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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Aug. 10 Primary Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Sheila Medeiros, Republican candidate for state House District 43, which covers Kapolei and Makakilo. Her primary opponent is Kanani Souza.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the Primary Election Ballot.

1. What is your district’s biggest issue, and what would you do about it?

In the last two decades, District 43 has grappled with a significant issue: the completion of the Makakilo Drive Extension (MDE). Unfortunately, despite the state Senate’s approval, House Resolution 62, which aimed to transfer authority over the MDE from the city and county to the state to secure federal funding for the extension, failed to pass the House of Representatives during the recent 32nd legislative session.

If I’m elected on Aug. 10, I will promptly begin to establish relationships with key stakeholders in the state legislative branch to grasp the priorities of each legislator regarding their district and the 43rd district’s objectives for the MDE.

I acknowledge that each elected official advocates for their community’s interests, and I appreciate the significance of understanding their priorities. By initiating dialogue, I aim to pursue resolutions that benefit each representative’s constituency.

2. How do you feel about the massive income tax cut just approved by the Legislature and the governor? Do you have any concerns that it will force reductions in state services in the years to come?

Support. No, per the governor, any projected revenue decline from these tax cuts will not be paid for by reducing state services. Instead, he proposes eliminating positions in state government that have been vacant for more than four years. I support this proposal to make up for any decline in revenue because it will reduce the size of state government, often attributed to unnecessary and/or wasteful personnel expenses/positions.

3. Hawaii continues to struggle with pay-to-play politics and corruption in government. What meaningful reforms do you think would change state government for the better?

The 2005 reform legislation, which took effect in 2006, barred government contractors from giving politicians money to end pay-to-play contracting politics. However, the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in which corruption has been tied to Democrat politicians, wrote a loophole into the law that weakened it by applying the ban only to donations from the actual corporate entities that got contracts. In short, company owners, employees or related businesses were not banned from giving to politicians.

For example, the case of former Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro and Mitsunaga & Associates and its owner, Dennis Mitsunaga, and his employees, who were all found not guilty in pay-to-prosecute corruption trial, illustrates the current state of skirting this law and giving to politicians. While not a pay-to-play, it was similar in its intent.

Meaningful reforms would be to expand the current law by eliminating this loophole, which Democrats have repeatedly opposed at every legislative session because they are at the most significant risk of losing out on campaign donations.

Further, additional resources and staffing are needed for the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission, which operates with just five persons responsible for tracking these contributions. Greater accountability is required; the HCSC is ill-prepared and equipped to do this.

4. Candidates often say they will support reform proposals in the Legislature. And yet major reform proposals don’t pass. Will you back good-government proposals even if it means going against leadership? If you are an incumbent, can you point to an example of a reform that you supported?

Yes. Good government proposals are necessary if good legislation is to be passed for the voters. However, Democrat control of both houses has routinely failed or refused to pass meaningful legislation to achieve this end. 

5. Do you support comprehensive public financing of elections for candidates who choose to participate? Why or why not?

I support it as long as it’s approved by the voters. Public financing allows candidates to run for office without relying on private contributions. However, the current process for candidates to apply for support is overly complicated, and the level of public funding is insufficient. Public support for candidates has remained the same for almost 30 years, and the spending limits of public financing are now too low for running competitive campaigns.

The Campaign Spending Commission has proposed a 50% increase in the maximum public funds available, but little evidence suggests that this would have a meaningful impact.

The commission recommends that the Legislature allocate additional fiscal resources to improve the existing partial public financing system, possibly through a super-match program or a full block grant or voucher system. It’s crucial to ensure a level playing field for financing campaigns.

6. Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process. Do you support such a process? Why or why not?

Yes. It allows citizens to bypass the state legislative process by placing proposed statutes and/or constitutional amendments on the ballot. However, a caveat is that this process must be conducted with equal and fair information and complete transparency provided by all parties representing the pros and cons of the proposal.

7. Thanks to their campaign war chests and name familiarity, incumbents are almost always reelected in Hawaii legislative races. Should there be term limits for state legislators, as there are for the governor’s office and county councils? Why or why not?

Yes. Terms limits are supported by a majority of voters and offer fair and competitive elections because it prevents common persons from running for office without needing to run against an incumbent with a war chest and name recognition.

It avoids and/or minimizes large contributions from special interest groups. It offers more choices for the voter with new and fresh faces and voices. It reduces corruption by removing those incumbents seeking personal gain rather than serving their constituents. 

8. What will you do to ensure accountability at the Legislature? Do you support ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session?

As a newly elected representative, I am committed to being inherently responsible to the constituents of my district. To ensure I am completely in tune with the community’s needs and concerns, I will actively participate in our neighborhood board meetings in person as my schedule allows.

I believe it’s crucial to engage with all segments of our district; therefore, I will attend precinct meetings across all political parties, reinforcing my role as a representative of the entire district.

Recognizing the importance of direct dialogue and input from our community, should precinct meetings be absent, I will take the initiative to establish them. This approach will enable me to gather first-hand insights into the concerns, suggestions and priorities of our constituents. This community input will be invaluable as I draft legislation that accurately reflects and serves the best interests of our district.

Sunshine laws. Yes. I fully support transparency. Yes, I fully support banning campaign contributions during the session.

9. How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public? Opening conference committees to the public? Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists? How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open?

Refer to Nos. 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8.

10. Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now, and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism. What, if anything, should be done differently about tourism and the economy?

Provide more resources to Hawaii’s agriculture industry and prioritize hi-tech sectors by offering more tax incentives. Reduce taxes on current business owners, not just new investments, and remove or reduce over-restrictive and burdening state regulations.

11. An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by, a problem that reaches far beyond low-income and into the middle class, which is disappearing. What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here?

Peter Savio, writing in Honolulu Magazine, provides a solution that I support: “Housing prices are up. Trust is down, culture and heritage feel threatened and Lahaina broke our hearts. With record numbers leaving our state, what can we do to bring back our soul?”

This quote encapsulates the issues that Hawaii is currently confronting. Housing lies at the core of many challenges. The pressure on our residents is immense, as many have to hold down two to three jobs to afford rent or homeownership. Alcoholism, drug addiction, divorce, suicide, crime and physical abuse are all linked to the unreasonable strain placed on our people. Our housing crisis is eroding our community’s well-being.

We don’t need to change what we’re doing in the housing market, but rather, change who benefits financially. The solution is not solely to construct more housing. Building new housing may be exacerbating the housing crisis.

We truly need to establish a separate market dedicated to affordable housing for the hardworking individuals and families living in Hawaii. It’s important to understand that real estate markets are typically localized. Without external influences, homes will be built and prices based on local wages, assuming there’s no outside force driving up prices.