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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s 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 Mahina Poepoe, Democratic candidate for state House District 13, which covers Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, a portion of Kahului, Haiku, Peahi, Huelo, Nahiku, Hana and Kipahulu. Her opponent is Republican Scott Adam.

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?

Known as a “canoe district,” District 13 covers a part of Kahului, Paia, Haiku, East Maui, Molokini, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai. I feel that the biggest issues facing our district can be encompassed under the “quality of life” umbrella.

As a legislator, I have prioritized policies that increase health care affordability and expand access to essential services. I’ve introduced numerous pieces of legislation aimed at protecting our fresh water resources and promoting responsible environmental stewardship. I’ve also introduced and supported many measures aimed at offsetting the high cost of living.

I’ll continue working to implement policies that reinforce the public trust doctrine, expand support services such as senior care, child care and financial support for working families and address health care inequities experienced by our rural and remote communities.

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?

As a current state House representative, I voted in support of House Bill 2404 to provide much-needed income tax relief for our residents. Passing this measure is an important, incremental step toward acknowledging and addressing income inequality and easing the cost of living for our working families.

As we go forward, additional work can be done to generate new revenue and adjust our tax structure to ensure that those who need relief the most receive it and that wealthy taxpayers who can afford to pay more do so.

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?

Campaign finance reform is one of the most impactful ways that we can work to increase the public’s trust in our government. This is why I’ve consistently supported measures proposing systems for comprehensive public financing.

Other reforms that I think would help meet this goal are outlined in Question No. 5.

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?

During my first term in office I have supported many reform proposals, including signing on as a primary introducer to HB 831, which proposed a constitutional amendment to limit the terms of members of the legislature. I also signed on as a primary introducer to HB 967, which proposed establishing a comprehensive system of public financing for all candidates seeking election to state and county offices.

I personally introduced a bill, HB 2703, proposing reforms that would enable the Commission on Water Resources Management to have more autonomy over its administration. This measure proposed to allow the commission to hire and manage its own executive director, allow the commission the option to utilize independent legal counsel and require the commission and the Board of Land and Natural Resources to develop procedures and safeguards to avoid conflicts of interest.

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

Yes, I support comprehensive public financing of elections. To underscore my answer to Question No. 3, comprehensive public funding can act as a bridge step as we move toward a clean elections solution.

An example of a bridge bill would be to raise the current one-to-one dollar match to 3-1.  In the 2022 Hawaii state election, only 15 of 400 candidates participated in the public funding program. However, if the match was significantly raised it would entice more candidates to participate, as it does in New York City where the public match is 8-1 for small donors.

Another example of  creative campaign finance reform through public funding is Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program, where eligible residents each receive two $25 vouchers to donate to participating candidates running for City Council.

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

I support creating opportunities that promote and empower public engagement in the democratic process, including a statewide citizens initiative process.  

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?

Personally, I do believe there should be term limits for state legislators. Term limits will help to balance the distribution of power and discourage political careerism. However, I understand that one opposing viewpoint is that some voters feel that they, rather than a term limit, should determine whether or not an incumbent is replaced.

During my first session in office I signed on as a primary introducer to a proposed ballot measure that would have allowed voters to decide whether or not to institute term limits.

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?

I signed on as a primary introducer of HB 2635, which would establish a year-round continuous Legislature that, among other things, would have required the Legislature to convene at least once a month, require members of the Legislature to be subject to the Sunshine Law and prohibit members of the Legislature from having other employment.

The purpose of banning campaign contributions during session would be to curb donations made to campaigns based on actions taken on particular measures. In the spirit of good governance, I would support banning campaign contributions during session, though I am not fully convinced it would solve the problem, but rather just change the timing of the contributions.

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?

I do think our state has made good progress increasing information available to the public and implementing disclosure requirements. Lobbyist reporting requirements could be further enhanced by requiring disclosures to include detailed descriptions of lobbying activities and meetings with legislators and by implementing harsher penalties for non-compliance.

For many members of the public, the condensed nature of the legislative session can be overwhelming and difficult to track. A lengthened session would allow the public more time to digest the thousands of bills that are introduced, allow the Legislature to hold more public hearings and expand opportunities for meaningful participation in the process.

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?

Hawaii should not be placed in a position of having to be dependent upon one major economic source. When a disaster such as Covid, a wildfire or a weather event strikes a mono-economy reliant on tourism, there is a danger of an economic collapse. My ideas on diversifying the economy to prevent this occurrence include:

Growing our local food systems by providing resources and incentives to farmers, supporting farmers markets, food hubs and value-added product development centers.

Investing in community-supported and culturally appropriate renewable energy projects.

Increasing opportunities for skills and technical training to support an adaptive workforce.

Identifying and expanding non-extractive export opportunities.

Supporting entrepreneurship and small businesses.

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?

We need to strengthen our social safety net and provide resources that offset the high cost of living. We can do this by expanding support services such as child and senior care assistance, utility cost relief and SNAP benefits. To increase access to affordable housing for local residents we need to do more to curb foreign investment speculation, strengthen protections for renters and invest in initiatives that aim to reserve our housing stock for our residents, such as community land trusts and payment assistance programs.

Implementing a working families tax credit and a paid family leave program could provide additional sources of support for our local families. I am also interested in exploring what a universal basic income could look like for communities in Hawaii.