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2023 Convention of the O‘ahu County Democrats
May 13, 2023
eConvention
Resolution Title: 23-01 Urging the City and County of Honolulu to expand the installation and
use of non-"greenhouse gases" (GHG) emitting sources of electricity,
such as, but not limited to, solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric,
ocean wave generators, combined with battery storage technology,
as the alternative to incineration-based power plants; and require the
use of carbon capture technology for all existing GHG emitting power
plants
23-02 Urging the City and County of Honolulu and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature
to severely restrict the use, manufacture and importing of all products
which contain any variety or form of PFAS chemical compounds, and
eventually ban those products as soon as it becomes practical, on Oʻahu23-03 Urging the Honolulu City Council to designate Oʻahu's coral reefs as
critical natural infrastructure which must be protected from human
engendered damage in all forms23-04 Celebrating the protection of the right to privacy and bodily
autonomy in Hawaiʻi through the enactment of Act 2, Session Laws
of Hawaiʻi 202323-05 Supporting equality and representation in government for all LGBTQIA+
persons and rejecting legislation which cause significant harm to and
placing LGBTQIA+ individuals at increased risk for physical harassment,
violence, incarceration and increased rates of suicide23-06 Urging the Honolulu City Council to exempt from real property
tax those property owners of residential units within one-half mile
of an active landfill or deemed to have been impacted by those
landfills as a matter of environmental justice23-07 Affirming Oʻahu County Democrats' efforts to get out the vote 23-08 Strengthening the Democratic Party's position at all government
levels in 2024
OCD Resolution 2023-01: Urging the City and County of Honolulu to expand the installation and use of non-"greenhouse gases" (GHG) emitting sources of electricity, such as, but not limited to, solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric, ocean wave generators, combined with battery storage technology, as the alternative to incineration-based power plants; and require the use of carbon capture technology for all existing GHG emitting power plants
Whereas, The Oʻahu County Climate Action Plan 2020-2025 calls for our island to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 45 percent over the next five years and put us on the path to carbon neutrality by 2045; and
Whereas, Current and rapidly evolving, non-GHG producing, and battery storage technologies are becoming less expensive and more efficient to install and can produce cheaper and reliable electricity, and are therefore, more capable of providing a substantial, consistent, and controllable contribution to Oʻahu's power requirements; and
Whereas, To achieve the State and County's GHG reduction goals, expanded installations of alternative non-polluting power sources, including but not limited to, solar panels, wind turbines and wave generators, are necessary, but can and must be done with acute awareness of Hawaiian cultural and community impact concerns, and operated in accordance with environmental regulations for the preservation of local wildlife and endangered species; and
Whereas, According to the 2022 Hawaiʻi State Energy Office Facts and Figures Report, Fossil fuels (coal and petroleum) which emit GHG, still provide over 77% of Hawaiʻi's electric power, and "renewable sources" (currently including Biomass burning, which also produces carbon emissions) produced approximately 29% of which, only about 20% was from non-emission producing sources; and
Whereas, Oʻahu's H-Power municipal multisource waste burning plants produces most of Oʻahu's GHG, which are highly dangerous to the health of all island residents and especially to those who live near those power plants, and which can cause cancers, respiratory illnesses, birth defects and neurological problems; and
Whereas, The Public Utilities Commission supports Oʻahu's status as a National leader in clean, renewable energy by promoting the best, cheapest, and most environmentally safe and reliable mix of power generating resources moving forward toward Hawaiʻi's climate change mitigation and energy production goals; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urges the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaiʻi State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party to expand the installation and use of non-GHG emitting sources of electricity, including but not limited to, solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric, and ocean wave generators, combined with battery storage technology, as the alternative to all forms of incineration-based power plants; and require the use of carbon capture technology to all current and new GHG producing power plants; and provided that environmental assessments do not find any significant impact on the physical, economic, economic, cultural and social conditions that exist within the area affected by a proposed acion, and be it so
Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor the Lt. Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, all members of the Honolulu City Council, the Director of the Department of Environmental Services for the City and County of Honolulu, and the Director of the Hawaiʻi Department of Health.
