Resolutions Adopted

Whereas, Waste incineration facilities reduce every 100 tons of trash to about 30 tons of ash; and

Whereas, H-POWER is Hawaiʻi's only trash incinerator, operating in Oʻahu's Campbell Industrial Park, burning up to 2,600 tons of waste per day, making it one of the nation's largest waste incinerators, and H-POWER's ash is currently dumped in the Waimanalo Gulch Landfill in Honokai Hale; and

Whereas, Fly ash from trash incinerators is regulated as hazardous waste in several other nations, but in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) used to categorically define incinerator ash as non-hazardous, even though tests showed that fly ash qualified as hazardous over 90% of the time and bottom ash would test hazardous 36% of the time due to leaching of toxic lead or cadmium; and

Whereas, Since a 1994 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that incinerator ash must be handled as hazardous waste if it tests hazardous, EPA changed the test and allowed mixing of fly and bottom ashes and changed the test methods to enable incinerator ash to pass the test; and

Whereas, EPA staff admit that the ash testing regulations (which require testing only for what leaches out of incinerator ash at a certain pH in short-term lab tests) are based solely on whether people will be exposed by consuming water that has passed through ash and leached into groundwater and, ultimately, to drinking water supplies – and that ash testing regulations are not based on exposures from touching incinerator ash, or inhaling or ingesting ash particles; and

Whereas, Testing "non-hazardous" does not mean that ash is safe, "non-toxic" or biologically "inert"; and

Whereas, Incinerator ash is typically handled by workers with no respiratory protection, trucked to a landfill in trucks where some ash can blow or spill during transit, dumped from trucks where ash dust usually rises in a cloud that wind can carry, and is finally used as daily cover material for itself, instead of a tarp or clean soil to prevent wind from blowing ash into the community; and

Whereas, The City is currently working with Covanta to develop an ash "recycling" facility at Campbell Industrial Park where incinerator ash would be exempted from being handled as waste, and would be used to build roads or for other purposes that can put workers, the public, and the environment in more contact with incinerator ash than would occur if it were properly contained and landfilled responsibly; and

Whereas, Roads and other construction materials are not forever, and will erode and eventually be broken up, releasing more ash particles, without cautionary warnings about toxicity, and without special handling appropriate for material containing fine particles of highly toxic dioxins and furans, and toxic metals like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health and the City to appropriately handle the incinerator ash (a type of "solid waste" as per HRS Section 342H-30) in any manner other than proper containment in a landfill unless the ash is remediated to such a level that it does not pose a risk to public health and safety by ensuring the ash is first treated to remove dioxins/furans, PFAS, mercury and other toxic contaminants to the point where the remaining ash has no detectable levels of such toxic chemicals for which there is no known safe dose and that trucking and landfilling must at least use secure tarps to ensure that ash cannot be blown by wind into the community; and be it further

Resolved, That the City is hereby urged to cease all activities in pursuit of any effort to "recycle" or "reuse" H-POWER incinerator ash unless it is properly remediated as described above; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the Director of Health, Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of O \ʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, and the Mayor and City Council of the City and County of Honolulu, who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, and the Director of the City Department of Environmental Services.

Whereas, Ash from the burning of county waste at H-POWER, and the burning of vegetation, homes, vehicles and other property during the Lahaina Wildfires contains dioxins/furans, cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PFAS/PFOA, and toxic metals; and

Whereas, This ash, if not properly contained, can expose people who touch it, and that wind and rain can carry it further exposing people, and animals, and placing our land and ocean environments at risk; and

Whereas, Dumping of this ash and debris in a temporary landfill in Olowalu risks further contamination as plastic-wrapped waste in "burritos" easily break and tear when dumped, spreading dust into the air; and

Whereas, Continuing to use the Olowalu landfill to temporarily dump this waste and later excavate it for transportation to a permanent site greatly increases costs of waste handling, causing costs that are likely to require substantial State financial support; and

