Thank heaven the state House of Representatives will not hear the Senate-passed bill to make Hawaii a sanctuary state (“Hawaii immigrant sanctuary bill dies in state Legislature,” Star-Advertiser, March 12).

We should all be calling state Rep. Gregg Takayama and giving him a huge mahalo. Hawaii cannot afford to become a sanctuary state. Our local Democratic Senate leadership tried to slide it through, opening the door for illegal immigration and possibly adding to our already overflowing homeless problem.

Hawaii’s Democratic leadership seems to cherish and mimic the dysfunctional leadership of California. Why? If we continue to be the puppet of California politics, and the testing ground for the liberal agenda, we will meet the same fate — overloaded social services funded by higher taxes, diminishing federal government support, illegal immigration issues, higher crime and educational demands, and ultimately bankruptcy.

We have enough problems with the federal investigation into the rail, our police department’s tarnished credibility, our crumbling infrastructure and teacher shortage. Our leaders need to serve our local interests, not the mainland’s.

Bruce Black

Diamond Head

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