Lawmakers move forward on unprecedented measure that will impact anyone visiting Hawaiʻi: 'No other state has done something of this magnitude'
The Hawaiʻi state legislature has approved a landmark bill to help the state protect itself from the changing climate and protect its uniquely beautiful landscape and wildlife.
According to Honolulu Civil Beat, the Hawaiʻi legislature passed a long-discussed visitor "green fee" to help pay for conservation efforts in the state and protect its environment.
Under the new bill, visitors to the islands will pay a 0.75% tax on their hotel and short-term rental stays, and cruise ships that dock in Hawaiʻi will apply the same tax to their travelers as well.
The governor's office estimates that the law will bring in over $100 million in revenue to the state, which will be put toward environmental projects across Hawaiʻi, conservation efforts, and initiatives to help make the state's infrastructure more resilient to rising global temperatures.
"When we started this, it was a wild moonshot of an idea. No one ever thought this was possible," Jack Kittinger, a leader of the Care for 'íina Now coalition, the environmental group that has spent the last seven years trying to get the bill passed, told Honolulu Civil Beat.
It will also create a fund to help offset the cost of future natural disasters.
Hawaiʻi is particularly vulnerable to the current climate crisis. As an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it is more susceptible to the stronger storms and weather patterns that come from our planet's warming. What's more, providing aid during and after disasters can be challenging due to the island's remote location.
Furthermore, because Hawaiʻi has such a unique, fragile ecosystem, it can be tough to adapt to shifts in weather patterns and climate. As a result, as the climate changes, the flora and fauna that make the islands so beautiful are more vulnerable.
The bill did have opposition from the state's tourism lobby, which claimed the uptick in fees could see tourists choose to go to other, more affordable destinations.
However, surveys of Hawaiian residents showed overwhelming support for the bill, and Gov. Josh Green is expected to sign it into law when it reaches his desk.
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"It's a historic piece of legislation," Green said Friday, per Honolulu Civil Beat. "No other state has done something of this magnitude to have an impact fee that goes directly to deal with climate change."
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