STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3995

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: GOV. MSG. NO. 596

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 596, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

Attorney General of the Department of the Attorney General

G.M. No. 596

HOLLY SHIKADA, for a term to expire at noon on 12-05-2022,

begs leave to report as follows:

Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Holly Shikada for service on the Department of the Attorney General.

Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Holly Shikada from the Governor; Department of Taxation; Department of Budget and Finance; Department of Public Safety; Department of Health; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Accounting and General Services; Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; Department of Education; Department of Transportation; Department of Human Resources Development; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Agriculture; Department of Human Services; Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs; Hawaii Emergency Management Agency; Office of Enterprise Technology Services; Hawaii State Energy Office; Hosoda Law Group; and thirty-seven individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the nomination for the appointment of Holly Shikada from two individuals.

Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Shikada received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. She subsequently received her Juris Doctor degree from William S. Richardson School of Law. After graduating, Ms. Shikada worked in private practice at the law firm of Fujiyama, Duffy & Fujiyama for four years before transferring to public service work. For over thirty years, Ms. Shikada worked at the Department of the Attorney General in numerous capacities and roles. She started as a Deputy Attorney General in the Family Law Division where she handled child abuse and neglect cases, juvenile offender cases, guardianship cases, and adoption cases. After ten years with the Family Law Division, Ms. Shikada was asked to head the Felix Unit under the Education Division, which was successful in being found in compliance with the Felix Consent Decree and meeting its goal to ensure that the State met its responsibility in providing educational and mental health services to special needs students. From there, Ms. Shikada was appointed as the Supervisor of the Education Division until April of 2021, when she accepted the position of First Deputy Attorney General.

Testimony in support of Ms. Shikada commends her commitment to public service, deep institutional knowledge, and strong leadership within the Department of the Attorney General. Ms. Shikada has impressed fellow co-workers with her integrity and strong sense of fairness, as well as her legal insight gained over thirty years of working in public service. She is also commended for her dedication to her deputies, standards of professionalism, and energetic and positive attitude. However, your Committee notes that testimony also revealed that there are problems within the Department of the Attorney General to which Ms. Shikada is challenged to improve.

Your Committee finds that Holly Shikada has the experience, expertise, and temperament to be the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii, and in that capacity she will protect the interests of the State while also protecting the rights of the residents and communities of Hawai‘i.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

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

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KARL RHOADS, Chair