Rep. Takayama to Co-Chair NCSL Committee

Hawai‘i State Representative Gregg Takayama (D-Pearl City, Waimalu, Pacific Palisades) was appointed co-chair of a national steering committee on public-private partnerships on emergency management at the National Council of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Summit last week in Nashville, Tenn.

The newly formed committee is intended to provide legislators and private sector partners a chance to engage on the future of disaster mitigation and recovery, as well as pursue coordination between federal, state and private sectors over the next 18 months, a Hawai‘i House of Representatives press release stated.

“Hawai‘i is known nationally for the wide variety of emergencies we’ve faced, from volcanic eruptions to floods to brushes with hurricanes,” said Rep. Takayama, who chairs the House Committee on Public Safety, Veterans & Military Affairs. “I look forward to working with our Democratic and Republican colleagues across the country to improve our responses to disasters and better prepare for them.”

Rep. Takayama’s fellow co-chair is Rep. Holly Raschein (R-Fla.), and the committee consists of 14 legislators, including State Rep. Joy San Buenaventura (D-Puna), and six members from the private sector.