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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
57 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the department of business, economic development, and tourism to conduct a study on population decline in the state.
WHEREAS, the Census Bureau estimates that Hawaii's population only grew by 0.2 percent from 2015 to 2016 and from July 1, 2017, to July 1, 2018, the population in Hawaii declined by approximately three thousand seven hundred people; and
WHEREAS, the State's net reproductive rate and net international migration rate are positive, implying that the reason for the slowdown and decline in the State's population is due to emigration from Hawaii to the United States mainland; and
WHEREAS, between 2010 and 2018, approximately fifty-five thousand more people left Hawaii than moved in from the mainland; and
WHEREAS, the emigration from Hawaii to the United States mainland has accelerated rapidly, from a net outmigration of 1,443 between 2012 to 2013 to 12,430 between 2017 to 2018, resulting in Hawaii being one of only nine other states whose populations declined over the last year; and
WHEREAS, there are a variety of reasons for the increase in people leaving Hawaii for the mainland, including the high cost of living in the State and job opportunities on the mainland; and
WHEREAS, the declining population could have large negative effects on the economy, including a smaller and less productive workforce and a diminishing tax base; and
WHEREAS, brain drain, which is the emigration of highly skilled or well-educated individuals, could lead to a negative feedback loop between population decline and economic slowdown, as limited economic opportunities encourage high skilled and well-educated individuals to leave the State, weakening the State's economy, thereby further encouraging brain drain and exacerbating the decline in the population; and
WHEREAS, the State already suffers from a shortage of teachers, doctors, nurses, and STEM professionals; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to conduct a study on population decline in Hawaii and the potential consequences to the State; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study should include:
(1) Projections of the potential negative effects to the State's economy if the population continues to decline;
(2) An analysis of the underlying reasons for the emigration of Hawaii residents; and
(3) Recommendations for actions to address the causes of population decline; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Population Decline; DBEDT; Study