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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 Angus McKelvey, Democratic candidate for state Senate District 6, which includes West Maui, Maalaea, Waikapu and South Maui. His opponent is Republican Sheila Walker.

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 biggest issue facing District 6 at the state level is the property insurance crisis, particularly following the Lahaina disaster.

Residents and condo associations are facing skyrocketing premiums of up to 800-1000%, threatening the ability to rebuild and potentially leading to property sell-offs, increasing speculation and destabilizing the housing market.

Addressing this crisis requires multiple strategies. First, advocating for a federal Natural Disaster Reinsurance Plan could reduce premiums by up to 25%. Expanding the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund for use as re-insurance and expanding both the coverage while finding ways to reduce the cost of Hawaii Property Insurance Association would support those struggling to obtain insurance, particularly for high-risk areas.

Legislative measures like Senate Bill 3234 are also needed to capitalize these funds, which are essential for expanding coverage. Additionally, the Safe Hawaii Homes initiative, which will use federal and grant resources to rebuild and retrofit, could reduce insurance costs by enhancing resilience.

Hawaii could also benefit from establishing public catastrophe modeling, like models used in California, to accurately assess risks and improve premium transparency.

Finally, reforms in the Insurance Commissioner’s Office to enhance advocacy or transition it to an elected position would further ensure accountability.

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?

This long overdue and much needed middle-class tax is a significant and positive step for the state’s residents. There are several reasons why this tax cut is important, along with why it’s unlikely to force reductions in state services.

By lowering the tax burden, more people and businesses may be encouraged to invest and spend locally. The increased economic activity, particularly in sectors like small businesses, will generate additional revenue that can offset the reduced tax rates.

Additionally, both Hawaii and U.S. economic forecasts point to growth in key sectors such as tourism and trade, which suggests the state’s overall revenue base will increase, especially as more businesses recover from the effects of the fire and as tourism continues to strengthen.

Finally with ongoing federal infrastructure investments, continued disaster spending and state development projects, Hawaii’s economy is expected to maintain momentum, bringing in additional revenue. These funds can help sustain government services without needing to cut essential programs.

Overall, while there might be concerns about reduced tax revenue impacting state services, the economic benefits — combined with stronger forecasts — should help ensure that government services remain adequately funded.

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?

To address “pay -to-play” politics and corruption in Hawaii, several meaningful reforms could be implemented to improve transparency and accountability. Increasing contract transparency through stricter review processes and making executive spending publicly accessible would help expose financial dealings to public scrutiny.

Additionally, instituting a mandatory cooling-off period for former officials in the executive branch who oversaw contract awards before they can lobby or represent these interests to the executive branch would prevent the misuse of insider knowledge.

Furthermore, requiring additional conflict of interest disclosures for executive officials and others in the procurement process could also enhance accountability by ensuring that financial relationships are clear to citizens.

By implementing these reforms, Hawaii could significantly reduce opportunities for corruption, increase public trust, and ensure that government actions are based on merit and fairness rather than special interests.

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?

As the incumbent chair of the Government Operations Committee, I have led numerous legislative reforms to promote transparency, efficiency and accountability in government. My efforts have turned many good-government proposals into law, including Senate Bill 1513, which requires public agency boards to report any final actions or discussions from executive meetings unless it compromises the purpose of those meetings.

I also supported and passed House Bill1597, empowering citizens to take legal action against boards that violate open meetings laws. To further enhance open government, we advanced HB 1598, which strengthens the state’s Sunshine Law by requiring documents prepared for board members to be made public at least two days before meetings.

These laws represent significant progress in ensuring Hawaii’s government remains accountable to its citizens. They reflect our commitment to advancing reforms that prioritize openness, efficiency and transparency, and we will continue striving for these ideals.

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

While I was a co-sponsor and strong supporter of the previous public campaign financing bills I was always a bit uncomfortable with the idea of only taxpayer money being used for campaign signs or political ads. I feel we should aim to create a fairer election process without burdening taxpayers so that vital needs like health care, education or creating more middle-income tax relief can move forward.

While I still support these bills, I hope we can also look at reducing the influence of political action Ccommittees (PACs) in local elections by funding the program through a tax on PACs rather than relying solely on taxpayer money.

Like other states, our public campaign financing bills have relied completely on taxpayer dollars. I believe we can avoid this by targeting the source of much of the undue influence in politics — PACs themselves. By taxing PACs, which have long had significant sway over elections, the idea is to ensure that most if not all of the funding for program comes from the very entities that have gained an outsized advantage in our local elections and as such, we can create a fairer election process that allows lesser-known candidates to have access to funds without solely burdening taxpayers.

