Gov. David Ige is faced with a special-interest bill that is virtually identical to House Bill 1850, which he vetoed in 2016. Senate Bill 1292 would allow vacation rental platforms such as Airbnb to collect state taxes from vacation-rental operators on behalf of the state, without ascertaining whether they are abiding by county laws. SB 1292 helps shield the identity of illegal operators, thereby encouraging the proliferation of these enterprises that are eroding our housing supply and residential quality of life.

The state Department of Taxation is dangling a $46 million carrot in potential taxes that Airbnb and others would deliver under SB 1292. When a government depends on tax revenue from illegal activities that sell out our neighborhoods, we have descended into moral bankruptcy.

I hope Ige will remember the promise made in his 2014 inaugural address — “There should be no ‘special’ interest. The only interest that matters is the public interest” — and vetoes SB 1292.

Ursula Retherford

Kailua

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