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State lawmakers gather today for the 2016 legislative session, with the House and Senate convening at 10 a.m. at the state Capitol for what lawmakers say will be subdued opening-day proceedings.
The public is invited to visit the Capitol and attend the start of floor sessions, with the House and Senate chamber galleries opening at 9:45 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is limited.
A spokesman for the House predicted “a modest opening to the session with a business-as-usual approach. Floor proceedings will not include entertainment, and family members, friends and guests will not be seated on the chamber floors.”
Some of the 76 House and Senate members will hold “open house” events to greet constituents in their offices after the opening floor sessions.
The Public Access Room, which is designed to assist members of the public interested in the workings of the Legislature, will hold a reception at noon in Room 401 of the Capitol.
This is the second year of the 28th state Legislature, which means all of the bills introduced last year that failed to pass in 2015 are technically still alive and can still be considered. Lawmakers and Gov. David Ige will also submit hundreds of new measures before the Jan. 27 deadline for introduction of new bills.
One-page handouts on the House and Senate legislative offices, committee memberships, the legislative process and contact information are available at the Public Access Room site at lrbhawaii.org/par/legfyi.html.
The Legislature’s website also has tools to track bills and generate reports, and provides information about the Legislature, committees, lawmakers and schedules of upcoming hearings.
A helpful guide to the website is at lrbhawaii.org/par/pub/sitegde15.pdf.