Okay. Good afternoon. The Committee on Transportation on its hearing notice at 3:02 and just to confirm, it's 3:48 p.m. on its agenda uh on its hearing notice of March 22nd and this is Tuesday. >> [clears throat] >> And uh just for confirmation, uh today we do have at least um seven items. So, we're going to at least limit the oral testimony uh to 1 minute. Uh which normally I am pretty good about the 2 minutes, but time is of the essence today and decision making will follow uh this uh this agenda as well. We'll proceed with HB 60 uh 1524 House Draft 2 and this is relating to pedestrians. Uh this establishes that fines for pedestrian violations under chapter 291C HRS shall not exceed $25. It requires state and county agencies to revise applicable schedules of fines, rules, and procedures to comply with the monetary limit.
It's not something that's currently happening. There's not a walk to math modeling right now. Um, another thing I really like about walk is not necessarily maybe the way I speak for myself at least the way I was tracked as a student. That's how act works anymore. It might be it would look more like let's look at the data and the standards and what are the specific lessons or the meanings of these students. Okay, this teacher is going to retach a lesson for a little mini unit, a two week cycle on this standard. We have students that are really struggling with the calculation because actually it's not the calculation for each of that particular teacher for that series of lessons. you wouldn't necessarily be you're in the high class for math. kind of going off that if you were to explore that possibility tomorrow. Okay, slide you'll see um includes only questions and we put them together.
GLTS also applies for various competitive grants. Um so far this year, we've been awarded over 2.7 million dollars to fund endeavors such as early college planning, reading supports, and CTE partnerships.
Okay. Turn uh DOT. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair. Senator Lee testifying on behalf of DOT. We sent our written testimony to provide comments. Okay. Thank you very much. Um Department of Health on Zoom. Oh, hello. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the Committee. I'm Heidi Hansen Smith for the Department of Health. The department's going to stand on its testimony with comments, providing comments on the public health potential public health impacts of this measure. And we'll be here for questions. Thank you. Thank you very much. Judiciary. Uh let's see. Sends a communication with comments. Uh Appleseed uh Hawaii Appleseed Center for law and criminal and economic justice, Malia. Good to see you. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the Committee. My name is Malia Boczanski, testifying on behalf of Hawaii Appleseed in support of this measure. We believe current pedestrian fines are overly excessive and really vastly disproportionate to the act to the action at hand.
We group them. We thought they were very similar in nature. So there is notable performance gap between my sixth grade cohort and members and the specific eighth grade cohort. While the system is below targetedly black students are often targeted within efficiency, what specific instructional strategies or present math class progress and how can we how can this bright spots in sixth grade and the overall and then another question we are not female still not given that it's March and only the end of the school year wondering what changes in adult practices will make now other than what was already accelerate learning and nearly students level forward people. >> And so, um, again, some of the things that the employees can do for adult change is our coaches working directly with the class, helping them to develop instructional plans that empower our students to be very active.
Does anybody have any questions? That was a mouthful. I'll see your face. I'm trying I'll try to lump all my questions in once I don't take too long. Um my first question is around the title one grants. So Um has has there any has there been any changes to any of the grants that we get from the federal government like title one Perkins? What do you mean changes? >> Like has it been reduced or we getting more? We're getting more. More money. Okay. Do you know how much more we're getting for title one? I don't know off the top of my head but I can get you that information. >> Okay. Yeah, that would that would be helpful and then Um I got clarification on most of the budget from the superintendent's office so I don't have as much questions. Um But this one's more related to school security.
Um for example, the fines and fees for crossing the street in an outside of a marked crosswalk, that is $130. In comparison, um speeding on Oahu, which is much more of a public safety threat, those fines start at $62. Many people, especially those who don't own a car and rely on walking, really cannot afford these steep fines. Um if left unpaid, these tickets can cascade into large consequences of debt collection, damaged credit, and court involvement. So, we believe this bill is really taking the right step to mitigate the harms caused by our currently excessive pedestrian fines. Mahalo for the opportunity to testify. I just have um Did you have a chance to see the com- the communication testimony from DOT? And um they raised, you know, some some concerns with regards to the $25. Um you know, and they have data that shows that they've been uh significant jaywalkers as well as casualties um on this measure.
passive when you think about that modeling. We want to have our students building their own understanding and our our team that's going to be working side by side prioritizing those essential standards and the lessons as also what are the most important wasn't fully assessed and transition. >> Um, I have a question of this. It says that coaches are meeting weekly with sixth and seventh grade teachers. Isn't that something that has been going on um previous to this progress mon? >> Yes and no. So our coaches have been assigned on all campuses throughout the school. We have identified that in some cases we probably call a primary coach and then we also have a secondary or we have a thirdary depending on they might not have contact them and also making sure there are so we face with a lot of professional that we also professionally assign.
