The Hawaii Legislature is scheduled to convene this week for the first time since the historic Lahaina burning woke the state to the deadly and costly threat posed by wildfires in an era of climate change.
The tragedy has once again drawn the attention of lawmakers. Now, as the Hawaii State Legislature returns for a new session this week, fighting and preventing wildfires and helping Maui recover from the fires is at the top of its agenda.
“This really kicks us into gear in a different way,” said Democratic state Rep. Nadine Nakamura, the House majority leader.
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The August 8 fire killed 100 people, destroyed more than 2,000 buildings and displaced 12,000 people. Experts estimate it will cost $5.5 billion to replace the buildings exposed to the fire.
Investigators are still investigating how the fire started. The fire spread quickly due to strong winds whipped up by a powerful hurricane that passed south of Hawaii, as well as drought and non-native grasses that are more susceptible to fire.
Another fire in early August destroyed about 20 homes in Kula, a town halfway up Haleakala.
Hawaii State Capitol Building in Honolulu (Photo taken on January 12, 2024). The Hawaii Legislature's top priority for 2024 is helping Maui recover from the summer's wildfires. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)
House Democrats will look at wildfire prevention needs across the state to better understand what the state Department of Land and Natural Resources needs to do a better job, Nakamura said.
The House of Commons Wildfire Prevention Working Group, formed after the fires, recommended a series of new measures to prevent fires, including public awareness campaigns and tax and insurance incentives for wildfire-safe structures. . The task force recommended that states maintain firefighting aircraft and other equipment solely to fight wildfires.
In a news release, the Senate majority commits to establishing a Fire Risk Task Force and seeking permanent funding for the Hawaii Wildfire Management Authority, the center for wildfire prevention and mitigation. said.
Democrats hold overwhelming majorities in both chambers, holding 44 of the 50 seats in the House of Representatives (with one vacant seat) and 23 of the 25 seats in the Senate.
Democratic Gov. Josh Green in December asked lawmakers to appropriate $425 million for cleanup and emergency housing on Maui and millions more to reduce wildfire risk across the state.
Collin Moore, a political science professor at the University of Hawaii, said it's clear after Lahaina that state agencies will need more funding to manage forests and other natural resources. This could help revive a proposal considered last year to charge visitors an annual pass to visit state parks and trails.
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Moore said the bill would be popular in an election year.
“That's what legislators want to promote in their re-election campaigns,” he said.
Nakamura said the Maui wildfires have exacerbated a long-existing problem: the proliferation of vacation rentals in the state.
Thousands of Lahaina residents who lost their homes in the fire are still living in hotels five months after the fire because there is not enough housing, even though tourists are renting condos. Many wildfire evacuees are leaving Maui because they can't find a place to live.
Nakamura said lawmakers may revisit a bill that would give counties the power to phase out short-term rentals.
A University of Hawaii analysis estimates that vacation rentals account for 15% of Maui's housing stock. In Lahaina, the rate is 40%.
Mr. Moore highlighted one of Hawai'i's most persistent challenges: a statewide housing shortage and high home prices that are driving an exodus of Native Hawaiians and other native-born residents out of the state. I hope that lawmakers will continue to work on this issue. However, he said any measures would likely be “marginal reforms” rather than a dramatic overhaul.
“We're going to see more of what we've seen in the past, trying to figure out the best combination of regulatory reform and subsidies and rent assistance,” Moore said.
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He said the people most in need of affordable housing are a large, unorganized group with little influence in Congress. Groups with a vested interest in regulations that limit or slow housing construction (for example, rules governing historic preservation or environmental regulations) can more easily come together to make their case, he said. Stated.
Nakamura said there would be a push for zoning to allow more housing on individual lots and for putting money into a fund to subsidize affordable housing development.
Nakamura said there is a widespread understanding that Hawaii needs more shelter for its residents, and how employees can communicate with business leaders and those in the tourism and medical industries who need housing. I told him that I had talked to him.
“If they can't find an affordable rental in Hawaii and showcase their skills, we all lose out,” she says.
