Duties: The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The Hawaii State Senate is a part-time body.Areas Represented: Waikiki, Ala Moana, KakaakoHow Elected: The senate consists of 25 members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. A Senator must be a Hawaii resident for not less than three years, is at least 18 years old, and is a qualified voter of the senatorial 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: Four years, not subject to term limits. Base Salary (Base Salary (FY2024): $72,348 plus $225/day if living outside Oahu, $10/day for members living on Oahu; Senate President - $81,024
Education
GED
Campaign Phone
(808)548-1362
Aloha. My name is Shotaro Dabbs, born and raised in Waikiki. Despite challenges like my father’s incarceration, homelessness, and being raised by a single mother, I am deeply committed to our community. I am running for State Senate District 12 to ensure our keiki don't face similar hardships that I and many others had to face. With experience as a Legislative Aide and a diverse work background, I prioritize tackling homelessness, enhancing public safety, and improving education. Together, we can build a brighter future for Hawaii. Mahalo for your support.
The biggest issue facing our district is homelessness. Having experienced homelessness in my family, I truly understand the struggles involved. My priority is to expand mental health services, ensuring they are easily accessible. This includes increasing mental health professionals, providing mobile health units, and integrating services into shelters. Additionally, youth engagement programs focusing on crime prevention will foster a safer community, addressing root causes early and preventing future homelessness.
Hawaii's economy is heavily reliant on tourism. To ensure long-term sustainability, we must diversify our economy. Supporting local entrepreneurs through grants, tax incentives, and training programs will stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities. Strengthening small businesses will foster a thriving local business environment.
Investing in workforce development programs will encourage lifelong learning and help residents stay competitive. Supporting local farmers with modern techniques and financial assistance will boost local food production and reduce import dependency.
To ensure the state has resources to meet emergency needs in addition to supporting the annual budget, I would advocate for maintaining proper levels in the financial reserves (rainy day fund). Addressing the backlog of infrastructure projects, with a focus on climate change adaptability and resiliency, will improve our emergency response capabilities. Additionally, engaging with private third-party emergency preparedness companies can enhance our planning and response. These measures will ensure Hawaii is prepared for emergencies while maintaining a balanced budget.
Education
BA, MA, PhD, JD
Community/Military Service
Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization
Campaign Phone
(808)428-1348
I believe I have addressed the problems facing my district and state. Serving as Senator for the past six years, I’ve worked on crime, affordable housing, homelessness, supporting kupuna to age at home, helping keiki to thrive in careers here, protecting our shoreline against sea level rise. Having served on the Senate Housing, Health and Human Services, Labor & Technology, Government Operations and Ways & Means Committees, and as chair or vice-chair of each, I helped pass bills and budgets attacking my key issues, but there is still work to be done. I'm running to continue the needed work.
Our high cost of living dominates – housing, health care, all household budgets. We have been working to support our asset limited, income constricted (ALICE) populations with tax reductions and higher minimum wage. This year, we passed the biggest tax cut in Hawaii’s history. It will give all working families more take home pay. We also funded affordable housing and homeless services, and made health care more available to Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare patients by eliminating the general excise tax for doctors and dentists and other community health care that serve them.
Tourism, the heart of Hawaii’s economy, must be sustained. But we need a new metric. “Destination management” can secure our natural and cultural assets by limiting the visitor count, collecting admission and parking fees, and offering education to sustain fragile ecosystems. Make the tourist experience more enjoyable with residents and visitors experiencing the best of each other.The target isnʻt visitor count, itʻs higher per visitor expenditures-- quality experiences not numbers. Meanwhile, we diversify and elevate visitor experience by putting more into relevant UH research and education
We must evaluate our state’s changing needs and use outcome-based metrics to shift the existing 4,000 staff vacancies to better serve our residents and businesses. We must also continue to maintain our reserve funds for emergency needs.
