Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
The bills pass on the heels of several significant traffic fatalities in recent years near schools. Earlier this year, a woman was crossing Keolu Drive near Kaʻelepulu Elementary in Kailua, when a vehicle struck her. The victim was transported to a hospital, where she later died.
House Bill 1329 would require the state education department to develop and implement an active shooter training program in all schools. The measure is in response to the rising number of school shootings in the U.S. and noted that the second deadliest K-12 shooting in the nation occurred within the last year.