STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1457

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 136

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.R. No. 136 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION URGING ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS IN THE STATE TO VIGOROUSLY ENFORCE AND PROSECUTE OFFENSES COMMITTED AGAINST ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHILE ON THE JOB,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge all law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys in the State to vigorously enforce and prosecute offenses committed against essential workers while on the job.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Hawai‘i State AFL-CIO; Pride at Work – Hawai‘i; International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 50; International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142; United Food and Commercial Workers Union 480; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO, UNITE HERE Local 5, and United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 has given rise to the public's reliance upon a multitude of workers for essential services, such as health care, grocery and food service, hospitality, airline travel, and ground transportation. Your Committee further finds that in the course of their employment, essential workers are required to have a high degree of face-to-face interaction with the public, relay to customers and other members of the public government-enacted emergency rules and orders, and frequently enforce those rules and orders. Your Committee additionally finds that essential workers are often harassed or confronted, sometimes physically, while trying to do their vital jobs by persons who do not wish to follow the emergency rules and orders. Therefore, it is imperative that law enforcement officers and prosecutors be diligent in enforcing and prosecuting offenses committed against essential workers while on the job.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 136 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair