Senator Lynn DeCoite Contact information

Lynn Pualani DeCoite was appointed by Governor David Ige on June 17, 2021 to fill the Hawai‘i State Senate District 7 vacancy created when Senator J. Kalani English retired in April. She previously served as a member of the Hawai‘i House of Representatives representing District 13 (Ha‘ikū, Hāna, Kaupō, Kīpahulu, Nahiku, Pā‘ia, Kaho‘olawe, Lāna‘i, Moloka‘i and Molokini) and was serving her 4th term when appointed to the Senate seat.

Lynn DeCoite was born in Honolulu and has lived on Moloka‘i since she was four years old. She is a third generation homestead farmer, where she and her three siblings were raised to work hard and live off the land. Lynn went to Moloka‘i High School and then attended Moloka‘i Community College. She is a devoted wife and proud mother of three children and one granddaughter. Lynn and her husband own and operate L&R Farms Enterprises, LLC where they raise the famous Moloka‘i purple sweet potato.

Along with being a small business owner Lynn has a history of being very involved in her community including the Annual Moloka‘i Christmas Parade, the Moloka‘i Ag Festival, the Annual Prince Kuhio Day Event and the Moloka‘i Annual Charity Walk. Lynn also served as the Parent Teacher Student Organization President for Molokai Middle School.

Lynn DeCoite has also served on the Boards for organizations like Lokahi Pacific (from 2004-2012 ) - a housing and small business loan agency, Hikiola Cooperative (2008-2011)- a feed and fertilizer Co-op, Molokai Irrigation Advisory Board (2008-2012), the Molokai Chamber Foundation (2006-2012), The Molokai Planning Commission from (2006-2009). Up until her appointment to the State House of Representatives Lynn served on the Molokai Homestead Farmers Alliance (2006-2015), Farm Service Agency (2007-2015) and the Hawaii State Board of Agriculture (2012-2015). Lynn has engaged in issues and been involved at both the Maui County Council and the State Legislature and advocated for the people of Hawaii. She has participated in various working groups including the Maui Water Community Working Group and the Molokai Workforce Development Agricultural Working Group. Lynn was instrumental in having Molokai Irrigation System audited and lobbying for it to have the necessary funds to fix the system for so that farmers can continue to farm. On February 20, 2015 Lynn DeCoite was sworn in to represent the 13th District in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. She was appointed by Governor David Ige to fill the remainder of the two-year term left by the passing of Rep. Mele Carroll. During her time at the legislature Rep. DeCoite has worked collaboratively with her colleagues to get key legislation passed. She worked to get two Food Safety Assistance bills passes and signed into law (HB 2582 and HB 2657) to help with compliance of the Federal Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Rep. DeCoite also collaborated with her colleagues to ensure the passage of SB 911 which prohibits the use of latex gloves by personnel working in food establishments or by personnel providing ambulance services or emergency medical services. In 2017, Rep. DeCoite bill HB 451, which reduces the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement of certain successors to lessees of Hawaiian home lands from one-quarter to one thirty-second, was the first bill to be signed on the Island of Molokai. And just in 2018 her bill HB 2259 requiring the Department of Land and Natural Resources to allow applications for marine event permits up to one year in advance and authorizes DLNR to adopt rules to mitigate hazards posed by vessels, thrill craft, drones, and other means used by spectators to observe or record marine events was signed into law.

Rep. DeCoite is also active with the National Foundation of Women Legislators (NFWL), she is the former Hawaii State Director and is currently the Southwest Regional State Director. She was also honored as a “Women of Excellence” in 2019 for her tireless work in serving the communities she represents while also serving as an example of what women CAN do.

Rep. Lynn DeCoite is committed to keep her ears open, keep an open mind and is willing to listen and work with EVERYONE to make the State of Hawai‘i a better place for all of its people.