Thirteen Ways for Counties to Cut Regulations
County councils on Oahu, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i hear from Grassroot
from Grassroot Institute, August 10, 2024
Grassroot staff have been busy this week keeping up with the flurry of bills related to housing and other important issues being considered by the county councils on Oahu, Kaua‘i and Hawai‘i Island.
Honolulu County
>> Bill 25 — “Grassroot supports bill to repeal outdated fee”
>> Bill 39 — “Support removing affidavit requirement to speed up homebuilding”
>> Bill 40 — “Self-certification for energy projects would cut permit backlog”
>> Bill 43 — “Let seniors pay property taxes quarterly — or even better, monthly”
>> Bill 45 — “Expand eligibility for low-income property tax credit”
>> BIll 46 — “Reject intrusive empty homes tax, consider housing alternatives”
>> Bill 47 — “Support ‘aina kupuna’ property tax exemption”
>> BIll 48 — “Fix ‘tax rollback’ provision of long-term rental proposal”
>> Bill 49 — “Assessment cap welcome, but amend bill to mitigate market distortions”
Kaua‘i County
>> BIll 2928 — “Let homeowners who miss deadline get partial tax credit”
Hawai‘i County
>> Bill 123 — “Abolish duplicative process to build ADUs”
>> BIll 144 — “Beekeeping bill a prime example of how to help entrepreneurs”
>> BIll 174 — “Don’t penalize homeowners who rent outside of affordable rental class”
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Honolulu Civil Beat takes note of Grassroot's growing influence
Published Monday, the article's headline is "How A Group That Started As Libertarian Found Influence In Blue State Hawaii"
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii's legislative gains this year in the areas of taxation and housing were duly noted in an article published Monday by Honolulu's popular daily online newspaper Honolulu Civil Beat.
"They had a uniquely successful year,” Colin Moore, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii Manoa, told Civil Beat reporter Ben Angarone.
In addition to Moore, Angarone interviewed Grassroot staffers and legislators in an effort to understand why the free market ideas of the nonpartisan Grassroot Institute have been finding greater acceptance among Hawaii's Democrat-dominated policymakers.
Grassroot President Keli‘i Akina cited the group's nonpartisanship and willingness to collaborate with other groups on issues of mutual concern.
Moore told Angarone that "Grassroot has always had its libertarian perspective," but that nationally, some left-leaning policy leaders have become more open to the idea of increasing the supply of housing and other commodities by getting rid of taxes and regulation that can increase costs.
"I think a lot of this comes from people’s frustration in blue states that often failed on delivering things like affordable housing to their residents,” Moore said.
Angarone wrote: "This doesn’t mean Democrats are losing power in Hawaii. But it does signify to some that mainstream Democrats are embracing more free market ideas."
To read the entire article, go here.
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Quick hits
>> Hawaii Public Radio reporter Mark Ladao interviewed Grassroot Executive Vice President Joe Kent for a Monday news story about the proposed "empty homes" tax being considered by the Honolulu City Council.
>> Ladao quoted Kent again in an HPR news report on Wednesday about Honolulu Bill 48, which would give a tax break to homeowners who rent out their homes for at least a year.
>> Hawaii Tribune-Herald reporter Michael Brestovansky quoted Kent in a story published Wednesday about Hawai‘i County Bill 123, which would make it easier to build accessory dwelling units on Hawaii Island.
>> Also on Wednesday, Brestovansky quoted Grassroot policy researcher Jonathan Helton about Bill 174, which would allow residential properties that are rented out for six months or more to be eligible for the county’s homeowner tax classification.
>> Grassroot President Keli‘i Akina spoke about the highs and lows of the latest state legislative session with about 40 members and guests of the Hawaii Estate Planning Council at its July 25 meeting in the YWCA O‘ahu's Elizabeth Fuller Hall.