Hawaii Family Forum Primary Election Guide
County of Hawaiʻi Launches New Online Locator for Affordable Housing
Youth Challenge Academy in Hilo Changing to Job Challenge Academy
Court: State Cannot Enforce Helicopter Tour Regulations
Some Incumbents Running on their Support for Tax Cut—others Plan to Reverse it
CB: … Speaking of money, the governor and politics, Hawaii’s primary is less than three weeks away. Many legislative incumbents and even a few candidates who are not in the Legislature but want to be are using their Civil Beat Candidate Q&As to praise that historic tax cut passed during the 2024 session….
(CLUE: They need to be held to that next cycle.)
That said, some wrote in their candidate Q&As that they are worried budget cuts may be necessary down the road to support the huge giveaway in state revenue.
(CLUE: They are against the tax cuts and will try to reverse them.)
The Pew Charitable Trusts is out with a new analysis that predicts many state budgets are expected to shrink substantially in fiscal year 2025 as the post-pandemic era “of surging revenue, record spending and historic tax cuts comes to a close.”
Total general fund spending is expected to fall to $1.22 trillion, a more than 6% drop from estimated levels in fiscal 2024, which ended for most states on June 30. That means state legislatures and governors may have to make some tough calls very soon.
Pew directly references Hawaii’s tax cut and agrees that it is the largest income tax cut in our state’s history, totaling $5.6 billion in lost revenue by 2031….
read … The Sunshine Blog: The Governor's Biden Fundraiser Is Now In Limbo
Column: Thank you is in order for Hawaii tax cuts
SA: … The average family of four making $88,005 a year is going to see their tax bill decrease by 71% over the next several years. Instead of having to pay $5,086 in state income taxes, that family will only have to pay only $1,473 by 2031….
read … Column: Thank you is in order for Hawaii tax cuts
Hawaii DoH Can’t Find People to take Mosquito Jobs
CB: … The Department of Health says it has enough staff to handle the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases, but it is struggling to fill numerous vacancies….nearly a quarter of the state’s vector control jobs sitting vacant. …
DOH reports having staffed the division back up to 46 vector control positions, but 11 of those are vacant. The staffing includes five positions for entomologists — insect scientists who are vital in tracking and assessing outbreaks — but three of those positions are vacant, according to the DOH….
(CLUE: The people who would have taken those jobs moved to Vegas.)
read … Hawaii Looks To Improve Mosquito Testing As Dengue Cases Rise Globally
Hawaii State Spending Bills Need A Dose Of Sunshine
CB: … A pervasive problem has emerged at the Hawaii Legislature involving tax and spending bills that make it through to the end of session without estimates of how much they will cost or save the state and taxpayers.
Would you agree to a car repair without having an estimate of its cost? Should a business owner sign a contract with a vendor without agreeing to a price?
Yet our lawmakers regularly pass tax and spending bills without reliable estimates of how much they will cost.
There is a way to fix this. It’s a common practice called fiscal notes, which are informed estimates of how much revenue a bill might generate or cost.
According to the Council of State Governments, Hawaii is the only state in the country that does not have an independent office or process to create fiscal notes….
GRIH: Legislative 'fiscal notes' would provide greater accountability | Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
read … Hawaii State Spending Bills Need A Dose Of Sunshine
Alm Wants to Restore HOPE Probation
CB: … Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm, running uncontested for reelection this year, said one of his goals for a second term is to quickly reinstate HOPE probation — a model that ensures predictable and immediate sanctions, usually resulting in a few days or more in jail, for those who violate their probation conditions.
Alm started the program, which stands for Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement, as a judge in 2004 with Cheryl Inouye, who is now his senior advisor. He swears by its strength at reducing recidivism and changing probationer behavior.
He called it “the greatest program I’ve ever been involved in” during a recent interview.
The state largely stopped using HOPE during the Covid-19 pandemic because of the court’s reluctance to place more people in jail where the virus could easily spread, he said. Alm is determined to bring it back…
Some community (pro-criminal) activists also object to the program’s focus on using jail time as a sanction, no matter how short the sentences might be. And the state Judiciary in 2023 opposed a bill that would have re-established the program in the courts, citing in testimony (as an excuse) the additional resources it would require….
