Star Advertiser Article - 5 Questions: Reclaiming Democracy director works to engage community-minded citizens

BIO FILE: Aria Juliet Castillo

Title: Reclaiming Democracy program director, Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA)

Background: Loyola Marymount University; HAPA Kuleana Academy director

Community: Democratic Party of Hawaii assistant treasurer, state central committee representative

Family: Born and raised in Kauai; lives in Kailua with husband Scott-Ki‘ihele Irvine

One more thing: Kuleana Academy, HAPA’s leadership development program for people interested in running for public office, is accepting applications for its eighth cohort (see hapahi.org/k-a)

Q. Tell us about your motivation for strengthening citizen involvement in Hawaii.

A. I was raised on Kauai, in a proud Democratic family: My mother was active in the League of Women Voters, and my father was a long-time member of the Hawaii Carpenters Union. I have a vivid memory of my father walking the picket line at my elementary school to support my teachers. I went with my parents to community meetings, registered voters with my mom and interned at counting sites on election nights during high school. All this gave me a vital understanding of civic engagement.

After two years of working in the tech industry, post-university, I moved back home to Kauai, where many of my friends were involved in food sustainability issues and were concerned with the effects of the agrochemical industry, which was taking over old sugar plantation land. I began working on Bill 2491, a Kauai County action that addressed excessive pesticide use by regulating the industry and creating buffer zones for protection. Agrochemical corporations were leasing almost all ag land on the west side — 15,000 acres sharing fenceline with residences, hospitals and schools — growing seed corn for factory farms in the continental U.S. Additionally, they were using the fields for experimental pesticide testing. An entire community in Waimea sued these companies for drift after multiple incidents at Waimea Middle School, resulting in students being triaged for symptoms. Our local communities deserve protection, and that injustice ignited a passion in me that I will never forget.

Q. What is your role with the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA)?

A. I was a founding board member of HAPA, a statewide organization dedicated to community empowerment and systemic change that prioritizes the environment and people over corporate profit. We have four key advocacy programs: Fair and Sustainable Food Systems; Community-based Resource Stewardship; Reclaiming Democracy; and Social & Economic Justice. It soon became clear that we needed more community-oriented individuals serving as lawmakers. This led to the creation of Kuleana Academy, a leadership development program training people to run for office and work on political campaigns. I left the board in 2015 to lead this program. Over the last 10 years, 13 alumni have been elected to county and state office, with 11 currently serving statewide. (Editor’s note: Castillo was campaign manager for state Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto, a HAPA board member.)

Around the time HAPA celebrated its 10-year anniversary, I was promoted to direct the Reclaiming Democracy program, and we expanded focus on government reform. Building alliances is crucial to our work, and we are involved in numerous coalitions, one of which is Clean Elections Hawai‘i.

Q. Your hui of community organizations is requesting both bodies of the Legislature to adopt rule changes, including a restriction on referring bills to the House Finance Committee or Senate Ways and Means Committee to legislation unless they create or expend funds, and a prohibition on committees deferring bills without a vote. Why?

A. The proposed changes aim to make the legislative process more accessible for everyday citizens and to limit undue concentration of power. This year, of 1,503 bills introduced in Hawaii’s House of Representatives, 1,034 have been referred to the House Finance Committee, which has 16 members — yet only the committee chair has authority to schedule or defer a bill. This is too many to manage effectively. Many will simply not be heard, and effectively die. And while every bill may not have merit, an entire committee should vote publicly on which to hear; these votes could be conducted in batches.

Q. Tell us about changes in Hawaii law that members of the Good Government hui seek.

A. Increasing funding for the Campaign Spending Commission , which Gov. Josh Green has fully supported in his budget this year, would provide the necessary staff to manage their workload effectively. This could also enable the department to expand partial public funding options and work towards fully publicly funded elections.

Banning the transfer of contributions between candidates would avoid giving some an unfair advantage. Historically, significant amounts of money have been funneled from elected officials in leadership positions to various candidates, including those running to unseat incumbents. This is done through a loophole in the law: Although direct donations between campaigns are prohibited, campaigns can purchase “two fundraising tickets” at the listed price. For example, an elected House member could donate $2,000 to five incumbents in their faction (by purchasing two fundraising tickets priced at $1,000 each). Then, those faction members can collectively donate $10,000 to a single candidate through fundraising tickets. This method makes “following the money” nearly impossible..

Q. You and HAPA have been making the rounds of neighborhood boards to ask for endorsements of the proposed changes. Why?

A. We’ve had an excellent reception from all the boards we have met with; 11 passed our resolution.

Frustrations with the legislative process are universal. One board, Diamond Head-Kapahulu, amended its resolution to include calling for an end to anonymous “by request” bill introductions. We incorporated that ask, and this excellent change will be implemented this year. We hope the resolutions empower lawmakers to support more reform during session.