THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	146
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

ENCOURAGING THE STATE TO CONSIDER THE INITIATION OF A SISTER-STATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HAWAII AND THE SPANISH PROVINCE OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS.

WHEREAS, Hawaii's relations with sister-states and provinces are governed by chapter 229, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to section 229-3, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and another state or province follows an evaluation and recommendation by the Hawaii Sister-State Committee, which then forwards its recommendation to the Legislature for its consideration; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature, if it so chooses, implements the sister-state or province relationship by either adopting a concurrent resolution or enacting a session law for that purpose; and

WHEREAS, the province of the Balearic Islands, also known as Baleares, is comparable to Hawaii in many ways: with a population of 1,200,000 compared to Hawaii's 1,400,000; inhabiting four islands governed by four island councils, as compared to Hawaii's seven inhabited islands governed by four councils; whose principal economic sector is the visitor industry from which gross annual revenues are approximately $18,000,000,000 which sum is almost identical to the value of annual visitor activity in Hawaii, and which industry employs roughly 171,000 people in Baleares compared to the two hundred sixteen thousand employed in the industry in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, both island chains have long had a reputation as the leading beach island visitor destination in their respective non-competing regions-–Hawaii in the Pacific, Baleares in the Mediterranean--as well as a reputation as leading visitor industry innovators; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii and Baleares face many of the same issues: an over-reliance on tourism as the main economic driver; a large influx over the last sixty years of new residents from the mainland and elsewhere sparking a massive development boom that has impacted local culture; mounting local concerns about over-tourism; a major affordable housing deficit that has led to workforce shortages; environmental degradation and growing threats of devastating wildfires; concerns about water supplies; and a reliance on imports for approximately ninety percent of the food supply, amongst many other similarities; and

WHEREAS, Baleares has been experimenting in recent years with some of the same policies that have been or are currently being debated in Hawaii including an emphasis on 'quality' tourism to realize higher revenues from fewer visitors; restricting short term visitor rentals; imposing a visitor eco-tax; adopting and promoting an industry sustainability pledge; imposing development restrictions on the principal island's most admired coast, the Costa Nord or North Shore; expanding use of the once-suppressed local language; expanding rail and bus mass transit, bike lanes, pedestrianization, and other tools to reduce reliance on automobiles; and stimulating rebirth of local food-farming, amongst many other similarities; and

WHEREAS, the combination of similar experiences on opposite sides of the world already makes Hawaii and Baleares twins in many ways, affording a valuable opportunity to learn from each other about how to confront the most pressing issues of our times; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the House of Representatives concurring, that the State is urged to consider the initiation of a sister-state relationship between Hawaii and the Spanish province of Baleares; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State is urged to conduct exploratory outreach to meet with appropriate leaders representing the Balearic Islands; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the sister-state partnership is urged to focus on key issues impacting both the Balearic Islands and Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Report Title:

Baleares; Sister-State Relationship