So I noticed that we have six school security positions and we're asking for two more. Um so I'm curious to know what the justification is to have eight security now? To the school? Yeah, it was requested. >> there's there's rotating shifts between those positions but just to understand you know, eight security officers in a school under 2,000 2,000 kids. So Uh first rationale was requested by safe office and the rationale for number one Uh we're increasing our enrollment. We're almost at 2,000 students and then the uh the other rationale was we're opening another cafeteria which will cut require to have uh some uh staff in that cafeteria during the lunch period which is uh six uh five different uh periods out of the seven that we have uh staffed down there or five lunch periods which is probably about a little more than half the day.
So, um just a little concerning of the the low rate the lowest to $25. Um how do you feel about that though? Because they're you know, they have the data and they're they're the ones that are up front about ensuring that, you know, pedestrians are safe as well. Yeah, I think for Hawaii Appleseed, of course, public safety and pedestrian safety is a big concern for us. Um we also recognize that a lot of people who walk, it is out of necessity. People may not have access to a car um to get around. So, for people receiving pedestrian fines like this, we just think putting that barrier of these fines $130 is a lot of money especially when compared to fines for people who are driving like speeding. We just think lowering that amount is really the right step. >> Yeah. Something brought to mind this morning.
So we've really been working out that balance between wanting to understandurriculate the transg That all being said and the other thing with the cohort was them going through the training with the consultant. So eventually we don't do the consultant anymore. They are the ones doing the training. I talk with our like their second year, third year, but they've had more time. They've been able to do the training more instead of having they would have expert but not having that on that. Um to go back to that the first school um because the meaning behind that just to share was that in the eighth grade classrooms and I know something is class together. The difference between what the students and teachers are doing is that the students are actively um doing the math problem solving together and what we're seeing as sixth grade teacher doing more of the work and the students are watching.
Uh so that's the uh reason that we've uh went with two more paraprofessionals uh in that area. Thank you. And then my other question is more related to um the request that we could not fulfill in this grant which included uh special education instructors if you can go back. Um special education instructors and math instructor. Um so I did I did go back to the original budget for those departments and I noticed that um that there were cuts to certain certain areas of those budgets uh from English math um but more specifically uh special education. And then I saw sort of fluctuations and increase in instruction um but not it it wasn't clear whether it was positions or if it was like material um softwares like what is it that um is being cut from that department and what's being added? If that makes sense um just given that we weren't able to fulfill the two requests from that department.
I live in Chinatown and was very interesting at Manoa Key right across of the China the Chinese Cultural Plaza garage and lo and behold I saw many police cars but it was an incident not related to any jaywalkers but the police cars were down near the below the entry to the cultural center garage but in the meantime all our neighbors from the other condominiums were all crossing over just jaywalking and I was kind of like surprised because there's no enforcement and so that was kind of sad that you know we continue to have this but since you're here members any questions for for Apple Seed yes Senator Lee. Thanks just um I have two questions. One speaking of the data Department of Health testimony notes that laws criminalizing pedestrians are ineffective in producing real safety results and then sites stats from Virginia, Kansas City, Denver, California and others California particular where after um changing the law traffic fatalities actually decreased by 13%.
So trying to change its practicing that's kind of that is what we know which I hear and I've heard in other board meetings. I guess my specific question is because we are below those two targets, right? And I at least unless I'm misunderstanding something, I just want to make sure that I have a full understanding. I still don't know what direct actions we're going to take from here today that are different from what we've been already doing to give us a different outcome. I guess it's the more specific question. I still don't have a direct, you know, like I I'm hearing words like um we're trying, you know, these things are not perfect. within on resources. Um, we're thinking about setting new structures into next school year, but I'm not hearing what's going to happen in the next three months to try to accelerate this this move.
