Video: Trafficking victim struggles to be heard
The Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery (PASS) put together a video showing the difficulties constituents have in reaching out to lawmakers, particularly during crunch time at “the ledge.” In the video, after a sex-trafficking victim shared her story about being coerced and beaten in order to work as a prostitute in Hawaii, Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran of Maui is shown giving an awkward response to her question and suddenly leaving. The representative is considering removing “fraud” from the anti-trafficking bill.
Situations at the Legislature can be very high stress and fast paced. Often times, people may not get to communicate the way they’d like to with their lawmakers. The Hawaii Independent would like to know what your experiences have been with Hawaii lawmakers. Whether you are a constituent or even a State staff member, what are some things you think can be done to improve communication, confidence, and courtesy in the lawmaking process? Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by emailing [email protected].
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