VERY few Filipino Americans are given the privilege and honor of serving in the US government; fewer still are those rare officials who have worked in EVERY branch of the government. One such FilAm is the Honorable Judge Reynaldo Graulty of Hawaii, who was a former State Representative and Senator, former Insurance Commissioner, and former Circuit Court Judge.
Last March 2009 in Hawaii, the House congratulated Judge Reynaldo Graulty on the occasion of his retirement as a Circuit Court Judge in a special floor presentation at the Hawaii State Capitol. Representatives Glenn Wakai and Tom Brower offered House Resolution 285 that honored the former senator and state representative. In his congratulatory speech to honor Graulty, Rep. Wakai highlighted the fact that Graulty has distinguished himself by serving in every branch of the government.
Judge Reynaldo Graulty retired from the bench on March 1 after spending 27 years serving the people of Hawaii. He was born and raised in Manila. The eldest of six children, Reynaldo has always dreamed of living in America. His father was an American in the foreign service and his mother a Filipina. To fulfill his dream, Graulty registered for the draft when he was 18 years old. He left the Philippines to study in the U.S., venturing to the State University of New York at Albany. He lived with relatives and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in History and Political Science.
In 1972, he moved to Hawaii as an Infantry Officer at Schofield Barracks. Following completion of his military service, Graulty used his GI Bill benefits to attend the University of Hawaii’s Richardson School of Law.
Judge Graulty was elected to the House of Representatives in 1982, representing the OASIS of Honolulu -- Salt Lake and Moanalua. He was re-elected in 1984.
Despite his rising political career, Graulty left the House in 1986 to spend more time with his family and concentrate on his newly created law practice. Graulty, Evangelista & Quiban – a firm specializing in labor law.
But in 1992, Graulty returned to public service. He served in the Senate as the Chairman of Human Services committee and later judiciary chair. One of his legislative legacies was creating a Blueprint for Change on how we can better address child abuse and neglect in this state.
Judge Graulty was appointed by Governor Cayetano as the Commissioner of the State Insurance Commission in 1997.
As Insurance Commissioner he was able to reform our no-fault auto insurance law. At the time, Hawaii drivers were paying the second highest auto insurance premiums in the nation. As a result of Graulty’s work, drivers saw a drop of 20-percent on their auto insurance premiums, the largest reduction in the nation.
In 1999, he was appointed and confirmed as a Circuit Court Judge. Early on, he took on one of the largest cases of government fraud in Honolulu history.
Judge Graulty presided over the Ewa Villages scandal where Michael Kahapea was convicted and sentenced for stealing $5.8 million from taxpayers. He says the ultimate satisfaction of sitting on the bench came from the week in, week out, trials that lead to a safer community.
Over his illustrious career in government, Reynaldo Graulty made substantial contributions to state policy, protection of consumers, and the administration of justice.
Many of his initiatives will continue to better our community in the decades to come.
Now in retirement, Graulty revealed that he plans to play golf while enjoying life as a full- time grandpa.
( Published on July 22, 2009 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. B2 )
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