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 a modified citizens initiative system in Hawaii to balance direct democracy with concerns over potential manipulation, complexity and the undermining of representative governance.

Drawing on systems from various states, this system implements legislative checks, higher eligibility requirements and voter thresholds for a robust and regulated initiative process. By incorporating legislative review and the option for lawmakers to propose alternatives, it allows citizens to influence policy while ensuring that lawmakers, who will have to fund and create programs for these policies, can refine proposals.

Higher eligibility requirements ensure broad public backing, reducing the likelihood of interest group manipulation or frivolous initiatives cluttering ballots. Additionally, requiring neutral impact statements helps voters make informed decisions. Ultimately, this modified system strikes a balance between empowering voters and ensuring the role of a representative government. It addresses concerns from both proponents and critics by introducing stricter requirements, supermajority thresholds and legislative alternatives.

These measures make the initiative process a more effective and fairer tool for governance in Hawaii.

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?

I’ve been going back and forth on term limits themselves as the quick fix for these issues and have concluded that it doesn’t fix any of the stated problems while creating new ones, all while taking away freedom of choice.

For example, hidden staffers, not subject to these limits, gain significant influence and ties to special interests in term-limited legislatures. There’s also little evidence that term limits significantly improve legislatures, especially given that people have the same high regard for their term-limited Legislature as they did before such limits were imposed.

Voters already have the power to remove ineffective leaders, as shown by the recent defeat of a House speaker despite all the stated advantages of incumbency.

I believe where we need to consider term limits is for chairs and leadership positions in the Legislature as a way to address these concerns and strengthen the institution. Such a system would also help in developing more well-rounded lawmakers with multifaceted, in-depth experience.

I feel these types of term limits would bring fresh ideas and perspectives to old problems because gaining experience across different legislative areas would help them better understand the institution insofar as leadership goes, too.

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 support extending the current fundraising ban to all contributions during this period and even though the bill didn’t pass I still follow that practice. I also believe we must adopt fiscal notes on all bills with financial impacts and expand the disclosure under the Uniform Information Practices Act to conference drafts, and other documents directly related to the legislative process.

However, I don’t know how practical the Sunshine Law would be. Unlike county councils and boards, which have tiny memberships and meet all year long, it could be problematic to try to apply it in its present form to a 76-member organization that only has four months to complete its work.

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?

This question always confuses me because conference committees are already open to the public and are now broadcast via YouTube and Zoom. Last year as chairs we voluntarily detailed all discussions over the table and verbally recapped each draft before voting on it.

To improve it even more, I would support requiring any proposed conference draft be made available publicly before a vote can take place, and if a bill fails to gain release that the public is given the reasons why the bill failed despite agreement of the chairs on the measure.

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?

To build a resilient economy, Hawaii must diversify tourism, support agriculture, technology and renewable energy, and provide broad support for businesses. Shifting from mass tourism to regenerative tourism can attract high-value, low-impact visitors, generating revenue without straining infrastructure.

Hawaii can expand agriculture through programs like the Food and Product Innovation Network (FPIN), supporting local food entrepreneurs to create products and access markets, benefiting residents and tourists. Offering dual-use credits for businesses involved in federal research, particularly in renewable energy and oceanography, can also attract new opportunities.

However, the most promising diversification approach involves broad-based geographic tax relief focused on small, locally owned businesses rather than industry-specific credits.

Supporting local businesses that demonstrate innovation and sustainability empowers impactful companies to emerge naturally, without government picking winners, and ensures equal opportunities at early stages.

In conclusion, while tourism remains important, adopting a sustainable model and diversifying into agriculture, technology and renewable energy will create a more resilient economy. Programs like FPIN and broader tax incentives will allow Hawaii’s best industries to emerge naturally.

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?

To tackle Hawaii’s rising cost of living and support middle-class families, a multifaceted approach is needed. Public-private partnerships for housing should expand, while tax incentives must prioritize local ownership, especially for newer affordable housing models (mixed-use, adaptive reuse, etc.). Rent stabilization and increased tax credits for middle-income households, paired with the expansion of last session’s middle-class tax relief, can reduce cost burdens.

Employers should be incentivized to provide essential benefits like health care and child care. Community-based initiatives such as cooperative housing and urban farming can improve local food  security and offer affordable living solutions.

Finally, taxing speculative land purchases and restricting foreign ownership will help curb real estate inflation, keeping housing accessible to Hawaii’s residents.