After his appointment to the 10^th House District seat and the beginning of this year’s lawmaking session, Tyson Miyake is reading hundreds of bills, attending countless meetings and finding he’s not just another fresh face at the Hawaiʻi Legislature.

He’s one of 20 freshmen legislators, possibly the largest group of new lawmakers at the state Capitol in Hawaiʻi’s history.

“This is a very collaborative environment here in the House of Representatives,” Miyake said in an interview. “I am one of 20 freshmen, the biggest class (of freshmen) in the history of the state, I believe.”

In December, Gov. Josh Green appointed Miyake to fill the District 10 vacancy left by Rep. Troy Hashimoto. Earlier, Green tapped Hashimoto to take the Senate District 5 seat vacated by former Sen. Gil Keith-Agaran. House District 10 includes Waiehu, Paukūkalo, Wailuku, Wailuku Heights and Waikapū.

Hashimoto said that being among such a large group of freshmen lawmakers should help Miyake form alliances with as many members as possible, and that will be “critical to the success of moving bills and priorities through the Legislature.”

“With his friendly demeanor combined with experience, I believe he will be an asset for the Maui delegation,” Hashimoto said. “We are very aligned in priorities—from improving our schools—both our K-12 schools and UH Maui College, supporting our hospital, creating more affordable housing and investing in core infrastructure, such as our roadways.”

Wildfire mitigation will be a major focus of this year’s session in the wake of the Lahaina and Upcountry wildfires that destroyed more than 2,000 structures, mostly homes of working-class residents.

The House convened a working group to draft legislation before this year’s session began Jan. 17, Miyake said. The result has been the introduction of a half-dozen bipartisan bills to address wildfires statewide.

“We must be proactive and implement policy that will prevent this tragedy from happening again,” he said. “We recognize that there are areas across our state that have similar conditions to Lahaina and Upcountry and may face the same threat. That’s why we want to implement policy that will prevent this tragedy that happened on Maui from happening in any other place in the state.”

As a member of the House Housing Committee, Miyake plans to advocate for more affordable rental housing, especially in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires.

He said he’s prepared for the hard work of a legislator, crediting his business background as chief operating officer for Miyake Concrete Accessories for instilling fiscal responsibility and his county government experience as chief of staff and deputy managing director under former Mayor Michael Victorino for understanding government processes.

Technically, being a Hawaiʻi legislator is a part-time job with lawmaking session from January into May.

“But I’ve witnessed members working full-time even during the interim,” Miyake said. “I see my colleagues in the communities, doing meetings and they were engaged in the interim working groups. The House Finance Committee did site visits to the Neighbor Islands in the interim to better understand the challenges each island has. We know every island is different.”

Miyake said he has told House leaders, including Speaker Scott Saiki, that he’s a team player.

“Although I represent a district, I’m here to make an impact to the House of Representatives,” he said. “I was just grateful to have the opportunity to serve, and I was ready for whatever was thrown at me or whatever committee I was put in.”

Miyake said his legislative priorities include securing state aid for Maui County, addressing housing challenges and improving the overall quality of life for residents in District 10 and across the state.

He said he plans to stay connected with constituents through monthly newsletters, mailers and active engagement on social media, encouraging feedback and communication.

Miyake said Sen. Hashimoto laid a strong foundation for work in District 10, and he’s stepped up as a mentor.

“I have a great working relationship with Senator Hashimoto,” Miyake said, adding that he expects to hold a future town hall meeting with him.

Hashimoto said he’s adjusting to work in the Senate.

“Similar to Rep. Miyake, I am spending time to build relationships with my fellow senators,” he said. “I have known most of the senators as a House member, but it’s a different type of relationship that I am now building. Many of my colleagues are very seasoned and have a deep breath of knowledge. So, learning from them has also been very beneficial.”

Hashimoto said his focus is on housing after previously serving as chair of the Housing Committee in the House and now vice chair of the Housing Committee in the Senate.

“One interesting bill that I believe will be helpful is SB 2836, which will create an Interagency Council on Housing for Maui,” he said. “Building permanent housing will be critical after FEMA leaves Maui, and we will need all agencies both county and state to be working together to meet this goal. This bill begins the process of ensuring all parties are talking to each other, and I believe everyone stays coordinated through these sometime chaotic times.”

Miyake encouraged constituents to stay in touch on social media, and they can follow him on Instagram (@repmiyake).

“I encourage the community to provide feedback on any legislation or any challenges that they face or they see in the community,” he said. “They’re more than welcome to email me anytime.”

Miyake can be reached at repmiyake@capitol.hawaii.gov. He has two full-time staff members to help him with legislation, constituent services and managing his office.

“They’re both here to address any constituent concerns,” he said.

Contact information for Rep. Miyake:

Hawaiʻi State Capitol, Room 328
Phone: 808-586-9444
Fax: 808-586-9499