Chicago conference helps Hawaii lawmakers track national policy trends, tech innovations

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Dozens of Hawaii lawmakers and their legislative staff say they’re returning to Hawaii with fresh ideas for the next session, following a three-day policy conference in Chicago.

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Attendees from Hawaii say the annual National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) helps them track national trends on pressing issues like education, AI and energy, and craft better policies for the state. Lawmakers also get a chance to share their own pioneering legislation, including new laws that address increased immigration enforcement and fraud involving crypto kiosks.

More than 7,700 people from across the world packed the halls of McCormick Place, sitting in sessions like “The Balancing Act of Energy Demand and Affordability” and “The Promise and Peril of AI.”

Organizers say the goal is not to pander to political leanings, but to provide research and balanced views.

“They are nonpartisan organizations so they find speakers who are addressing the issue technically and factually,” said state Senate President Ron Kouchi, who represents Kauai and Niihau. “There is no partisan agenda and I have numerous friends that I have made over the years who are republicans, but we are just peers and friends, we don’t talk about red, we don’t talk about blue.”

Some Hawaii lawmakers serve on federal policy committees and attended business meetings. Many also met with representatives from companies that impact their communities.

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“I’m gonna hit the Amazon area,” said state senator Lynn Decoite, who represents Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and Molokini. “Amazon and some of the states are doing drone drop packaging. It would be great for our island but at the same time as it extracts from our water carrier, I still can’t move a tractor, I still can’t move a truck, and I still can’t move a excavator and all the bigger stuff by a plane or by a drone and that is what has offset lack of now supplies and freight going into an island can hurt us.”

Representatives from companies like Meta, TikTok, Humana and McDonalds, and advocacy groups representing women, seniors, and other interests, filled the conference expo to meet with legislative leaders and share their stance on issues ranging from AI regulation and cryptocurrency.

“I was happy to see that crypto kiosks are top of mind for anti-fraud and other kinds of legislation like that. It was good to see that other states are thinking about it and good to see that Hawaii is at the forefront of it,” said state rep. Scot Matayoshi, referring to Hawaii’s new law that bans the use of cash to purchase cryptocurrency at kiosks and ATMs statewide.

Matayoshi represents Kaneohe and Maunawili and serves as the Chair of the House Consumer Protection & Commerce Committee.

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