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** November/December 2022 ([link removed])
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FROM THE GOVERNOR: MAHALO TO THE PEOPLE OF HAWAI‘I ([link removed])

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It's been an extraordinary time for Hawai‘i and the rest of the world as we emerge from the pandemic and take stock of how our lives have changed. Despite COVID-19 — and because of it — we’ve learned lessons that will carry us into the future. At the heart of it has been Governor Ige and his team, who have worked with the community to help keep us safe and make progress on some of the state’s most pressing needs. This last issue of Capitol Connection reflects on how far we’ve come in eight years and the foundation laid for the future. (Read more) ([link removed])

PROTECTING ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE SERVICES ([link removed])

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Governor Ige has added more state protections through an executive order for anyone seeking an abortion or for health care providers who provide abortion services. “Abortion is legal in Hawai‘i,” said the governor at an Oct. 11 news conference. “Reproductive rights are protected by state law and the state constitution. We will not cooperate with any other state that tries to prosecute women who receive abortions. (Read more) ([link removed])
GOVERNOR RELEASES $1.75M TO EASE NURSING SHORTAGE ([link removed])
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Thanks to $1.75 million recently released by the governor, the University of Hawai‘i will be able to double the intake of nursing students into its programs, according to UH officials. “Nursing and health care access are critical to public safety,” said Governor Ige at a press conference last month. “No point was made stronger than during the last two and a half years of the COVID pandemic. Nurses were at the forefront — from vaccine awareness to direct patient care.” (Read more) ([link removed])
HOLDING THE NAVY ACCOUNTABLE ON RED HILL DEFUELING ([link removed])
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The Hawai‘i Department of Health continues to oversee the safe defueling and decommissioning of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. On Oct. 7, the Department conditionally approved the first phase of the Navy’s plan to defuel Red Hill. The work to remove approximately one million gallons of fuel currently in the facility’s three pipelines commenced in October. (Read more) ([link removed])
STANDING STRONG IN THE FACE OF NATURAL DISASTERS ([link removed])
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The bottom line: Over the past eight years, the Ige administration has responded to 40 emergencies and natural disasters — more than any other governor’s term in Hawai‘i history – from floods and hurricanes to earthquakes and the Kīlauea eruption. With each incident, Hawai‘i learned valuable lessons as communities and agencies helped residents recover. The state continues to plan for the future, including the threats from climate change, utility and system disruption. (Read more) ([link removed])
HAWAI‘I RANKED BEST IN THE NATION FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE ([link removed])
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“Our top priority has been the health and safety of Hawai‘i’s people.”
– Governor David Ige

The bottom line: A unified state response, led by the governor and his team, and supported by community leaders and our people, has resulted in a stronger Hawai‘i, better prepared to navigate a post-pandemic world. (Read more) ([link removed])

THE HAWAI‘I WAY: PARTNERS IN PANDEMIC RESPONSE ([link removed])

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The bottom line: An ‘Ohana Nui approach and an unprecedented collaboration during the Ige administration between the departments of Health and Human Services has resulted in major benefits for community members who most need state services. Despite the pandemic, in 2022 Hawai‘i was named one of the healthiest states in the nation. (Read more) ([link removed])

SURPASSING THE GOAL TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ([link removed])

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“Governor Ige’s leadership opened the lines of communication between affordable housing developers and various state agencies.”
— EAH Housing president Kevin Carney

The bottom line: With streamlined policies, increased funding and improved financing tools, the Ige administration and housing partners have built more than 15,000 housing units over the past eight years — some 9,400 of which are affordable — with more units in the pipeline. (Read more) ([link removed])

DELIVERING ON A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE FOR THE STATE ([link removed])
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The bottom line: The Ige administration has doubled the state’s renewable energy for electricity and set Hawai‘i on a path that reduces our dependency on fossil fuel. Electricity is something we all take for granted until the power goes out. But for Governor Ige and his team, the vision has been much bigger. (Read more) ([link removed])
SUSTAINABLE HAWAI‘I: BEING PONO FOR THE NEXT GENERATION ([link removed])
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The bottom line: The Ige administration is leaving a legacy of environmental protection in its Sustainable Hawai‘i Initiative to provide a safer, cleaner future for us all. Hawai‘i has become a recognized leader in the fight against climate change by our efforts to take care of our island home. (Read more) ([link removed])

