Public hearing ese ekewe alen mi mwan ngeni kopwe nom won aninis mi affect omw community. Esap kana eu lawyer, eu script, ika meinisin special credential. Ka chok kana kopwe nomw won me kapas. Ei guide a kawas ngeni kemi meinisin — kunok eu hearing, prepare, me met epwe fis nge ka tori.
Mumutan tien kopwe testify? Tinamwon me ewe section netipar usun written testimony — ese ewe alen mi tou ngeni kopwe nom won me a powerful pwe in person.
Met ese eu public hearing?
Eu public hearing ese eu meeting nge eu government body — eu county council, eu state legislative committee, eu board ika commission — a consider eu proposal me invite chon community repwe share ar nuku. Public hearing mi required ren law ren nap kain aninis, include:
- Mwirin legislation me proposed bill
- Land use change me zoning aninis
- Environmental impact assessment
- Budget aninis me spending proposal
Ika eu aninis a affect public, a wor eu pung chance pwe eu public hearing ese eu part en ewe process.
Non Hawaii, laplap public board me commission ra operate under ewe Sunshine Law (Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92 — ekkei tien mi aiti HRS Chapter 92, ka sap worry usun ewe number, sipwe explain met a echok). Ei law a require pwe meeting repwe publicly notice me mwen, repwe fis non public, me repwe open ren public participation. Ese ewe legal foundation ren omw right kopwe testify.
Ewe notice en eu hearing a kana kopwe publish at least enimen ran me mwen ewe meeting. A include ewe date, tien, ia, me agenda item. Civi.Me an meetings calendar epwe surface ekewe notice pwe esap kana kopwe katon ren.
Silei omw right. Ewe Sunshine Law a guarantee omw right kopwe testify non public hearing. Ika eu board a refuse public testimony won eu agenda item, ika eu hearing a fis me esap proper notice, ka tongeni contact ewe Office of Information Practices non (808) 586-1400. Silei nap usun omw transparency right.
Option 1: Submit written testimony
Written testimony a submit me mwen eu hearing me a wiis eu part en ewe official public record. A ridini ren committee staff me tien ren ekewe member. Esap kana kopwe attend ewe hearing in person pwe omw written testimony epwe count.
Met kopwe submit written testimony ngeni Hawaii Legislature
- Nom won capitol.hawaii.gov
- Search ren ewe bill number ika browse upcoming hearing under “Schedule”
- Click won ewe bill ika hearing me katon ewe “Submit Testimony” button
- Fill in omw iten, contact information, me omw position (Support / Oppose / Comments Only)
- Type ika paste omw testimony non ewe text box, ika upload eu PDF
- Submit — ka pwe ale eu confirmation
Deadline: Written testimony ren Legislative hearing ese typically due 24 hour me mwen ewe hearing a tinamwon. Submit mumut — ewe system a close non ewe deadline.
Met kopwe submit written testimony ngeni county council
Eu me eu county a wor an process. Ewe general approach ese kopwe email ewe council clerk me mwen ewe meeting me omw written statement. Include ewe agenda item number ika title non omw subject line.
- Honolulu City Council: Contact information me submission instruction non 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 echok pwe ka attend ewe hearing me kapas ren ngeni ewe committee ika board. A mi visible leniap seni written testimony me a tongeni wiis powerful — auchea ren county council meeting me neighborhood board meeting nge ekewe member ra toun ngeni ewe community.
Step ren step: testify in person
1. Kunok ewe hearing
Katon ewe Civi.Me meetings calendar ika ewe relevant government website. Confirm ewe date, tien, ia, me ifa agenda item mi open ren public testimony. Esap meinisin item won eu agenda a accept public comment — katon ewe notice.
2. Tori mumut
Laplap hearing ra tingor ekewe public testifier repwe sign in me mwen ewe meeting a tinamwon. Tori 15 ngeni 20 minute mumut kopwe kunok ewe sign-in sheet me ale omw spot non ewe testimony order. Seating a tongeni full ren high-profile hearing.
