LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i State Association of Counties at its monthly meeting Friday voted to approve a resolution requesting the repeal of Act 55 to be submitted to each of the Hawai‘i’s four counties for approval, according to an HSAC
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i State Association of Counties at its monthly meeting Friday voted to approve a resolution requesting the repeal of Act 55 to be submitted to each of the Hawai‘i’s four counties for approval, according to an HSAC press release.
The resolution would mirror Kaua‘i’s resolution to repeal Act 55, unanimously approved Sept. 26. If the resolution is approved by all four counties, HSAC will include the proposal in its 2013 Legislative Package.
During the three days prior to Friday’s meeting, more than 800 emails from residents statewide flooded Kaua‘i County Councilman and HSAC President Mel Rapozo’s inbox, all of them supporting the repeal of the controversial law, according to the release.
“The amount of emails received in just 72 hours was astounding,” Rapozo said in the release.
HSAC consists of representatives from each county council in the state.
On Sept. 18, Big Island’s county councils passed also passed a resolution asking for the repeal of Act 55. Maui County Council has a similar resolution going through its Policy Committee, and is expected to pass.
Honolulu City Council is the only county council in the state that has yet to include similar measure on its agenda.
“The councils of Kaua‘i, Big Island, and Maui County have heard our communities’ concerns and once the Honolulu City Council has an opportunity to place it on their agenda and review it to their satisfaction, we will know if a repeal will become part of our Legislative Package for the upcoming session,” Rapozo said in the release.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed Act 55 on May 20, 2011, following the state Legislature’s approval of Senate Bill 1555 in the 2011 session. Act 55 created the Public Land Development Corporation and gave its five board members broad powers to allow commercial development on public lands — including 1.8 million acres of ceded lands — while circumventing county zoning laws.
In August, PLDC representatives conducted a series of statewide meetings to inform the community about the new law and to gather information to bring back to the PLDC Board. Since then there has been an overwhelming opposition statewide to Act 55, and many are calling for the repeal of the law.
Abercrombie has stated publicly he would veto a repeal.
The 2013 Legislature starts Jan. 16.
