News
New Grassroot brief details 10 ‘bold’ reforms that could help ease Hawaii’s housing crisis
9+ hour, 34+ min ago (395+ words) The "housing policy playbook" is intended to help state and county lawmakers remove or reform the many regulatory barriers that stifle Hawaii homebuilding HONOLULU, Feb. 5, 2026 >> A new policy brief released by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii emphasizes that Hawaii's acute…...
Exempt certain infrastructure from lengthy SMA permitting process
10+ hour, 23+ min ago (156+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1823 " RELATING TO THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1823, which would exempt certain state and county infrastructure improvements from the state's Special Management…...
Reform agricultural tourism rules while protecting property rights
10+ hour, 27+ min ago (333+ words) Re: COMMENTS ON HB2585 " RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL TOURISM Aloha chairs, vice chairs and other members of the committees, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii offers comments on " and amendments to " HB2585, which would reform statewide rules for agricultural tourism in the state's agriculture…...
Allow up to five rooms to be connected to existing cesspools
10+ hour, 32+ min ago (199+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1921 " RELATING TO CESSPOOLS Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1921, which would allow homes connected to a cesspool deemed "priority level 3" by the state Department of Health to…...
Match homebuilding limit in one area with allowing more elsewhere
10+ hour, 36+ min ago (175+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2192 " RELATING TO HOUSING Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports SB2192, which would allow counties to decrease the number of housing units that can be built in one area…...
Clarify liability rules for users of self-certification program
10+ hour, 43+ min ago (132+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2378 " RELATING TO HOUSING Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports SB2378, which would clarify liability rules for professionals participating in the self-certification program established by Act 295 (2025). Self-certification has the…...
Complete SHPD reviews within timeline or assume concurrence
10+ hour, 47+ min ago (354+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2341 " RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other members of the Committee, The bill would define the term "complete submittal" and further stipulate that if SHPD fails to make a determination within those…...
Seizing property to satisfy unpaid fines ripe for corruption, litigation
10+ hour, 55+ min ago (203+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO HB1990 " RELATING TO RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii opposes HB1990, which would allow county permitting agencies or the attorney general " or a private entity under certain…...
Proposed 'carbon tax' would be infinite hike Hawaii cannot afford
10+ hour, 57+ min ago (322+ words) TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION TO SB2332 " RELATING TO TAXATION Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, and other members of the Committee, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is deeply concerned about the potential effects of SB2332. Though presented as a "carbon tax" or "carbon emissions tax,…...
Clarify liability rules to speed up self-certification process
11+ hour, 1+ min ago (165+ words) To: House Committee on Housing" Rep. Luke Evslin, Chair" Rep. Tyson Miyake, Vice ChairFrom: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii" Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1721 " RELATING TO HOUSING Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other members of…...