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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Caucuses/Former Committees

Former Member, Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives

Former Member, Lower and Higher Education Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives

Former Member, Water, Land, and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, Hawaii State House of Representatives

Education

  • Certified, Community Leadership for Hawaii, Pacific Century Fellows Program, 1997-1998
  • Attended, Agricultural Leadership Training Program, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 1991-1993
  • MMA, Coastal and Marine Resources Management Policy, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs, 1983-1985
  • BA, Political Science, Kalamazoo College, 1978-1982

Professional Experience

  • Certified, Community Leadership for Hawaii, Pacific Century Fellows Program, 1997-1998
  • Attended, Agricultural Leadership Training Program, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 1991-1993
  • MMA, Coastal and Marine Resources Management Policy, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs, 1983-1985
  • BA, Political Science, Kalamazoo College, 1978-1982
  • President/Principal Consultant, Marine and Coastal Solutions International, Incorporated, 1999-present
  • Director of Government Affairs, Merica International Limited Liability Company, 2009-2013
  • Chief Executive Officer, Phase, Incorporated, 2000-2005
  • Project Development Leader, Doris and Earl E. Bakken Foundation, 1998-2000
  • Extension Agent, University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program, 1990-1994

Political Experience

  • Certified, Community Leadership for Hawaii, Pacific Century Fellows Program, 1997-1998
  • Attended, Agricultural Leadership Training Program, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 1991-1993
  • MMA, Coastal and Marine Resources Management Policy, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs, 1983-1985
  • BA, Political Science, Kalamazoo College, 1978-1982
  • President/Principal Consultant, Marine and Coastal Solutions International, Incorporated, 1999-present
  • Director of Government Affairs, Merica International Limited Liability Company, 2009-2013
  • Chief Executive Officer, Phase, Incorporated, 2000-2005
  • Project Development Leader, Doris and Earl E. Bakken Foundation, 1998-2000
  • Extension Agent, University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program, 1990-1994
  • Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 7, 2019-present
  • Congregation Member, Flutist, Liturgical Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Saint James Episcopal Church, Kamuela, HI, 2000-present
  • Candidate, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 7, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 6, 1995-1998

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Consumer Protection and Commerce Committee

Member, Corrections, Military, and Veterans Committee

Chair, Water and Land Committee

Religious, Civic, and other Memberships

  • Certified, Community Leadership for Hawaii, Pacific Century Fellows Program, 1997-1998
  • Attended, Agricultural Leadership Training Program, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, 1991-1993
  • MMA, Coastal and Marine Resources Management Policy, University of Washington School of Marine Affairs, 1983-1985
  • BA, Political Science, Kalamazoo College, 1978-1982
  • President/Principal Consultant, Marine and Coastal Solutions International, Incorporated, 1999-present
  • Director of Government Affairs, Merica International Limited Liability Company, 2009-2013
  • Chief Executive Officer, Phase, Incorporated, 2000-2005
  • Project Development Leader, Doris and Earl E. Bakken Foundation, 1998-2000
  • Extension Agent, University of Hawaii Sea Grant Program, 1990-1994
  • Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 7, 2019-present
  • Congregation Member, Flutist, Liturgical Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Saint James Episcopal Church, Kamuela, HI, 2000-present
  • Candidate, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 7, 2018, 2020
  • Representative, Hawaii State House of Representatives, District 6, 1995-1998
  • Commissioner, Hawaii County Agricultural Advisory Commission, 2010-present
  • Flutist, Waimea Community Chorus Orchestra, 2010-present
  • Member, United States Army Garrison Hawaii Pohakuloa Training Area Community Advisory Group, 2009-present
  • Member, Saint James Episcopal Church, 2000-present
  • District Vice Chair, Democratic Party, 1994-present
  • Precinct President, Democratic Party, 1994-present
  • Member, American Planning Association
  • Member, Five Mountain Medical Community Board of Directors
  • Member, Hawaii Montessori Schools Board of Directors
  • Member, The Ocean Recreation Council of Hawaii
  • Vice Chair, West Hawaii Coastal Monitoring Task Force
  • Director, West Hawaii Mediation Services
  • Chair, Hawaii County, Democratic Party of Hawaii, 2013-2015
  • Co-Founding Member, Malama Kai Foundation Board, 1991-2010
  • Chair, Phase, Incorporated Board, 2000-2005
  • Flutist, Hulihee Palace Band, 1988-2003
  • Board Member/Chair, Aquasearch Board, 1999-2002

