RIP Marsha Rose Joyner: One of Hawaii’s Most Formidable Activists Has Passed - Honolulu Civil Beat
RIP Marsha Rose Joyner: One of Hawaii’s Most Formidable Activists Has Passed
Marsha Rose Joyner was a predominant voice on issues from women s rights and the legalization of cannabis to honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in Hawaii.
About the Author
Dylan Armstrong is a recovering biologist who put himself through college and works as a private-sector urban planner. When Armstrong isn t chasing a buck, he explores Hawaii from mountaintop to the sea. He served for four years on Manoa Neighborhood Board but has lived all across Oahu.
DeCoite
Current and former state and county lawmakers and well-known community leaders are among a growing field of candidates likely to submit their names for consideration to fill the seat of recently retired state Sen. J. Kalani English.
The Democratic Party of Hawaii officially put out the call on Wednesday for “expressions of interest” from qualified candidates for the Senate District 7 seat that represents East Maui, Upcountry, Molokai and Lanai. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on May 13.
English, a lawmaker for nearly 25 years and Senate majority leader since 2014, retired on Saturday as he deals with the long-term effects of COVID-19.
The Maui News
A bill designating Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Hawaii is expected to be signed into law by Gov. David Ige in the coming weeks, according to a news release from the state Legislature on Thursday.
Senate Bill 939 passed the full Senate and House vote on Tuesday. If signed into law, it would make Hawaii the 49th state to officially celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865 the end of African American enslavement in the U.S. South Dakota is the only other state that has not officially recognized the holiday, the news release said.
Motivated by the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, Hawaii’s first-ever African American Miss Hawaii USA, Samantha Neyland, launched Hawaii for Juneteenth, a coalition of advocates that successfully lobbied the Legislature to introduce and pass the bill.
Casey Harlow / Hawaii Public Radio
State Senator J. Kalani English is retiring at the end of this week - citing issues caused from the long-term effects of COVID-19.
English - who represents East Maui, Molokai and Lanai - said he contracted the virus late last year while traveling outside the state with his family.
He says his symptoms were mild, but noticed ongoing memory issues and lack of energy after recovering.
At first, he believed he was suffering from depression - but was later diagnosed with the long-term effectws of the virus.
English likened his symptoms to the day after a hangover, saying it s enough to impair his ability to work.
LYNN DECOITE
Seeks Senate seat
Rep. Lynn DeCoite, Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English’s pick to take his place once he retires, is throwing her hat into the ring for English’s Senate District 7 seat, which covers a broad swath of East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai and Lanai.
DeCoite is the first to publicly announce her intention to vie for the District 7 seat after English on Tuesday revealed plans to retire as he deals with the long-term effects of COVID-19.
“There is no doubt that Senator English leaves very big shoes to fill,” DeCoite said in a statement on Wednesday. “Our district needs someone who will foster the relationships that he has built and continue to ensure that resources are properly allocated to our rural communities.”