3. Sign in kopwe testify
Kunok ewe sign-in ika testimony registration sheet neni ewe entrance ika ewe clerk an table. Titi omw iten me indicate ifa agenda item ka mochen kapas usun. Non ekkei hearing, ka pwan indicate omw position (support, oppose, ika neutral/comments only).
4. Monien omw turn
Public testimony a chok fis non eu set point non ewe agenda — ekkei tien non mumutan eu item, ekkei tien non ewe mwin. Ewe chair epwe call iten non order. Mwotomwot pwe ka pwe ready nge ra call ewe.
5. Nomw ngeni ewe microphone
Nge ra call omw iten, walk ngeni ewe microphone ika testimony table. Tinamwon ren kopwe apasa omw iten me ia ka nom (omw district ika neighborhood). Esap kana kopwe awora omw full address.
Example opening: “Ran annim. Itei ese [Iten], me ngang eu chon nom non Kalihi non Honolulu. Ngang u iei kopwe testify won agenda item [number] usun [topic].”
6. Apasa met ka nom kopwe apasa
Ka pwe typically wor ruuanu ngeni eeniman minute. Use ikkei me pung:
- Apasa omw position me clear non omw mumutan sentence
- Awora eu ika ruuanu specific reason — omw personal experience a valuable
- Fori eu specific ask ika a wor omw
- Wrap up me kilisoou ngeni ewe committee
Esap kana kopwe ridini seni eu prepared statement, nge a aninisi kopwe wor note. Ekkei bullet point won eu index card a angang pung.
7. Mwotiw me rongorong
Mwin omw testimony, mwirin ngeni omw seat. Member ra tongeni tingor ewe eu follow-up question — pwara tikitik me me pung. Esap kana kopwe wor meinisin answer. “Usapw silei, nge u tongeni kunok me fangeni ngeni ewe committee” ese eu perfectly fine answer.
Option 3: Remote ika virtual testimony
Nap Hawaii hearing iei ra offer eu remote participation option ren phone ika video call — eu practice mi expand mwin 2020 me a continue ren nap body. Katon ewe meeting notice ren instruction. Ka pwe typically kana kopwe register me mwen kopwe testify remotely.
Ren neighbor island resident, remote testimony ese auchea especially ren state-level hearing mi fis non Honolulu. A wor omw ew right kopwe testify pwe aramas meinisin non ewe room.
Practical tip
- Akom pwe mi tikitik. Ruuanu minute a chok ngengen. Long testimony esap mi effective leniap seni focused testimony.
- Kapas seni omw experience. “Ngang u nom won ei road me u katon ei a fis” a mi compelling leniap seni kopwe cite statistics ka ridini online.
- Esap kana kopwe wiis eu expert. Kemi ese eu resident. Ewe a qualify ewe.
- A okay kopwe nervous. Aramas meinisin ra nervous non mumutan tien. Keep breathing, kapas nonnon, me apasa met ka nom kopwe apasa.
- Uwa copy. Ika a wor omw eu written statement, uwa extra copy ren ekewe committee member me ewe clerk.
- Ka tongeni fori ruuanu. Ka tongeni submit written testimony me pwan kapas in person. Ruuanu ra nom won ewe record.
- Uwa eu akomw. Nom me apwan aramas a fori ewe meinisin experience esap intimidating, me ruuanu nuku won ew issue ra carry nap weight seni eu.
Met epwe fis mwin ka testify?
Omw testimony a wiis eu part en ewe official public record. Ren Legislative hearing, testimony mi publish online me accessible ren aramas meinisin. Committee member me ar staff ra ridini pwe eu part en ewe decision-making process.
Aninis ra rarely fori non ew meeting nge testimony mi rongorong. Ewe process a nom won tien. Ewe a tongeni feel frustrating — nge omw nuku a nom won ewe record, me record ra auchea nge aninis ra review, appeal, ika revisit.
Follow up. Ika ka mochen silei met a fis, katon ewe meeting minute (usually published non ekkei week) ika contact ewe committee clerk.
Nap resource
Letter Writing Kit Ambassador Toolkit Omw Right Kopwe Silei
A wor omw kapas eis usun eu specific hearing ika process? Email-ini kich — sipwe fori ach chok kopwe aninisi.