Hawaii State Government

... In the federal system the little fish eats the big fish.  We've got a menu .... 

... how widespread this corruption is in our government ....

... Rep Ty Cullen and former cocaine dealer J Kalani 'Powdernose' English arrested today ....

... We are 17 days through the 31st Legislature. The "People's" building is still closed and it doesn't look like Senator Kouchi, Speaker Saiki or Governor Ige are interested in opening it up. ...

... Road map to prosperity ....

... Historically, according the Legislative Reference Bureau, only 10% of bills introduced become law ....  

... HB1585 needs greater clarity about the role of the Legislature and stronger statements about protecting transparency and individual rights ....

... 5:30-8:30 PM, Tuesday, February 8th ....

... Here is the actual wording of the item in the Hawai‘i State Constitution ....

... Governor David Y. Ige to the Thirty-First State Legislature meeting in joint session, January 24, 2022 .... 

... The word now is that leaders are reconsidering ....

... House Speaker Scott Saiki announced plans in an unusually specific, brief speech ....

... we’re also being told that we can’t fully open the State Capitol to public interaction because it isn’t safe ....

... Ige today said the State of Hawaiʻi allocated all the $1.6 billion received last May ....

... Insights From Fiscal 50’s Key Measures of State Fiscal Health ....

... workers at employers of a minimum size would be enrolled automatically in the program with the ability to opt out ....

... With this kind of money projected to come in the door, politicians of all stripes are staying up nights plotting and planning how to spend it ....

... What to do with the state’s $3 billion budget surplus ....

... The 2022 Legislative Briefings will be held via Zoom on the following Tuesdays from 7:30 am- 8:30 am ....

... Will Hawaii be able to benefit from the cryptocurrency boom? ....

...  So what have we done with the federal TANF money?  We’ve let it pile up unused ....

... Griffin will serve until June 30, 2022.  Gov. Ige will nominate Griffin’s replacement in the coming months ....

... Hawaii has $364 million idling in an account, equivalent to $2,923 per person living in poverty ....

... Aimee’s political experience includes working on Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, helping to draft her “Climate Plan for the People,” and on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, where she led the Bay Area Idealists4Hillary group ....

... “The decision to keep the building closed ... was made to minimize the spread of COVID-19 among members, staff, visitors (ie lobbyists and other insiders), and other building occupants (ie lobbyists and other insiders). The building status will be reevaluated in the coming weeks (ie after the session is over)” ....

... the result of years of indulgence and bad habits ....

... twenty informational briefings Senate Ways and Means (WAM) committee will be conducting between January 4–18, 2022 ....

... The island retailer will be the first convenience store chain in the U.S. to launch online SNAP payment capabilities ....

... Hawaii has higher legal barriers to virtual-currency companies than any other state ....

... Hawaii’s website falls short of breaking down what money was spent on beyond the vague spending category descriptions, which leave a lot of gray area ....

... fulfilling the purposes of Act 90, Session Laws of Hawaii 2003 ....

... Ige has signed an emergency proclamation temporarily suspending an upcoming provision in Hawaiʻi’s Sunshine Law that would have mandated at least one in-person location be held for public meetings ....

... beginning January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, the interview requirement for new applications and renewals will be waived ....

... calculations show there is plenty of room for the Legislature to break its habit of continually increasing taxes ....

... $942.3 million over the current appropriation level of $7.759 billion ....

... As Crisis Intensifies, Union Dons Push For Even More Spending ....

... This proves there is much more corruption to be ferreted out--and the crooks know it ....

... Valerie M. Kato has been selected as the new First Deputy Attorney General ....

... The Agency employs the relevant employees at state-run facilities. Recently, it has allowed some employees to become employees of the Non-Profit, which can offer additional benefits beyond those typically offered to state employees ....

... Applications due January 21, 2022 ....

... a “state of emergency,” which causes the Governor’s powers to kick in, is supposed to terminate automatically after sixty days ....

... Ige is recruiting qualified and dedicated individuals from Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi Island who are interested in serving on the State Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) ....

... 13,000 employees in the Executive and Legislative branches, and the Office of the Hawaiian Affairs produce 90,000 electronic leave records each month ....

... How Does Your Legislator Rank? ....

... Court Strikes Down ‘Gut and Replace’ -- Legal Expert Robert Thomas Weighs in ....

... The state’s pavement quality is very poor, among the worst in the country and the primary driver for the state’s low ranking ....

... These funds were released in October 2021 ....

... Twenty-two states earned distinction this year for providing the public with candid and transparent information about their government’s fiscal health ....

... A person challenging a bill still needs to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the bill is unconstitutional.  And remember, it took a 3-2 vote to hold that recidivism and hurricane shelters are unrelated ....

... a well-functioning republic presumes that those tasked with vigilance -- the public -- have the opportunity to understand the substance of what those whom we elect to represent us are actually doing ....