Keliʻi Akina
Keli‘i Akina, Ph.D., is president and CEO of Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i.
Latest from Keliʻi Akina
Community Voices: Lawmakers choose innovation over red tape
We can’t predict whether seagliders will take off as an efficient and economical way to travel interisland, but it is nice to know that efforts are being made to ensure the potential growth of a new industry will not be held back by unnecessary regulations, writes Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i's Keli‘i Akina.
Keliʻi AkinaJune 02, 2026
Community Voices: A good lesson in curtailing government growth
Kudos to Councilmember Val Okimoto and the Honolulu Budget Committee, which made the fiscally responsible decision this week to ax most of the funding for the city’s Office of Economic Recovery.
Keliʻi AkinaMay 26, 2026
Community Voices: More housing reforms for Hawaiʻi
If the governor approves these particular measures, 2026 will go down as yet another year in which the Legislature made significant progress toward resolving Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis.
Keliʻi AkinaMay 18, 2026
Community Voices: Historic 2024 tax cuts rescued for majority of Hawai‘i residents
Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i played a part in convincing the Legislature to preserve nearly all of the promised tax cuts that had been poised for repeal at the start of the session.
Keliʻi AkinaMay 11, 2026
Community Voices: Untangling occupational licensing rules
If passed, Senate Bill 2876 would replace burdensome cosmetology licensing requirements for natural hair braiders with a simple registration. This is a step in the right direction for local entrepreneurs, Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i notes.
Keliʻi AkinaMay 07, 2026
Community Voices: The unintended consequences of transfer taxes
Studies on the effect of real estate transfer taxes in general have found they are associated with reductions in investment, income, jobs and economic activity. It's also likely to make the state’s housing crisis worse, per Grassroot Institute of Hawai‘i.
Keliʻi AkinaApril 29, 2026
Community Voices: When good bills go bad
Several of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaiʻi’s priority measures still in play aim to make a dent in Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis.
Keliʻi AkinaApril 21, 2026
Community Voices: How building new homes benefits everyone
Several remaining reforms in the state Legislature propose more housing in Hawaiʻi at all levels, without spending a dime of taxpayer money. But how will legislators respond?
Keliʻi AkinaApril 14, 2026
Community Voices: The Legislature found $150 million. So where’s our tax relief?
Gov. Josh Green kicked off this year’s session claiming the state’s budget crunch is so bad that it justifies “pausing” the phase-in of the historic income tax cuts he signed into law in 2024. If that’s true, why has the Legislature put forth a budget that blows past his suggested spending by more than $195 million?
Keliʻi AkinaMarch 30, 2026
Community Voices: Is the Jones Act finally sinking?
President Donald Trump recently issued a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act and within 24 hours, foreign ships were being chartered to carry essential goods. When nearly every emergency, from hurricanes to military action, raises the need for a Jones Act waiver, it is time to stop issuing temporary waivers and start looking at permanent reform.
Keliʻi AkinaMarch 23, 2026
Community Voices: Housing bills looked like winners, until they didn’t
This is regrettable not just because of what it means for Hawaiʻi’s ongoing housing crisis, but also because of the way it happened.
Keliʻi AkinaMarch 18, 2026
Community Voices: Fighting to save Hawai‘i's income tax cuts
Bills before the Legislature to claw back tax relief were met with stiff opposition from voters. These proposals to abandon announced tax relief have eroded public trust — and raised a lot of questions about our government’s commitment to reducing Hawai‘i’s cost of living.
Keliʻi AkinaMarch 10, 2026