Thursday, November 21, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Friday, June 26, 2020
Note to Legislature: Focus!
By Grassroot Institute @ 10:28 PM :: 3080 Views :: Hawaii State Government, COVID-19

Note to Legislature: Focus!

From Grassroot Institute, June 26, 2020

With Hawaii facing its greatest financial crisis in generations, the state Legislature is finally taking action on balloon launches, a “climate innovation technology park” and red light cameras.

Yes, our lawmakers are back in session after three months off due to the coronavirus crisis, and rather than focus on urgent matters such as state’s $2 billion budget shortfall, it appears they have decided to proceed as though nothing has changed.

As I wrote last week, the Legislature started the budget process well by rejecting spending increases from the governor’s proposed budget. However, they still are increasing spending. 

To make matters worse, they also are pushing a bill that would allow them to borrow billions of dollars and breach the state’s constitutional debt limit, which will end up costing taxpayers more in the long run. 

As I said to KITV4 Island News reporter Paul Drewes this week, “Borrowing heavily now will hurt us for years to come. It will not be something we can sustainably pay off. We will be in a worse situation if another crisis hits. What is better is to reduce the cost of government. That is the only solution that is sustainable.”

But that’s not the only problematic legislation our lawmakers are considering during this truncated session. Now there is a bill that appeared virtually out of nowhere that would give the state director of health broad powers to declare statewide public health emergencies — and decide on the responses to them, including closing schools and businesses, mandating tracing and screening, and releasing confidential medical information. 

The bill started as an attempt to the revise the state’s certificate-of-need requirements for new hospitals and dialysis facilities in rural areas. It was gutted and replaced, and now raises serious issues about privacy and civil liberties. Yet, the Senate is pushing it forward without giving the public adequate time to discuss and comment on the bill, under cover of the coronavirus crisis.

Fortunately, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii was able to submit last-minute testimony on the bill, in which we urged our legislators to defer this measure. As we said in our testimony, “Hawaii’s citizens and policymakers need more time to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state response before enacting legislation that addresses the state’s police powers during a future crises.”

Meanwhile, the Legislature has yet to move on authorizing a semi-independent airport corporation, which is needed now more than ever in the wake of the lockdowns and their associated travel disruptions. 

Overall, it is hard to escape the feeling that something has gone slightly haywire in the legislative process. These are unusual times, so it isn’t surprising that policymakers are struggling to adjust. But their priorities should be clear: Balance the budget and get Hawaii’s economy moving again. 

And please do so without driving the state more deeply into debt or further burdening Hawaii businesses and entrepreneurs.

For our part, we have provided a road map for our policymakers who want practical directions on how to help Hawaii’s economy recover and even excel after the lockdowns. We also created an online tool that can help them see their options for balancing the state budget. 

These resources are available to any Hawaii policymaker or citizen who wants to access them. Let’s work together to get Hawaii’s economy back on track.

E hana kakou! (Let's work together!)

Keli'i Akina, Ph.D.
President/CEO

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii