State tourist tax by popular vacation destination would pour funds into 'climate change' mitigation
A new bill in Hawaii has passed the Senate in The Aloha State to raise the tourist tax in an effort to "reduce climate change."
Senate Bill 1396 aims to raise the tourist tax on hotels to 11% starting Jan. 1 — and it would then increase to 12% the following year, according to the text of the bill.
Portions of the revenue raised would go into the "Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Special Fund" and the "Economic Development and Revitalization Special Fund," according to the bill.
Funds to the "Climate Mitigation and Resiliency Special Fund" may be used for projects that mitigate, adapt to or increase resiliency against climate change, along with funding consultants and personnel.
Experts say Hawaii is believed to be the first U.S. state to "undertake such action," according to Travel Tomorrow.
"The legislature further finds that given the scale and impact of the climate emergency, the state must invest in bold actions to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to climate change, including resiliency to intensifying natural disasters," according to the bill's text.
In August 2023, a fire spread through Lahaina, killing 101 people. The fire was caused by electric equipment damaged by high winds, Fox News Digital reported earlier.
It killed at least 102 people and caused more than $5 billion in damage.
Hawaii already has a 10.25% tax on short-term rentals. Hawaii's counties each add their own 3% surcharge on top of the state's tax, according to FOX 13.
"Hawaii already imposes what some believe are high taxes on the hospitality sector and short-term stays," said Travel Tomorrow.
"On top of the new rate of 11%, various Hawaii counties add a 3% tax. There is also a combined rate of nearly 5% on goods and services, making a total duty of nearly 19%."
State Representative Adrian Tam shared his support for the bill at a session on Friday.
"Our residents and communities deserve to be protected," said Tam.
He added, "As we continue to invite visitors to Hawaii to share the beauty of this land, this bill is a huge step in ensuring adequate funding is set aside to steward and protect our delicate ecosystems for visitors, our constituents and communities for generations to come."
In 2023, 9.6 million visitors traveled to Hawaii, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Gov. Josh Green (D) has reportedly said that he plans to sign the bill into law.
Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Green's office and the Hawaii Tourism Authority for additional comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
GOP leadership unleashes fury on Dem governor ahead of blockbuster congressional hearing
FIRST ON FOX: House Republican leadership slammed Democratic Gov. Tim Walz ahead of a blockbuster congressional hearing addressing sanctuary city policy this week. GOP Whip and Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer wished Walz "good luck" before the former vice presidential candidate is set to testify alongside Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul at a House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday. "From hurling outrageous insults against ICE agents to offering a multitude of taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens in Minnesota, Tim Walz's immigration agenda can be summed up easily: pro-illegal alien, anti-Minnesotan," GOP Whip Emmer told Fox News Digital. "If Tim Walz thinks he will be able to defend his abysmal record before Congress, then he's even more of a buffoon than I thought. I only have one thing to say to Timmy as he heads to Washington this week: GOOD LUCK." Handful Of House Democrats Join Republicans In Sanctuary City Crackdown Emmer paired his comments to Fox News Digital with a new video slamming Walz's various immigration policies titled "Protecting Illegals, Not Minnesotans: That's the Walz Way." Read On The Fox News App The three "sanctuary governors" will face a barrage of questions from members of the committee this week, as anti-ICE riots raged in Los Angeles over the weekend and the Trump administration continues to ramp up deportations across the country. Though the term "sanctuary city" is not legally defined, illegal immigrants will flock to the mainly Democrat-led regions to reduce the likelihood of deportation. Sanctuary cities often refuse Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) requests for information, like arrests or releases, and typically deny ICE detainer requests to hold jailed illegal migrants beyond their release date. California Republicans Slam Newsom, Bass For Letting La Burn With Riots Amid Trump Immigration Blitz House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, said in a media advisory for the upcoming hearing that "The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens." "Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens." Comer explained. "Former President Biden created the worst border crisis in U.S. history and allowed criminal illegal aliens to flood our communities." "The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement." 'Sick Puppy' Tim Walz Should Never Have Been On Dems' 2024 Ticket, Trump Says The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at 10 a.m. ET. Fox News Digital reached out to Walz but did not receive a article source: GOP leadership unleashes fury on Dem governor ahead of blockbuster congressional hearing
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Billboard Chris' sounds off after arrest in 'most woke city' for opposing transgender treatments for kids
Conservative activists warned about the threat to free speech in Europe after they were arrested in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday for holding signs opposing transgender medical treatments for children. Chris Elston, better known as "Billboard Chris," and Alliance Defending Freedom International senior legal communications officer Lois McLatchie Miller spoke to Fox News Digital after they were released, hours after being harassed by a crowd and taken into police custody. Elston, well known for wearing billboards decrying transgender medical care for children out in public, stood out in the streets of the Belgian capital alongside McLatchie Miller. Both wore billboards with the messages, "Children are never born in the wrong body" and "Children cannot consent to puberty blockers." Elston travels the world to spread his message, which he says mostly receives positive feedback. But in Brussels, it was mostly opposition. Police Arrest 'Billboard Chris,' Christian Activist In Eu Capital For Denouncing Child Transgender Treatments "It was pretty much non-stop abuse and harassment," Elston told Fox News Digital. "It quickly became apparent that this is probably the most woke city I have been to in my five years of campaigning, and nothing else comes close." Read On The Fox News App "We had a man throw a glass bottle at us. It landed behind me, but right in front of a five-year-old girl who was walking with her dad, smashed on the ground. People were telling me I needed to get out of there because Antifa was going to come, and no matter where we walked in the city, we were getting a lot of grief," he added. After one man continually harassed McLatchie Miller, the pair called the police for protection. Instead, they were told if they didn't remove their signs, they would be arrested. They were then detained, strip-searched and had their signs confiscated, before they were released three hours later with no formal charge, Elston said. "They put us in handcuffs and everything, but they just let us go, and it seems they just wanted to get rid of us instead of dealing with the angry, unruly mob," he added. The activists were in Brussels this week to share their message and discuss policy issues with members of the European Parliament. Free Speech Advocates Praise Trump Admin For Speaking Out On Global Censorship McLatchie Miller, who works for the faith-based legal organization, Alliance Defending Freedom International, said it was surprising to find herself detained, when she is usually fighting for ADF clients whose speech has been silenced by local authorities. "I don't think we were quite prepared to expect this level of hostility here in Brussels, but hopefully it exposes some things that need to be exposed about the need to protect freedom of expression in Europe," she told Fox News Digital. Vice President JD Vance recently sounded the alarm about free speech being under threat in Europe. In a speech in Munich in February, he raised the case of a British army veteran who was arrested and charged for silently praying in an abortion buffer zone to warn that Europe appeared to be retreating from some of its fundamental values it shares with the U.S. and adopting "Soviet-era" censorship. McLatchie Miller said her arrest "really represents the free speech crisis that Europe is facing right now." Vance Is Right About Free Speech. That's What Makes Eu And Us Leftists So Mad "Vance pointed this out in his Munich speech just a few months ago, and many people in Europe laughed at him and said that this wasn't true," she continued. "But case after case, time after time, we're seeing this assault on free speech unfold." "As Chris and I were just there sharing a very peaceful message, a very important message, that no child has ever been born in the wrong body, and they do not need drugs and scalpels to fix themselves, they need love and affirmation. It's an opinion that's shared by many people across Europe, and yet the authorities came and shut down that conversation in the streets of this capital city, this heart of the European Union." "If free speech is not accessible here in Europe's alleged home of democracy, then it's not accessible anywhere, and it really does raise an alarm bell," she said. Brussels police did not immediately return a request for comment. Their arrest comes at a time when Elston believes there is a growing movement across the globe of those questioning or criticizing transitioning children. "We're making tremendous progress all across the globe," he said. He cited European countries like Finland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom which now discourage giving puberty blockers to children experiencing gender dysphoria. "The truth is spreading," he added. Elston said he speaks to people on both sides of the aisle who share his concerns about transitioning children, and he believes it was one major issue that swung voters away from the Democratic Party in the 2024 election. "This was the number one issue in the U.S. election that caused swing voters to vote for President Donald Trump," he argued. "It wasn't the economy, it wasn't immigration, it was transgender insanity. And even in these Democrat states, a lot of those voters are sick and tired of this." Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this article source: 'Billboard Chris' sounds off after arrest in 'most woke city' for opposing transgender treatments for kids
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lawmakers pass sweeping new tax that will impact anyone visiting Hawai'i: 'The visitor industry will struggle if we do not take action now'
Your next trip to one of the United States' most popular tourist destinations may cost a few dollars more. But for conservationists, climate scientists, or others who care about our planet's future, that's excellent news. In late May, The Guardian reported that Hawai'i Gov. Josh Green signed Senate Bill 1396, which establishes the country's first "Green Fee." The proceeds will be used to combat changes happening across the state because of a shifting, warming climate. The fee is actually a 0.75% increase to the tax charge on hotel rooms and vacation rentals — about $3 extra on a $400 per night stay. The tax will also, for the first time, apply to cruise ships that dock in Hawai'i. Both changes take effect next year, and officials expect the fee to generate roughly $100 million per year. "As an island chain, Hawai'i cannot wait for the next disaster to hit before taking action," Green said in a release. "We must build resiliency now, and the Green Fee will provide the necessary financing to ensure resources are available for our future." Hawai'i made frequent headlines in 2023 for the deadly wildfires that devastated much of Maui, and less than a year later, another fire put hundreds of homes at risk in Kauai. Supporters of the new tax say the Green Fee will put Hawai'i in a better position to deal with any extreme weather events that happen in the future. But the money is also expected to be used toward projects such as protecting native plants, forests, and wildlife, replenishing sand on eroding beaches, and enhancing the state's climate resilience. As an example of the impact of climate inaction, University of Hawai'i researchers have said that the sea level in Honolulu's Waikiki neighborhood is expected to rise by nearly 6 feet by 2100 without mitigation efforts. Several hotel and tourism groups in Hawai'i supported the bill, saying these improvements will also make vacations better for the millions of tourists who visit each year. "The visitor industry will struggle if we do not take action now," said state Rep. Adrian Tam, D-Waikiki, the chair of the House tourism committee. "There will be nothing left for them to showcase to the rest of the world if our beaches are decimated, wildfires have taken over our towns, and hikes left unmanaged." Should the government be paying us to upgrade our homes? Definitely Depends on how much it costs Depends on what it's for No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