Whereas, According to the U.S. EPA, Central Maui Landfill, recently designated by the County of Maui as the permanent disposal site, has enough space to last until 2039, and about 600,000 tons of waste from the August 2023 Maui wildfires represents about two years of waste disposal; and

Whereas, Properly executed Zero Waste programs could cut municipal waste and recyclable material disposals by more than half in just a handful of years, stretching out the life of the county's landfill; and

Whereas, Toxic ash can blow off the top of a landfill if not properly contained, it is discouraged to use this ash as alternative daily cover material in place of soil or tarps to safely cover landfilled waste at night; and

Whereas, Many thousands of truck trips will be necessary to transport waste from a temporary landfill, risking traffic problems, spillage and leaching of toxic ash, and increasing the state's carbon footprint; and

Whereas, High-temperature processes such as pyrolysis or incineration create new toxic chemicals including dioxins, furans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, chemical pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, and acid gasses, and make existing toxic chemicals like PFAS and heavy metals more available to be inhaled or ingested, and using these technologies to manage material that has already burned simply compounds the problems caused by the initial burning of these materials; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health to enforce HRS Section 342H-30 so that H-POWER ash and waste from the August 2023 Maui wildfires are not managed in any manner other than the safe containment in a landfill, that trucking of this ash is in leak-proof containers, that such waste may not be used as alternative daily cover material at a landfill, and that secure tarps are used to prevent toxic ash from blowing off the landfill; and be it further

Resolved, The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA are hereby encouraged to contain the remaining waste as soon as possible in trucking-ready containers at- or near-site until ready to be transported for final disposal, to discontinue the use of Olowalu as a temporary disposal site, to ensure that waste is transported in sealed containers to avoid spills and leaks, to decontaminate trucks before departing landfills to ensure that toxic chemicals are not tracking off-site, to transport waste to the landfill at night to minimize traffic concerns, and to abandon consideration of pyrolysis, gasification, or incineration as waste management methods unless protective of human health and the environment; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Lt. Governor of Hawaiʻi, the Director of Health, Hawaiʻi State Legislators who are members of the Democratic Party, the Honolulu District Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Regional Administrator for Region 9 of FEMA, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu and Maui, and Chairs of the City and County Councils.

Whereas, Waste combustion facilities are among the largest sources of industrial air pollution; and

Whereas, At H-POWER, the only waste combustion facility in the State, only four air pollutants are monitored on a continuous basis, while just ten others are tested only once per year under optimal operating conditions, while many others go untested, including PFAS and various toxic metals; and

Whereas, Monitoring once a year is inadequate because it may severely underestimate pollution levels, as shown by the Covanta Delaware Valley waste incinerator in Chester, PA where testing with continuous monitors as well as conducting annual stack tests has shown actual emissions of hydrochloric acid to be 62% higher as shown through continuous monitoring than what annual stack tests indicate; and

Whereas, Emissions of dioxins, the most toxic chemicals known to science, which are 140,000 times more toxic than mercury according to EPA, are released from waste incinerators; and

Whereas, Studies from Europe, where dioxins have been measured using continuous sampling, show that actual emissions from waste incinerators are 30 to 1,290 times higher than what is extrapolated from annual stack tests conducted during normal operating conditions in the U.S., in part due to the failure to capture data when emissions are highest during startup, shutdown, and malfunction times; and

Whereas, Kona winds blow H-POWER's air pollution toward residents on O‘ahu for nearly one full day out of every week, resulting in significant levels of exposure, and the emissions blown out to sea includes highly toxic dioxins and mercury that bioaccumulate in animal fat such as fish people consume; and

Whereas, The U.S. EPA is making continuous monitoring of toxic pollutants at municipal waste incinerators optional in their new regulations under development; and

Whereas, The costs to public health of asthma, cancer, and lives shortened by fine particulate matter and other pollutants released from waste incinerators are in the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars per year, far in excess of the modest cost to gather accurate information on these emissions; and

Whereas, Technology exists to continuously monitor or continuously sample over 20 major pollutants that are not monitored continuously or at all, and to transparently provide that data on a public website; and

