The Law of Rebuilding LA Episode 25: Hawaii Gov. Green on lessons from the Lahaina fire response

The Law of Rebuilding LA podcast is back, with a special run of 5 new episodes publishing throughout this week. Join podcast host Howard Miller as he speaks with Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii on the lessons for Los Angeles from the 2023 Lahaina fire.

Each day this week, we'll release a new 10-minute segment exploring different aspects of disaster response and rebuilding. In today's episode, Gov. Green talks to Miller about:

• His immediate response to the August 2023 Lahaina fire that destroyed over 2,000 structures
• How his administration successfully housed 8,000 displaced residents in hotel rooms within 13 days
• Implementing an emergency order with legal penalties (up to 1 year imprisonment and $5,000 fines) to prevent predatory property acquisitions
• Legal measures to combat price gouging in both rental and property markets during crisis
• The striking parallels between Hawaii's $5B+ disaster and LA's wildfire challenges, including similar wind conditions and ember-driven spread

New episodes will be released daily this week, exploring different aspects of disaster response and rebuilding. Tomorrow's episode will focus on the barriers faced during recovery efforts.

Listen on the Daily Journal website, SoundCloud or Apple Podcasts.

About Gov. Josh Green

Governor Josh Green is a dedicated physician, husband, father, and Hawai'i's ninth Governor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he earned degrees in biology and anthropology from Swarthmore College and an M.D. from Penn State's College of Medicine. After completing his family practice residency, he chose to serve the underserved community of Ka'ū on Hawai'i Island, as a member of the National Health service Corps.

His experiences as a rural physician have inspired him to address issues like affordable housing, mental health, and addiction through public service.

Dr. Green served two terms in the Hawai'i House of Representatives, three terms in the Hawai'i State Senate and a term as Lieutenant Governor, during which he was the point person addressing the COVID Pandemic. In December 2022 Dr. Green was elected Governor.

Since becoming Governor, Dr. Green has prioritized affordability, housing, healthcare, and climate action. He enacted the largest income tax cut in Hawai'i's history, accelerated the development of over 62,000 affordable housing units, expanded homelessness initiatives like kauhale villages, and launched programs to address the state's healthcare workforce shortage. His leadership during the Maui wildfire recovery housed nearly 8,000 survivors and secured billions of dollars for recovery efforts. Governor Green remains deeply committed to improving the lives of Hawai'i's families and building a more sustainable future.