BACKGROUND: Judge Steven Alm: Justice Reinvestment and the future of HOPE Probation
read … Honolulu Prosecutor's Tenacious Push For A Different Kind Of Probation Has Failed To Win Over Critics — So Far
In wake of violent arrest, HPD’s Crime Reduction Units sidelined as agency reviews operations
HNN: … Days after a social media post showed a violent arrest of a car theft suspect, the Honolulu Police Department has paused Crime Reduction Units islandwide.
An HPD spokesperson said the break was to allow the department to review CRU operations.
The spokesperson did not say if this was the result of the video posted July 16. In it, Manuel Kuailani was pulled from a stolen Lexus by CRU officers who can then be seeing hitting and kicking him while he was on the ground. The next day, HPD Chief Joe Logan defended the actions of his officers to police commissioners, saying that Kuailani was resisting arrest.
Kuailani had a warrant for missing court on a charge of escape from a previous conviction….
read … In wake of violent arrest, HPD’s Crime Reduction Units sidelined as agency reviews operations
Hawaii joins 20 other states with ‘very high’ COVID levels in sewage
SA: … Nationally, overall viral levels in wastewater are considered “high” for the second straight week, the CDC said….
The CDC estimates that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 41 states, including California. There are no states where the coronavirus is declining or likely declining.
The COVID resurgence comes as the sprawling FLiRT family is increasing its dominance nationally. For the two-week period that ended Saturday, the CDC estimates that about 80% of the nation’s coronavirus specimens are of the FLiRT subvariants, up from about 65% for the same period a month earlier….
DoH: This week’s data shows a 16.3% average positivity rate and 135 daily average cases statewide. Six new deaths, an average of 118 hospitalizations, and nine patients in an ICU bed daily were reported.
read … Hawaii joins 20 other states with ‘very high’ COVID levels in sewage
Hawaii Democrats Anti-Israel Uncommitted Delegates Against Harris
HNN: … Party leaders say there is new enthusiasm and consensus growing for Harris even though some delegates who weren’t committed to President Biden were hoping that there would be some kind of process in the party to test Harris against other potential candidates.
“The DNC appears determined to go ahead with the early virtual roll call vote, which prevents any real deliberation and discussion,” National Committeeman Bart Dame said.
“It just means votes will be whipped over the phone or through arm twisting.”…
Hawaii will send 31 delegates to the August convention.
Nine are “superdelegates” — the Governor, congressional delegation and party leaders, who go to the convention free to vote for any candidate. There are 15 delegates that were committed to Biden by vote in the Democratic Party Caucuses in March and seven who are uncommitted.
Big donors are coming back, along with progressives who protested Biden’s strong support for Israel, Dame said. “I think she does offer some attractive features. Hopefully she will reach out to a bunch of constituencies, including those concerned about the Gaza policy,” he said….
Flashback: Anti-Israel 'Uncommitteds' Take 29% in Hawaii Democratic Primary
read … With some unease, Hawaii Democrats pivot support to Vice President Kamala Harris (hawaiinewsnow.com)
Luxury Tranny Paid Back $520K from Campaign Contributions
CB: … Iwamoto was already known to many voters a decade ago for her (his) two terms on the Hawaii Board of Education, where she (he) became the first openly transgender official to win statewide office. She (He) served on the board from 2006 to 2011.
She (He) went on to make unsuccessful runs for the state Senate in 2016 and for lieutenant governor in 2018, finishing fourth in the Democratic primary that year. Then-state Sen. Josh Green won that primary election to become the new lieutenant governor.
Iwamoto turned her (his) attention to Saiki two years later, and self-funded her (his) campaign almost entirely that year. Her (his) campaign spent nearly $100,000 on that race, and Iwamoto lost by just 167 votes out of a total of 6,619 marked ballots.
An earlier version of this story noted Iwamoto’s campaign spending report for the 2020 primary shows expenditures of more than $620,000. However, more than $520,000 of that amount was used to repay loans that she (he) made to her campaign and to refund donations from the 2018 primary.