Whereas, Covanta has been reporting their continuous emissions monitoring data for the few pollutants they monitor that way at many of their incinerators around the United States, though this transparency is not yet happening at H-POWER, the only trash incinerator in Hawaii, which is operated by Covanta; and

Whereas, Landfills also have toxic air emissions that go unmonitored and are of concern to nearby communities, some of which have been shown to suffer reduced life expectancy; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health to continuously monitor and scrub emissions at incinerators and landfills in the state, including assessing the costs, identifying what technologies are commercially available for continuous monitoring or sampling for the chemical pollutants numbered 4 through 23 in SB 2101 of 2024 and which chemicals have test methods or performance standards available for them, and to evaluate the difference in annual emissions calculated using continuous monitoring/sampling vs. annual stack tests where data exists on these chemical pollutants at other incinerators in the U.S. and Canada; and be it

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

Whereas, Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly understood to pose serious toxicity to humans and other organisms in the environment; and

Whereas, PFAS are utilized in a broad range of products, including firefighting foam, scratch resistant products using Teflon and Scotchgard, clothing, textiles, food packaging, and cosmetic products such as lotions, nail polish, shaving cream, and mascara; and

Whereas, PFAS break down very slowly over time and are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals"; and

Whereas, PFAS is known to enter the environment from a host of sources, including wastewater treatment plants, landfills, and incinerators; and

Whereas, PFAS are persistent, toxic substances that can contaminate drinking water, bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife, and have multiple adverse health effects on humans; and

Whereas, According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, PFAS exposure is linked to increased risk of dyslipidemia (abnormally high cholesterol), suboptimal antibody response, reduced infant and fetal growth, and higher rates of kidney cancer; and

Whereas, Public health studies have also shown correlations between PFAS soil and water contamination, and human health impacts including cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, and other major medical conditions; and

Whereas, Corporations make billions of dollars off of PFAS products, but are not held responsible for the negative public health and environmental impacts that currently falls to taxpayers to address; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Office of the Governor to convene a PFAS Working Group to proactively plan for the remediation of PFAS contamination throughout the State and to accomplish this objective the working group is requested to: (1) Identify the presence, character, location of PFAS; (2) Propose plans of action, including remediation, or elimination of PFAS; (3) Identify any known contaminants or environmental hazards associated with the inventoried lands, and any required remediation; (4) Affirmatively engage in a public information campaign to advise the public of the dangers of PFAS; and (5) Encourage the business community to become more aware of the presence of PFAS in products and product packaging, make the community aware of the dangers of such chemicals, and encourage members of the community to adopt practices to eliminate or at least reduce the presence of these chemicals in the products that they use and sell; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of Health.

Whereas, Consuming produce contaminated with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), microplastics, and heavy metals from reclaimed water and sludge poses a range of health risks and regular testing and monitoring at wastewater treatment facilities are crucial to prevent exposure and protect public health; and

Whereas, Reclaimed water used for irrigation directly impacts crops and soil, with contaminated reclaimed water introducing PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals in the food chain, which adversely affects both the environment and human health; and

Whereas, PFAS, microplastics and heavy metals can enter food chains and result in biomagnification, affecting aquatic fauna, insects, invertebrates, amphibians, fish, and seafood; and

Whereas, Water and sludge seepage from military landfills and municipal waste sites then pumped to wastewater treatment plants are not usually tested for PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals; and

Whereas, Consuming produce grown with PFAS-contaminated water and/or sludge fertilizer can cause to an increased risk of certain cancers, including prostate, kidney, and testicular cancers; and other serious illnesses such as liver disease, endocrine disruption, and developmental delays in children, including low birth weight, accelerated puberty, and behavioral changes; and

Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency has proposed regulations that would require water utilities to test for PFAS and limit their levels to very low amounts, and on Oahu, the Department of Health has reported PFAS detections in several communities' drinking water, including Kunia and Waipio, where PFAS levels were detected far above what the federal government considers safe; and

Whereas, The PFAS in Kunia's water likely came from five United States Army installations in the immediate vicinity that send their wastewater to the Schofield Barracks Wastewater Treatment Plant, where one hundred percent of its reclaimed water is reused for agricultural purposes, causing groundwater and surface water contamination; and

Whereas, Microplastics have been found to disrupt human health at the cellular level and magnify toxicity of other contaminants found in the environment; and

Whereas, Heavy metal toxicity has proven to be a major health risk; and

Whereas, Sewage sludge used as fertilizer containing PFAS, microplastics and heavy metals, contaminates the soil, affects crop quality and safety, and harms marine ecosystems; and

Whereas, requiring regular testing will help the safety of consumers, farmers, and the environment; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health to require wastewater treatment facilities to test reclaimed water and sewage sludge for the presence of PFAS, microplastics, and heavy metals to ensure the safety of the reclaimed water and the absence of harmful contaminants that can negatively impact human health and the environment; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi and the Director of the Department of Health

Whereas, Environmental toxins caused by pollutants have notably increased in recent decades, particularly with the rapid expansion of the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances "PFAS", a group of synthetic organofluorine chemical compounds, which have been found to be highly toxic; and

Whereas, Hawaiʻi continues to lack a testing laboratory that is capable of identifying diseases and toxins present in Hawaiʻi's air, water, soil, and biological and other specimens, which obliges Hawaiʻi residents often to rely on data relating to environmental toxins that are provided by the very same entities that have caused the toxins to be present in the State's natural environment in the first place; and

Whereas, The present lack of an in-State environmental toxins laboratory undermines the State's ability to evaluate and, as appropriate, confirm or reject contentions by federal government departments and agencies, including the Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency; state agencies such as the Department of Health; and private entities, relating to environmental toxic chemicals such as petroleum constituents, PFAS, PFAS-related substances, heavy metals, and many other toxins now found throughout the State's natural environment; and

Whereas, Further, Hawai i residents' ability to evaluate the presence of environmental toxins is often delayed, causing further harm to human health and the environment because samples must be sent to laboratories located in the continental United States, and the results from sample analyses may be withheld by the agencies that control the supply of the samples to those laboratories; and

Whereas, A publicly-owned laboratory certified by the Environmental Protection Agency that complies with the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments of 1988, 42 U.S. Code, §263a, should be constructed in Hawai i to address these issues and to facilitate the prompt and transparent disclosure of the results of testing samples taken from the State; and

Whereas, The cost of construction of the laboratory is currently beyond the State's means as Hawai i endeavors to respond adequately to the catastrophe of the August 2023 Maui wildfires that destroyed Lahaina and damaged Upper Kula, Pulehu, Kihei, and Kaʻanapali;now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi support construction of a publicly-owned laboratory certified by the Environmental Protection Agency that complies with the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendments of 1988, 42 U.S. Code, §263a, to be constructed in Hawai i to address these issues and to facilitate the prompt and transparent disclosure of the results of testing samples taken from the State; and

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation to take all action necessary and proper to induce Congress to appropriate sufficient funds to construct and operate a public lab; and be it further

Resolved, That the Governor, Department of Health, and other relevant governmental agencies are urged to support the construction and the operations of the laboratory, and that the laboratory is urged to publish the results of its analyses to the public; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawaiʻi's Congressional Delegation, the Governor, and the Director of the Department of Health.

Whereas, There are currently no procedural requirements or standards that the DOH must follow to establish Environmental Action Levels (EALS) for various toxins that it monitors, or to revise EALs, up or down; and

Whereas, There is currently no requirement for public input or notice even though the public has a right to know all relevant information about environmental toxins; and it is the responsibility of the state agencies charged with monitoring and remediating environmental toxins to ensure that the public receives all relevant information about the presence of environmental toxins in a timely manner; and

Whereas, The Department of Health monitors the presence of environmentally toxic chemicals in water, soil, and the air, and may ask polluters to take remedial action if pollution levels exceed certain levels, often called environmental action levels or EALs – a higher EAL is a more lenient standard; and

