HONOLULU (June 24, 2019) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today released the following statement regarding the announcement of Hawaii Governor David Ige’s intent to veto Senate Bill 1292 regarding vacation rentals. The statement is attributable to Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA.

“AHLA applauds Governor Ige for announcing today his intent to veto SB 1292 and urges him to follow through in vetoing this flawed legislation with the goal of passing a meaningful law next year that protects neighborhoods, housing and tourism jobs, while ensuring proper taxation. Once again, Governor Ige is demonstrating principled leadership on this issue in prioritizing the residents of Hawaii over the special interests of commercial investors who use online platforms like Airbnb, resulting in depletion of housing options, fracturing of communities and threatening thousands of tourism jobs that support Hawaii’s economy.”

“This announcement comes just days after Honolulu City Council-members voted 9-0 to pass comprehensive short-term rental legislation that institutes strict zoning and fee structure, and prohibits whole home rentals. With Governor Ige’s announcement today, Hawaii remains on track to rein in illegal hotels and solidifies protections for residents from short-term rentals that have plagued neighborhoods across Hawaii for too long.”