Resolutions Adopted

Whereas, The Platforms of the State Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and Oʻahu County Democrats recognize the importance of education and public universities, as well as other freedoms, such as free speech; and

Whereas, The 2020 Democratic National Party platform called for efforts to: "support and encourage professor tenure"; and, to safeguard “academic freedom on college campuses" (p. 70); and

Whereas, The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has previously supported “the principle and practice of academic freedom” (Resolution EDU 2014-08 Working Families Education) (p. 5); and

Whereas, Tenure is an important free speech protection for faculty who: instruct and mentor students; build, maintain, and make available library collections; conduct and report research; advise and actively participate on extension projects, such as those that promote local agriculture, address sea-rise challenges; provide economic data; and other valuable academic services; and

Whereas, The Hawaiʻi State Constitution (Article X, Section 6) clearly states that the University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents has "exclusive jurisdiction over the internal structure, management, and operation of the university"; and

Whereas, Attacks on tenure are intentional efforts to control and/or censor what professors and others may say publicly; and

Whereas, Recent challenges to tenure are based on the Board of Regents [BOR] Permitted Interaction Group [PIG] on Tenure which is not representative of the University community in that it does not provide equal representation for faculty and other stakeholders, and does not follow a process that requires separate votes by the entire BOR, which resulted in the PIG report not being approved by the BOR; and

Whereas, Senate Higher Education Committee's SB3269 was built on the unsubstantiated recommendations of the PIG Report, and was passed by said committee, despite receiving almost 600 pages of written testimony in opposition; now, therefore be it

Resolved, That Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi call upon the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and all elected and appointed officials to affirm DPH support for the tenure process for faculty, including instructors, librarians, researchers, and extension faculty within the University of Hawaiʻi System; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, and to the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, 2022 is the 50th Anniversary of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, otherwise known as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) or simply “Title IX,” and Hawai#i is proud of Congresswoman Mink’s signature legislation, which has given millions of girls and women educational opportunities that were undreamed of before the enactment of Title IX, in the classroom; playing field; in research, teaching and graduate schools; in science, medicine, law, and other professions; and

Whereas, Act 110, Session Laws of Hawai#i 2018, created a state analog to Title IX by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation, in any state educational program or activity, or in any educational program or activity that receives state financial assistance; and this protection against unlawful sex-based discrimination includes sexual harassment, gender-based harassment, and sexual assault; and

Whereas, United States Representative Patsy T. Mink has been a major political figure for decades as she was the first woman of color and first Asian American woman to be elected to Congress, campaigning against the odds and winning not only because of her organizational skills and capacity to work harder than her opponents, but because of her passionate belief in democratic justice; and

Whereas, Representative Mink had a burning desire for change as early as when she served as the Democratic attorney for the Legislature back in 1955; and is quoted as saying, "I guess you can live long in this game with naïve idealism but you soon learn to tolerate compromises and graciously accept small victories on behalf the principles of the Democratic Party" calling it a "nerve-wracking, demoralizing, disheartening experience with the results falling short of the numerous campaign promises"; and

Whereas, Representative Mink was the first Japanese-American woman in Hawaiʻi to practice law, first to run and win a legislative seat; first woman of color to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives; and the first Asian-American to run for United States president; and

Whereas, Representative Mink was Hawaiʻi's and the United States' voice for governmentfunded child care, banning nuclear testing in the Pacific and ending the Vietnam War, and many other significant efforts to support the antiwar, feminist, and environmental movements; and

Whereas, Representative Mink grew up in Maui's plantation society where she developed a painful awareness of racial, linguistic and class hierarchies instilled into the educational system; Representative Mink passed away in 2002 at the age of 74; now, therefore be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and honor the decades of public service she served for the betterment of Hawaiʻi and the United States in antiwar, feminist, and environmental movements; and be it

Ordered, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to her daughter, Gwendolyn Mink.

