Hawaii Senate Bill SCR100

Hawaii 2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/8/24
• Refer: 3/14/24

Caption

Requesting The Establishment Of A Working Group To Discuss Agriculture-related Issues.

Impact

The working group authorized by SCR100 is tasked with discussing effective legislative measures to enhance protections for farmers and ranchers. The group will seek to address ongoing issues like illegal hunting while balancing the necessity to honor cultural hunting practices. The composition of the working group will include varied stakeholders, such as representatives from the United States Army Garrison Hawaii, the Department of Agriculture, and local hunting associations, ensuring that multiple perspectives are considered in the development of solutions to agricultural crimes.

Summary

SCR100 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution from the State of Hawaii requesting the establishment of a working group dedicated to addressing agriculture-related issues, particularly focusing on agricultural crimes that affect farmers and ranchers. The resolution highlights a significant problem in Hawaii, where there were nearly 19,000 reported incidents of theft, vandalism, and trespassing on farms in 2019, leading to substantial financial losses estimated at around $14.4 million. The resolution emphasizes the dangerous nature of these incidents, especially regarding illegal hunting trespassers on agricultural lands, which compromises the safety of landowners and agricultural operations.

Contention

Although SCR100 aims to create a framework for legislative solutions, there may be contention regarding how to enforce stricter protections without infringing on the cultural rights that allow for traditional hunting practices. Specific concerns might arise about the interpretation of agricultural crimes and the definition of protections that should be afforded to farmers versus hunters. Additionally, the effectiveness of past responses to agricultural crimes raises questions about whether new strategies will successfully translate into meaningful reductions in incidents.