Yesterday, Governor Green addressed the people of Hawai‘i in his annual State of the State speech.
During the speech, the Governor highlighted strides to reduce Hawai‘i’s cost of living, including:
- Doubling the earned income and food tax credits, benefiting families statewide.
- Enacting the largest income tax cut in Hawai‘i’s history, providing $5.6 billion in relief over seven years.
- Aiming to reduce the tax burden for working families and encourage economic growth across the islands.
In terms of affordable housing, the Governor talked about Hawaiʻi as leading an unprecedented effort to expand housing opportunities, including:
- Accelerating the development of nearly 7,000 affordable housing units through emergency proclamations.
- Tracking over 62,000 units in development over the next decade, including 46,000 designated as affordable.
- Requesting $500 million for housing initiatives in the upcoming biennium budget to support workforce housing and Native Hawaiian beneficiaries.
The Governor also reaffirmed his commitment to cutting homelessness in half by 2026 by taking the following steps:
- Expanding kauhale (tiny home) villages to 17 statewide as of today, with 30 villages planned by 2026.
- Allocating $50 million annually for kauhale development and increasing investments in Housing First and rapid re-housing programs.
- Reporting a 76% reduction in health care costs for housed individuals, underscoring the economic and social benefits of compassionate solutions.
Governor Green detailed ongoing recovery efforts following the 2023 Maui wildfires which included:
- Investing more than $2 billion in federal disaster relief and $800 million in state funds to support survivors and rebuild communities.
- Ensuring long-term housing for 99% of displaced residents through innovative interim and permanent housing projects.
- Enhancing statewide wildfire prevention measures, including deploying early alert sensors, and reestablishing the State Fire Marshal office and increasing funding by $2.2 million.
The Governor also spotlighted health and public safety advancements, including:
- Launching the Health Care Education Loan Repayment Program (HELP) to address the shortage of health care professionals in rural and underserved areas.
- Significant financial investments in rural hospitals, behavioral health centers and Medicaid improvements.
- Dedicated more state and federal funds to raising Medicaid rates — improving care for 450,000 of the most vulnerable people in our state.
In terms of public safety, Governor Green spotlighted the following critical advancements:
- Passing two new gun safety laws, designating sensitive places where firearms are prohibited and providing active-shooter training in public and charter schools to ensure safer communities.
- Hosting two successful gun buyback events, collecting approximately 1,000 firearms — including assault rifles, ghost guns, and semi-automatic weapons — and removing them from Hawai‘i’s streets.
- Establishing the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, which has seized 227,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, and pursuing legislation to ensure only safe and legal fireworks are used in the state.
In regards to climate and environment Governor Green discussed permanently shutting down the Red Hill fuel facility, implementing recommendations from the Climate Advisory Team to mitigate the effects of climate-related disasters by funding resiliency efforts across the state and partnering with youth advocates and organizations to champion emissions reductions and sustainable transportation solutions.
Governor Green concluded his address with a vision of hope and determination, emphasizing transformative projects like modernizing Hawai‘i’s stadium, pursuing food security reforms and enhancing justice systems. “We will continue to dream big in our state, pursuing major transformative projects and initiatives in the years ahead,” he said.
The speech may be viewed in its entirety via Governor Green’s Facebook page, here.
Photo credit: Office of Governor Green