Category Archives: Uncategorized

The 2024 legislative session is over. Thousands of bills were introduced, hundreds were passed into law. Surprisingly, state law-makers took a meaningful step in the right direction on what I believe is the most important issue of our time. The … Continue reading →

One of the most important laws on the books is HRS343 also known as the Hawaiʻi Environmental Protection Act (HEPA). Included in my now 70 years of life experience was a stint in 2012 as Director of the Office of … Continue reading →

“Affordable Housing – Yes in my backyard” was the title of something I wrote 6 months ago on the topic of affordable housing. https://garyhooser.blog/2023/11/02/affordable-housing-yes-in-my-backyard/ To be absolutely clear, I support urban redevelopment and the general concept of increasing density in … Continue reading →

It feels like the first day of a new year – in a policy and politics sense. The Hawaiʻi legislative session is over and there’s no more “waiting to exhale”. The constant vigilance required to monitor 3,000 or more bills … Continue reading →

Well we lost. SB3202 passed. The vote was very close – The House of Representatives voted 29 in support and 22 in opposition. In the Senate there were 9 Noes and 16 in the affirmative. Vote translation: We needed only 4 … Continue reading →

I’m thinking we need to send SB3202 back to the drawing board. Can you help? Or if you disagree, I’d like to hear your rationale. Read the latest draft if you have the stomach for it. https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2024/bills/SB3202_CD1_.htm Here is the … Continue reading →

So what happened at yesterday’s BLNR meeting where community based I Ola Wailuanui was competing with Utah based developer RP21 for use/control over two state parcels connected to the proposed Coco Palms resort development? The Utah developer won of course. … Continue reading →

Info on nature of item on the agenda and other short summary is here https://www.wailuanui.org/blog/blnr-hearing-on-april-26-2024 Aloha Chairperson Dawn Chang and Commissioners Kaiwi Yoon, Aimee Barnes, Karen Ono, Vernon Char, Doreen Canto, and Riley Smith, Speaking as an individual, father, and … Continue reading →

There was no shortage of new bombshells falling on the Hawai‘i public policy battlefield this past week. The New York Times reported for the whole world to see what many of us already know, “Pay-to-play is woven into the DNA … Continue reading →

I received this bombshell of an email from an Oahu attorney/friend a few days ago: “I’m not sure whether folks on Kaua’i realize that SB 3202 is deliberately crafted to take all authority to make decisions on subdivisions from the … Continue reading →