The Honolulu City Council convened on January 28, 2026, at approximately 9:00 AM HST. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance, a moment of silence for Dr. Roland F.S. Tam (father of Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam), and a keynote address from Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald on the importance of the rule of law and the aloha spirit. The council then proceeded with a consent calendar of appointments, first reading of 16 bills, and second reading of three bills. Public testimony was heard on several items, with strong opposition to Bill 17, which would prematurely end the Bill 7 affordable rental housing program.
Keynote Address: Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald spoke about the rule of law, recent events in Minnesota, and the importance of aloha in public discourse. He noted the formation of an alliance of former chief justices to support the rule of law.
First Reading Bills (16 bills):
Second Reading Bills:
Aloha and good morning, everyone. Welcome. Can we please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? One inch under God into this justice and for all. It has been a year since Chief Justice Mark Reichenwald delivered his final state of the judiciary address. I have known and admired Chief Justice Reckonwald for many years. As a former state representative serving as the chair of the Judiciary Committee, we worked together and had the honor of participating in his nomination as Chief Justice when I served on the Judicial Selection Commission in 2010. The Chief Justice's impacts on our judicial system have been monumental, wide ranging, and invaluable to us all. And while his sage wisdom, reassuring guidance, and steadfast leadership have been dearly missed, I think we can all agree that we are all much better off because of the remarkable contributions that he has made to our community and for his enduring commitment to truth, justice, and equality for all. Please join me in welcoming Chief Justice Mark Rechtenwall this morning has delivered the message of aloha for the first one in 2026. Good morning, aloha, everyone. And thank you, uh Chair Waters and the members of the council for welcoming you here today. Thank you for your service. I've told several of you, just as I've been here, how much I admire the work that's being done by the council. Just looking from the outside, it seems like you uh work hard. I mean, there are disagreements sometimes, but you're seem like you're always focused on the issues and trying to do what's right for the people of Honolulu. So thank you so much for that and for your service. Um, you know, these aren't easy times, and uh we'll need every bit of the aloha within us to navigate the challenges that are ahead. Whatever your political point of view, it was difficult to watch the recent events in Minnesota and not feel a profound sense of sadness and loss. First and foremost, there's a loss of two lives a young mother, Renee Good, and an ICU nurse, Alex Pretti. It was heartbreaking to see, and our love and aloha goes out to their family and friends and to the people of Minneapolis. But I think we all fear that something else has been lost, hopefully not irreparably. It's a sense of respect and grace, or as we call it in Hawaii, aloha, that should guide even the most contentious debates in our democracy. Heavily armed mass men in the streets, tear gas and pepper spray wafting through the air, a five-year-old child staring blankly, wondering where his father just went. These are the images that we're seeing. Again, whatever your political views, you have to ask is this who we are? And if the answer is no, then you have to ask another question. How can I use the aloha that is inside me to make a difference? For me, one place where I can make a difference is by advocating for the rule of law. It's a fancy sounding term, but it comes down to this ensuring that our legal system is fair, that there are rules which are clearly stated and which apply to everyone, whether they're rich or poor, popular or hated, law enforcement or demonstrator, and critically are the people who are supposed to apply those rules, and particularly the judges who preside in our courts, impartial and able to call it like they see it, without fear or favor. I've decided the best way for me to make a difference is to organize with former Chief Justices from across the country, joining our voices to speak out. We have about 50 of us from red and blue states and everything in between who've created an alliance in support of the rule of law. That kind of middle ground is hard to find these days, but it's precious, and I urge each of you to consider how you can find that middle ground in your own lives where we can come together despite our differences with a sense of aloha. And so I return to where I started the importance of the aloha spirit in guiding our conduct, particularly when we engage with others who hold very different views. In 1959, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made what is believed to be his first visit to Hawaii and addressed a joint session of the legislature. He said, as I think of the struggle we are engaged in in the Southland, we look to you for inspiration and a noble example, where you've already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country. And you can never know what it means to those of us caught in the moment for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man's inhumanity to man to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice. We can all agree there's much work left to be done, both in Hawaii and across the United States to achieve justice for all. But it is also true that Hawaii has something unique to offer as we confront the divisiveness, disillusionment, and conflict that grips our nation as we near the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. That is the spirit of Aloha, which Dr. King witnessed in 1959, and which is enshrined in our law in the Hawaii revised statutes. Let us all be guided by that spirit as we go forward in these challenging times. Once again, Mahalo for this opportunity to join you today, and best wishes for a productive 2026. Mahalo and Aloha. Thank you, Chief Justice. Leadership with Aloha. So important. We do have procedural announcements.