Looking Ahead

My second term as your senator begins the day after the General Election in November. I am very grateful to be entrusted with such a challenging and rewarding job, and I am humbled by the strong show of support for my re-election in August. Our communities and this beautiful region in which we live are truly special. Thank you, again, for this opportunity to serve!

While my name will not be on the ballot in November, important decisions will be made by the voters who exercise their civic duty. Richard Fale is challenging Representative Sean Quinlan, Andrea Tupola is trying to unseat Governor David Ige, and a constitutional amendment would allow the state to create new property taxes, to name just three important decisions.

I would like to extend a big mahalo to Maxx Phillips for her hard work and dedication to our office throughout our first term. Maxx served as my policy advisor and was invaluable in many of our accomplishments during these past four years. Her work was so good, in fact, that the Center for Biological Diversity, a prominent environmental organization, sought her out to be the executive director in their new Honolulu office. I wish her and her new organization all the best.

Margarete Olson continues on as office manager, so we remain in good hands there. Hers is the friendly and patient voice you hear when you call, she is impeccably organized, and she keeps everything running smoothly.

I have been blessed with two outstanding staff members, but if you are keeping score at home, you know that I now have an opening for a full-time legislative aide. Plus, we will also be looking for a seasonal hire to work from January through April. If you are interested in being considered for either position, please call us at 586-7330.

Over the next couple months, we will be preparing for the upcoming legislative session by consulting with other legislators, researching potential legislative fixes, participating in informational hearings, and working with various state agencies.

Of course, we have many unresolved issues within the district; I will continue to push for solutions and fight proposals that do harm. Laniakea traffic and poor highway maintenance, loss of viable agricultural land to land speculation, overwhelming visitor impacts, school facilities, state parks and small boat harbors, utility poles, and windmills are just of few of the primary issues.