Whereas, For example, in April 2023, DOH raised EALs for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by 100% over prior levels, without advance public notice or public hearing and without advance publication of any scientific information that might justify the increase for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a type of PFAS, resulting in a relaxation of enforcement standards and a potential increase in pollution; and

Whereas, Increases in EALs by any Hawai i state agency that are without scientific justification and contrary to the EALs established and enforced by federal agencies and other states may pose unreasonable risks to the State's environment and the human population; and

Whereas, Under the environmental protection provisions of the Hawaiʻi State Constitution, Art. XI, §§ 1 and 7, any increase in EALs ought to be scientifically justifiable, based on the severity of risks to human health and the environment and the probability of adverse effects on health and the environment; and

Whereas, Procedures must be established to provide the public with advance notice and scientific information, and a meaningful opportunity to be heard, to respond to any proposed modifications in EALs; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health to follow procedural and substantive requirements for the establishment and modifications of environmental action levels as follows:

1. Every state agency that monitors environmental toxins and pollutants should establish environmental action levels or substantively similar triggering that are consistent with health based best practices and most recent scientific evidence relating to preservation of human health and a safe environment and not less protective than United States Environmental Protection Agency standards; and
2. No modification to weaken any environmental action level or similar triggering mechanism should be made except after adequate advance notice is given to the public, which should include all publication of relevant scientific justifications for the proposed modification; and
3. Any agency proposing a modification to any environmental action levels or similar triggering mechanism should comply with the requirements of Chapter 91, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, and allow not less than thirty days for the public to comment on the proposed modification and conduct one or more public hearings at which comments relating to the proposed action may be received and report annually to the State Legislature; and
4. Allow any resident of the State to petition with scientific documentation for modifications of one or more environmental action levels or similar triggering mechanisms and promptly respond to the petition in the manner provided by Chapter 91, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes; and be it

   Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of Health.

Whereas, Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly understood to pose serious toxicity to humans and other organisms in the environment; and

Whereas, PFAS are utilized in a broad range of products, including firefighting foam, scratch resistant products using Teflon and Scotchgard, clothing, textiles, food packaging, and cosmetic products such as lotions, nail polish, shaving cream, and mascara; and

Whereas, since the 1970s, the Department of Defense used firefighting foam to fight fuel fires and the contaminating land and ground water with PFAS across hundreds of U.S. military installations including facilities in Hawaiʻi; and

Whereas, PFAS break down very slowly over time and are commonly referred to as "forever chemicals"; and

Whereas, PFAS are persistent, toxic substances that can contaminate drinking water, bioaccumulate in fish and wildlife, and have multiple adverse health effects on humans; and

Whereas, According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, PFAS exposure is linked to increased risk of dyslipidemia (abnormally high cholesterol), suboptimal antibody response, reduced infant and fetal growth, and higher rates of kidney cancer; and

Whereas, Public health studies have also shown correlations between PFAS soil and water contamination, and human health impacts including cancer, thyroid disease, kidney dysfunction, birth defects, and other major medical conditions; and Whereas, The Naval command continues to adhere to the EPA's outdated Health Advisory of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for a combination of PFOS and PFOA rather then the new advisory of 0.02 ppt for PFOS and 0.004 of PFOA; and

Whereas, The Department of Health (DOH) has set Environmental Action Levels at an unjustified height of 7.7 ppt for PFOS and 12 ppt for PFOA; and

Whereas, There is no State or Federal agency that is doing regular and frequent testing for PFAS at the EPA's interim advisory level in the State of Hawai i; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Department of Health and the University of Hawaiʻi to establish a PFAS Testing Grant Program that would assist local communities, businesses, and residents of the state to obtain sampling and testing services for PFAS detection at least to the level of the EPA's interim advisory; and be it further

Resolved, That the DOH and UH are requested to seek funding for such a PFAS Testing Grant Program from the US Navy and the US Congress, collaborating with the Hawaiʻi congressional delegation; and be it further

Resolved, That the Department of Health and the University of Hawaiʻi is requested to adopt any necessary rules to ensure that all grants provided under such a PFAS Testing Grant Program adhere to standards that promote fairness, transparency, and compliance with applicable laws; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Health, President of the Uniiversity of Hawaiʻi System, and Hawaiʻi's congressional delegation.

