Two days following the anniversary of the Maui wildfires, Gov. Josh Green, MD, had the opportunity for an in-person meeting with more than 300 people who attended the 27th Annual Governor’s Luncheon hosted by the Kauai Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Airlines at the Koloa Landing Resort.
“We’ve come through this (period of economic uncertainty, funding cuts, and more) pretty strong — Kauai strong!” Gov. Green said. “But there’s more ahead, and we need to be strong.”
Visiting Kauai for the Kauai Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Gov. Green was privy to a private Meet and Greet with Kauai Chamber board members and sponsors who qualified for the Chamber’s Kaho‘okele Circle.
The invitation-only reception was followed by the general assembly, where Gov. Green met with Pacific Missile Range Facility leaders to discuss some of the issues facing the military installation in Mana.
Likening the Hawaii economy to healthcare, Gov. Green discussed the “health of the state,” including issues with Medicaid, housing, investment in healthcare, taxes, homelessness, “The Green Fee,” climate change, and resilience.
Green said the state is looking at “investing” $20 million in Fiscal Year 2026 in the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation Kauai Region, including $500,000 in funding for the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital, and $1.5 million in financing for Hoola Lahui Hawaii.
This will be followed by spending another $12.5 million in Fiscal Year 2027.
Green also said there are an estimated 2,868 housing units in the pipeline across the Kauai county, with more than 700 units estimated by 2026, including 150 “affordable rentals” from the Uahi Ridge development that is looking to complete Phase I in 2026.
After working for several years, the governor signed Act 96, or Senate Bill 1396, into law on May 27 to establish the first-ever climate impact “Green Fee” in the United States.
The Green Fee is designed to fund climate resilience, environmental stewardship, hazard mitigation, and sustainable tourism in the state.
The Green Fee is expected to generate $100M, annually and is dedicated funding for climate resilience. It offers collaboration with the visitor industry to protect the island’s natural resources, including eroding coastlines.
Revenues are based on increasing the Transient Accommodations Tax, or TAT — including TAT on cruise ships — by .75 percent to fund environmental conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable tourism.
Source: The Garden Island