RESHAPING TOURISM AND CREATING AN INNOVATIVE ECONOMY ([link removed])

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The bottom line: In the wake of the pandemic, the Ige administration has moved to 1) reshape the visitor industry with a focus on “regenerative tourism” and 2) nurture emerging industries for promising careers, expand broadband networks, and create a more diversified economy driven by innovation and powered by technology. (Read more) ([link removed])

COMMITTED TO A VISION OF EDUCATION CHANGE AND REFORM ([link removed])

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The bottom line: Since 2015, the governor and his team have focused on education reform for empowerment in our public schools — from developing the Hawai‘i Blueprint for Public Schools to Early College and Hawai‘i Promise to recent pre-K facility funding and grants to support innovative, real-world learning and school partnerships. The vision of what Hawai‘i’s public schools and the University of Hawai‘i system could be has been at the heart of the governor’s drive to improve education. (Read more) ([link removed])

HALE HO‘OLA: NEW PATIENT FACILITY OFFERS HEALING AND HOPE ([link removed])

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In his 2016 State of the State address, Governor Ige spoke of extending compassion to those who struggle every day with mental illness, especially those who are homeless. “Mental health is the single most pressing, unmet health issue facing our state,” he maintained. That’s why the Ige administration made a new forensic facility at the Hawai‘i State Hospital a top priority. (Read more) ([link removed])

MODERNIZING STATE SYSTEMS FOR BETTER PUBLIC SERVICE ([link removed])

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The bottom line: Investments by the Ige administration in the state’s information systems and transportation infrastructure have resulted in better security for legacy systems and highway, airport and harbor upgrades. These areas drive the state’s economy, create jobs, and improve the daily experience of residents and visitors as well as day-to-day state operations. (Read more) ([link removed])

LEAVING HAWAI‘I WITH A SOLID FINANCIAL FOUNDATION ([link removed])

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The bottom line: The State of Hawai‘i has emerged in the strongest financial position it has ever held by fixing broken systems and delivering fiscal discipline that will save the future taxpayers of the state — our children — millions of dollars in contributions. When he took office, Governor Ige committed to building a strong financial foundation for the state. (Read more) ([link removed])
THE IGE ADMINISTRATION: A LEGACY FOR THE FUTURE ([link removed])
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As the Ige administration nears the end of its eight-year term, here is a look back at the COVID-19 response and progress made for environmental sustainability and affordable housing. (Read more) ([link removed])

IGE ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT LEADERS ([link removed])

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Ige administration department leaders helped the state navigate the pandemic and made progress for the future in key areas. Pictured here are members of the Ige cabinet. (Read more) ([link removed])

BEHIND THE LINES: AN EDITOR'S NOTE OF THANKS, GRATITUDE ([link removed])

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Every month for the past seven years, I’ve been able to talk story with Governor Ige for the Capitol Connection newsletter. We sit at a round table in his office — sometimes while he’s munching on his lunch because that’s the only time he has to eat. We usually talk for an hour, I never give him questions in advance, and he never micromanages which issues to cover or how to tell the story. But he does care that what we publish is fair and balanced and accurate. (Read more) ([link removed])

SIGN UP TO GET THE COVID-19 COMMUNITY BULLETIN ([link removed])


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Your source for information about COVID-19 from the Hawai‘i State Department of Health. In our latest issue, learn why it is so important to get a COVID-19 booster, especially ahead of the holiday season. The Hawai‘i Department of Health's COVID-19 Community Bulletin is distributed every other Thursday. Sign up at health.hawaii.gov/updates. ([link removed])

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Copyright © 2022 Office of the Governor,
State of Hawaii, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Executive Chambers, State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: (808) 586-0034 | Fax: (808) 586-0006

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