STATE HOUSE ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – With strong support from a majority of members of the State House of Representatives, Representative Nadine K. Nakamura assumed the role of Speaker of the House effective November 6, 2024, making history as the first woman to hold this position in the state of Hawaiʻi.

“I'm deeply honored by the support of my House colleagues to lead the State House of Representatives. I'm committed to ensuring a smooth transition as we prepare for the 33rd Legislative Session,” said Representative Nadine K. Nakamura, who served as House Majority Leader for the past two years. “Our new leadership team is excited to step up and start working now to address the pressing needs of our state."

Representative Nakamura was first elected to the State House in 2016. Prior to serving as House Majority Leader, she was Chair of the House Committee on Housing. Previously, she was Managing Director for the County of Kauaʻi (2013-2016) under Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr., and served as a member of the Kauaʻi County Council (2010-2013). Representative Nakamura holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs and Urban Planning from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She is a mother to two children, Casey and Reis, and serves as a caregiver to her mother, Mabel Maeda.

Additional members of the House Leadership team announced today include individuals who represent working families and provide a diversity of perspectives and life experiences in their new roles:

  • Vice Speaker Linda Ichiyama

  • Majority Leader Sean Quinlan

  • Majority Caucus Leader Chris Todd

  • Majority Floor Leader Dee Morikawa

“Our team reflects the values of working families and the experiences of many in our community,” said Nakamura. “Representatives Ichiyama, Quinlan, and Todd, as parents of young children, understand firsthand the importance of championing policies that support local families—such as childcare, healthcare access, and work-life balance. Representative Morikawa, a seasoned member, continues to guide us with her institutional knowledge. We’re also proud to uphold strong neighbor island representation within the House Leadership team.”

The Legislature will convene the 2025 Regular Session on January 15, 2025.

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Representative Nadine K. Nakamura serves House District 15, which includes Hā‘ena, Wainiha, Hanalei, Princeville, Kīlauea, Anahola, Keālia, Kapa‘a, portion of Wailua, Kawaihau. She previously served as the House Majority Leader.

Representative Linda Ichiyama serves House District 31, which includes Fort Shafter Flats, Salt Lake, Pearl Harbor. She previously served as the Chair of the House Committee on Water and Land.

Representative Sean Quinlan serves House District 47, which includes Waialua, Hale‘iwa, Kawailoa Beach, Waimea, Sunset Beach, Waiale‘e, Kawela Bay, Kahuku, Lā‘ie, Hau‘ula, Punalu‘u, Kahana. He previously served as the Chair of the House Committee on Tourism.

Representative Chris Todd serves House District 3 which includes a portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, ‘Āinaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, portions of Kurtistown and Kea‘au. He previously served as a House Majority Whip and the Chair of the House Committee on Transportation.

Representative Dee Morikawa serves House District 17 which includes Ni‘ihau, a portion of ‘Ōma‘o, Kōloa, Po‘ipū, Lāwa‘i, Kalāheo, Ele‘ele, Hanapēpē, Kaawanui Village, Pākalā Village, Waimea, Kekaha. She has served as the House Majority Floor Leader since 2018.

(L-R) Majority Leader Sean Quinlan, Majority Floor Leader Dee Morikawa, Speaker Nadine K. Nakamura,

Vice Speaker Linda Ichiyama, and Majority Caucus Leader Chris Todd

Malama Kauai - KauKau for Keiki Food Distribution Drive

Mahalo to Malama Kauai and United Church of Christ Kapa’a for providing boxes of food during the summer for our children and their families!  

Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei to manage $7,285,000 for flood mitigation

HANALEI — A nonprofit organization with deep roots in the North Shore of Kaua‘i is being tasked with administering and distributing a flood mitigation grant.

Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei was identified as the administrator of the $7,285,000 grant through the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency (KEMA). The decision, which was announced on Monday by House Majority Leader Rep. Nadine K. Nakamura (District 15), marks the first time the County of Kaua‘i has issued a grant of this size to a nonprofit organization to administer.

Six nonprofits will receive sub-grants from Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei as part of the administration process.

Those nonprofits are Hanalei Initiative, Wai‘oli Valley Taro Hui, Waipa Foundation, Limahuli Garden and Preserve National Tropical Botanical Garden, ‘Aina Ho‘okupu O Kilauea and EAO Hawai‘i. The amount of each sub-grant was not disclosed.

“We are immensely grateful to Senate President Ron Kouchi (District 8), House Majority Leader Nadine K. Nakamura and KEMA for their steadfast commitment to addressing the critical issue of flood mitigation in our community,” said Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei Executive Director Kati Conant in a statement.

“This grant presents a unique opportunity for our nongovernmental organization network to collaborate and advance flood mitigation efforts to help protect our community. This is critical given the devastation we experienced from the 2018 historic flood.”

The six nonprofits will use grant money to conduct mitigation projects aimed at reducing harm from future flooding through structural and nonstructural actions, interventions and investments in North Shore. The grant money will pay for a wide range of flood mitigation projects, including community education, over the next seven years.

“I’m pleased that funds will be used to clear invasive hau from stream banks, repair ‘auwai and intakes for taro farmers, and develop community-based solutions for the long-term maintenance of our precious streams,” said Nakamura in a statement.

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said the chosen groups are well-suited for their roles. He also said he was grateful to the Hawai‘i Legislature for support in providing the money.

“The nonprofit organizations selected to receive the flood mitigation sub-grants have a profound understanding of the challenges faced during and after the historic floods of 2018. I am confident of their expertise and commitment in implementing solutions to address the impacts of climate change,” said Kawakami in a statement.

“Strengthening the resilience of the North Shore will ultimately strengthen the resilience for all Kaua‘i.”

For the article from The Garden Island: Hale Halawai ‘Ohana O Hanalei to manage $7,285,000 for flood mitigation - The Garden Island

Hawaii State Capitol-Room 439, 415 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813

Representative Nadine K. Nakamura