Hawaii’s cost of living top of mind for lawmakers on opening day

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The 33rd Hawaii State Legislature convened Wednesday morning, welcoming new members and House leadership, including Hawaii’s first female House Speaker.

Rep. Nadine Nakamura, D-Kauai, urged lawmakers to find the good in each other, quoting her 97-year-old mother, Mabel Maeda.

She also introduced 11 new House members individually, including Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto, D-Ala Moana, Kakaako, Downtown, as “our first openly transgendered legislator in the state of Hawaii.”

The cost of living was the most talked about issue, beginning with affordable housing, rising property insurance rates, and taxes.

At the beginning of a long and unscripted opening day address, Senate President Ron Kouchi put housing at the top of priorities.

“We need to get through the permitting process and build the units faster because housing affects everything we are trying to do in this economy,” he said.

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To point out that housing is not a new priority, Kouchi joked that Gov. Josh Green will be able to take credit for housing that was planned and funded before he came to office, but also said Green agrees with both houses and parties that more needs to be in the pipeline.

“Whatever we can do to reduce the cost of and create more affordable housing, especially for working families, is a huge priority,” he said.

In a challenging, and sometimes, personal speech, Senate Republican leader Brenton Awa blamed Democrats for the situation.

“I don’t wanna be the one to point out what’s going on,” Awa began. “I am one of the youngest people in here. I don’t know why I gotta be that guy.”

Awa pointed out too many residents have been forced to leave Hawaii.

“I don’t want to be the one to keep Governor Green from helping California fire victims, but if he wants to fly them in and offer them hotel rooms for free, what if we offered that to all the Hawaiians who have been displaced up there,” Awa said as some in the gallery shouted approval.

“Outside developers are being allowed to squeeze both profits and people off of our land,” Awa went on. “I don’t want to be the one to make enemies but as long as I have been alive, there’s been barely no resistance in this building.

“I don’t want to be the one to point out how many of our leaders, whether they realize it or not, have been pricing us out while they build their own paradise,” he said.

Awa listed big salary increases for the schools’ superintendent, the University of Hawaii president and the Honolulu City Council.

“Its okay though,” he said. “I am sure (council chair)Tommy Waters and (council member) Esther Kiaaina and company are giving 64% more effort every day they show up for work.”

Awa repeated a call to ban foreign ownership of Hawaii property which Democrats have dismissed as illegal.

House Republican Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto pledged to fight for more tax cuts.

“We will introduce measures that will completely eliminate the income tax, eliminate the tax on tips and eliminate the GET on food and medical services,” she said. “People are struggling now and this body need to take bold steps to help our local families not just survive but thrive.”

Free universal pre-K for all was repeatedly endorsed to save families money and improve school performance.

Action was promised on insurance crisis and wildfire resistance, which Kouchi tied to getting more farmers into the school lunch pipeline.

“Shouldn’t we be spending millions of dollars to do that?” he said. “Instead of, like the report we got from the AG (which recommended investment in fire breaks and foliage management), spending millions on walls and barriers to protect us from fire, why not something that would feed our children?”

Nakamura said the two uncertain issues looming over the session are whether the Maui fire lawsuits are settled and whether the Trump administration will cut federal programs Hawaii depends on.

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