Senate labor chair says collaboration with HSTA helped pass key bills
Posted: May 28, 2026
Public school graduate and Senate Labor Chair Brandon Elefante (D, Aiea, Hālawa, Pearlridge, Waimalu, Pearl City) told the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association that collaboration between lawmakers, the union, and education advocates helped pass key bills this legislative session related to automatic step increases, educator safety, and teacher retention.
In a recent Talk Story between HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. and Elefante, the ʻAiea High graduate said he understands firsthand the impact teachers have on students’ lives, and why supporting educators must remain a legislative priority.
“Teachers really go above and beyond, and I saw that firsthand as a student,” Elefante said. “I’m very grateful because that really contributed to my learning environment throughout from kindergarten all the way to 12th grade.”
Public schools helped shape Elefante’s path
An active and involved student, Elefante attended Hawaiʻi public schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. As a student at ʻAiea High, he participated in band, student council, science club, graphics club, and more.
“I was curious about getting involved,” he said. “A lot of people might not know this, but I actually helped out in the cafeteria. I was a cafeteria cashier, cafeteria monitor. That was a great way to practice customer service and helped me to do what I’m doing now.”
Tui noted that Elefanteʻs experiences in public schools helped prepare him for his leadership roles, first on the Honolulu City Council, and now in the Hawaiʻi Legislature. “As a public school graduate, you know the struggles that we go through. You’ve seen it. You know yourself,” he said.
Elefante recalled writing a letter to the editor during the 2001 teacher strike, when he was just a freshman in high school.
“What I wrote is that this strike really impacted one’s learning. I wrote hoping that the state would work with the teachers union to find a negotiable agreement so that they could settle and get the teachers back to work on the contracts that they deserve.”
Major wins for educators, students in the 2026 legislative session
This year brought several key, historic wins for public schools and educators at the Legislature. Chief among them: automatic step increases for educators, a measure the union had been working to pass for a decade.
Elefante acknowledged the years of advocacy behind the legislation and praised HSTA’s government relations team for helping lawmakers understand the issue.
“I know the annual step increases were a big priority for you and for the union,” Elefante said. “What I didn’t know was that that was something being worked on for nearly a decade, and we finally got something passed this session.”
Tui said, “We’re very thankful to you and to a lot of your colleagues who put forth our bills and championed our bills and finally got it through.”
Elefante credited a collaborative approach to helping move the bill forward.
“It really took a whole effort,” he said. “Basically [it took] everyone involved to really see, ‘Hey, we want to prioritize our teachers. This is important, and we need to show that by passing this legislation.’”
Elefante also emphasized that legislation aimed at educator safety passed both houses, including a measure providing employees with legal assistance to obtain temporary restraining orders, in response to a highly publicized incident in which an assistant athletic director was punched in the face and harassed at school by a parent.
Tui said that educator safety is a line that’s often crossed. Elefante agreed.
“Teachers and coaches and faculty really put themselves on the line a lot of times,” Elefante said. “I think it’s important as we go on into this new age that school safety is really the utmost priority throughout all our campuses.”
Teacher shortages, rising costs remain ongoing challenges
The conversation confirmed that Hawaiʻi’s ongoing teacher shortage remains a top concern, but advancements are being made.
Lawmakers passed legislation this year extending emergency hire status for teachers from three to five years, giving educators more time to earn their licenses.
Tui said, “We’ve seen a number of teachers on J-1 visas coming to our state, primarily from the Philippines. They’ve been doing a great job in supporting our schools that have struggled for years and years and years to just have somebody.”
Elefante called the bill a critical step toward retaining educators and supporting the state’s diverse school communities.
He also acknowledged that the cost of living and teacher housing remain challenges.
“Housing is a big part, especially for teachers and finding workforce housing,” Elefante said.
Tui added that many educators are struggling to keep up with increasing expenses.
“As we see, prices are going up, up, up, gas prices are skyrocketing, rents — finding someplace to live is hard,” Tui said. “We have to make sure that teacher salaries can keep up with all of that stuff as well.”
Toward the end of their conversation, Elefante thanked his teachers who shaped him and made a lasting impact on his life.
“It just shows that public education and where our teachers work day in and day out can produce many outstanding citizens in this world,” he said.
“My heart goes really out to all the teachers out there that have made an impact,” he added.