We help the people of Kailua-Kona take political actions that promote inclusion, tolerance, and fairness.
From Kona to Cable News: Indivisible's Dark Money Win Goes National
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On this Memorial Day, Andy Borowitz captures our national our: "In what has become a Memorial Day tradition for him, on Monday, Donald J. Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Podiatrist." But let's not focus on him any longer today. Instead, let's concentrate on the future. We’ve been writing a lot about SB2471, now Act 11, the landmark dark money stopping Hawai'i legislation. Indivisibles in Hawai'i made this happen – and this is big news now on the national stage. State and National NewsThe Star Advertiser features a great article on SB2471 today, titled Hawai'i law aims to curb corporate influence in elections but faces hurdles (paywall). However, the real story highlights the significant lobbying power that Indivisible already wields at the state level. State Representative Scot Matayoshi made clear that the bill survived conference committee specifically because Indivisibles showed up in force. It’s quite a tribute, with the second thought that we are just getting started 😉. The final anecdote is the best part of the story. Mona Eisa, a 36-year-old restaurant server who said joining Indivisible’s Honolulu chapter ignited a political awakening in her, is looking forward to engaging in local races for the first time. Before attending opening day of the legislative session in January, Eisa had never been to the Capitol and only voted in presidential races. “Being with Indivisible over this last year and seeing how everything works, I will never not vote in local elections again,” she said. "Local elections," Eisa said, “are more important than federal elections because these are people who focus on the day-to-day where you live and are making policies for you.” We put Citizens United back on the national agendaThe national media have also been waking up to the incredible story. Katie Phang wrote on Saturday: "ICYMI, listen up, because what just happened in Hawai'i is the kind of bold, smart, state-level pushback against Big Money in politics that we desperately need right now." The Meidas Touch Network distributed her Substack post, calling it one of the most important political stories in America. Then Ali Velshi used his MS Now show to offer a deep, thoughtful explainer. He includes the great floor speech that State House Representative Kanani Souza, of the Good Government Caucus, delivered. Velshi continues the story by interviewing Representative Souza and Tom Moore of the Center for American Progress. Velshi commented: "There is a cleansing aspect to Hawai'i saying to corporations, “Hey, you know what? We’re going to run the place ourselves.” TAKE ACTION: Share these two YouTube clips with your out-of-state friends. Tell them that you, along with all other Indivisibles, have pushed this law into existence and that they should encourage their legislatures to follow suit. Local HappeningsPostcardingHappy Birthday to us! 🎂🎂 Did you know that two years ago, May and Yvonne hosted Kona postcard writing parties, the organizing seed that grew into Kona Indivisible? Mahalo to everyone who’s helped along the way as we’ve written to more than 37,000 voters since then. Just think of all your dry pens and postage stamps. Then give yourself a Big Hooray. 🎉🎉 Ready to gain control of the U.S. House and Senate? We’re writing for key Congressional races in Hawai'i, New York, Alaska, and Arizona. When we write postcards, we get out the vote; when we get out the vote, we win! Friendly reminder that we’re meeting on Thursday May 28, 2026 at Kealakekua Gypsea Gelato from 1:30 pm to 3 pm. Hope to see you there! Sign up here. As always, we’ll provide postcards, voter lists, scripts, and instructions. You bring the stamps, your writing muscle, and your favorite pens. We always appreciate your generous donation of postcard stamps or money toward postage, so that all postcard writers are welcome (including those with limited financial capacity). This way, we can all find ways to help get out the vote. Please consider supporting this local business by buying something to eat or drink. Future Events
Postcard at HomeCan’t make it to our events? No worries. We’ve got you covered. Pick up a postcard packet at one of our postcard hubs and write at home. More info here. Already got your own postcards and just need addresses? You can get addresses emailed to you here. Choose "Names only". Or, you can get addresses directly from postcarding organizations. State legislature and local elections like city council and school board are happening now! Sign up directly with Postcards To Voters and Postcards For Democracy. You can pick as few as 1 or 4 addresses at a time. It’s easy and fun. You can find more info on Geri’s List. Pop-Up RalliesFed up by the slush fund and mysterious IRS “settlement”? Start thinking about your sign. Who knows how much more corruption will emerge from the current administration in the next two weeks? MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Our next event will be on Friday, June 5, 2026 from 4 to 5 pm. Ellen will share the details in the next newsletter. Monthly Member PotluckOur monthly member potluck is this Sunday, June 7, 2026, at 4 pm at Kahalu’u Beach Park, right after the Postcarding party. It’s always great to see everyone, catch up and share information on what we are doing. We hope to see you there! Register. Looking forward to seeing you at Gypsea Gelato or Kahaluʻu soon! Warmest Aloha, Sam & the Leadership Team |
Kona Indivisible
We help the people of Kailua-Kona take political actions that promote inclusion, tolerance, and fairness.
Aloha Reader, It's primary election season. Ballots arrive July 21st, and the elections office needs to receive them by August 8th. Sunday's statewide newsletter covered how to prepare for disinformation and dirty tricks. Today, we share something more hopeful: the candidates are coming to us - and we're thrilled to have a stretch of back-to-back events to prove it. Here's everything on the calendar this week and beyond. First, a quick reminder - this is the newsletter for our Kona Chapter....
Aloha Reader, Mahalo nui to all who showed up for the Rise-Up Rally to Guarantee Our Freedoms on Sunday! A great way to cap the Rise Up and Sing Out concert - and impressive turnout for a pop-up on short notice. These 100-person rallies have a great vibe - a perfect size to meet and talk with new friends. Guarantee Our Freedoms Pop-Up 😊 Two Newsletters. Everything You Need to Know. KIND was a pioneer among Indivisible chapters in Hawai'i - one of the first to build a local website and launch...
Aloha Reader, A little over a year ago, Kona Indivisible launched a website and newsletter with a simple goal: keep our community informed and ready to act. What we didn't expect was everyone else saying, "We want that, too!" — and by everyone, we mean chapter leaders and the statewide network leadership across all four islands. So we got to work. KIND set out to build something bigger: a communications overhaul that gives every Indivisible chapter in Hawai'i a home, a voice, and a shared...