Public hearing ko rej juon an ko ial ko rediktata nan participate ilo decision ko rej affect am community. Kwoj jab aikuj juon lawyer, juon script, ak jabdewot special credential. Kwoj aikuj wot itok im kenono. Guide in ej kwalok eok aolep mein — lo juon hearing, prepare-i, im ta ej walok naat kwoj etal ie.
Jinoin kwoj testify? Jino kab section eo iturin kin written testimony — ej ial eo ejemman tata nan participate im jonan wot emman einwot kenono in person.
Ta juon public hearing?
Juon public hearing ej juon meeting ia juon government body — juon county council, juon state legislative committee, juon board ak commission — ej consider-i juon proposal im invite-i community member ro nan share-i aer lale ko. Public hearing ko rej require kab jen law nan elap kain decision ko, including:
- Legislation rekaal im proposed bill ko
- Land use change ko im zoning decision ko
- Environmental impact assessment ko
- Budget decision ko im spending proposal ko
Elane juon decision ej affect public, ewor chance emman bwe juon public hearing ej part an process eo.
Ilo Hawaii, elaptata public board im commission ko rej operate iturin Sunshine Law (Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92 — jet iien etan HRS Chapter 92, jab worry kin number eo, kim naaj kwalok ta ej mean). Law in ej require bwe meeting ko ren publicly notice mokta, ren hold ilo public, im ren open nan public participation. Ej legal foundation nan am right nan testify.
Notice eo an juon hearing ej aikuj publish at least jiljino raan mokta jen meeting eo. Ej include raan, iien, jikin, im agenda item ko. Civi.Me eo an meetings calendar naaj surface-i notice ko rein bwe kwoj jab aikuj hunt nan er.
Jela am right ko. Sunshine Law ej guarantee am right nan testify ilo public hearing ko. Elane juon board ej refuse-i public testimony ilo juon agenda item, ak juon hearing ear hold ejjelok proper notice, kwoj maaron contact-i Office of Information Practices ilo (808) 586-1400. Jela elaplok kin am transparency right ko.
Option 1: Submit-i written testimony
Written testimony ej submit mokta jen juon hearing im ej boki part an official public record. Staff an committee eo rej riiti im jet iien member ro mwiin rej riiti. Kwoj jab aikuj attend-i hearing eo in person nan am written testimony en count.
Ewi wawein submit-i written testimony nan Hawaii Legislature
- Etal nan capitol.hawaii.gov
- Search-i bill number eo ak browse-i hearing ko rekonaan itok iturin “Schedule”
- Click-i bill eo ak hearing eo im etale “Submit Testimony” button eo
- Fill-i am eta, contact information, im am position (Support / Oppose / Comments Only)
- Type ak paste-i am testimony ilo text box eo, ak upload-i juon PDF
- Submit — kwoj naaj boki juon confirmation
Deadline: Written testimony nan Legislative hearing ko ej usually due 24 awa mokta jen hearing eo ej jino. Submit maat — system eo ej close ilo deadline eo.
Ewi wawein submit-i written testimony nan county council ko
Kajojo county ewor an mwiin process. Ial eo ej general ej nan email-i council clerk eo mokta jen meeting eo kab am written statement. Include-i agenda item number eo ak title eo ilo am subject line.
- Honolulu City Council: Contact information im submission instruction ko ilo honolulucitycouncil.org
- Maui County Council: mauicounty.gov/council
- Hawaii County Council: hawaiicounty.gov/departments/council
- Kauai County Council: kauai.gov — County Council
Option 2: Testify in person
In-person testimony ej mean kwoj attend-i hearing eo im kenono elap nan committee eo ak board eo. Ej elaplok visible jen written testimony im emaaron powerful — bwe elaptata nan county council meeting ko im neighborhood board meeting ko ia member ro rej close lok nan community.
Step by step: testify in person
1. Lo hearing eo
Check-i Civi.Me meetings calendar ak relevant government website eo. Confirm-i raan, iien, jikin, im kein agenda item ko rej open nan public testimony. Jab aolep item ilo juon agenda rej accept-i public comment — check-i notice eo.
2. Itok maat
Elaptata hearing ko rej kajjitok public testifier ro ren sign in mokta jen meeting eo ej jino. Itok 15 nan 20 minute maat nan lo sign-in sheet eo im boki am spot ilo testimony order eo. Seat ko remaroon bun nan hearing ko relaplap.
