David Ige on Technology

Hawai'i 2.0: we must pivot to a digital economy

I can assure you that broadband will be a priority for the state in the coming years. Part of our task is to make sure that a student in Nanakuli can access an online lesson plan as easily as a student in Kahala--and that, in a digital Hawai?i, everyone's connected. Likewise, with an FCC grant, we will support a telehealth initiative to connect low-income patients with high medical risks to healthcare providers. DHHL will receive at least $30 million in federal funds to benefit Native Hawaiians

State was unprepared for accidental emergency alert

From the start of his administration, Ige's critics tried to portray him as indecisive and ineffective. When HI-EMA took 38 minutes to officially cancel the false alarm, that played into the political narrative of Ige's opponents.

Ige admitted the state was unprepared for the accidental alert, but said steps were taken to make sure it would never happen again. The worker who triggered the alarm was terminated while two others resigned, and Ige said his administration was "open and transparent" about the inquiry into the false alarm. Later in the election season, Ige clearly benefited from the state's handling of flooding on Kauai and the Kilauea volcanic eruption in Puna.

Broadband capacity integral to economic growth

Pioneered "paperless Legislature" & government transparency

A: Yes. We need to limit charges to basic copying costs. I pioneered the use of technology in state government to help transparency: the paperless Legislature that increases information access and eases the burden of submitting testimony; and creation of the Capitol Public Access Room that provides assistance to individuals participating in the legislative process.