While Newsom frames the initiative as a move to protect vulnerable communities from predatory land buyers, skeptics see a darker motive. Many believe this is a thinly veiled attempt to consolidate government control over private property, a pattern that’s become all too familiar in leftist strongholds.
In 2023, Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced plans to implement a moratorium on land sales in the affected areas to protect residents from predatory practices. While a blanket ban was deemed legally challenging, measures have been introduced to prohibit unsolicited offers for property in Lahaina. Violations of this prohibition can result in penalties, including imprisonment for up to one year and fines up to $5,000, according to PBS.
Additionally, there have been discussions about the state utilizing eminent domain to acquire land in Lahaina to ensure it remains in local hands and to prevent opportunistic acquisitions by external parties, according to Hawaii Free Press.
On April 5, 2024, the Council of the County of Maui approved a resolution to authorize the County to use eminent domain—a legal process that allows governments to acquire private property—to acquire a specific property interest (Lot 1-B) in the Central Maui Sanitary Landfill Subdivision.