Legislative Members

31st Legislature, 2021
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The 31st Legislature will convene on January 20th, 2021

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House District 40
Hawaii State Capitol
Room 427
phone: 808-586-9730
fax: 808-586-9738
repmcdermott@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Member of the following committees:

Corrections, Military, & Veterans

Finance

Housing

Water & Land

District Information
40 - Ewa, Ewa Beach, Ewa By Gentry, Iroquois Point

Neighborhood Board
Ewa Neighborhood Board No. 23

2019 Legislative wrap-Up

Measures Introduced

No Measures Introduced

Representative Bob McDermott was a Marine Officer who served in Gulf War 1. He has been married for 30 years and has eight children and seven grandchildren. He holds an MBA degree from Chaminade University. Representative McDermott has served six terms in the Hawaii State House of Representatives. Representative McDermott is a devoted family man and an active member of his church. He has served our community in many ways and is honored to represent the Ewa Beach community in his seventh term in the State Legislature.

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May 13, 2019

Insights on PBS Hawaii 2019 Legislative Wrap-Up

Daryl Huff invited Representative Bob McDermott, Senator Rosalyn Baker, Honolulu Civil Beat's Chad Blair, and League of Women Voters' Douglas Meller to sit down and debrief the 2019 Legislative Session.

View full episode here: https://www.pbshawaii.org/insights-on-pbs-hawaii-2019-legislative-wrap-up/

May 8, 2019

Servco Appliance + Campbell High School Saber Cafe

Click to view a video recap of Saber Cafe's ribbon cutting ceremony. here

March 13, 2019

The Importance of Honoring Our Vietnam Vets

MidWeek West O'ahu Voice McDermott's Message...

For the past six years it has been my privilege to lead the Hawaii House of R epresentatives in recognizing the extraordinary heroism and patriotism of those members of our community who served in Vietnam. This year, we invited [Staff Sergeant Leonard “Lenny” Ho, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. O’Leary III, Lieutenant Colonel Johnie E. Webb, Jr., Lieutenant Colonel Vincent Vernay, Admiral Richard Macke, General David Bramlett] to be awarded official certificates which noted their achievements and expressed Hawaii's gratitude...

Honoring our Vietnam Veterans each year is our way of saying thank you and mahalo for the blood, sweat, and tears, you shed for us so many years ago, in a land far away.

For the full article, please visit

View full episode here: MidWeek's Digital Edition Archive

February 28, 2019

Hawaii News Now Interview

State Rep. Bob McDermott discusses national politics with Steve Uyehara of Hawaii News Now. View full article

January 23, 2019

Let's Keep Hawaii Film-Friendly

Here’s a lot of good news about our film industry in Hawaii.

First, the economic impact of film and television production is big and it is growing. Production expenditures for 2018 are projected to be $477 million, an increase of $157 million over 2017. View full article

January 13, 2015

State refuses support to private general aviation at Kalaeloa

Jan 07, 2015

State Representative Bob McDermott called on Governor Ige to reverse a short sighted money grab instituted by the outgoing Abercrombie administration in the waning days of his term.

McDermott said, "Gov. Ige seems like a reasonable man; surely he will see a 439% percent increase in rents - overnight - is unreasonable and foolish. General aviation is a clean and technologically advanced industry and everyone from airplane mechanics and hangar janitors depends on these pilots to keep flying. This Abercrombie policy will kill the industry to the parts suppliers overnight and make it truly accessible for only the super-rich. I ask Gov. Ige to restore common sense and reverse this Abercrombie money grab." View full article

July 14, 2014

Inmates, Lions Pitch In At North Road Cleanup

McDermott's Message...Rep. Bob McDermott July 3rd 2014

As we continue the work of beautifying the Ewa area, I was asked by several community members to clean up some roadside growth. Litter and vegetation had overgrown a portion of North Road, and many folks expressed concern over its unsightly appearance. The area in need was about 800 yards in length, but both sides of the road needed attention, so that meant the job entailed 1,600 linear yards. A big job - too big for a weekend community cleanup lasting two hours. Generally speaking, this is not something the municipal agencies engage in because of funding restrictions.
View full article

July 14, 2014

Campbell JROTC Cadets Are Learning How To Lead

McDermott's Message ... by Rep. Bob McDermott June 04 2014

Campbell High School's Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) teaches values of citizenship, service to the country, personal responsibility and a sense of accomplishment.

The NJROTC program was established by public law in 1964. The program is conducted at accredited secondary schools throughout the nation, including Campbell High, and is led by instructors who are retired Coast Guard officers, Marine Corps, Navy and enlisted personnel.

The curriculum emphasizes citizenship and leadership development, as well as our maritime heritage.
View full article

June 26, 2014

Remembering The West Loch Disaster

MidWeek April 9, 2014 McDermott's Message by Rep. Bob McDermott

As we approach Memorial Day, it is proper to take a moment to reflect upon all those who have served, and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. All of us are aware of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. However, most of us are unaware of the other wartime disaster that took place here: the West Loch Disaster.

The disaster occurred in the West Loch part of the harbor, which at the time was used as a staging area for a fleet of Landing Ship, Tank (LSTs) and other amphibious assault ships being prepared for the upcoming Operation Forager, an invasion of the Japanese-held Mariana Islands.

On May 21, 1944, 29 ships gathered in the harbor's West Loch to load ammunition and supplies in preparation for the operation. The LSTs, or ships designed to land battle-ready tanks, were closely nested together along six berths. At 3:08 p.m., an explosion rocked the deck of LST 353 and subsequently spread fire among the tightly packed ships loaded with fuel and munitions, including a volatile cargo of 20mm, 40mm and small-arms ammunition, 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel, drums of lubricating oil, flares, signal rockets and fog oil smoke pots. The chain reaction of explosions that followed left six sunken LSTs and several more severely damaged. The resulting fires lasted 24 hours.

