Yes, while the expenses for providing government services have increased, there was never any question about whether they would get paid. Now, with the tax cut, everyone is concerned about whether we can cover our bills.
Regardless of whether either of these theories or another one that may come up is the reason why Rep. Pierick decided to promote this message on the LGBTQIA+ pride flag, the resulting blowback has shown that Hawaii is not allergic to clapping back on potential culture war battlelines and being sure to squelch the issue before it becomes a real issue of debate in Hawaii.
In other words, for the first time in a long time, O‘ahu might experience something akin to bipartisanship, or at least a healthier debate on issues, going forward
That player turned out to be members and “friends of” committees of several Hawaii state legislators currently in office. Their ability to “hui up” (come together in Hawaiian pidgin) and provide a healthy number of financial resources to Sylvia Luke raised the eyebrow of at least this humble blogger.