The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Labor and Technology on Feb. 11, 2026.
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Feb. 11, 2026, 3 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 225 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Labor and Technology
Sen. Brandon J.C. Elefante, Chair
Sen. Rachele Lamosao, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF SB2014 — RELATING TO PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other Committee members,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports SB2014, which would require the Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development to abolish any state job that has been for more than five years. All funding from these abolished positions would immediately lapse to the general fund. The bill would also require DHRD to report on the number of funds abolished in this manner in its annual report to the Legislature.
As of Nov. 1, 2025, the state had 4,273 vacant civil service positions, 485 of which had been vacant for four years or more.[1]
Tying down state general funds for vacant positions inhibits the Legislature’s ability to respond to fiscal pressures such as the ones the state is currently facing.
Grassroot has estimated that abolishing all of the state’s more than 4,000 vacant positions would free up more than $350 million in tax dollars that could be allocated elsewhere.[2]
If the bill resulted in the abolition of only 10% of those positions, it would free up $30 million that could be put to better use or returned to taxpayers in the form of a refund.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] “Report to the 2026 Legislature as Required by Act 57, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019,” Hawaii Department of Human Resources Development, updated Jan. 8, 2026, pp 1-2 and Appendix A. Note that this figure does not include Hawaii Department of Education positions.
[2] Keli’i Akina, “Alternatives to ‘pausing’ Hawaii’s income tax cuts,” Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Jan. 19, 2026.
