus and three women members of the Honolulu City Council.

A representative of the Women's Caucus spoke with the office of Chief of Police Louis M. Kealoha to ask that the commitment to meet with the women on Thursday be honored.

"The purpose of Thursday's meeting was for the Women's Legislative Caucus and the three women city councilmembers to have the opportunity to speak with Chief Kealoha directly," said Senate President Donna Mercado Kim, a member of the Women's Caucus. "We hoped to work cooperatively with the police to strengthen efforts to end domestic violence and keep victims safe. We wanted to discuss concerns and questions about HPD's internal policies and procedures regarding domestic violence cases, especially when one of their own officers is a suspect that has been brought to us by victims' service providers."

"The Women's Legislative Caucus and women Honolulu City Councilmembers asked for the opportunity to discuss these issues with Chief Kealoha prior to the public informational briefing so that he could be prepared to respond fully in public, and to, hopefully, open the door to improved partnerships and outcomes in domestic violence cases," said Senate President Kim.

A representative of the Women's Caucus was told the meeting was cancelled because the internal investigation was not yet completed. "We made it clear that the Women's Caucus understands that personnel investigations are confidential and that we have no intention of interfering in that matter," stated Senator Laura Thielen, co-chair of the Caucus. "We told Chief Kealoha's office that our concern and our meeting is to be focused on the broader HPD policies and response to domestic violence incidents."

Hawaii Women's Legislative Caucus calls for accountability of HPD in extreme domestic violence case involving its officers

Following the public release of a surveillance video showing a Honolulu Police Department (HPD) sergeant allegedly brutally beating his girlfriend in a Waipahu restaurant, the Hawaii Women's State Legislative Caucus and the three women members of the Honolulu City Council are calling on HPD to explain its policies and procedures for handling criminal actions involving its own officers and how the failure to act that occurred earlier this week is not repeated.

According to reports, HPD officers responding to the scene did not arrest the sergeant, nor did they file any reports of the incident that night. It was only on the following day, after a citizen provided HPD and the press with the surveillance video, that HPD took action to remove the sergeant of his police powers and begin an internal investigation into the incident, according to a Hawaii News Now report.

The Joint Women's Legislative Caucus and City Council members released the following statement:

"We are calling for a meeting with the Chief of Police, followed by an informational briefing with the Honolulu Police Department and Police Commission. The public has a right to know the department's policies and procedures for response to domestic violence or any other crimes when the offender is a police officer, particularly one who serves in a supervisory role.

"HPD officials must explain to the public why the alleged assailant was not charged and arrested given evidence of probable cause, including multiple witnesses who had to come to the woman's aide and a video surveillance depicting the appalling domestic violence assault.

"It is absolutely unacceptable that HPD officers chose not to enforce our domestic violence laws. The fact that the woman denied the incident is to be expected under the circumstances. Indeed, the responding officers' failure to take action clearly communicated that her safety will not be prote

2007-2013 Legislative Accomplishments
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2007

2014 Legislative Update
Dear Friends,

While the 2014 legislative session presented us with significant fiscal challenges, we made a number of targeted investments that will benefit our communities and passed measure that will result in meaningful changes for Hawaii's people in the months to come...

Read More

Senator Tokuda's most recent accomplishments and awards
Accomplishments • 2014 Kiwanis Club of Kaneohe Distinguished Service Award
• 2014 National Alliance of Public Charter Schools Champion for Charters Award
• 2014 Hawaii Public Charter School Network Legislator of the Year
• 2013 Hawaii Public Charter School Network Legislator of the Year
• 2011 Hawaii Chamber of Commerce Partnership in Education Award

Senate District 24 Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, June 26, 2014
7:00pm-8:30pm
Windward Community College | Hale ‘Ākoakoa 105
45-720 Kea‘ahala Road
Kāne‘ohe, Hawai‘i 96744

Senator Jill Tokuda and Representative Ken Ito will be hosting a community town hall meeting to discuss the outcomes of the 2014 Legislative Session and provide you with an opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns about our community. Senator David Ige, Chair of the Ways & Means Committee, will be attending to discuss the State Budget. Please join us for light refreshments and good conversation between friends and neighbors.

STATE SENATOR JILL TOKUDA RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR HER WORK WITH CHARTER SCHOOLS
During National Charter School Week, Sen. Jill Tokuda today received a 2014 "Champions for Charters" award at the U.S. Capitol from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools (NAPCS). The award honors seven federal, state and local elected officials who have worked to advance the growth and success of public charter schools.

In 2011, Sen. Tokuda chaired a task force on charter school governance and accountability that made recommendations for significantly improving Hawaii's charter school law and led the passage of a bill that contained these recommendations. These changes increased Hawaii's charter school law ranking by NAPCS from 35th in the nation in 2012 to 14th in 2013. This year, Sen. Tokuda sponsored legislation to provide facilities support to public charter schools and continued to work to make improvements to the charter school law for better clarity and consistency.

"This national recognition is as well-deserved as it is impressive," said Tom Hutton, Executive Director of the State Public Charter School Commission. "Sen. Tokuda's strong support for Hawaii's public charter schools would be noteworthy on its own, but her sustained engagement in the laborious and often thankless work of strengthening charter school accountability truly has showcased her leadership."

"Sen. Tokuda is truly committed to Hawaii's public education system, both charter schools and DOE schools," added Lynn Finnegan, Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network. "As Senate Education Chair, Sen. Tokuda has invested a lot of time and effort to learn about the balance between autonomy and accountability that the charters school sector needs to survive and thrive. The leadership she has shown to help craft and pass charter school legislation is unprecedented in Hawaii for charter school issues. We are very grateful for her hard work."

About the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The Na

STUDENTS TESTIFY VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE
SB2441 establishes R.E.A.C.H. programs, SB2446 names new Maui school after late U.S. Rep. Mink

Students from across the state participated in the legislative process by testifying via videoconferencing during a Senate hearing on two education bills.

Senate Bill 2441 establishes the R.E.A.C.H. program within the Office of Youth Services to provide a standardized framework and funding for after-school programs in public middle and intermediate schools. The bill establishes a revolving fund to receive fees and other moneys to supplement the costs of administering and operating the program; appropriates funds for establishing the R.E.A.C.H. program to provide funding for after-school programs in middle and intermediate public schools; and establishes one full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) position to support the program and appropriates funds for that position. Students from Hana High and Elementary School, Waiakea Intermediate School, Mililani Middle School and Molokai Intermediate School testified before the committee on this measure via video conferencing.

SB2446 requires the Department of Education to name the new public high school in Kihei, Maui the "Patsy Takemoto Mink High School," in honor of the late United States Representative Patsy Takemoto Mink. Students from Kihei Public Charter School, Maui Waena Intermediate School and Maui High School testified on this measure via video conferencing

"Increasing access and transparency has always been a top priority for t