Hawaii's governor hails support for Maui and targets vacation rentals exacerbating housing shortage

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green used his annual State of the State address to lead lawmakers and guests in a moment of silence for victims of the Lahaina wildfire. He's also proposing aggressive steps to shift more vacation rentals into residential use to meet both Maui and the state’s acute housing needs. Green is proposing exempting vacation rental owners from capital gains, conveyance and general excise taxes if they sell their units to owner-occupants or long-term rental landlords. House Democratic leaders say they have common priorities with governor, particularly on affordable housing, mental health care and climate change.