News
Don't allow county code changes to reduce overall housing inventory
2+ hour, 12+ min ago (153+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2192 SD1 " RELATING TO HOUSING Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports SB2192 SD1, which would allow counties to decrease the number of housing units that can be built in one area…...
Maintain transparency, apply sunshine law to contractors
2+ hour, 16+ min ago (114+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2312 SD1 " RELATING TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, We applaud this effort to eliminate a loophole that could allow an agency to evade transparency requirements for records that are related to…...
Precise definition of 'disaster' would deter abuse of power
2+ hour, 19+ min ago (339+ words) TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB2581 HD2 " RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB2581 HD2, which would clarify the definitions of "emergency" and "disaster" in Hawaii's emergency management statute. Specifying what constitutes an…...
Overhaul of Hawaii's building code adoption process badly needed
2+ hour, 23+ min ago (422+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1725 HD1 " RELATING TO BUILDING CODES Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1725 HD1, which would amend how the state and counties adopt and implement the International Building Code. This bill…...
End school impact fees, apply collection to facilities funds
2+ hour, 26+ min ago (391+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1713 HD1 " RELATING TO SCHOOL IMPACT FEES Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1713 HD1, which would repeal school impact fees and lapse monies collected from school impact fees into the…...
Grassroot testimonies — late February 2026
22+ hour, 14+ min ago (814+ words) The following are state and county testimonies submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in the latter half of February 2026._____________ STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES >> HB1611 HD1 " "Give residents a break, waive GE tax on groceries, OTC medication" >> HB1620 HD1 " "Proposed barrel tax hike would…...
How to balance the state budget without hiking taxes
1+ day, 2+ hour ago (589+ words) By Joe Kent and Jonathan Helton Hawaii lawmakers are considering bills that would put an end to the phase in of the historic state income tax cuts that the Legislature unanimously passed in 2024. These bills, HB2306 and SB3125, would effectively be a…...
Governor should not suspend public records requests during emergencies
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (378+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2151 SD1 " RELATING TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii strongly supports SB2151 SD1, which would amend the state's emergency management statute to prohibit the suspension of requests for public…...
Waive SMA use permit rule for county infrastructure improvements
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (158+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1823 HD1 " RELATING TO THE COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT ACT Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1823 HD1, which would exempt certain state and county infrastructure improvements from the state's Special Management…...
LUC should automatically approve county urban redistricting plans
1+ day, 3+ hour ago (324+ words) RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1844 HD1 " RELATING TO THE LAND USE COMMISSION Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members, The Grassroot Institute supports HB1844 HD1, which would require the state Land Use Commission to redistrict lands to the urban district if those…...