Whereas, The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi has a long history of support to end bullying in our schools and in our own Party; and

Whereas, Preparing children to become responsible citizens and to succeed is often done through example as the State promotes the pursuit of excellence through a publicly funded school system; and

Whereas, Public schools serve as a safety net in identifying among other things, child abuse, malnutrition, learning disorders, and mental illness; and

Whereas, Government funds public education because an educated electorate is essential to a thriving democracy; and

Whereas, The Department of Education (DOE) has failed to fully implement Chapter 19; their anti-bullying policy that was passed over two (2) decades ago; and

Whereas, The DOE leaves what we know to be a potentially life-threatening situation up to the discretion of the principal with no system-wide support, guidance, policies or procedures and no feedback as to whether the policy is being enforced; and

Whereas, Children cannot be expected to learn, a higher-order function, when they fear for their safety, a primal function; and

Whereas, DOE should bear the responsibility for enforcing its policy; and

Whereas, Studies and anecdotal evidence indicate that bullying is systemic throughout the DOE: students bully students, teachers bully students, students bully teachers, teachers bully other teachers; and

Whereas, For decades too many parents have felt forced to place their children in private schools or teach their children at home, because DOE fails to provide an environment conducive to learning; and

Whereas, DOE's failure to address bullying leaves the state wide open for suit, particularly since the public and the media have repeatedly brought bullying to DOE's attention; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That Oʻahu County Democrats strongly urge the DOE to enforce Chapter 19 through system-wide education, reporting and monitoring; and urge that the DOE take corrective action as appropriate where bullying is reported; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the 2022 DPH State Convention Resolutions Committee, the Governor, the Lt. Governor members of the Hawai‘i Senate and Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, and candidates for every elective office whose jurisdiction includes the City and County of Honolulu.

Whereas, The State of Hawaiʻi passed Hate Crimes Legislation two decades ago; and

Whereas, There is anecdotal evidence that hate crimes are being committed as they are reported in the media; and

Whereas, The State of Hawaiʻi the City and County of Honolulu has yet to prosecute a crime and ask for the "hate crime" enhancement; and

Whereas, The prosecutors are inclined to negotiate a plea which does not involve the hate crimes enhancement; and

Whereas, The police department and the Prosecutor are not required to report "hate crimes" that are resolved in a plea deal; and

Whereas, There is no mechanism in place to track all crimes including an indicator on the report form if alleged as a hate crime to determine why they are not being prosecuted as hate crimes; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That Oʻahu County Democrats ask the Mayor to direct the Chief of Police to track all crimes reported as hate crimes and all crimes booked as hate crimes, and to ask the Prosecutor to track all crimes charged as hate crimes, all crimes prosecuted as hate crimes and the disposition of all crimes initially reported as hate crimes, so that citizens can determine why the hate crimes law is not being fully enforced; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 2022 DPH State Convention Resolutions Committee, the Governor, the Lt. Governor, Democratic members of the Hawaiʻi Senate and Hawaiʻi House of Representatives, and candidates for every elective office whose jurisdiction includes the City and County of Honolulu.

Whereas, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that, by 2050, sea levels around the United States will rise by 10 to 12 inches on average, this will surpass the increases of the last 100 years in just three decades, this rise is projected to cause more frequent and far more destructive flooding and storm damage in coastal areas where 40% of the U.S. population resides and which are critical to the national economy; and

Whereas, The State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission's Hawaiʻi Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report indicated that the 3.2 feet of sea level rise will impact an estimated 9,400 acres of land, over 3,800 structures, and 17.7 miles of major roads on Oʻahu, resulting in an estimated $12.9 billion in private property and structure-related losses alone; and where many of our fire stations, police stations, hospitals, and highways and roadways are becoming increasingly susceptible to flooding; and where disaster shelters and safe buildings can only house a fraction of each island's population (e.g., 20 percent on Oʻahu); and where many are not rated for category 3 storms; and where Hawaiʻi's 700 disaster shelters and buildings are for the most part rated for a category-1 storms; and

Whereas, Climate or disaster resilient infrastructure may be defined as infrastructure that is planned, designed, built, and operated in a way that anticipates, prepares for, and adapts to changing climate conditions and extreme weather or disasters; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge lawmakers to invoke laws, rules and regulations that promote climate mitigation on their buildings, and services; and be it further

