Hawaii just passed the first climate tax in U.S. history. Tourists will foot the bill. $100M a year. Here’s what lawmakers aren’t saying out loud.

Citizen Watch Report ^ | Alex

[davikkm]

The ink is dry. Hawaii has officially become the first state in the nation to impose a climate tax. It’s called the Green Fee. The name sounds harmless. The impact is anything but.

Senate Bill 1396 is now law. It tacks on a 0.75% increase to the Transient Accommodations Tax. That means every hotel stay, every short-term rental, every cruise ship docking in the islands will now carry a new surcharge. The state expects this to rake in $100 million annually.

This isn’t a symbolic gesture. It’s a full-scale revenue engine. The money will be funneled into climate resilience projects. Think wildfire prevention, coral reef restoration, flood mitigation, and invasive species removal. The state says it’s about protecting the land. But the math tells a different story.

[volare737]

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