Whereas, According to Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 2019 PFAS - An Overview of
the Science and Guidance for Clinicians on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), PFAS also
known as "forever chemicals", are manmade toxic chemical substances which have been found in drinking water all over the USA, and can build up (bio accumulate) in all forms of animal food sources such as fish, domestic farm animals and wildlife, entering a human body via consumption, skin contact, breathing, and exposure to waste products which contain them can cause various forms of cancer, immune system deficiencies, organ damage, and affect human growth, with investigations ongoing; and
Whereas, PFAS chemicals come in many forms,(PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, PFHxS, HFPO-DA (GenX) PFBS),
and are used as coatings to make products heat, oil, stains, grease and water, resistant, which include, most food service/take out products, clothing, textiles in all forms, carpets, soaps and gels, makeups, sunscreens and their containers, non-stick cookware to name only a few, most of which are usually discarded, to be burned for power on O‘ahu, or dumped on our beaches or into our ocean; and
Whereas, They are also integral to the preferred forms of firefighting foams, which have recently been the source of massive drinking water pollution on Oʻahu, in the September 2020 firefighting foam spill at Red Hill and the November 2022 spill of approximately 1,300 gallons of firefighting foam from the Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility in Halawa, which dumped massive concentrations of Toxic PFAS chemicals into drinking water that served both civilian and Navy Oʻahu residents; and
Whereas, Recent investigations by the Department of Health, and the Board of Water Supply have
detected low levels of PFAS in multiple drinking water wells on Oʻahu, including but not limited to, Waipio Heights, Halawa and ʻAiea Halawa Shaft, Makakilo, Aina Koa Well 1, Kipapa Acres, Waipahu Well 2, Del Monte Kunia Village; and
Whereas, PFAS chemicals do not naturally break down in any form of the environment, remaining toxic for literally thousands of years, and are easily transmittable during the entire time, thereby continuing to be a health threat causing illnesses and toxin-related deaths in human beings and animal life long after being discarded and can cause various cancers which means that safe removal and storage of all PFAS containing waste products and chemical spills must be a priority for O‘ahu County; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the City and County of Honolulu and the Hawai‘i State Legislators for the island of Oʻahu who are members of the Democratic Party to severely restrict and ban the importation, manufacturing, sale, offer for sale, distribution for sale, and use of products containing PFAS Chemicals whether intentionally or unintentionally added, and to further explore alternative and safer options for the disposal of products containing PFAS being used on Oʻahu; and be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the City and County of Honolulu to work with the Board of Water Supply and provide necessary funding to develop a plan for the treatment of PFAS in Oʻahu's water wells; and be it
Ordered, That the copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi and 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, Oʻahu's coral reefs are vital for mitigating the damage and losses resulting from climate change related events like storm damage, coastal flooding, and beach erosion, so long as they are healthy and strong; and
Whereas, Oʻahu's coral reefs have been damaged by human engendered actions and can be managed,
preserved, and restored, by employing established natural solutions; and
Whereas, According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) live coral cover has declined by as much as forty percent in some areas, and Oʻahu has experienced multiple coral bleaching events in the past ten years, especially in the massive Statewide events of 2015 and 2019, resulting in, but not limited to, 75% of the coral around the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport bleached, Yokohama Bay, Makua Beach, Kāneʻohe Bay high percentages of bleaching, and which the NOAA concluded resulted as much from human waste discharge and pollution as from ocean temperatures; and
Whereas, The health and sustainability of Oʻahu's coral reefs are being threatened by climate change related rising sea levels and ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, coral bleaching, unsustainable fishing practices, invasive species and land-based sources of pollution and run-off; and
Whereas, Studies from the United States Geological survey have shown that healthy coral reefs can absorb up to ninety-seven percent of wave energy, thereby protecting coastal properties from storm surge and trapping sediments, and further estimated that Hawaiʻi's coral reefs protect $836,000,000 worth of coastal infrastructure from flooding annually; of which the major portion is on Oʻahu; and
Whereas, Climate scientists and other experts predict an increase in the number and severity of
hurricanes, higher levels of rainfall in fewer storm events, in addition to ever increasing sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification, which already undermine the health of our reef systems and will continue to do so if current climate conditions persist; and
Whereas, Ten million visitors travel to Hawaiʻi annually to experience, amongst other natural resources, the beauty of our ocean coastline, beaches, reefs and reef sea life, and in doing so contribute nearly $17 billion to our state economy annually; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Honolulu City Council to designate Oʻahu's coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure for Honolulu County and take all necessary actions to protect them from human generated damage and to employ established natural solutions to preserve and restore them as needed; and be it
Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawai‘i, 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 people of Hawai'i have a long-standing tradition of protecting an individual's right to privacy and bodily autonomy; and with the enactment of Act 1, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 1970, Hawaiʻi was the first state in the nation to legalize abortion; and
Whereas, The Hawaiʻi State Constitution was amended in 1978 to explicitly codify the right to privacy; and in 2006, the Hawai'i State Legislature passed Act 35, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi which established the State's policy to protect a pregnant person's right to choose or obtain an abortion of a nonviable fetus or an abortion necessary to protect a pregnant person's life or health; and
Whereas, The United States Supreme Court overruled nearly fifty years of federal precedent by holding in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 142 S.Ct. 2228 (2022), that the United States Constitution does not confer a right to an abortion; a decision which resulted in abortion bans or severely restricted abortion access in many states that threaten the rights of equality, liberty, and privacy in reproductive health care decisions; and in response, the Oʻahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi organized an ad hoc committee on abortion to track the Supreme Court decision and to coordinate a response with other community organizations; and
Whereas, The passage of SB1, SD2 signed into law by Governor Green as Act 2 aims to bolster the