Whereas, the democratic process is the cornerstone of our society, and fair elections are essential for a thriving democracy; and

Whereas, political campaigns play a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing voters; and

Whereas, it is imperative that candidates conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents and the electorate; and

Whereas, every candidate for public office has an obligation to observe and uphold basic principles of decency, honesty and fair play.

Whereas, a pledge of fair campaign practices fosters a healthy political environment and promotes trust in the electoral system; and

Whereas, the O ahu County Democratic Party is committed to upholding democratic values and ensuring a level playing field for all candidates; and therefore be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi requests all Democratic candidates to pledge the following:

• I shall conduct my campaign openly and publicly, discussing the issues as I see them, presenting my record and policies with sincerity.
  
• I shall not use campaign material relating to any candidate's election which misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding the candidate.
  
• I shall refrain from the use of personal vilification, character defamation, or any other form of scurrilous personal attacks on any candidate or their family.
  
• I shall condemn any dishonest or unethical practice that tends to corrupt or undermine the American system of free elections or that hampers or prevents the full and free expression of the will of the voters.
  
• I shall condemn any appeal to prejudice based on race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, or age.
  
• I shall not originate or spread any malicious or unfounded accusations against any candidate which are aimed at creating or exploiting doubts on the part of the public as to the candidate's loyalty and patriotism.
  
• I shall immediately and publicly repudiate support deriving from any individual or group, acting on behalf of my candidacy, who resorts to the methods and tactics contrary to my pledge of conducting Fair Campaign Practices.
  
• I shall disclose all my campaign funding sources, expenditures, and affiliations transparently, ensuring voters have access to relevant information.
  
• I shall actively engage with diverse communities, listen to their concerns, and address their needs without discrimination; and be it

Ordered, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi shall recognize and celebrate those candidates that pledge and uphold the Fair Campaign Practices; and be it

Ordered, that copies of this resolution be distributed to each Democratic candidate running in the 2024 elections and every election period thereafter, and to the 2024 convention resolutions committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawai i adopted Resolution No, 2022-15 "Urging our elected officials to study, reflect upon, speak up about, and be advocates for the Spirit of Aloha," at the 2022 Democratic Party of Hawai i State Convention; and

Whereas, the Aloha spirit is a cherished value in Hawaiʻi, embodying kindness, respect, and compassion toward others; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi seeks to uphold these principles in all aspects of governance and public life; and

Whereas, the Aloha Spirit Law, Hawaiʻi Revised Statute §5-7.5, explicitly recognizes the importance of the Aloha spirit as a guiding force for our community; and

Whereas, election campaigns play a crucial role in shaping our democracy and influencing public opinion; and

Whereas, we believe that political discourse should be conducted with civility, empathy, and a commitment to the well-being of our fellow citizens; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi call upon all Democratic candidates running for office to adhere to the principles of the Aloha spirit law throughout their election campaigns; and be it

Resolved, That the O ahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi requests that all Democratic candidates engage in respectful dialogue, treat opponents and constituents with kindness, and actively promote unity and understanding; and be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi requests all Democratic candidates to prioritize community well-being, actively listen to constituents, and address their concern with empathy and compassion; and be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi encourages Democratic candidates to educate themselves and their campaign teams about the Aloha spirit law (HRS §5-7.5) and its significance; and be it

Ordered, that copies of this resolution with the Aloha spirit law (HRS §5-7.5) shall be distributed to each Democratic candidate running in the 2024 elections and every election period thereafter, and to the 2024 convention resolutions committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.