Yeah, so uh in special ed wasn't just a matter of not filling it but the special ed we've uh had reduced numbers the last few years in special ed. We don't know what this new uh enrollment will bring bring us. We can always go back and bring back that uh additional special ed possibly uh we'd take another look at the budget and if we had to make cuts somewhere else in order that was education always comes first we would add that person but right now uh it was determined that because the numbers went down uh and there are less uh students in the inclusion classes so that we could go with one less special ed instructor. Mhm. Um Yeah, I mean that made sense. I think to me it's a little bit premature to make a decision like that um without knowing what the next enrollment is going to look like >> Yeah.
um after having lowered ticket prices and everything else showed no change. Is that like a universal thing? Are there other is that or is that just sort of like a focus on a couple key places? um >> [sighs] >> I am not familiar so I I can definitely Let me ask you this way. Massachusetts has fines for the same jaywalking kinds of things set at a dollar. If you're repeat offender they get really harsh and they double the fine. But clearly they have rates I mean better than us. So who's right here? Yeah. I think I think at Hui Apple Seed I think $25 is something that makes sense to us and I mean just to be clear I think enforcement is important. I don't think our stance on this is let's reduce enforcement. I think it's just reducing that like financial like barrier and burden that puts on people.
So, I I don't know that I'm fully convinced right now that there is something in place right now that you guys concurly are going back and saying, "Hey, let's try this or or that because it's literally almost made. So, we're at the end of the ball game. You know, if we were in a coach and this was a soccer team, I wouldn't have a definite answer from my coach saying, "Oh, no. We're moving you from left fullback to right fullback and we're going to do XYZ." Right? I'm not hearing concrete. Um, so I was just wondering like am I missing something or do we not know? Because if we don't know, that's okay too, right? I just want to know because I'm going to be expecting something the next products we're going to report when we get in May and I'm not I'm not ready for that.
in terms of what the special education department is going to need at that point. Yep. Um and then we get there and we notice that there's an increase there's actually going to be an increase in students and we don't have the capacity and then you have to come back to the committee and ask for us to add another position. >> So the trend has been year after year has been coming down with so um that's one of the reasons and uh we can also some of the inclusion classes the numbers are low so we can add students to those in inclusion classes so we're allowed to have 10 uh inclusion students in a class uh special ed students in a class and those numbers have been below that so um if we were to get any a small increase this year then we feel like uh we could cover that without having it replace.
Okay. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. By E bicycling league Eduardo is pretty much always here in person sends communication in support [laughter] how about Apple? sends communication in support ACLU as well and the support from William Perrone, Jonathan Hume and Jonathan Lott. Is there anyone else wishes to speak to 15 24 okay otherwise we'll oh yes Senator Lee. >> for DOT Deputy Director Lee. Thank you Madam [clears throat] Chair. Current currently now the fine is $100. um Let me double check I think. I think it's this I don't know. Okay. I think Toby or Lee I think you're on do you know what the current fine is? Uh this is Carrie in from Department of Transportation. The fine actually ranges oops the fine ranges from 130 to and up depending on the jurisdiction so certain counties have different rates. Okay. And then one last question is I know a big piece is the enforcement side to deter violators from doing that and I can understand the advocates for the bill but has DOT looked at maybe messaging or public service announcements PSA to make more people aware of of jaywalking or you know crossing the street in that sense is that something to consider?
without it. conscious decision to support and so forth. So I also know that from simply conversations to more observational cycles for the principles and adjustments. So either informally through or formally >> okay I was curious about the coaches and so understand that subject focused and church I guess a little bit more. make this >> I would say the class collaboration between as well as so for example let's say um I'm a teacher in school I'm in my third year and my I'm a second grade teacher my primary coach and my second grade coach might be the sixth grade teacher my primary coach be coach and my secondary coach literacy coach doing math coach every other week because I see my literacy every week do our very best to ask our groupers to give up one of their prep periods during the week. So that's another nuance that we are trying to balance is honoring their time for their own professional prep time as well as sitting with their coach to collaborate differently for them celebration of course or sitting in.