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge our elected officials to encourage responsible urban planning through comprehensive plans sensitive to climate change impacts across the Hawaiian Islands, investigating and implementing reliant solutions for climate resilient infrastructures, within appropriate cultural and ecological methods in Hawaiʻi; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, Receiving communications during the legislative session from a legislator, or their representative, that include invitations to donate to their re-election campaigns may feel like an invitation to "pay-to-play" and disenfranchise those who cannot afford to "pay"; and

Whereas, State legislators are the only elected local officials who are not limited to a specific number of terms because the legislature never passed a bill that gives citizens the opportunity to vote to amend the state Constitution to establish term-limits on legislators; and

Whereas, When the Legislature enacted the Sunshine Law for every government body it exempted itself from complying with the Sunshine Law; and

Whereas, When the legislature enacted the state's Ethics Laws for every state body and state employee, it exempted state legislators from many of those ethics laws by codifying that Legislators are not "employees"; and

Whereas, Lobbyists are required to disclose who is paying them to lobby, but lawmakers who are hired as private practice attorneys are bound by law to keep their attorney-client relationships confidential; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats urge State Legislators to take the following immediate action to implement anti-corruption safeguards for the Legislature:

1. Adopt House and Senate Rules that restrict state legislators, or their representatives, from soliciting or accepting campaign contributions during the legislative session; and
2. Adopt House and Senate Rules that require Legislators to comply with all State Sunshine laws and Ethics laws while proceeding to amend the relevant statutes to codify these requirements; and
3. Adopt House and Senate Rules that restrict legislators who were hired as private-practice attorneys or were profit-sharing partners in a law practice within the preceding six months, and are now bound by attorney-client confidentiality from disclosing their clients' names or businesses, from holding any leadership position; and
4. Adopt House and Senate Rules that any bill sponsored by a majority of the members in their originating chamber shall be required to have at least one committee hearing; and
5. Adopt House and Senate Rules that no bill shall be deferred indefinitely without a recorded vote by the members of the committee; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this signed resolution be sent to all Hawaiʻi Legislators and forwarded to the Democratic Party Hawaiʻi Biennial Convention for consideration and adoption.

Whereas, The Hawaiʻi State motto is, Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono; and <> Whereas, A common translation of the State motto is, "the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness;" and

Whereas, Honor, integrity, and respect for the rule of law are modern attributes implicit in what it means to promote Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge our elected officials, who are members of the Democratic Party, to study, reflect upon, speak up for, be in advocacy of, and incorporate into their being notions of honor, integrity, and respect for the rule of law, as a means of giving life to the words, Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and all members of the Honolulu City Council.

Whereas, The population of the United States who can speak more than one language is growing through natural growth and immigration; and

Whereas, Many swing states such as Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania have increasingly diverse electorates; and

Whereas, Hawaiʻi is the most ethnically diverse state and can draw multilingual volunteers from a large pool of non-English speakers; and

Whereas, The Oʻahu County Platform Preamble states that it is our mission to create opportunities for free and open political dialogue in regional and district communities to promote civic engagement, political action, and community solidarity; and

Whereas, The Hawaiʻi Democratic Platform recognizes America's diversity and the contributions that immigrants have made; and

Whereas, President Joe Biden has established a President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) to encourage diverse civic outreach; and

Whereas, The Oʻahu Blue Wave Committee is launching an Asian language postcarding and texting program with the purpose of engaging more AANHPI to be civically active in swing states; and

Whereas, The Democratic Party is the people's party, it must include people from every community and be inclusive to the language needs of these communities; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi and the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge their members to join Democrat programs that promote language based outreach to any of the 50 states to increase, maintain, or attain Democratic majorities.

