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Editor’s note: For Nov. 5 General 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 Kirstin Kahaloa, Democratic candidate for State House District 6, which covers Honaunau, Napoopoo, Captain Cook, Kealakekua, Keauhou, Holualoa and Kailua-Kona. Her opponent is Republican Sylvie Madison.

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

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

The cost of living is the biggest issue facing my district, led by the skyrocketing cost of housing. The demand for housing at all levels is far bigger than the supply.

Solving this will require a thoughtful, balanced approach, including reexamining the zoning and land use decisions of long ago and the development of new water sources. We need to build more of the right kinds of housing, including workforce housing, and continue to work with our county to regulate short-term vacation rentals to preserve housing inventory for kamaaina families.

We must also do better to provide basic services to our community to alleviate the cost of accessing those services — for example, building a new hospital in Kona to reduce the amount of travel my constituents need to pay for to get to medical services in Honolulu, or even Waimea or Hilo.

Kona’s population growth outpaced the growth of basic infrastructure and now is the time to catch up. This is a priority for our entire Kona delegation.

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?

I voted in support of the income tax cut the Legislature passed this session because people need relief from the rising cost of everything, and this was one way for the state to offer some relief.

Maintaining core, critical state government services with fewer tax dollars being collected will be a challenge, but I believe in my colleagues and our state departments. We will plan and be prepared to make adjustments as needed, so that local families get tax relief in the years to come and keep more of their money in their pockets. This measure will help families manage our high cost of living.

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?

Trust is difficult to build and so easy to break. Sunshine is always the antidote to shadowy behavior — transparency enables accountability.

There are simple decisions that can be made within the framework of existing laws to increase transparency. For example, the Finance and Ways and Means committees met daily during this year’s conference to announce the pieces of the supplemental budget bill that have mutual agreement. The public was invited to see the progress the House and Senate made on the supplemental budget daily until it was complete — and that room was full every day.

I was elected in 2022 as part of the largest freshman class in the House in three decades. Following some mid-term departures of members and their appointed replacements, we ended my first term with 20 brand new members in a 51-member House. New faces and new perspectives can only be seen as positive. These new members, already working for change, are already strengthening the Legislature. 

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?

A good bill is a good bill, and government that people can trust is ultimately good for all. Implementing and enforcing good government measures needs to be a priority — for example, banning campaign fundraisers during the legislative session. I will continue to support good government legislation that makes sense when it comes before me.

Last year, I voted yes on Senate Bill 1543 to establish comprehensive public campaign financing when it came before me in committee and on the floor, but that measure was ultimately deferred in conference.

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

I voted yes on legislation to offer the option for comprehensive public financing the past two sessions. We do have a limited form of public financing currently and it is not utilized by most candidates, though many good-government advocates continue to support comprehensive public financing. 

I personally opted not to utilize public financing for my campaign because I believe that the process of laying out your vision and securing support for that vision is an important part of the electoral process that should not pull resources from other public priorities.

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

Empowering individuals in our community to propose laws and constitutional amendments is something I am agreeable to. We need to look at what capacity our state departments have to execute a process like this. If this bolsters public engagement, it is important to look into and pursue a pathway for Hawaii.

Talking story and sharing ideas with elected officials is already a pathway we have in Hawaii to include all citizens in proposing legislation and constitutional amendments — and legislation proposed by the community has passed.

One of the most important pandemic-era changes that we have maintained at the Legislature is to allow remote testimony. Between this and the robust live streaming of all legislative hearings, this is especially important to our neighbor island constituents advocating for or against a measure.

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?

There are merits to having an experienced lawmaker advocating on your district’s behalf, and there are merits to having fresh, new voices and ideas in the chambers. Hawaii’s voters currently have the opportunity to choose new representation at the Capitol every two or four years — it is already within voters’ power to limit a legislator’s time in office.

Many incumbents drew no opponents in their primaries, some running totally unopposed. What would term limits do in cases like those? For state elected office, neighbor island elected officials in particular sacrifice a great deal to serve in public office, especially parents of young children like me. It is not a sacrifice that everyone can make. 

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?

Accountability to Hawaii and to our districts is important. Communication helps to keep us accountable to our communities. In the last few years, the Legislature has been passing good government bills and adjusting our internal House rules in order to enhance greater transparency. 

One of these examples is stopping campaign fundraising during the legislative session. This has limited campaign contributions during session almost entirely, and registered lobbyists are already banned from giving campaign contributions during session.

I believe we need to evaluate the implementation of these good government bills so we can truly see how they have created greater accountability and transparency at the Legislature.

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?

The framework of the Legislature is probably as accessible today as it has ever been, with livestreaming of every hearing and floor session and remote testimony allowed from every corner of Hawaii and beyond. I commend my colleagues who take the time in hearings to thoroughly explain their rationale behind the actions they take on measures. That doesn’t mean we cannot continue to strive for more accessibility and transparency.

One major challenge with many transparency proposals — more notice for hearings, extended debate on measures — is that they take time that we do not have in our annual 60-day session. Extending the legislative session is an important concept to consider. 

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?

By moving toward a more regenerative model, tourism can drive the economic diversification that leaders in Hawaii have talked about for decades. By channeling more of the $20 billion in annual visitor spending toward local farmers, fishermen, ranchers, artisans, activity hosts, musicians, dancers and community nonprofits — to name a few examples — that significant capital can help these operations scale up, hire more kamaaina and support a thriving local economy.

We must also continue to pursue opportunities for new economic sectors that build upon Hawaii’s strengths and move us toward a sustainable, regenerative future: sectors like innovative agriculture and aquaculture, renewable energy and intellectual property development like media production or digital innovation.

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?

Home ownership is still the most accessible way for kamaaina families to build wealth, and yet it is far too inaccessible for too many families. Disasters like the Lahaina wildfires have only added to the challenge.

My colleague, Rep. Luke Evslin from Kauai, chair of the Housing Committee, has worked hard on legislation like SB 3202 to add more tools to the toolbox for families who cannot afford homes, who now may be able to build an accessory dwelling unit on their family’s property. In my district, we need to reexamine the zoning and land use decisions of long ago and focus on the development of new water sources.

We must also support local families in their pursuit of home ownership. This could take the form of down payment assistance or matching, perhaps funded by an adjustment in conveyance taxes levied on out-of-state buyers and sellers. We must also deliver on our promise to Native Hawaiian families by putting eligible homesteaders onto aina and into homes.