Duties: The Hawaii State House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The Hawaii House of Representatives is a part-time body.Areas Represented: Honaunau, Napoopoo, Captain Cook, Kealakekua, Keauhou, Holualoa, portion of Kailua-KonaHow Elected: The house consists of 51 members elected from an equal number of respective representative districts. A Representative must be a Hawaii resident not less than three years, is at least 18 years old, and is a qualified voter of the representative district from which the person seeks to be elected. Candidates for state legislative offices who are nominated in the primary election and are unopposed in the general election will be deemed elected to the office sought after the primary election regardless of the number of votes received by that candidate (Hawaii State Constitution, Article III, Section 4). Term: Two years, not subject to term limits.Base Salary (FY2022): $62,604 plus $225/day if living outside Oahu, $10/day for members living on Oahu; Speaker of the House - $70,104
Education
Bachelors of Criminal Justice from California State University Los Angeles
YouTube
Campaign Phone
8084305563
It's time to prioritize Hawai'i and its people above all else. Despite our differences, we are united by the shared challenges we face as kama'aina.
I am running for office to restore the people's voice to the capital. As your representative, I will fight to make sure your voices are heard in our state's decision-making process.
My focus is on local issues, emphasizing what matters most for our islands and our people, here and now. We must prioritize Hawai'i's immediate needs over global agendas. Urgent action is required to address the escalating costs of food, energy, and housing.
Housing issues are the root of many problems. There needs to be less restrictions and red tape on privately owned agricultural land. Many parcels have water catchment systems, so ohanas won't impact the county water supply. Farmers desperately need staff housing. Kona Community Hospital relies on traveling medical professionals who require short-term housing. The Hawai'i Landlord Tenant code, HRS 521 needs updating to provide legal protection for landlords' rights.
Since we rely on it heavily then lets make sure we do the best we can to take care of it and welcome visitors with Aloha! Farmers advocate for agricultural and eco-tourism, but the current Hawaii County Council restrictions on property use prohibit multiple ohana or short-term vacation rentals on agricultural land, despite the overwhelming testimony from hundreds of concerned individuals. The state must protect the rights of individual landowners and allow them to prosper and thrive.
We must be our own first responders! I lived in Phuket, Thailand during the 2004 tsunami. I made a commitment to myself that I would always do my best to ensure I am prepared and able to help myself, thereby being able to help others.
In Hawai’i, we are dependent on 2 ports for all our goods, which concerns me greatly. This is why I fully support regenerative agriculture. Due to our unique geographic situation, there needs to be stockpiles of medicines, trauma kits, food, and potable water.
As we have seen from the Maui fires, we cannot always rely on FEMA.
Education
Master of Science in Public Service Administration, Master of Arts in Management & Leadership, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies
Community/Military Service
Lions Club of Kona, Hawaiʻi Island Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
Keeping Hawaii a place that families can proudly call home drives my efforts to foster a community where our people, ʻāina, and economy can thrive. I have spent nearly two decades in non-profit organizations seeking to support the well-being of others and the community. In my first term as a Native Hawaiian legislator, I was able to secure funding to improve our schools, hospital, and the SNAP Double Bucks program. I passed legislation that strengthened our biosecurity efforts, supported small businesses and farmers, and improved labeling laws for mac nuts and coffee. I am excited to do more!
The cost of living is a burden for local families, led by the high cost of housing. The demand for housing is far bigger than the supply. Solving this will require a thoughtful, balanced approach, by re-examining zoning and land use, as well as the development of new water sources. We need to build more of the right kinds of housing, including workforce housing and affordable rentals, and continue to work with our county to regulate short-term vacation rentals to preserve housing inventory for kamaʻāina families. Access to healthcare is critical and we need to build a new hospital in Kona.
By moving toward a more regenerative model, tourism can drive economic diversification. By channeling more of the $20 billion in annual visitor spending toward local farmers, artisans, activity hosts, musicians, dancers and community nonprofits - that significant capital can help these operations scale up, hire, and support a thriving local economy. We must also continue to pursue new economic sectors that build upon Hawaii’s strengths like innovative agriculture and aquaculture, renewable energy, and intellectual property development like media production or digital innovation.
To prepare for any emergency, the State’s Rainy Day fund has more than $1.5 billion, the largest it has ever been, and the legislature sought to move an additional $300 million this legislative session. This session, the legislature was able to fund a supplemental budget, support recovery efforts on Maui, and pass legislation and funding for wildfire prevention measures and emergency response. I plan to continue to work with my colleagues in the Legislature and with our Executive Branch to use our state resources as prudent as we can while being nimble to adapt to unexpected emergencies.