Whereas, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been providing critical humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees since its establishment in 1949;

Whereas, Innocent men, women, and children in Palestine continue to face dire humanitarian conditions, including mass displacement, loss of livelihoods, and limited access to necessities such as food, clean water, and health care services;

Whereas, Palestinian refugees are faced with escalating conflicts and crises in the region, resulting in more than 30,000 deaths and 1,900,000 people displaced from their homes;

Whereas, Most of UNRWA's regular budget for Gaza pays for the salaries of 13,000 employees in the region, including teachers, health care specialists, engineers, and sanitation workers; and

Whereas, The total amount of funding that is typical for salaries and operational expenses for UNRWA comes out to $30,000,000 monthly, but has increased to $47,000,000 a month since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, according to Tom White, Director UNRWA Affairs in Gaza;

Whereas, That extra money has paid for flour for 350,000 families, 14 million food items, mattress pads, blankets, and kitchen sets, and the distribution of 20 million liters of water; and

Whereas, Some of UNRWA's budget in Gaza also goes to distributing life-saving medications, including insulin and vaccines;

Whereas, The United States usually gives between $300,000,000 to $400,000,000 to UNRWA on an annual basis, according to Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, which amounts to roughly one-third of the agency's annual budget; and

Whereas, In January 2024, the United States suspended funding to UNRWA amid claims that 12 of its 13,000 staff members in Gaza may have abetted extremist activities, and in response, the United Nations Secretary-General immediately announced the creation of an independent panel to investigate the allegations made against UNRWA employees, who were subsequently terminated;

Whereas, Suspension of funding to UNRWA by the United States government has severely impacted UNRWA's ability to deliver life-saving assistance to Palestinian refugees, and reinstating funding to UNRWA is essential to ensure the delivery of critical services for Palestinian refugees, such as food, health care, and emergency relief assistance; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the President of the United States to promptly reinstate funding for the UNRWA to support its life-saving and critical humanitarian assistance programs for Palestinian refugees; and be it

Ordered, That copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the offices of President Joe Biden, the United States Secretary of State, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and the Speaker of the Hawaiʻi State House, and all members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature who are Democrats.

Whereas, All human life is precious and the targeting of non-combatants in a conflict zone is a violation of Rule 1 of customary International Humanitarian Law (ICRC Study on Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I, 2005, Cambridge University Press); and

Whereas, The October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel caused the deaths of some 1,200 Israelis; and

Whereas, As of March 1, 2024, the official civilian casualty figures in Gaza have surpassed 30,000 deaths, with thousands of injuries reported and thousands of people missing under the rubble (Gaza Ministry of Health as quoted by NPR, 2024); and

Whereas, One crime against humanity does not justify further crimes against humanity; and

Whereas, The conflict in Gaza is the deadliest in the 21st century, with more than one out of every 100 Gazans killed in just 100 days, including one out of every 85 Gazan children (UNESCWA, 2024); and

Whereas, The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel's actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, likely constitute a genocide (ICJ, 2024); and

Whereas, On March 25, 2024 the UN Security Council adopted a ceasefire resolution with the United States abstaining; and

Whereas, Peace requires justice and liberation for all peoples, universal respect for international law, and human rights for all; and therefore be it

Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge President Joe Biden to leverage the immense influence the U.S. has on Israel to establish a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinian people through the following actions:

1. Require all parties to agree to a permanent end to hostilities;
2. Require the release of all hostages held by Hamas, as well as the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel under "administrative detention" without other charge;
3. Suspend all transfers of weapons and funding from the United States to Israel;
4. Establish an international peacekeeping presence throughout Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem (the Occupied Palestinian Territories) to protect all civilians from further harm;
5. Create a truth and reconciliation commission drawing on models from other post-conflict societies to investigate human rights abuses and provide a platform for victims to be heard;
6. Implement restorative justice initiatives to address the needs of victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and restore the social fabric of Palestine and Israel;
7. Provide and protect unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid, support for refugees and displaced persons, and assistance in rebuilding Palestinian infrastructure and economy; and
8. Address the root causes of the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, such as economic disparities, political disenfranchisement, and environmental degradation

Ordered, That copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the offices of President Joe Biden, the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the U.S. House Minority Leader, the Governor and Lt. Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and the Speaker of the Hawaiʻi State House, and all members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature who are Democrats.