State's policy to protect an individual's right to privacy and bodily autonomy, including those of minors, and to declare that the laws of other states authorizing civil actions and criminal prosecutions for receiving, seeking, providing, or aiding and abetting the provision of reproductive health care services are contrary to the State's public policy; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi celebrates the protection of the right to privacy and bodily autonomy in Hawaiʻi through the enactment of Act 2, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2023, ensuring that all people have the right to make reproductive health care decisions about their own bodies and ensuring that safe, legal abortion remains available in the State of Hawaiʻi; and be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi recognize the importance of upholding these rights, regardless of changes in the legal landscape, and support efforts to prohibit recognition and enforcement of other states' laws that impose civil or criminal liability relating to reproductive health care services; and be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi congratulate the Hawaiʻi State Legislature and Governor Green for their decisive action in defending the rights of the people of Hawaiʻi; and encourage other states to follow Hawaiʻi's example in protecting the right to privacy and bodily autonomy, ensuring that all individuals have access to safe, legal, and comprehensive reproductive
health care services; 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 Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Platform believes in full equality before the law for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Agender, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+) community (Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi 2022 Platform); and
Whereas, the Oʻahu County Democrats 2021 Oʻahu County Platform includes the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi uphold the values of the Democratic Party and support efforts for diversity, equity and inclusion in government; and
Whereas, Members of the Grand Old Party (GOP) across the United States have introduced over 400
anti-LGBTQIA+ bills so far in 2023 and during the 32nd session of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature some Oʻahu republican party legislators have introduced similar anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation introduced and passed by their colleagues across the continent; and
Whereas, these extreme republican members of the House and Senate have a track record of voting
against bills supporting equal rights, inclusivity and bodily autonomy; and
Whereas, The aforementioned bills are causing significant harm to and placing LGBTQIA+ individuals at increased risk for physical harassment, violence, incarceration and increased rates of suicide; and
Whereas, These extreme republican members of the House and Senate currently serve in Oʻahu county districts; and
Whereas, These aforementioned GOP legislators do not reflect the values of inclusion and the aloha spirit of Hawaiʻi and the Oʻahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; and
Whereas, The Oʻahu County Democrats adopted Resolution 2022-14: Urging our elected officials to study, reflect upon, speak up about, and be advocates for the Spirit of Aloha as defined by Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 5-7.5; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi supports the spirit of Aloha and rejects the politics of hate, division and fear in Honolulu County and supports the equal treatment under the law for all LGBTQIA+ persons and the right to participate in and be represented at all levels of government in our City and County of Honolulu; and be it
Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the members of the Oʻahu County Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi, 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 Council who are members of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi.
Whereas, The 2008 Hawaiʻi Environmental Justice Initiative Report’s definition of "environmental justice" for Hawai#i recognized that "no one segment of the population or geographic area should be disproportionately burdened with environmental and/or health impacts resulting from development, construction, operations and/or use of natural resources"; and
Whereas, Residents within one-half mile of an active operation of municipal solid waste landfills or construction and demolition landfills are disproportionately burdened generally; and
Whereas, for example, According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, residents in the two census tracts abutting PVT Land Company LTD.’s landfill in Nānākuli, Oʻahu, a predominantly Native Hawaiian community, live ten years less than the state average of eighty-two years and have the second and third lowest life expectancies in the entire State; and
Whereas, Hawaiʻi’s progressive Environmental Justice law, Act 73, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2020, addressed only future operations of waste and disposal facilities, including landfills, and did not address the safety and health of those residents suffering from the active operation of existing facilities; and
Whereas, Honolulu residents living near active landfills have experienced a myriad of health problems, including risk of reduced lung function, asthma, ataxia, paralysis, and lung cancer, as the air quality of their homes becomes contaminated with unmitigated dust pollution; and
Whereas, These residents have incurred substantial costs as a direct result of living near active landfills, including medical and funeral expenses, home repair and repainting due to the unnatural buildup of dust, and the installation and maintenance of air filtration systems; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the Honolulu City Council to exempt from real property tax those property owners of residential units within one-half mile of an active landfill or deemed to have been impacted by those landfills as a matter of Environmental Justice; and be it
Resolved, That the Oʻahu County Democrats of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi urge the City and County of Honolulu to grant such tax relief to owners of such residential units that are not owner-occupied, if they provide and maintain an air filtration system for their rental; 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.
OCD Resolution 2023-02: Urging the City and County of Honolulu and the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to severely restrict the use, manufacture and importing of all products which contain any variety or form of PFAS chemical compounds, and eventually ban those products as soon as it becomes practical, on Oʻahu
OCD Resolution 2023-03: Urging the Honolulu City Council to designate Oʻahu's coral reefs as critical natural infrastructure which must be protected from human engendered damage in all forms
OCD Resolution 2023-04: Celebrating the protection of the right to privacy and bodily autonomy in Hawaiʻi through the enactment of Act 2, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2023
OCD Resolution 2023-05: Supporting equality and representation in government for all LGBTQIA+ persons and rejecting legislation which cause significant harm to and placing LGBTQIA+ individuals at increased risk for physical harassment, violence, incarceration and increased rates of suicide
OCD Resolution 2023-06: Urging the Honolulu City Council to exempt from real property tax those property owners of residential units within one-half mile of an active landfill or deemed to have been impacted by those landfills as a matter of environmental justice
