Hawaii State Government

...a 1% increase in health care costs equals a $2 billion increase in unfunded liabilities....

...While all eyes are on rail....

 ...one State department that has funds with no exemption, and refuses to pay it: the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL).... 

....Since then, the price of bitcoin has catapulted to over $4,000 per bitcoin, up from $1,000....

...the Central Services Skim has redirected about $45 million a year from the special funds to the state general fund....

Grant applications for land acquisition....

...A Hawaii law dating back to 1955, which now can be found at HRS section 36-27, says that 5% of any special fund’s income will be paid to the state general fund to pay “central service expenses....”

...if you don’t work, you don’t eat....

...Available data includes the schedule, scope, and estimated cost for all current State Highways projects as well as all projects planned to begin construction in the next two years....

Hawaii may be giving millennials the short end of the stick when it comes to the state’s unfunded public pension liabilities....

...a hyper-partisan, publicity-seeking, grandstander....

...After more than a decade of development and close to $4.2 million in new and amended contracts, Department of Agriculture has failed in its attempt to implement a central integrated database....  (try MS Excel next time)

...Ige announced that he has vetoed 13 of 15 bills on his Intent to Veto list....

...The shift out of DOTax is just a scam to justify vetoing HB1414 which mandated an audit of the State's decade-long series of IT debacles....

All employers need a few basic freedoms to be productive, among them the freedom to manage their employees....

SB410 Labor Union Givesway, SB1240 Aquarium Fishing, SB562 AG to Defend Counties, HB2 'Tiny Homes' on Big Island Ag Land, HB627 Public-Private Partnerships....

Defeat – for now – of onerous paid leave and minimum wage proposals highlight accomplishments for small business. Big court victory an added bonus....

...None of the 65 Special Funds proposed in the 2017 Legislative session met criteria....

...E Hana Kakou with Keli'i Akina, "Sam Slom, Hawaii's Opposition Voice"....

...fifteen senators wanted to stick their thumbs in the Governor’s eye....

...If there is a position taken by a committee chair on one bill or one issue that is not reflecting the wishes of the committee, why can't the committee simply reject the chair's recommendation?....

...entrenched interests within the DHS culture of secrecy are afraid of this book and its contents....

...the Senate remains open to negotiate an agreement with the House to ensure adequate financing to complete the project, yet minimize the impact on the most vulnerable citizens of the community....

...we were unable to agree with the Senate on funding to complete Honolulu’s rail system....

229 Bills have been passed by the Legislature.  15 have been signed into law as of May 4.  Another 214 are awaiting Gubernatorial action....

That’s because when government salaries increase, so do pension promises....

Most families in Hawaii know that they shouldn’t spend more money than they have. But somehow, Hawaii legislators haven’t gotten the message....

House and Senate conferees met on Monday to approve a final version of HB100 HD1 SD1, the state budget bill covering fiscal years 2018 and 2019....

...HB165 (now headed to a Conference Committee) would modernize the existing Sunshine Law by requiring electronic posting of public agency meeting notices and minutes and making board packets available for public inspection....

Rep Gene Ward today sent Attorney General Doug Chin a letter asking for a first Amendment ruling regarding the potential misuse of censorship on the House Floor on April 11, 2017....

2015: State Sues Tech Firm for Buying Influence with Abercrombie Administration....

Early agreements include funds for Medicaid increases, telehealth, housing....

...an additional $1.2 billion funding package for the City’s financially troubled rail project....

Much of the university’s request is not included in either the House or Senate version of the budget....

For Randy Perreira, head of the Hawaii Government Employees Association, the problems at Hawaii’s airports are just a matter of not enough kumbaya....

“Settling these claims now spares all parties years of litigation and lets HDOT use existing project monies to pay subs for the work that was done,” said Doug Chin....

When first introduced, HB1518 put forth a very worrisome proposal....

Pension obligations must be fulfilled eventually....

Hawaii lawmakers would like us to believe that they are cutting the state budget in the current legislative session, but it’s not true....

HB100 HD1 SD1 proposes reducing the Governor’s budget request by $114 million in general funds over the biennium -- The House version reduced the Governor's increase in spending by $500M....

...Hawaii’s public pension system has been operating like a Ponzi scheme....

...Ige’s current budget overspends by $292 million next year....

...Watchdog Group Says State Budget Must be Reevaluated....

The House Finance Committee March 9 passed out a proposed budget that reflects slower economic growth in Hawaii based on General Excise Tax collections and projections by the State Council on Revenues....

...State Senators today approved 318 bills on third reading. Sixty-six bills were approved earlier on third reading for a total of 384....

The House voted to pass on to the Senate today another 157 bills, bringing the total to 365...

There are currently 4,581 signatures....

...MAY 4   ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE....

Representative Gene Ward (R – District 17, Hawaii Kai) today requested the Department of Accounting and General Services for more security protection at the State Capitol....