Whereas, The risks posed by the 180 million gallons of fuel stored at the U.S. Department of the Navy's Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility concern 20 tanks and the pipelines that transport the fuel from the tanks to the fueling piers in Pearl Harbor as they were built in the 1940s, and suffer from corrosion and other wear and tear that increases the risk of fuel spills; and

Whereas, A 2015-2016 assessment of the 2.5-mile pipeline system for the U.S. Navy published in September 2016, but only newly disclosed, found that the pipelines needed 350 repairs to address corrosion and dents, many of them urgent including 230 categorized as needing to be fixed immediately; and

Whereas, At the time, the Navy only had budgeted funds for 23 of 230 needed repairs, which were completed in December 2016, and another 26 repairs were completed in May 2018; however, 181 needed repairs still remain today; and

Whereas, The State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health seeks to require the Navy to defuel its tanks per the Emergency Order, dated December 6, 2021, after the jet fuel releases on May 6, 2021, and November 20, 2021, contaminated the Navy's Red Hill well for 93,000 military families and residents at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and surrounding neighborhoods, where they complained of fuel odors from their taps, and suffered skin rashes, burns, and painful gastrointestinal symptoms; and

Whereas, The extensive corrosion within the Navy's pipelines and tanks, and the inconsistent tank inspection process used where 8 of the tanks have not been inspected in more than 20 years and 3 tanks have not been inspected for 40 years, resulted in dozens of fuel releases totaling in excess of 175,000 gallons of fuel over the life of the Facility; and

Whereas, In October 2021, the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health fined the Navy $325,000 for numerous violations including having failed to safely maintain the Red Hill pipeline system where the Department of Health hearing officer called the Facility a "ticking time bomb;" now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi demand that the Navy safely, diligently, and expeditiously defuel, dismantle, and decommission the Red Hill Facility, and its 2.5-mile pipeline system and decontaminate the soil and groundwater and to the extent possible, decontaminate contaminated portions of Moanalua-Waimalu Aquifer; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States; the Secretary of Defense, the Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation; the Governor and Lt. Governor of Hawai i; Members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature; the Mayor of Honolulu and the Members of the Honolulu City Council.

Whereas, Many of Hawaiʻi residents rent rather than own their homes due to the exponential rise of Hawai i's real estate housing prices over the last half century; and

Whereas, Many Native Hawaiian households are Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed and are deeply affected by a lack of affordable rental housing in our community; and

Whereas, The number of Native Hawaiians emigrating out of Hawaiʻi continues to increase due, in part, to the high cost of living in the islands; and

Whereas, Current federal, state, and county government projects to assist low to medium income families with housing include Section 8 public housing options through lottery and public-private partnership developments through lottery; and by all housing metrics, the need for housing across the state for all residents is currently growing upwards of 50,000 units (See State of Hawaiʻi DBEDT, "Measuring Housing Demand - 2015-2025); and

Whereas, Affordable housing advocates and service providers need to continue working with the public and private sectors to develop affordable living communities; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, stand in solidarity with Native Hawaiians and other working families in need of affordable rental housing; and be it further

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi reaffirms its commitment to affordable rental housing for Native Hawaiian families towards a more just, equitable, and quality of life attainment, and in doing so hereby: (1) Commits to work with the Party Caucuses and other interested parties to effectuate policy change towards affordable rental housings; and (2) Calls upon the Office of the Governor of the State of Hawai i, the Hawaiʻi State Senate and the Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives, to fulfill their obligations to reach our goal of having enough affordable housing for the people of Hawaiʻi by 2027; and be it further

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi work with our Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation to advocate for appropriate funds from the Build Back Better infrastructure stimulus Act to address Hawaiʻi's affordable housing needs; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, For centuries, Native Hawaiians managed self-sufficient agricultural systems distinguished by thriving fishponds and productions of taro, banana, pig, and sweet potato; and

Whereas, With the arrival of Westerners, traditional loʻi and agricultural field systems were converted into pineapple and sugar cane plantations that exploited cheap labor to produce goods that were mostly shipped out of the state; and

Whereas, Prospective farmers are facing increasing difficulties in obtaining prime agricultural lands devoted to growing crops; and

Whereas, According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture 2017 Agricultural Census, approximately one out of seven farmers in the state are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and

Whereas, Our Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders need assistance with access to both farmland and financial resources for farming; and

Whereas, Doubling Hawaiʻi's food production will require increasing the state's inventory of former pineapple and sugarcane lands, working with farmers to increase their productivity, maintaining food safety standards, and guarding against invasive species; and

Whereas, An abundance of locally grown Hawaiian foods could improve the diet and health of Native Hawaiians and the community at large; and

