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Hawaii GET adds $220M to healthcare costs
Exempting medical services would help patients and stem the doctor shortage HONOLULU, Jan. 30, 2020 >> Exempting medical services from Hawaii’s general excise tax would result in a $222 million tax cut for consumers and healthcare professionals, according...
Economic freedom in Hawaii takes a fall
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii urges state policymakers to reverse course HONOLULU, Nov. 7, 2019 >> Economic freedom in Hawaii dropped three notches to 40th place among all 50 U.S. states, according to an index published annually by the Fraser Institute based...
State budget needs bigger cushion to weather crisis
A new Grassroot Institute of Hawaii report suggests ways to build a financial reserve HONOLULU, April 2, 2019 >> Hawaii’s state budget does not have big enough cushion to deal with a deep recession, if one should hit, so lawmakers should rein in spending and...
New report tells how to revive contracting as policy option
Hawaii lawmakers need greater flexibility in determining how to deliver public services. HONOLULU, Mar. 13, 2019 >> A small tweak to an old law might be all that is needed to help the state partner with the private sector, according to a new report by the...
New report urges ‘building out’ to ease housing crisis
Grassroot Scholar Randal O’Toole faults artificial land scarcity for high Hawaii home prices HONOLULU, Feb. 19, 2019 >> Hawaii has the least affordable housing of any state in the nation, and that is almost wholly because of government land-use regulations...