March 17, 2015
To: House Committee on Economic Development & Business
Rep. Derek Kawakami, Chair
Rep. Sam Kong, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
President Keli’i Akina, Ph.D.
RE: SB 868 — RELATING TO LIQUOR COMMISSIONS
Dear Chair and Committee Members:
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its comments on SB 868, which would require those county liquor commissions that choose to regulate dancing to adopt or amend their rules regarding any limitations on dancing.
It is a basic principle of justice that there be certainty in those laws and regulations that proscribe behavior—especially behavior that would ordinarily be publicly acceptable. It is hard to think of an activity more closely identified with our state than dance. To allow for arbitrary enforcement of vaguely outlined prohibitions on this type of free expression flirts with unconstitutional regulation.
Requiring that such limitations be clearly outlined is a necessary step in the defense of the public interest and civil liberties in general.
Thank you for the opportunity to submit our comments.
Sincerely,
Keli’i Akina, Ph.D.
President, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
