A meeting of the Jobs & Business Working Group, chaired by Representatives Daniel Holt and Andrew Takuya Garrett, is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. to gather public input on its draft report. The group’s purpose is to examine the Maui unemployment rate, approaches to restarting business activity, and the impact on tourism across the state in order to develop recommendations for legislative action. This is in accordance with House Rule 17 and House Resolution 224 (2023), which established interim House working groups tasked with evaluating specific topics related to the Lahaina wildfire and making appropriate recommendations for legislative action.

The panel comprises nine members of the Hawaii State Legislature: Representatives Terez Amato, Trish La Chica, Rachele F. Lamosao, Scot Z. Matayoshi, Representative Dee Morikawa, Nadine K. Nakamura, Mark M. Nakashima, Sean Quinlan, and Gene Ward. The meeting will take place via video conference as well as in person at Conference Room 329 at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol. An agenda for the meeting and details on how to provide testimony can be found at . The session will be live-streamed on the House of Representatives’ YouTube Channel for those who want to watch from home or remotely participate in any way they can.

The public is invited to attend either in-person or virtually during this important meeting where they can provide valuable insights that will help shape future legislation aimed at addressing unemployment rates and restoring economic activities affected by natural disasters such as wildfires.

For those without reliable internet access or computers at home, free public Wi-Fi and computers are available at most public libraries in Hawaii throughout operating hours during which time individuals can use them for online participation.

Contact your local state public library for more information about their specific offerings and availability during this period of time.

In summary