This study ethnographically examines conflicts and debates during three testimony sessions held by Maui’s Planning Commission in 2024, regarding a proposed short-term rental (STR) ban policy. The research extracts planning procedural details through observations, ‘neighboring’ interviews, and visual ethnography to understand how stakeholders interact, confront, and negotiate during these sessions. Additionally, the study analyzes stakeholders’ verbal and emotional expressions on the STR ban proposal to uncover connections to both individual and broader socio-economic and cultural conditions. The findings contribute to knowledge in tourism destination policy-making, the power dynamics among stakeholders, as well as insights of procedural justice for sustainable tourism management practices.