Aloha! Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Maile Shimabukuro, and I currently serve as State Senator for District 21, which encompasses Kalaeloa to Kaena Point on Oahu’s leeward side. I have had the pleasure of serving you as a legislator for over 15 years.
I was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2003, representing Waianae, Makaha, and Makua. In 2010, I had the fortune of being appointed to replace then Senate President Colleen Hanabusa when she was elected to Congress. I have served in the State Senate ever since.
I have served as Chair of the Hawaiian Affairs Committee for the past 5 years. I am also a member of the Ways and Means, and Transportation and Energy Committees.
In addition to serving as a legislator, I am an attorney at a non-profit legal services office, and I represent clients in primarily family and public benefit cases. I am a proud graduate of Waianae Elementary, Our Lady of Sorrows, Iolani, Colorado College, and the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law.
I am half Okinawan and half Chinese, and I grew up on the Wai‘anae Coast. My significant other is Shayne Sakoda, who is a landlord and property manager for several rentals which he owns. I have a young son, Keani, and six stepchildren, Amber, Kekai, Christopher, Emma, Jaedyn, and Tyce.
I am the proud daughter of Karen Young, formerly a nurse practitioner at Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (or “WCCHC”), and James Shimabukuro, a professor at Kapi‘olani Community College. My sister, Summer Shimabukuro, is an Assistant Professor at Leeward Community College – Wai‘anae Moku; my half-sister, Elizabeth Shimabukuro, is an HR Specialist at Target; and my half-brother, Bobby Shimabukuro, is a mental health worker at Trillium Family Services. My stepfather, Dr. Fred Dodge, formerly served as medical director and a family physician at WCCHC.
My interests include surfing, the outdoors, politics, and travel.
I am very proud of what I have accomplished while I have been in office. Some of the major transportation projects I have championed include the:
• Nanakuli Turn Lane, from Haleakala Avenue to Nanakuli Avenue; and
• Parallel Route Phase 1, from Paakea Road to Nanakuli Avenue.
Some of the major education projects I have championed include the:
• Leeward Community College-Wai`anae Moku purchase of the Tycom Building in Maili;
• Searider Productions building expansion at Wai`anae High;
• Wai`anae Elementary School administration building;
• Makaha Elementary School ADA improvements; and
• DOE Alternative Learning Center for at-risk students on the Wai`anae Coast.
Some of the major agricultural initiatives I have championed include the:
• HI Farmers Union United distribution hub for the Wai`anae Coast; and
• MA’O Organic Farms’ Youth Leadership Training Program.
Some of the major job training initiatives I have championed include the:
• Ohana Ola O Kahumana transitional shelter training kitchen;
• Wai`anae Coast Community Foundation grant for Toys for Tots, Sunset on the Beach, food distribution, vocational training, and other programs; and
• Hospitality Training Program for Leeward oast residents.
Some of the major economic development and capital projects I have championed include the:
• E Ala Voyaging Canoe A-Frame Halau Wa`a at the Wai`anae Boat Harbor;
• Wai`anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center ER and dental buildings; and
• Na Kama Kai’s ocean education center at the Army’s Herbert K. Pilila`au Recreation Center.
In addition to obtaining much-need funding for the Leeward Coast, I am very proud of the bills I have gotten passed. Some of the major social justice bills I have championed include:
• Extending the civil statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases;
• Direct payment of marital share of state retirement benefits in divorce cases; and
• Waiver of publication requirement in all family court abandonment cases for low-income persons.
Some of the major Hawaiian culture bills I have championed include:
• Legalization of pa`i`ai (hand-pounded poi);
• Aha Moku Advisory Committee structure and funding; and
• Legalization of indigenous architecture for residential structures.
Some of the major environmental protection bills I have championed include:
• Prohibition on removing sand from public beaches;
• Ohikilolo preservation resolution; and
• 10-Day removal requirement for abandoned vehicles.
Some of the major children and youth bills I have championed include:
• Lifting the cap on DOE commercial enterprises; and
• Kawailoa Youth and Family Wellness Center at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Center.
Some of the major housing bills I have championed include:
• Transfer on Death Deeds for homes; and
• Inclusion of legal non-conforming homes for Section 8 eligibility.
Some of the major kupuna care bills I have championed include:
• Allowing disabled persons to claim both physical and mental disability when seeking welfare; and
• Good cause exception for medical treatment plans for disabled welfare recipients.
I humbly ask for your vote in the upcoming election. If I am re-elected, I pledge to continue to fight for critically needed projects and policies. Some of my major priorities for future legislative sessions include:
• Parallel Route, Phase 2, from Nanakuli Avenue to Series 7 (Piliokahi Avenue);
• Extension of the 5th lane on Farrington Highway to Hakimo Road; and
• Rush Hour Contraflow Lane through the Nanakuli bottleneck.
For more information about me, search for Maile Shimabukuro on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and visit electmaile.com. Mahalo nui loa for your time and interest in our democratic process, and for the privilege of serving you.