In all, at least 163 men were killed and 396 wounded.

View full article

March 21, 2014

Rep McDermott - Pono Choices

Roy Chan's Cartoon March 19 -26 2014

Midweek link: View full article

March 7, 2014

Campbell High Swim Team: Full Speed Ahead

McDermott's Message March 05, 2014

I recently asked young Samuel Bass IV to tell me about the Campbell High School swim team. He shared the following:

This year, the Sabers are showing great potential as they show off some of their talented swimmers.

Who are these up-and-coming swimmers? Makoa Alvarez, age 16 (a junior), brought Campbell its first-ever OIA record last year in the 100-yard backstroke. This year, he broke his own record in the OIA championships, swimming the 100-yard backstroke, sending him off to the state championships. At states, Makoa achieved another record: the state record for the 100-yard backstroke! His time was 49.79, tying the past record and claiming the title as his own.
View full article

January 14, 2014

McDermott says 'Pono Choices' is medically inaccurate, inappropriate for middle school

January 09, 2014

A state House lawmaker claimed today that Pono Choices, a pilot sex education curriculum aimed at public middle school students, is not medically accurate or age appropriate and deliberately minimizes the risks of homosexual behavior.

State Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) said he wants the state Board of Education to either pull the curriculum from public schools or make revisions to the content.

View full article

December 30, 2013

Legislator steamed over DOE sex ed program

Honolulu Advertiser Thursday, December 19, 2013 By Nanea Kalani

A state lawmaker suing the state for legalizing same-sex marriages says a controversial sex education program being taught in some public schools is inappropriate because it promotes a "homosexual lifestyle as a positive or 'pono' choice."

Rep. Bob McDermott (R, Ewa-Iroquois Point) said he heard from concerned parents during the state's debate over marriage equality that middle school students were being taught about same-sex relationships and oral and anal sex as part of the curriculum for a pilot sex education program called Pono Choices. View full article

August 21, 2013

West Community Cooperates To Fix Its Roads

Aug 14, 2013 by Representative Bob McDermott

During my first term as your state representative, I've tried to meet with as many constituents of district 40 as I possibly can. I've held town hall meetings, visited with condo associations and have gone door-to-door.

I've asked people what their concerns are, and have done my best to get them some action from government. Many of those concerns focus on city services, including the bus routes, police service and maintenance of streets.

Well, thanks to a very active community member, Ewa resident Ariel Dejesus, we took up the project of getting North Road repaired, albeit temporarily. The immediate safety issues have been mitigated, and we are working with Councilmembers Ron Menor and Kymberly Pine to see if the city can come in with a more permanent solution.

View full article

August 8, 2013

Health Department ruling blocks loans for isle veterans

Aug 07, 2013 By Bob McDermott

An arbitrary state Department of Health ruling effectively blocks Veterans Affairs loans to homes with rainwater catchment systems, many of them in Hawaii County.

This declaration by the DOH, that rain catchment water is non-potable, has stopped all VA loans and refinancing on homes with county-approved catchment systems. This could affect up to 60,000 of the most affordable homes on the Big Island. It has locked in existing VA home mortgages at higher rates and blocked veterans who own existing homes from refinancing at the current low rates with no money down. View full article

July 1, 2013

Rep. McDermott blasts Abercrombie administration's obstruction of VA loans

Friday, June 21st, 2013

State Rep. Bob McDermott held a press conference at the State Capitol to outline his efforts to work with Gov. Neil Abercrombie's administration to alter an arbitrary Department of Health ruling posted on their website that blocks VA loans to homes with rainwater catchment systems. "We tried working with Gary Gil at the DOH and Blake Oshiro at the Governor's Office for over sixty days," explained Rep. McDermott. "Everyone seemed to understand the situation, but absolutely nothing was done to correct the problem." View full article

June 17, 2013

Iroquois Beach Target Of Replenishment Project

May 29, 2013 by Representative Bob McDermott

Midweek article

Everybody knows that Hawaii's beaches are world-renowned. They are assets to our island communities and contribute greatly to our unique Hawaiian lifestyle.

Having eight children of my own, I can attest to the fact that going to the beach is one of the best and most affordable things a family can do together.

The Ewa community has several beautiful beaches, from the old Barbers Point Air Station, to our town's namesake Ewa Beach, to the scenic Iroquois Point.

Our relationship to our beaches helps define us. Whether it is fishing for a record-size 'o'io, surfing, or just enjoying the sunset, our beaches are critically important to who we are as a people - and that's why it is worth noting when one of our corporate citizens repeatedly steps in to make things better. View full article

April 3, 2013

Proposed Capital Improvements For Campbell High

March 27, 2013 By Representative Bob McDermott

My first CIP (capital improvement project) requests for House District 40, the Ewa area, were focused on Campbell High School. After a series of meetings with school administrators, teachers and the Department of Education engineers, I came to several conclusions.

First, a new second high school is not needed, but major improvements to Campbell High School's existing facilities are long overdue.

View full article

February 27, 2013

Rep. Bob McDermott Addresses Teachers' Contract

February 20, 2013 by Rep. Bob McDermott

It is long overdue to settle the teachers' contract. Making them grovel over less than a 2% increase (when health care costs are factored in), while at the same time proposing an expensive new preschool program is breathtakingly insulting. This reinforces the belief among teachers that they are not appreciated and they are made the perennial whipping boys for all of the systemic shortcomings that produce public dissatisfaction. The teachers are by and large dedicated professionals who feel underappreciated and this preschool maneuver by the Governor offers them solid evidence that they are indeed taken for granted. View full article

Hawaii State Legislature