The 2023 session addressed the public outrage at two legislators being indicted for taking bribes by passing twenty of the twenty-eight bills introduced and recommended by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC). The Governor and leading Senators called this session a “banner year” for passing good government bills. The CISC Chair thanked Rep. Tarnas as Chair of the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs (JHA) Committee, saying this “remarkable accomplishment” will strengthen State laws to fight public corruption, improve ethics, increase transparency and accountability in the state
legislature, reform campaign finance, and better regulate lobbyists. The JHA Committee also led successful legislation to protect women’s reproductive rights, strengthen gun safety laws, and stop the smuggling of illegal aerial fireworks into the State, and provided major new funding of $600 million to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) to buy land and develop housing projects to meet the needs of native Hawaiians on the DHHL waitlist.
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In the 2024 session, Rep. Tarnas worked as the JHA Chair to help achieve the House’s priorities to help Lahaina rebuild, reduce the State’s wildfire risk, reduce the cost of living, build more affordable housing, and support public education, public safety and environmental protection. To do this, the legislature created a State Fire Marshall, increased penalties for starting wildfires, and funded major improvements in the State’s capacity to prevent and fight wildfires. The legislature effectively cut the cost-of-living in Hawaii by passing the largest income tax cut in State history and exempting from general excise tax all Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare-funded medical and dental care. The legislature provided major funding to build more State-sponsored affordable housing projects. Rep. Tarnas co-chaired the Conference Committee that passed legislation that required Counties to encourage more affordable housing by allowing two additional dwelling units on residential zoned parcels and allowing residential use of commercial property.
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During the 2023 and 2024 session, Rep. Tarnas has been very successful in securing significant funding for public construction projects in his House district. He led the effort to gain legislative funding to build a new Waikoloa Public Library, expand Kohala Hospital with a new scanner facility and administration building, help build the infrastructure for a new Hamakua Health Center clinic in Kohala, develop a plan for a public parking lot and visitor facility at
Pololu Valley Lookout trailhead, strengthen and rebuild the Kawaihae North Small Boat Harbor break water and harbor dock, and significantly expand facilities at the Kawaihae Commercial Harbor. Tarnas has also helped to secure significant funding for major road construction projects to build a new Waiaka Bridge and intersection of Kawaihae Road and Kohala Mountain Road, and make major traffic safety improvements for pedestrian and cycling safety in Waimea town. Rep. Tarnas also led the effort in the House to secure agreements from the State Department of Transportation, the U.S. Army, and the Congressional delegation to restart the project to build the Saddle Road Extension from the terminus of Daniel K. Inouye Highway at Mamalahoa Highway all the way makai to Queen Kaahumanu Highway. As the critical next step in this project development process, Rep. Tarnas successfully secured legislative funding to prepare the project’s federally mandated Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Saddle Road Extension project.