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Since we published "Free Speech Groundhog Day," the situation has escalated, drawing national attention. On July 8, 2026, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) took up Martin’s case. FIRE is the country's leading campus free speech watchdog. They wrote to Hawaiʻi Community College administrators and called on them to rescind the trespass warning against Libertarian Party of Hawaii and Young Americans for Liberty Chairman Austin Martin immediately. Over th

On May 14, 2026, Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2471 into law as Act 11. The Libertarian Party of Hawaii stands firmly behind the federal lawsuit filed by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii to strike it down. Act 11 prohibits incorporated organizations from engaging in what the law terms "election activity" and "ballot-issue activity." Those categories are defined so broadly that spending money to speak for or against a candidate, a ballot measure, or a political party

The University of Hawaii at Hilo is once again silencing the peaceful petitioning of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) advocates. On April 7, 2026, YAL State Chair and Libertarian Party of Hawaii Chair Austin Martin was helping a student gather signatures to reform campus weapons policies. Campus security demanded they seek prior permissions or otherwise seclude their activities into a designated free speech area. Despite the university officials not understanding policy, the