Whereas, Access to land and resources, including financing for agricultural operations, has been difficult for many Native Hawaiian families who wish to continue their farming practices or innovate as 21st Century mahiʻai; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, encourage access to affordable farmland to lease and support grants and subsidies for small scale local farmers; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, Community Development Corporations (CDCs) are tax-exempt under section 501(C)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and are community-based organizations focused on revitalizing typically low-income and underserved neighborhoods that have experienced significant disinvestment; and

Whereas, A CDC can be involved in a wide-range of community services for Native Hawaiians that meet local needs such as education, job training, healthcare, commercial development, land management, and other social programs; and

Whereas, A CDC generally receives funding from philanthropic organizations or government funds through community development block grant programs; and

Whereas, There are many successful CDCs operating in Hawaiʻi that demonstrate the value of this model in helping Native Hawaiian communities thrive, such as Pūnana o Kaiona, Kapolei Heritage Center, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, and Laʻi ʻŌpua; and

Whereas, eCollaboration among CDCs in Hawaiʻi can build strategic partnerships to aggregate resources to support Native Hawaiian cultural education, employment, housing, and health improvement initiatives; and

Whereas, The establishment of new CDCs and increased support of existing CDCs throughout Hawaiʻi is a pathway to strong, healthy, and vibrant Native Hawaiian communities through aloha ʻāina, and proper stewardship of former Crown and Government Lands; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, support establishment of community development corporations as tools for creation of strategic partnerships to empower healthy Native Hawaiian communities; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawai i Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, "Aloha Spirit" has been a part of our laws for decades; and

Whereas, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 5-7.5 provides, as follows:

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and all members of the Honolulu City Council.

Whereas, The Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi recognizes that well-being of ʻāina is essential to the well-being of our people and advocates for preservation, protection, and stewardship of land, watersheds, ocean resources, and significant cultural sites; and

Whereas, The Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi advocacy requires current and factual information on near-term and long-term plans of significant landowners, including the federal government; and

Whereas, The federal government holds 829,830 acres in Hawaiʻi, or 20 percent of the island archipelago; and

Whereas, The federal government has lease interest in thousands of acres for Poamoho Training Area, Kahuku Training Area, Makua Military Reservation, and Pōhakuloa Training Area, and others; and

Whereas, According to the 1995 Hawaii Military Land Use Master Plan, more than half of the lands used by the U.S. Department of Defense in Hawaiʻi are part of the Public Land Trust of the State of Hawaiʻi; and

Whereas, A current inventory and land use master plan for all federal government land interests can inform decisions on lease renewals, amendments, and extensions, which lands may be excessed by the federal government and made available for other purposes, including transfers of land to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to satisfy the land settlement in the 1995 Hawaiian Home Lands Recovery Act and the return of lands to the Public Land Trust pursuant to the Hawai‘i Admission Act and subsequent amendments and similar acts; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi request the federal government to produce a current inventory of its land interests in the State of Hawai‘i; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party.

Whereas, Adult dental care is critical for our vulnerable population of 400,000 residents who rely on Medicaid for health insurance, this is especially true Native Hawai ians and Pacific Islanders who are disproportionately represented in emergency room visits for dental-related diagnoses; and

Whereas, In 2009, due to massive budget cuts to state programs, Medicare terminated routine adult dental care and never restored it; any coverage was replaced by emergency-only care, and limited to pain relief, injuries, trauma, and tooth extraction; and

Whereas, This lack of preventive and restorative dental services for adult Medicaid beneficiaries increases their potential health care complications particularly for those with co-existing chronic disease, like diabetes and heart disease; poor oral health, and co-existing conditions lead to increased disability and death; and

Whereas, A 2021 study done by the Hawaiʻi Oral Health Coalition in cooperation with the University of Hawaiʻi's John A. Burns School of Medicine, found that between 2016 and 2020, 29,536 adults visited emergency rooms for a dental-related diagnosis at a cost of $54.37 million, of which $21.7 million was paid by Medicaid; this placed high costs and burdens on emergency rooms, and an even greater societal cost as it causes much human suffering; and