3. Sign in nan testify
Lo sign-in ak testimony registration sheet eo iturin entrance eo ak clerk eo an table. Jeje am eta im kwalok kein agenda item kwoj konaan kenono kaki. Ilo jet hearing ko, kwoj naaj bar kwalok am position (support, oppose, ak neutral/comments only).
4. Kottale am turn
Public testimony ej usually walok ilo juon set point ilo agenda eo — jet iien ilo jinoin juon item, jet iien ilo jemlok. Chair eo naaj call-i eta ko ilo order. Pay attention bwe kwoj en ready naat rej call-i kwe.
5. Etal nan microphone eo
Naat rej call-i am eta, etal nan microphone eo ak testimony table eo. Jino kab stating am eta im ia kwoj jokwe (am district ak neighborhood). Kwoj jab aikuj lewoj am full address.
Waanjonak eo an opening: “Yokwe. Eta eo ao ej [Eta], im ij juon ri-jokwe in Kalihi ilo Honolulu. Ij ije nan testify ilo agenda item [number] kin [topic].”
6. Ba ta kwoj itok nan ba
Kwoj naaj usually ewor ruo nan jilu minute. Koba er emman:
- Kwalok am position clearly ilo am sentence eo jinoin
- Lewoj juon ak ruo specific unin — am personal experience ej valuable
- Koman juon specific ask elane ewor am juon
- Wrap up im kommol nan committee eo
Kwoj jab aikuj riiti jen juon prepared statement, ak ej jiban ewor am note ko. Jet bullet point ko ilo juon index card ej jerbal emman.
7. Jokwe im rongorong
Tok jen am testimony, rolok nan am seat. Member ro remaaron kajjitok kwe juon follow-up question — uak briefy im honestly. Kwoj jab aikuj ewor aolep answer ko. “Ijab jela, ak imaaron lo im jilkinlok nan committee eo” ej juon answer eo ej perfectly fine.
Option 3: Remote ak virtual testimony
Elap Hawaii hearing ko kiiio rej lewoj juon remote participation option ilo phone ak video call — juon practice eo ear expand tok jen 2020 im ej continue nan elap body ko. Check-i meeting notice eo nan instruction ko. Kwoj naaj usually aikuj register mokta nan testify remotely.
Nan neighbor island ri-jokwe ro, remote testimony ej bwe elaptata useful nan state-level hearing ko rej hold ilo Honolulu. Kwoj ewor juon right eo jonan wot nan testify einwot jabdewot eo ilo room eo.
Practical tip ko
- Keep-i ej brief. Ruo minute ej usually enough. Testimony eo elap ej jab elaplok effective jen testimony eo ej focused.
- Kenono jen am experience. “Ij jokwe ilo ial in im iloe men in ej walok” ej elaplok compelling jen cite-i statistic ko kwoj riiti online.
- Kwoj jab aikuj boki juon expert. Kwe juon ri-jokwe. Men eo ej qualify-i kwe.
- Ej okay nan nervous. Aolep armij rej ilo jinoin. Keep breathing, kenono slowly, im ba ta kwoj itok nan ba.
- Boki copy ko. Elane ewor am juon written statement, boki extra copy ko nan committee member ro im clerk eo.
- Kwoj maaron komane ruo. Kwoj maaron submit-i written testimony im bar kenono in person. Ruo rej etal ilo record eo.
- Boki juon jera. Etal ibben juon bar armij ej koman aolep experience eo jab intimidating, im ruo ainikien kin juon wot issue ej ewor elaplok weight jen juon.
Ta ej walok tok jen kwoj testify?
Am testimony ej boki part an official public record. Nan Legislative hearing ko, testimony ej publish online im accessible nan jabdewot armij. Committee member ro im aer staff rej riiti einwot part an decision-making process eo.
Decision ko rej rarely koman ilo juon wot meeting ia testimony ej rongorong. Process eo ej boki iien. Men eo emaaron feel frustrating — ak am ainikien ej ilo record eo, im record ko rej matter naat decision ko rej review, appeal, ak revisit.
Follow up. Elane kwoj konaan jela ta ear walok, check-i meeting minute ko (rej usually publish iloan jet wiik) ak contact-i committee clerk eo.
Elaplok resource ko
Letter Writing Kit Ambassador Toolkit Am Right nan Jela
Ewor am juon kajjitok kin juon specific hearing ak process? Email-i kim — kim naaj try emman tata nan jiban.