2024 Legislature resumes session and Grassroot Institute is on the case

from Grassroot Institute, March 15, 2024 

Grassroot is especially focused on measures that would facilitate homebuilding and expand healthcare access

Hawaii's House and Senate chambers have exchanged bills that each approved during the first half of the session, and things are rolling again.

As before, the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been speaking at every turn on behalf of individual liberty, economic freedom and accountable government.

In the past week alone, Grassroot testified in favor of bills that would lower costs, facilitate more homebuilding, improve healthcare access, protect civil liberties and expand economic opportunities — and against bills that threaten to do the opposite.

Among the bills Grassroot submitted testimony on this past week were:

>> SB2919 SD2: "SB2919 SD2 would dangerously expand counties’ zoning powers"

>> HB1902 HD1: "HB1902 HD1 lacks legislative check on emergency powers"

>> HB2415 HD2: "Hawaii’s demand for nurses could be met via HB2415 HD2"

>> HB2653 HD1: "Estate tax bill would be win-win for family businesses and state"

>> HB1803 HD1: "Help business owners get full value of entity tax credit"

>> SB2746 SD2: "Reject SB2746 SD2 to prevent neighbor island cost increases"

>> HB2354 HD1: "Adopt HB2354 HD1 to strengthen voice of small-business owners"

>> SB2018: "SB2018 needed to prevent loss of housing density from downzoning"

>> HB2787 HD2: "Restore higher savings amounts for housing in HB2787 HD2"

>> SB2630 SD1: "Removing portion of SB2630 SD1 would strengthen ‘right to walk’"

>> SB2474 SD2: "More analysis needed of paid family leave in SB2474 SD2"

>> HB2581 HD1: "Pass HB2581 HD1 to protect freedom of speech during emergencies"

>> HB2515 HD1: "HB2515 HD1 needed to clarify what are emergencies, disasters"

>> HB1808 HD1: "Allow counties via HB1808 HD1 to grow mixed-use neighborhoods"

Take action now on housing and healthcare

As a reminder of an Action Alert sent out earlier this week by Grassroot's Ted Kefalas, there are important housing and healthcare bills in the 2024 Legislature that could benefit from your help.

The housing bills are HB1630 and SB3202, which would reduce minimum lot sizes, allow lot subdivision and reform impact fee calculations; and HB2090 and SB2948, which would allow residential uses in commercial zones.

The healthcare bills are HB2415 and SB2492, which would enter Hawaii into the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact and allow nurses licensed in other states to practice in Hawaii; and HB1675, which would exempt primary care physicians from the state general excise tax. 

If you would like to voice your support for these important bills, visit our website where there is sample wording you can customize. Then just enter your contact info and hit “send,” and an email will be sent to your state representative and senator.

>>> TAKE ACTION HERE <<<