In 2022 she (he) spent $180,000 on the primary race against Saiki in a district with newly drawn boundaries, which is a sizable sum for a state House race. Winners in House races that year spent on average just $41,000….
2006: The transsexual agenda for Hawaii schools
read …What Happens If Scott Saiki Loses The Primary?
Maui County Council approves resolution of ‘a global settlement’ for fire litigation against county
MN: … The council passed Resolution 24-128 which authorizes, “a global settlement of all wildfire litigation against the County of Maui, collectively, arising from the August 2023 wildfires on Maui Island.”
Councilmember Nohe Uu-Hodgins made a motion to adopt the resolution, and it was seconded by councilmember Cook.
The resolution states approximately 451 wildfire lawsuits involving a variety of claims resulting from the Lahaina and Upcountry fires have been filed in the United States District Court and the Hawai’i State Circuit courts as of July 8, 2024 (“Wildfire Litigation”) by affected parties (“Plaintiffs”).
After adopting Resolution 24-128, the council “approves a global settlement of all Wildfire Litigation filed against the County of Maui as of July 8, 2024, including crossclaims, counterclaims, and cases yet to be filed prior to the expiration of the statute of limitations; it authorizes the Mayor to execute a global Release and Settlement Agreement on behalf of the County in the Wildfire Litigation, under terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Corporation Counsel consistent with the Council’s settlement approval; it authorizes the Director of Finance of the County of Maui to satisfy settlement of the Wildfire Litigation, under terms and conditions as may be imposed by the Corporation Counsel consistent with the Council’s settlement approval; and the Corporation Counsel will submit semi-annual reports to the council identifying any future cases, beyond the cases listed.”
“I’m no lawyer, but I guess my greatest hope in voting for this item is that it brings closure and comfort to the victims of the fire,” Tamara Paltin said of council adopting Resolution 24-128.
The hope is that it will bring financial closure to some more people, but looking forward to the one year celebration when truly a time of mourning, grieving, healing, and celebration all take place at one time, and we can truly become a healed community again,” councilmember Tasha Kama said….
read … County Council approves resolution of ‘a global settlement’ for fire litigation against county
Hawaiian Electric plunges as no fire settlement reached
MSN: … Hawaiian Electric (NYSE:HE) slumped 20% after parties on Friday failed to reach an agreement on a settlement to resolve hundreds of lawsuits over last year's Maui wildfires….
The slump in Hawaiian Electric (HE) shares comes after the stock surged 37% on Friday following a Bloomberg report that the parties had tentatively agreed to pay more than $4 billion to resolve hundreds of lawsuits over last year's Maui wildfires. The total $4B amount would come in below the ~$5.5B estimated capital cost caused by the fires in a damage assessment released last year.
(CLUE: The $4B figure is based on insurance companies accepting $600M instead of $2B. Add $1.4B to $4B and round up to get $5.5B. See how that works?)
Hawaiian Electric (HE) is said to be on the hook for ~$1.5B of the settlement, but other companies' shares are still being finalized; the proposed settlement likely would be paid out over four years, according to the report on Thursday.
(QUESTION: Does $1.5B of the fake settlement = $3B of the real settlement? Shoulda sold your HE stock last Friday.)
read … Hawaiian Electric plunges as no fire settlement reached, governor critical
HECO Creates a Wildfire Safety Working Group
IM: … About 150 people have been invited to join the Wildfire Safety Working Group. They include representatives from: the US Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, US Department of Agriculture, Hawaii State Energy Office, Consumer Advocate, Public Utilities Commission, Firewise, Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Army National Guard, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Water Resources Research Center, Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency, County Fire Departments, County Water Departments, Honolulu Board of Water Supply, County Civil Defense Agencies, Couty Departments of Public Works, County Managing Directors, Ulupono Initiative, Life of the Land, Kaala Farm, The Nature Conservancy, Queen's Health System, Kamehameha Schools, Mahi Pono, Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Microsoft, Hawaiian Tel, AT&T, KIUC, Hawaii Association of Conservation Districts, Hawaii Green Growth, Hawaii Land Trust, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Energy, technology, and Community engagement consultants….
read … HECO Creates a Wildfire Safety Working Group | Ililani Media
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