Carnival Cancelled Thanks to OHA Money Grab?
13 Tax Hike Bills Set for Vote in Next Few Days
Brian Schatz and the Story of How Senate Dems Went Anti-Israel
Survey: Hawaii Stressed over Money, not Family
Star-Adv Website Down:
SB376: Big Cable Authorization to be Revoked?
HTH: The Legislature in 2012 approved a regulatory structure for installing a high-voltage electric transmission cable system between the islands, which currently have their own grids.
But this year lawmakers are advancing a bill that would undo that act “until a consensus on such a system can be reached.” The bill also says that an interisland cable is not a priority.
Senate Bill 376 cleared its last committee in the state House of Representatives and will be up for a floor vote. The Senate already passed the bill.
Supporters of the measure include Mayor Harry Kim and Friends of Lanai. The Ulupono Initiative submitted opposing testimony.
SB376: Text, Status
read … Big Cable
Like a Cancer, Anti-Dairy Activism Spreads After Omidyar Paves Way for EIS Requirement
HNN: Big Island residents are preparing to meet with Gov. David Ige to address ongoing pollution concerns about a large dairy farm.
The Ookala community grilled state health and agriculture officials in a public meeting last week.
"You turned your back on us," said Hawaii County Council Chairwoman Valerie Poindexter. "It really felt like Ookala was abandoned."
How we got here: Omidyar Wins by Losing: Kauai Court Ruling Forces Farms to File EIS
read … Anti-Agriculture Cancer
‘Terrible’ Report On Care Home Inspections Is Finally In
CB: Hawaii lawmakers delayed doing unannounced inspections to get reports on the health department workload. The first one is underwhelming….
The first report was filed earlier this month with the Legislature. It was all of four pages, including a cover page, a blank page and a page citing the law that set out everything the report was legally required to have in it.
State long-term care ombudsman John McDermott called the department’s report “terrible,” questioning how the information it contained would justify the decision to not change the policy immediately.
“Why it takes three years to do this is a mystery,” McDermott said.
Specifically, the report was to include: the annual aggregate numbers of announced and unannounced visits conducted by the department; the annual aggregate numbers of unannounced inspections as follow-up visits, visits to confirm corrections or deficiencies, or visits to investigate complaints or suspicions of abuse or neglect; and the general outcomes and corrective actions taken by the department as a result of the visits and investigations….
PDF: Full Report…
read … ‘Terrible’ Report On Care Home Inspections Is Finally In
Suicide Squad: Force Doctors to Kill
CB: For now, the Supreme Court has acknowledged or ruled that there is no “right” to force medical doctors or other providers to assist that effort to end one’s life….
Are we to deny the plea of (uber-lobbyist) John Radcliffe….?
We decry all the gun homicides in the U.S., but forget that there are three gun suicides for every two homicides. Individuals can jump off a building, can hang themselves, can use helium to asphyxiate themselves, can shoot themselves, can swim out to sea and drown, can walk into the wilderness and freeze to death, can stop eating and drinking and linger for painful days or weeks. (But none of these choices involve doctors, so they don’t change the practice of medicine in a way which favors insurance company profits.)
Reality: Meet the Insurance Executive Behind Assisted Suicide in Hawaii
read … You WILL Kill
How The Hawaii Police Union Is Helping Keep Bad Cops On The Job
CB: Former Honolulu police officer Teddy Van Lerberghe, who was indicted this month on suspicion of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor, is fighting for more than his freedom.
He’s also trying to keep his job.
Van Lerberghe pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of first- and third-degree sexual assault after allegations surfaced that for four years he molested a victim under the age of 14.
The Honolulu Police Department fired Van Lerberghe before he was formally charged, but the state’s police union has appealed that termination. Van Lerberghe is now awaiting an arbitration proceeding to see if he will be allowed to return to the police force, potentially with back pay.
And Van Lerberghe is not alone.
A Civil Beat analysis of police disciplinary records from 2014 to 2016 found at least 16 HPD officers who were terminated by police officials but are still going through the process to have that decision reversed.
Among the discharged officers are a number accused of serious crimes, such as domestic violence, kidnapping, theft and sexual assault. Two others face termination for trying to cover up an off-duty shooting by a fellow officer.
CB: HPD Major Retires Amid Justice Department Corruption Probe
read … How The Hawaii Police Union Is Helping Keep Bad Cops On The Job
Legislative News:
QUICK HITS: