{{Short description|Public policy think tank}} {{Infobox organization |name = Grassroot Institute |image = Grassroot Institute of Hawaii logo.png |image_size = |image_alt = |caption = |founder = Richard Rowland |established = February 12, 2001<ref name=corp>[https://hbe.ehawaii.gov/documents/business.html?fileNumber=121532D2 The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, Inc.]" ''Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs''. State of Hawaii. Accessed December 8, 2015.</ref> |services = Multifaceted efforts to shed light on government operations and spending; public education regarding the movement to create a sovereign Hawaiian nation and/or other governmental entity; research into the effect of the 1920 Jones Act on the state of Hawaii.<ref name= guidestar>[http://www.guidestar.org/profile/99-0354937 Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax]". ''Grassroot Institute of Hawaii''. Guidestar. December 31, 2014. Accessed December 1, 2016.</ref> |leader_title = President and chief executive officer |leader_name = W. Keli'i Akina<ref name= guidestar/> |leader_title2 = Chairman |leader_name2 = Robin Stueber |budget = Revenue: $1.65 million<br>Expenses: $1.72 million<br>(FYE December 2023)<ref>{{cite web |title=Grassroot Institute Of Hawaii Inc - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/990354937 |website=ProPublica |access-date=11 June 2025 |language=en |date=9 May 2013}}</ref> |num_employees = |num_employees_year = |website = {{URL|http://www.grassrootinstitute.org}} |tax_id = 99-0354937 |status = 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |footnotes = }} The '''Grassroot Institute of Hawaii''' is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public policy think tank based in Honolulu, Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news|title=Supreme Court justice blocks Native Hawaiian vote count|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-native-hawaiian-vote-count-20151127-story.html|accessdate=21 December 2015|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=November 27, 2015}}</ref> The organization's stated mission is to "educate people about the values of individual liberty, economic freedom, and accountable government."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://new.grassrootinstitute.org/about/|title=About Us|publisher=Grassroot Institute of Hawaii|accessdate=11 January 2019|archive-date=20 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020103424/http://new.grassrootinstitute.org/about/|url-status=dead}}</ref> It promotes free market values and produces research on subjects like the Jones Act and pension issues. The current Chief Executive Officer is Dr. Keli'i Akina. The Institute was formed on February 12, 2001<ref name="corp" /> by Richard Rowland. The organization is a member of the State Policy Network, a conservative and libertarian network of state-based think tanks.
== Issues == The Grassroot Institute has published commentary on a variety of political issues, from a legal minimum wage to Hawaiian sovereignty. The Grassroot Institute conducts research and analysis of various issues from a free market perspective. Academic works are inspired by the writings of scholars such as Frederic Bastiat, Murray Rothbard, Milton Friedman, F.A. Hayek, and Adam Smith. Generally, the institute opposes tax increases, such as Hawaii's General Excise Tax.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2015/07/31/study-suggest-regressive-gas-tax-hike-hawaiians|title=Study Suggest 'Regressive' Gas Tax Hike for Hawaiians|last1=Sterling Burnett|first1=H.|date=July 31, 2015|accessdate=21 December 2015|publisher=Heartland Institute}}</ref>
=== The Jones Act === The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports reform of the Jones Act that would address its disproportionate shipbuilding and cargo shipping restrictions effect on Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://new.grassrootinstitute.org/innitiatives/jones/|title=Jones Act|accessdate=21 December 2015|publisher=Grassroot Institute of Hawaii|archive-date=22 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222220048/http://new.grassrootinstitute.org/innitiatives/jones/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Honolulu rail project === The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has been a vocal critic of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation's rail project in Honolulu. The Institute hasn't made any public comments on whether the rail should stop at Middle Street, which is a popular belief among opponents. The only official position of the Institute is that HART be subject to an independent audit for fraud, waste and abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grassrootinstitute.org/2019/01/first-part-of-hart-audit-is-bad-will-rest-be-worse/|title=First part of HART audit is bad; will rest be worse?|last=Hawaii|first=Grassroot Institute of|date=2019-01-11|website=Grassroot Institute of Hawaii|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-11}}</ref>
In 2017, the Institute launched the campaign to audit the rail, which eventually gained momentum and resulted in a financial and management audit by Hawaii state auditor Les Kondo in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/05/state-auditor-says-rail-agency-is-interfering-with-his-work/|title=State Auditor Says Rail Agency Is Interfering With His Work|date=2018-06-01|website=Honolulu Civil Beat|language=en|access-date=2019-01-11}}</ref>
=== Hawaiian sovereignty === The Grassroot Institute joined with other groups to file suit against the State of Hawaii's efforts to form and gain federal recognition of a race-based, sovereign nation. The lawsuit, filed in 2015, seeks to block state-funded race-based elections in Hawaii.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Blair |first1=Chad |title=Lawsuit Says Hawaiians-Only Election Is 'Racially Exclusive' |url=http://www.civilbeat.com/2015/08/lawsuit-says-hawaiians-only-election-is-racially-exclusive/ |access-date=21 December 2015 |publisher=Honolulu Civil Beat |date=August 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Essoyan |first1=Susan |title=Federal lawsuit filed to block Native Hawaiian election |url=http://www.staradvertiser.com/hawaii-news/federal-lawsuit-filed-to-block-native-hawaiian-election-2/ |access-date=21 December 2015 |publisher=Honolulu Star-Advertiser |date=August 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Daysog |first1=Rick |title=Na'i Aupuni kicks off amid heated talks |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31104257/nai-aupuni-kicks-off-amid-heated-talks/ |access-date=7 September 2020 |work=Hawaii News Now |date=February 1, 2016 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Portal|Hawaii|Libertarianism|Conservatism}} {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|http://www.grassrootinstitute.org}} * [http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/990354937/popup/1 Organizational Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031529/http://nccsweb.urban.org/communityplatform/nccs/organization/profile/id/990354937/popup/1 |date=2016-03-04 }} – National Center for Charitable Statistics (Urban Institute) * [https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Grassroot_Institute_of_Hawaii Source Watch] (Center for Media and Democracy)
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Category:Politics of Hawaii Category:Political and economic think tanks in the United States Category:Libertarian think tanks Category:Libertarian organizations based in the United States Category:2001 establishments in Hawaii Category:Research institutes in Hawaii Category:Charities based in Hawaii