Name on ballot:

May Besario Mizuno

Running for:

State House – District 29

Political party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

Facebook – Joje May Besario Mizuno

Current occupation:

State Representative, House District 29

Age:

54

Previous job history:

Office Manager

Previous elected office, if any:

n/a

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people in your district.

1. Experience as I serve as the current Representative.
2. Wrote hundreds of Bills, Resolutions and Committee Reports during my two decades at the Legislature. Many Bills that I drafted are laws today.
3. Organized and held over one hundred Legislative Hearings, Legislative Briefings, Community Meetings, and Town Hall Meetings at the Capitol and in the Community.
4. Worked with the City & County and the Police to address numerous issues relating to crime, public safety, roads, sidewalks, streetlight concerns, illegal dumping, and homelessness. My office continues to accept calls to make our district a safer place for all families and we continue to address all calls.
5. I worked with Gov. Green & the Legislature to enact legislation (HB2404) to provide the greatest tax-cut in State history saving our taxpayers $5 billion over six years and recalibrating Hawaii from the 2nd highest taxed State to the 4th lowest taxed State in the nation.
6. Served as the Chief of Staff for Representative John Mizuno for 17 years
7. Served as the Legislative Aide to former Representative Filipe “Jun” Abinsay
8. Congress of Visayan Organizations (COVO) President 2013 to 2017 – As President I lead the fundraising effort to provide millions of dollars in relief aid for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, the most powerful and devastating typhoon in history. Moreover, I worked to build two villages for the people devastated by typhoon Haiyan.
9. I just wrote House Resolution 222, which passed the House of Representatives to recognize and honor Chad Buck for leading the greatest private relief effort of food, clothing, and medical supplies for the Lahaina wildfire victims, expending millions of dollars without requesting or receiving any money from the State or City. I have the experience and partnerships to deliver help to Hawaii.
10. Co-authored HB2216 to provide a $15.5 million pay raise for our State’s community caregivers, using Federal Medicaid funds thus not tapping into our State General Funds (saving money for our taxpayers).

What is the most-pressing issue facing residents in your district and how would you address the problem?

Crime & high costs of living. For crime, I am currently working with the State & City, the Police, and both the City Homeless Coordinator Sam Moku, Mayor Blangiardi, and State Homeless & Housing Solutions Director John Mizuno to reduce the area homeless, reduce crime, reduce recidivism (people going back to prison) and reduce taxpayers’ costs. I am grateful to have the excellent partnership with both the City and State to make District 29 a safer place for all people.

For the high cost of living, I worked with Governor Green and my colleagues at the Legislature to pass the greatest tax-cut in State history. On June 3, 2024 standing next to Gov. Green I witnessed his signature on HB2404 enacting the largest tax-cut in Hawaii’s history. This tax-cut bill will save taxpayers $5 billion over 6 years while recalibrating Hawaii from the 2nd highest taxed State in the nation to the 4th lowest taxed State in the Country. This once in a lifetime tax-cut will end up saving hundreds of local families from moving to the mainland. In addition, I co-authored HB2216, providing a $15.5 million pay raise for our community caregivers (provide long-term health care to our elderly and disabled), which was their first pay increase in 16 years. Finally, I worked to pass SB1035 to eliminate the General Excise Tax (GET) for medical services on Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare Health Insurance which will provide a savings of millions of dollars for our residents while allowing a higher reimbursement rate for our medical doctors and nurses.

If elected back to my seat I will continue to fight to lower costs for all people.

What would you propose to be done at the state level to help residents cope with Hawaii’s high cost of living?

I worked with Gov. Green and our colleagues to pass the greatest tax-cut in State history. I also worked to eliminate the general excise tax (GET) on Medicaid, Medicare and Tricare saving our residents millions of dollars. I will continue, if elected, to fight to lower cost for all people through more tax-cuts, policy to build affordable rental units, eliminate all taxes on medical supplies, ensure pensions are never taxed, secure more federal funding to help reduce taxing our local people, expand agriculture production, focus on Hawaii being self-sustainable, work on incentives to bring high technology jobs to Hawaii, in addition to bringing in more movies to be filmed in Hawaii. My focus will be on building a strong economy which will better address the high cost of living for all people in Hawaii.

What can the state Legislature do to help Hawaii home and condo owners with rising property insurance rates?

Work with the State Insurance Commissioner to ensure property insurance rates are fair. In addition, the Legislature could fund micro insurance policies to assist with lower property insurance rates for the people of Hawaii.

Can Hawaii’s tourism-dependent economy be diversified, and, if so, what can state government do to support the effort?

1. Diversify the local economy by investing in Agriculture – do what Hawaii does best, expand specialty produce such as Maui Onions, Kona Coffee, various fruits and vegetables with the “Hawaii label” fetching top dollar from mainland consumers, while expanding production of stable produce at affordable prices for local families.
2. Invest in aquaculture – the cultivation of seafood, seaweed, fish, and shellfish as a means of providing food and sustaining the local economy. This is not new to Hawaiian history as the Islands had robust fish farms early on.
3. Diversify in high technology jobs in Hawaii. There is no reason Hawaii cannot become the next center for Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon or other high-tech business. State Government can induce this business partnership by providing tax cuts and tax incentives to such technology businesses.

What would you propose to help increase affordable housing in Hawaii?

Provider complete support to both Governor Green and his Director of the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions John Mizuno to rapidly build as many tiny homes, studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, family sized homes as possible. Everyone in Hawaii knows there is a housing shortage and without housing we either have more homeless and/or more families moving to the mainland.

What can state government do to better support and improve public education in Hawaii?

Education is the great equalizer; with education you can improve your life and help your family and friends. With education you will be a great asset to the community and State.

I am currently working with Lt. Governor Luke to provide more funding for the Preschool Open Doors Program which helps 3-4 years old of lower income families in underserved communities attend preschool and prepare for kindergarten. Moreover, by having 3- and 4-year-olds attending school this allows the single parent or both parents to be employed full-time thus reducing the need for welfare and public assistance. Finally, I will continue to work with Lt. Gov. Luke to work on a world class educational system for Hawaii, because “Education is the great equalizer…”

Should the state continue to pursue building a replacement for Aloha Stadium in Halawa? Please explain.

Yes, but only if this process is completed as smart growth meaning a well-planned design to transform the entire area to an economic hub, meaning it is the building of a multi-use stadium for football, soccer, concerts, MMA, boxing, baseball, volleyball, softball, worldwide sporting events, business events and conventions with a Hawaiian museum at the bottom of the stadium, with a hotel near or connected to the stadium. Also, an easy transportation system from the stadium to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona, Battleship Missouri and USS Bowfin. Major restaurants and businesses should be placed strategically near the stadium which will generate millions of dollars to the local economy and increase the value of property in the surrounding area. That is my definition of “Smart Growth & Economic Hub.”

Should members of the state Legislature have term limits like Honolulu’s mayor and City Council members?

No because we have built-in term limits. Therefore, as an elected official you may only serve one term if your constituents vote you out.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make local government more transparent to the public?

Simple, make everything open to the public.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Economy, Crime, Healthcare, Affodable Housing/Reducing Homelessness.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I am a public servant and I listen to my constituents. I am an employee of the people and I serve the people.