Hawaii’s Democratic governor has proposed imposing a $25 “climate impact fee” on tourists to protect the state’s natural environment.
In last month’s State of the Union address, Governor Josh Green It argued that the fee was necessary to “provide the necessary resources to protect the environment and raise awareness of the effects of climate change.” Green believes the fee will generate much-needed annual revenue of $68 million.
Green also said the state will use the money to protect beaches and protect the state from future wildfires, like the devastating blaze in Lahaina last August that killed at least 100 people, most of them elderly. He claimed that it would be used to protect the Green also wants to put at least half of the proceeds toward the state’s disaster relief fund and disaster insurance, but he believes the risk of investing in Hawaii is too high and investors will take their money elsewhere. He said it was necessary to discourage this. honolulu civil beat report.
Approximately 9.5 million people visited the Aloha State last year, far more than the 1.5 million residents. If Green’s proposal passes, tourist groups of any size would be subject to a $25 fee when checking into a hotel or short-term rental.
“I don’t think that’s too much to ask of a visitor,” Green said.
The state House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee began discussing the governor’s proposal last week. There is no guarantee that the proposal will pass, although Hawaii’s state legislature is overwhelmingly left-leaning, with only eight Republicans to 68 Democrats. Gov. Green said he proposed a similar measure last year that would impose a $40 or $50 tourism fee, but it was defeated “in the last hours of the legislative session.” daily mail report.
The governor said he is open to alternatives such as increasing the transient lodging tax in place of tourism fees. But the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association argues that the TAT is already high at 10.25% and raising it further would almost certainly deter visitors.
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