Community Voices: Why I think the governor and Legislature deserve praise

If you’re wondering why I’ve tended to praise Gov. Josh Green and Hawaiʻi legislators in recent years, it’s because I’ve had no choice. They keep passing bills aimed at alleviating Hawaiʻi’s housing shortage, allowing more health care freedom and limiting government overreach.

Just this week, Gov. Green signed:

>> SB66, which allows building permits to be approved automatically if the permitting process takes too long.

>> SB15, which redefines “historic property” as structures that are truly historic or cultural, rather than merely being only at least 50 years old.

>> SB38, which limits the extent to which counties can impose their own regulations on certain affordable housing projects.

>> HB422, which eliminates costly school impact fees on many housing projects.

>> And HB126, which limits the ability of law enforcement agencies to seize property via civil asset forfeiture without a criminal conviction. (Past column here.)

Those are in addition to some other good bills from the 2025 legislative session that are slated to become law, including:

>> HB830, which allows the state to use qualified third-party consultants to review historic properties.

>> HB1409, which allows more housing density along the path of Honolulu’s Skyline rail system.

>> HB1379, which provides a pathway for foreign medical graduates to become licensed in Hawaiʻi.

>> SB1245, which gives pharmacists more leeway to prescribe and adapt medications.

>> And SB1296, which exempts hundreds of Lahaina properties mauka or inland of Front Street from the state’s Special Management Area permitting requirements, making it easier for their owners to rebuild their homes, businesses or other structures that were destroyed by the August 2023 wildfires. SB1296 unfortunately does not cover almost 100 properties in Lahaina’s shoreline setback area, but it’s a great start.

In addition to all that, Gov. Green line-item vetoed more than $100 million from the state budget, eliminating the annual deficit for the first time in three years.

And, too, the Legislature rejected almost every major proposed tax increase this year, for which I am grateful — except for the so-called “green fee,” which will increase the state’s transient accommodations tax from 10.25% to 11% starting Jan. 1, 2026, as if Hawaiʻi didn’t already have the highest tourism taxes in the nation.

The wins, however, far outnumbered the losses when it comes to making Hawaiʻi a more free, livable state where we all can thrive and prosper.

As a reminder, Hawaiʻi lawmakers last year enacted the biggest income tax cut in the history of the state, and a similar raft of bills to allow more housing. The year before, they passed a bill that allowed Hawaiʻi to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which has made it easier for doctors licensed in other states to practice in Hawaiʻi.

These many wins remind me of what Grassroot’s late founder, Dick Rowland, used to say: “Progress is hard by the yard, but it’s a cinch by the inch.”

Thank you to all who have followed and supported our steady, ongoing work. Many of you may have even shared your thoughts about some of these bills with your lawmakers, for which I also thank you.

Together we are making Hawaiʻi a better place.

Reprinted with permission from the July 6, 2025 "Presidentʻs Corner" of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i President & CEO Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D.