HOOSER: Hawai‘i — a blue state charade

Am wishing today, we were more like Minnesota.

Yes, Minnesota.

The 2023 Legislature in Minnesota, with only a one-vote “blue majority” in the Senate, accomplished in a single year more than our own “super blue” Hawai‘i Legislature has accomplished in the past decade.

Minnesota passed legislation that included; free breakfast and lunch for all children in school; a state-run paid family and medical leave program; legalized recreational cannabis; free in-state college tuition; a reduction of taxes for low and middle-income households; a ban on PFAS “forever chemicals;” codified abortion rights; boosted funding for schools that includes indexing per pupil formula funding to the rate of inflation; and more, much more. See the full list and description here: https://rb.gy/i0n30f.

They passed all of this legislation in a single 2023 legislative session with Democrats holding only a two-vote majority in the House and a one-vote majority in the Senate.

“We set out at the very beginning of session with our top 30 goals, introduced jointly with the House and the Senate. And as of the end of the day, we are going to pass the entirety of our top priorities with the House and Senate,” said House Majority Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, to the Associated Press.

Kudos to Minnesota!

Tell me now, why is not Hawai‘i, with its Democratic governor and super blue Legislature accomplishing similar public policy milestones?

If Speaker of the House Representative Scott Saiki, Senate President Ron Kouchi, House Finance Chair Representative Kyle Yamashita, and Ways and Means Chair Senator Donavan Delacruz (all Democrats) wanted to pass these types of measures it would happen.

Just like in Minnesota.

But it doesn’t happen because the core Democratic Party platform priorities are either not important to them, they are afraid to take political risks, or they are just lazy and complacent. They want to wear the brand and carry that “D” trademark with them to the ballot box, but when push comes to shove, they will side with maintaining the status quo every time.

These four legislators collectively control the outcome of every single bill that’s introduced. They serve at the top level because a majority of the legislative body elects them to those positions of leadership.

So, it stands to reason that this same majority of Hawai‘i legislators are also either DINOs or just unwilling to buck the good ole boy system.

They prefer instead to go along to get along. Inside the building, it’s called “playing the long game.” I wonder sometimes what exactly that long game is because it doesn’t ever seem to come to an end.

Meanwhile, people are sleeping in gutters and doorways, in the literal shadow of multimillion-dollar homes and condos.

There is no shortage of wealth in the islands. The large corporate landowners, absentee foreign real estate investors, and hotel and resort operators are not fleeing our shores because taxes are too high.

What’s lacking is not money but rather the political will, and the core values needed to tackle our many challenges.

Elections matter. On Aug. 10, let’s unite to elect leaders at all levels who care about our most pressing challenges, are willing to go to bat for the community, are not intimidated or swayed by big money, and feel the same urgency and need for change that we do.

Let’s create a “Minnesota Miracle” here — Hawai‘i style.

As the inimitable and totally awesome Nina Turner is fond to say, “Any ole blue won’t do.”

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Gary Hooser served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Counci. He presently writes on Hawaii Policy and Politics at www.garyhooser.blog.