Other Info

Favorite Book:

Books about Hawaii's history, culture and politics, including Ancient History of the Hawaiians by Fornander; Native Planters in Old Hawaii by Handy, Handy and Pukui; Tales and Traditions of the People of Old by Kamakau; Fragments of Hawaiian History by I'i; Hawaiian Antiquities by Malo; Exalted Sits the Chief by Cordy; Kepelino's Traditions of Hawaii; Six Months in the Sandwich Islands by Bird; Hawaii Pono by Fuchs; Shoal of Time by Daws; Life and Times of John Young by Cahill; Kalakaua by Allen; Hawaii's Story by Queen Liliuokalani; Broken Trust by King and Roth; Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawaii by Van Dyke; Land and Power in Hawaii by Cooper and Daws; Catch a Wave by Coffman; Parker Ranch by Brennan; Loyal to the Land by Bergin; Paniolo by Brennan; Paniolo House Stories by Friends of the Future, John A. Burns by Boylan and Holmes; Ben by Ben Cayetano; in addition, I also read lots of science fiction including Star Wars novels, the Dune series by Herbert, the I, Robot and Foundation series by Asimov, and the Mars series by Robinson.

Favorite Movie:

Paniolo O Hawaii (Edgy Lee); BBC Planet Earth Series; Star Wars films; Hiyao Miyazaki films; Jacques Cousteau films; 2001 A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)

Favorite Quote:

It's OK to disagree, just don't be disagreeable.

Favorite TV Shows:

Tour de France; Olympics; World Cup Soccer; Superbowl; Wimbledon.

Favorite Type of Music:

Koni au i ka wai (Kalakaua); Aloha 'Oe (Liliuokalani); Hawaii Pono'i (Kalakaua/Berger); Waimea Cowboy (Ernie Cruz); Hi'ilawe (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole); Maika'i Ka Makani O Kohala (Ozzie Kotani); Mauna Kea Morning (Sonny Lim); and Waiomina (Helen Kauinahea Lindsey Parker)

Policy Positions

Hawaii State Legislative Election 1998 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be legally available.
- X

2. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only when pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

6. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements.
- No Answer

7. Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer

8. Support "buffer zones" by requiring demonstrators to stay at least 15 feet away from abortion clinic doorways and driveways.
- X

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Should Hawaii government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?
- Yes

Affirmative Action

Indicate the principles you support (if any) concerning affirmative action. State government agencies should take race and sex into account in the following sectors:

1. College and university admissions
- Yes

2. Public employment
- Yes

3. State contracting
- Yes

4. Other
- No Answer

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- X

2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- X

3. End parole for repeat violent felons.
- No Answer

4. Support the use of the death penalty.
- No Answer

5. Oppose the death penalty.
- X

6. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

7. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- X

8. Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
- X

9. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- X

10. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

11. Strengthen penalties and sentences for sex offenders.
- No Answer

12. Support the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
- X

13. Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious violent crimes as adults.
- No Answer

14. Support the transfer of Hawaii inmates to out-of-state prisons.
- No Answer

15. Support building a state prison in Kau on the Big Island.
- No Answer

16. Support labeling Rohypnol the, "date-rape drug", as a controlled substance, which would make possession a felony.
- No Answer

17. Other
- X

18. Should suspects accused of sexual assault be tested for HIV?
- Undecided

Economy and Employment

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning the economy and employment.

1. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- X

4. Increase funding for state job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

5. Ban workers' compensation claims for stress attributed to disciplinary actions on the job.
- X

6. Legalize casino gambling in Hawaii.
- No Answer

7. Support a state lottery.
- No Answer

8. Support a state lottery if all the funds were used to fund education.
- No Answer

9. Oppose a state lottery.
- X

10. Other
- X

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- X

2. Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
- X

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- No Answer

4. Favor charter schools where independent groups receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer

5. Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
- X

6. Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
- X

7. Increase state funds for school construction and facility maintenance.
- X

8. Increase state funds for hiring of additional teachers.
- X

9. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer

10. Grant the University of Hawaii more autonomy in running the university system.
- X

11. Other
- X

12. Should the state Board of Education be appointed by the Governor instead of elected?
- No

13. Do you support establishing elected county school boards in place of the state Board of Education?
- Yes

Environment & Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Require the use of cleaner burning fuels in order to prevent pollution.
- X

2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- X

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- X

4. Require the state to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- No Answer

5. Provide funding for recycling programs in Hawaii.
- X

6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- X

7. Suspend participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer

8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power company.
- X

9. Limit public access and research projects on the Mauna Kea mountaintop.
- No Answer

10. Support the state proposal to buy the Queen's Beach area in Hawaii Kai for $11 million to use as a state park.
- X

11. Other
- X

12. State environmental regulations should not be stricter than federal law.
- No

13. Do you support the proposal to buy the Waiahole ditch system?
- Yes

Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.

Do you support limits on the number of terms of the following Hawaii officials?

1. State Senators and Representatives
- No

2. Governor
- No

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. PAC
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

5. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- No

6. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- Yes

7. Would you vote to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution requiring an annual balanced federal budget?
- Undecided

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Other
- reorganize state agencies to increase efficiency

2. Do you support Hawaii holding a constitutional convention to evaluate the state constitution?
- No

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

1. Ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
- No Answer

2. Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

3. Maintain state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- X

4. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
- No Answer

5. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens.
- No Answer

6. Favor allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms.
- No Answer

7. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks with firearms.
- No Answer

8. Other
- No Answer

Hawaii Annexation

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Hawaii's annexation.

1. Support recognizing the laws of the Kingdom of Hawaii.
- No Answer

2. Support creating a council of Native Hawaiians who would be consulted before the approval of land transactions in the Hawaiian Islands.
- No Answer

3. Support nation-within-a-nation sovereignty similar to Tribal Nations.
- No Answer

4. Support secession from the United States and establishing Hawaii as an independent sovereign nation.
- No Answer

5. Oppose Hawaiian independence from the U.S.
- No Answer

6. Other
- X

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- No Answer

2. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care when necessary.
- X

3. Provide health care to uninsured children and low-income families through Hawaii's QUEST health insurance program.
- X

4. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer

5. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- No Answer

6. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X

7. Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

8. Other
- X

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
- X

2. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X

3. Increase state funds to provide child care to children in low-income working families.
- X

4. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- No Answer

5. Favor banning smoking in public places.
- No Answer

6. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- X

7. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X

8. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
- X

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Do you believe that the Hawaii government should include sexual orientation in Hawaii's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

11. Do you believe that the Hawaii government should recognize same-sex marriages?
- No

12. Do you support a constitutional amendment granting the Hawaii Legislature the power to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples?
- No

State Budget

Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories. Select one level only.

1. Agriculture
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase

3. Education (Higher)
- Slightly Increase

4. Environment
- Slightly Increase

5. Health care
- Slightly Increase

6. Law enforcement
- Slightly Decrease

7. Transportation infrastructure (highways, roads, bridges)
- Maintain Status

8. Welfare
- Maintain Status

9. Other
- No Answer

State Taxes

Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.

1. Alcohol Taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gas taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Greatly Decrease

8. Sales taxes
- Greatly Decrease

9. Excise taxes
- Greatly Decrease

10. Other
- No Answer

11. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Undecided

12. Do you support implementing state property taxes?
- No

Welfare

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Maintain the five-year limit on welfare benefits.
- No Answer

2. Require that able-bodied recipients participate in work-related programs in order to receive benefits.
- X

3. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X

5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- X

6. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- No Answer

8. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- No Answer

9. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

10. Other
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- I seek to improve community well-being with a sustainable economy supported by efficient government, lower taxes, and regulatory reform for industries inluding open-ocean aquaculture, marine and agricultural biotechnology, and the health and wellness industries. Increased government efficiency should save money, while lower taxes and regulatory reform would stimulate the economy.

Speeches