The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a non-partisan public policy think tank promoting individual liberty, economic freedom, and government accountability. ^[1] Its primary policy concerns are changing the Jones Act, protectionist maritime legislation that makes living in U.S. insular areas more expensive; reforming health care in Hawaii; taxes; housing affordability; and privatization. ^[2]

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is an affiliate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ^[3]

Activity

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii advocates for changing the Jones Act, protectionist legislation that restricts shipping between U.S.-controlled ports. ^[4] Grassroot Institute has claimed that Jones Act rules cost Hawaiian families $1,800 annually, adding to the state’s already higher-than-average cost of living. The Institute’s study of the Jones Act also reports that it costs Hawaii $148 million in lost tax revenue and 9,100 in lost jobs, and claims that eliminating the Act’s requirement to only use U.S.-built ships would save Hawaii $532 million a year, create 3,800 jobs, and produce $67 million in tax revenue. ^[5]

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports privatizing public services in order to cut the state budget. The Institute claims that competition incentivizes private contractors to submit low bids for contracts, thereby cutting state costs. The state would also save on the costs of pension and health benefits. ^[6]

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii advocates for free-market changes to the health care system based on competition and a shift toward self-payment approaches from insurance-payment for routine services. Additionally, the Institute supports reforming the Food and Drug Administration to lower generic drug prices, replacing patents with cash prizes for new pharmaceutical developments, subsidizing the needy with cash instead of medical insurance coverage, and relying more on federalism in order to formulate health care policy. ^[7]

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii claims that Governor David Ige’s (D) proposed budget will result in a tax hike, simply referred to as “other revenues” in his plan. The Institute claims that a tax hike will make Hawaii more expensive, compounding tax and regulations that are not business friendly and a high cost of living. Instead, the Institute advocates for the creation of a balanced budget with a “meaningful” spending cap. ^[8]

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports zoning reform in order to address Hawaii’s so-called housing crisis. The Institute bases its recommendations on a “zoning reform toolkit” developed by the State Policy Network, and includes allowing houses in commercial areas, outlawing single-family zoning, enacting a Permit Freedom Act, and removing limitations on building height. ^[9]

Funding

The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is funded by donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. While the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii does not disclose its donors, tax filings indicate notable donations from the Roe Foundation,^[10] Donors Capital Fund, ^[11] and Donors Trust. ^[12]

People

Staff

Keliʻi Akina works as president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and serves as trustee-at-large for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. ^[13]

Joe Kent serves as executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and formerly was a student fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education. ^[14] Kent ran as a Libertarian candidate for Hawaii State Senate in 2016 and for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. ^[15]

Scholars

Grassroot Institute Scholars consult and advise the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii staff on policy initiatives.

John Dunham was a former senior economist for the New York City Mayor’s Office, the New York City Comptroller’s Office, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Philip Morris. ^[16]

Dan Mitchell is founder of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity. Mitchell formerly served as an economist for former Senator Bob Packwood (R-OR) and the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, and as a director of tax and budget policy at Citizens for a Sound Economy. ^[17]

Randal O’Toole is a senior fellow with the Cato Institute. ^[18]

Gale Pooley sits on the board of HumanProgress.org and is a fellow with the Discovery Institute. ^[19]

Ken Schoolland works as the vice president for international relations at Liberty International and as a member of the Mont Pelerin Society. Schoolland formerly served as chair of the Libertarian Party of Hawaii. ^[20]

Ilya Shapiro works as a senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute and is editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review. ^[21]

Robert Thomas works as the managing attorney for the Pacific Legal Foundation’s Hawaii Center. ^[22]

Tom Yamachika works as the president of the Tax Foundation of Hawaii. ^[23]