There is excitement heading into the Legislature’s 2023 Regular Session, with a new governor and the West Side now represented by Sen. Angus McKelvey and Rep. Elle Cochran.

The 2023 session is just around the corner, opening on Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 10 a.m.

Advances in technology have made it easy to watch hearings, submit testimony and follow bills throughout the fast-moving session.

To help to make the session more manageable for citizens, the Public Access Room will hold free online training sessions about advocacy, the Legislature’s website, and the session calendar and its deadlines via Zoom.

First up is “Learn How to Use Your Voice at the Legislature” on Jan. 3 at noon, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. and Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. Focusing on how to advocate at the Hawaii State Legislature, PAR will cover everything from an idea for a new law to testifying and following bills through the process, as well as helpful websites.

“Get to Know the Legislature’s Website” is slated for Jan. 4 at 3 p.m., Jan. 10 at noon and Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. The Legislature’s website (capitol.hawaii.gov) is a great portal, providing loads of information and tools for getting active in the legislative process. In this free training, PAR will cover the website’s interactive features, some search tips and more.

The last training session is “Legislative Calendar and Deadlines,” to be offered on Jan. 5 at 6 p.m., Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. and Jan. 17 at noon. Now that the 2023 Session Calendar has been published, what does it all mean? Get to know the deadlines and how they affect the legislation you’re following.

To register, go to the PAR website at https://lrb.hawaii.gov/par, then scroll down and click on Upcoming Workshops.

In addition, the Public Access Room website at lrb.hawaii.gov/par has a wealth of information under its “Learn” tab.

The Public Access Room, a Division of the Legislative Reference Bureau, is nonpolitical. Its purpose is to help and inform the public.

For more information, call (808) 587-0478 or e-mail par@capitol.hawaii.gov.