President's Message

Aloha Chamber members:

The 2017 Legislative Session opens today! Our Business Advocacy team has been gearing by preparing for the introduction of the Chamber’s business package, meeting with legislators, and engaging our members and the business community with Chamber Week activities.
 
However, the work doesn’t stop there. Throughout the session, we will be testifying on many, many bills to promote our agenda focusing on 1) spurring economic development, 2) investing in our future and 3) lowering the cost of doing business. In addition, we will be reviewing more than 2,000 bills that will get introduced and identifying those that impact business.
 
While the Chamber will be the “Voice of Business,” as well as your eyes and ears at the Capitol, equally important is adding your voice to the legislative process. We need you to get involved to help promote a healthier economy for our state.  
   
Having just returned from the Council of State Chamber’s CEO meeting, where more than 30 Chamber CEOs meet annually to discuss a variety of issues, member engagement is always a point of discussion. This year, the discussion also included attracting, retaining and marketing to millennials, tax reform and improving state Chamber operations, with deep discussions on economic blueprint vision programs that focus on Chambers serving a “futurist” role in this dynamic, challenging and ever-changing environment. I also provided a brief presentation to prepare attendees for the annual Council of State Chambers conference in August, which will be held in Honolulu! 
 
If you have not signed up for Chamber Week events, this is your last chance to sign up for Legislative Meet and Greet, one of the most productive events of the year for our members, being held at SALT in Kaka’ako, and for Outlook at the Federal Level in 2017, where attendees can learn more about the impact the new Trump administration and Congress will have on business priorities in Hawaii. 

We will continue to promote and defend your business and ensure your investment helps move our state forward. We thank you for your confidence and support.

Laulima & mahalo,

Sherry Menor-McNamara
President & CEO

Business Advocacy

The start of a new legislative session at the State Capitol in January brings with it a flurry of information regarding approximately 2,000 bills crossing the desks of legislators in both the House of Representatives and Senate. Keeping track of a particular piece of legislation, as it makes its way through the circuitous path toward ratification, can be a huge challenge.  

The Hawaii State Legislature helps simplify the somewhat intimidating bill tracking process with its own website (capitol.hawaii.gov). Just click on the “Measure Tracking” button on the website’s home page, after creating an account, and you will be able to create personalized bill tracking lists, submit testimony online and receive hearing notice notification by e-mail. Businesses need to be involved to make sure your voice is heard.

Military Affairs

The 2017 Military Affairs Council (MAC) Annual Meeting and Military Partnership Conference was an overwhelming success. In terms of attendance (140 civilians; 50 military) and the number of topic-focused breakout sessions (5), this was the largest conference the MAC has hosted since moving the event to the Hawaii State Capitol in 2015.

One of the discussions focused on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai. The conversation, which was moderated by MAC member Phil Kahue (Keaki Technologies) and featured Senate President Ron Kouchi; Mayor Bernard Carvalho; CAPT Vincent Johnson (PMRF Commander); and Dr. George Kailiwai (US PACOM),  centered on the importance of the facility to Kauai, the state and the nation.  

William Cole reported on the discussion in the January 14th edition of The Honolulu Star-Advertiser. You can read the article here. Much of the discussion for the last year has touched upon the possibility of permanently activating the Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System located at PMRF and the impacts, intended and unintended, such an action would have on the Garden Isle.

While the defense community is divided on the future capabilities of PMRF, Kauai lawmakers made it clear last Friday that they are committed to doing what’s best for both their community and the nation. We can expect that the discussion about PMRF will continue on for at least the next year.

Learn more about the Chamber's Military Affairs program.

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• Jan. 19: Walk Around at the Capitol
   
• Jan. 19: Legislative Meet and Greet
   
• Jan. 20: Outlook at the Federal Level in 2017