Two Hawaii Labor Trafficking Bills Still Alive

The picture is looking a little brighter for those hoping Hawaii might pass a human trafficking statute this session.

The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday advanced Senate Bill 1025, which was amended to include language establishing labor trafficking as a crime. (Similar trafficking language has also been added to House Bill 1003, which will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.)

But what started out as a routine hearing quickly turned into a grilling of Deputy Attorney General Lance Goto, who showed up to oppose the human trafficking portion of SB 1025. Lawmakers wanted to know if existing laws are in fact adequate given two recent federal human trafficking cases filed in Hawaii.

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