GOVERNOR GREEN ANNOUNCES NEW STATE PROCUREMENT OFFICER, SIGNS HAWAIʻI PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENT

News Release from Office of the Governor,, February 16, 2024

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., has nominated longtime procurement official Bonnie Kahakui to head the State Procurement Office, which oversees billions of dollars in contract awards and goods and services purchases made by the state each year.

“Bonnie Kahakui’s knowledge and background in procurement made her the natural choice to officially fill this critical position, especially at a time when Hawai‘i’s taxpayers expect accountability and integrity in managing public funds,” said Governor Green.

Kahakui’s nomination to a four-year term as Administrator and Chief Procurement Officer of the State Procurement Office is subject to approval by the state Senate.

Since January 2021, Kahakui has served as Acting Administrator and Chief Procurement Officer and before that, she was the Procurement Office’s assistant administrator.

“Our focus is to streamline processes across state government while locating the best goods and services for our taxpayers,” Kahakui said.

In a related matter, Governor Green signed the Hawai‘i Project Labor Agreement (PLA) which will ensure a steady labor supply to help rebuild Lahaina and meet the state’s growing affordable housing pipeline.

The Hawai‘i PLA aligns with President Biden’s Executive Order 14063, which requires PLAs for most large-scale federal construction projects.

PLAs help contractors with the recruiting, hiring, and training of local workers and prohibit labor disruptions to ensure that construction projects are efficiently completed on deadline. They also require out-of-state contractors to exhaust the supply of local workers before importing labor from the mainland.

As ongoing West Maui recovery efforts continue, the rebuilding of housing units in Lahaina alone will require at least 2,000 additional construction workers.

“PLAs ensure that taxpayer dollars support public infrastructure and provide good-paying jobs for Hawaiʻi residents,” said Governor Green. “Looking toward the future of our people, the PLA presents an opportunity to create long-term career paths in construction for our local residents, giving them an opportunity to afford the high cost of living in Hawai‘i, and build the homes we need to get us out of this housing crisis.”

The PLA can be found here: Administrative Directive 24-01. Files are also attached.

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BACKGROUND:

2020: No Bill 40 PLA: Contractors Demand Full Repeal of Union Preference Ordinance

May 4, 2020: Bill 40: City Council to Save Construction Industry from Crooked Union PLA Requirement?

Oct, 2019: PLA measure is pilau

July 2019: Former Official of Crooked Painters Union Trying to Convince Council to Require Union Contractors on City Projects

Reality: TheTruthAboutPLAs.com

2013: Feds Investigate Nathaniel Kinney for Crooked Painters Union Business:

2012: ABC Hawaii Chapter Blasts Abercrombie’s PLA Directive