January 2026 Newsletter

Aloha Hawai'i Kai!

As your Representative, my favorite part of every month is hearing directly from you. Your stories and ideas guide me at the Capitol, and this newsletter is my way of keeping the conversation alive between our face-to-face moments.

Mahalo for sharing your voices at January’s “Let’s Talk Story” and in our listening-tour survey. In this issue, you’ll find photos, highlights, and the full tally of your priorities—crime, homelessness, cost-of-living, and more—plus how I’m turning your answers into action at the Capitol. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Listening Tour 2025

The 2025 Listening Tour was held in August to hear from the community. And now the data is being used to craft the House Republican Caucus bill package for the 2026 legislative session.

In Hawaii Kai, Crime/Public Safety, Cost of Living, and Housing were the top worries, with Homelessness being the major public safety concern for our community.

In Hawaii Kai, attendees prioritized discussions on crime, public safety, and homelessness. Among those who voted on the top approach to improve public safety, nearly half supported tougher penalties for repeat offenders, while others emphasized addressing the root causes of homelessness. Over half of voters said they would be “very unwilling” to support higher taxes to fund homelessness solutions. Unlike in Mililani, voters here believed the City and County—not the State—should take the lead on homelessness.

When it came to the cost of living, voters were nearly split between reducing taxes and increasing affordable housing as the best solutions. When budgets are tight, most said they would first cut back

on vacations, followed by dining out.

A major concern emerged: nearly 75% of attendees felt inadequately informed about how legislators vote, how the legislative process works, and how to get involved.

What's Happening Hawai'i Kai

On January 10th, I attended the blessing for the new and improved Hui Nalu Canoe Club practice area on Maunalua Bay Beach. Completion of the Maunalua Bay Beach improvement project is set for April 2026. Other Hawai’i Kai happenings include the grand opening of PRIME Martial Arts, and ABL Collective’s Saturday Farmers Markets from 9am- 1pm at Hawai’i Kai Towne Center!

Let's Talk Story!

On January 8, I hosted a “Let’s Talk Story!” Panel on Hawaii’s food security at The Oahu Club. The event saw a record 65–70 attendees, doubling the typical turnout!

Discussion centered on the fact that Hawaii currently imports 85% to 95% of its food, leaving only a three-to-five-day supply if shipping is disrupted. To address this, the state has set a “30 by 30” goal to ensure 30% of agency-purchased food is local by 2030.

The Department of Agriculture and Bio-security (DAB) highlighted new financial supports, including 4% fixed-interest loans and micro-grants of up to $10,000 for home and community gardens. Experts also emphasized the need for shared infrastructure, such as chill facilities, and the importance of youth education through programs like 4-H and the Hawaii Agriculture Foundation. Local farmers noted that land security remains a major hurdle; proposed solutions included protecting core agricultural lands from development and adopting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) models to feed the local community.

Your Voice Matters.

My office is still collecting data from my pre-session survey. If you haven’t already, take a moment to fill out the survey by going to www.RepGedeon.com

With aloha,

Rep. Joe Gedeon