Whereas, Since 2010, the State of Hawaiʻi received a failing grade of "F" in three oral health report cards by the Pew Center due to multiple policy and systems issues that have left Hawai i's families and children worse off than the rest of the United States, and

Whereas, A disproportionate number of Medicaid enrollees aged 21-44 use emergency rooms for emergency dental services; adult Medicaid beneficiaries are only 25% of Hawai i's population but are 47% of all recipients of dental services provided in emergency rooms; and

Whereas, In February 2020, the American Dental Association's Health Policy Institute and the State of Hawai i's Department of Human Services' MedQuest division found that medical care cost savings of $1.9 million to $5.3 million per year were attributable to a reduction in emergency room visits for dental conditions and reduced medical care costs among beneficiaries with diabetes, coronary artery disease, and pregnancy; and

Whereas, Medicaid coverage for dental benefits should be reinstated to cover diagnostic, preventive, restorative services with expanded prosthodontic services; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the rest- oration of Medicaid's dental services and prosthodontic services as soon as possible; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution shall be transmitted to the Hawaiʻi State Governor and Lieutenant Governor and all members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

Whereas, The United States ranks first in cost, but only 35th among countries of the world in health system outcomes and quality according to the Lancet, and worse for infant mortality and life expectancy, with no relationship between what healthcare costs in the United States and the quality of care or access to care; and

Whereas, Currently pending in Congress is a vitally important bill, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, H.R. 1976 ("the Act"), which would broaden the cost-effective and efficient government-sponsored Medicare program to finance and provide comprehensive, high-quality health care for every resident in the United States; and

Whereas, Numerous academic studies have concluded that the administrative savings under a single-payer, Medicare for All system would be enough to cover the currently uninsured and improve coverage for all those who now have only partial coverage; and

Whereas, The Act would eliminate all costs for premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket costs that cause financial hardship for tens of millions of U.S. residents every year; and the Act would provide comprehensive health care, including all primary care, hospital and outpatient services, dental, vision, audiology, maternity and newborn care, women's reproductive services, mental health, prescription drugs, and long-term care services; and

Whereas, The Act would eliminate all costs for premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket costs that have caused such a crisis for tens of millions of people, while it would ensure genuine patient choice of any doctor, hospital, clinic, or other provider a patient chooses without the restrictions imposed by private insurers; and

Whereas, The Act would be of great assistance to the People of the United States as we continue to contend with the effects of the Covid-19 virus; now therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi affirm that healthcare is a human right that should be guaranteed to all U.S. residents and urge that the U.S. Congress adopt the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act at the earliest practical date; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of Hawaiʻi's Congressional delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Director of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, and the members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature.

Whereas, Veterans have honorably served the United States and have brought great pride to their communities and families, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Affairs) provides a wide range of services which support veterans; and

Whereas, Minority veterans needs often significantly differ from one another and differ from non-minority veterans as well; to improve services to these distinct minority populations, the Veterans Affairs must be empowered to know their specific needs; and

Whereas, In the early 1990's, Native Hawaiians and Native Americans were in the forefront of successfully establishing the first Veterans Affairs minority veterans' office, with an advisory committee chaired by Native Hawaiians which provided the basis for establishment of the current Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans; and

Whereas, Minority veterans include African American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian; and

Whereas, the Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans' Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans currently works with the Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans to improve its mission; and

Whereas, In 2020, Veterans Affairs Directive 0801 was promulgated, which clarifies and updates the roles and responsibilities of Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans to improve its mission; and

Whereas, A more comprehensive and periodic minority needs assessments would augment and support the mission of the Veterans Affairs generally and the Veterans Affairs Center for Minority Veterans specifically as outlined in VA Directive 0801 while complementing the work of the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans; and

Whereas, more comprehensive and periodic data driven minority veterans needs assessments would benefit from categories such as number, location, age, sex, period of service, conflict participation, social economic status, Veterans Affairs healthcare enrollment, and receipt of Veterans Affairs benefits; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the United States Department of Veteran Affairs to conduct more comprehensive and periodic data driven minority veteran needs assessments to inform improvement actions; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the members of the Honolulu City and County who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the 2022 State Convention Resolutions Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.