2025 HAPA Policy Agenda
The legislative session is upon us! Session started last Wednesday, January 15th and hearings have begun to get scheduled. HAPA is excited to share our 2025 Policy Agenda with all of you and enlist your support! Last year our HAPA community submitted 62% of the testimony on bills we sent out alerts for. Let’s see if we can generate even more public engagement this session.
Despite legitimate fears that many of us have about the new federal administration, we know that action is the best antidote to fear. Acting locally, here in Hawaiʻi is one tangible and impactful way we can create change. Please join us in engaging this legislative session around a policy agenda that centers equity and the well-being of our ʻāina and working class communities.
2025 Policy Agenda
Fair & Sustainable Food Systems Policy Agenda
About:
Addressing our broken food system in Hawaii is one way we can simultaneously support environmental and economic justice. Because our food system is so vast and touches so many parts of our lives and society, efforts to create a more just and sustainable food system have a multiplier effect. However there is no silver bullet to fix our broken food system. Therefore HAPA supports several policies across several categories:
Fair & Sustainable Food Systems Policy Areas:
Food Equity
1 in 3 families in Hawaii are food insecure. HAPA is proud to be a member of the Hawaii Hunger Action Network, Universal Free School Meals and SNAP Access Coalitions. We are working side by side with our partners to advocate for a range of policies designed to address food insecurity in Hawaii and sourcing local food as much as possible. Food equity policy priorities include:
Universal Free School Meals
Improving SNAP Access
Farm to Foodbank
Pesticide Protections
HAPA was founded in 2014 to respond to community concerns about pesticide drift from agrochemical test fields. Data from the first year of mandatory restricted use pesticide (RUP) usage reporting (2019) revealed concerning rates of application of certain highly toxic pesticides. To better assess health and environmental risks and provide proactive public health protections the following measures are needed.
Improved reporting on RUP usage
Increased RUP bufferzones
Pollinator protections (regulating neonicotinoids)
Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Hawaiʻi has a unique and longstanding tradition of robust subsistence food production practices dating back millennia. Hawaiʻi’s ʻōiwi communities, often led by those with lineal ties to place, are increasingly leading efforts to reactivate facets of traditional and customary ahupuaʻa food production systems. A resurgence in these efforts is an important part of Hawaiʻi’s overall food security.
Loko Iʻa (Fishpond) Restoration
Support for Makai Watch (monitoring of nearshore fisheries)
Designating ʻŌpaeʻula as State Shrimp
Support for Food Producers & Regenerative Farming Practices
HAPA is proud to be a member of the Hawaii Farmers Union. As such we are supporting the priorities of the farmer/food producer membership of HFU. These policy priorities support regenerative farming practices, protection of ag lands from land speculation and farmer housing.
Support for Healthy Soils Program
Support for Waste Diversion Plans
Repeal GE crop General Excise Tax exemption
Farmer Housing Working Group
Protection of Agricultural Lands
Farm to School/State
Hawaiʻi is consistently failing to meet its own stated local procurement goals and benchmarks of 30% by 2030. While many states have already implemented robust farm to state and farm to school programs, action is needed to move the needle on local procurement in Hawaiʻi. Increasing markets for local producers is win-win for local food producers and students or other state institution stakeholders.
Increasing Local Agricultural Procurement
Incentives for Local Procurement
Regionalized Procurement for DOE Farm to School
2025 Reclaiming Democracy Policy Agenda
About:
The Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) is committed to promoting a democratic system that is transparent, equitable, and inclusive. We recognize that good governance is the cornerstone of a healthy society, and we advocate for policies that empower voters, reduce the influence of money in politics, and strengthen public trust in government institutions.
Reclaiming Democracy Priority Areas:
Publicly Funded Elections
We believe in leveling the playing field for candidates by implementing fully financed public election systems. These systems reduce reliance on private contributions, ensuring that elected officials are accountable to their constituents rather than special interests. Until we can achieve a fully funded system, we support expanding the partial public funding options to reflect modern-day campaigning.
Comprehensive Publicly Funded Elections
Partial Public Financing Increased Funding
Strengthening the Campaign Spending Commission Office
Effective oversight is critical to maintaining the integrity of our electoral process. We support increasing staffing and resources for the Campaign Spending Commission to enhance its ability to monitor compliance, enforce campaign finance laws, and provide transparency.
Fully Funding Campaign Spending Commission
Increase Staffing for Inspector Roles
Closing Campaign Finance Loopholes
To protect against undue influence in our elections, we advocate for reforms that address gaps in current campaign finance laws. This includes stricter regulations on super PACs, dark money organizations, and coordinated expenditures that undermine the democratic process.
Disallows Candidate-to-Candidate Campaign Funds
Limit Candidate & Family Personal Contribution
ConAm; Free Speech does not include Monetary Expenditures to Influence Elections
Closing State or County Contractor Donation Loophole
Noncandidate Committee Expenditures Fee and Disclosure
Expanding Voter Access
HAPA is dedicated to increasing voter participation by making elections more accessible. We support expanding voter service centers, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and implementing automatic voter registration to ensure every eligible citizen has the opportunity to vote.
Expand Voter Service Centers and Accessibility
Increase Ballot Curing Time Period
Automatic Voter Registration Improvements
Empowering the Public to Decide on Term Limits
We believe the people of Hawai‘i should have a voice in deciding whether term limits are appropriate for lawmakers. Allowing the public to vote on this issue promotes accountability and ensures that any decision reflects the will of the community.
Constitutional Amendment; Legislative Term Limits
If you arenʻt already, please sign up for our Legislative Alerts and join us in taking action this session!
