After Years of Hype: Hawaii Electricity Still 82.4% Coal and Oil
Public lodging and island-wide sidewalk obstruction bills submitted to City Council
Only One Jones Act Ship Used in Iraq War
The Jones Act: A Burden America Can No Longer Bear
Blue Cross: Hawaii Lowest Rate of Diagnosed Major Depression
Strictest And Most Lenient States on Speeding and Reckless Driving
Honolulu Auditor Announces Next Audit Plans
Lawmakers won’t override Ige vetoes
SA: House and Senate lawmakers will not meet in a special session this year to attempt to override any vetoes of bills by Gov. David Ige, but the state Senate will meet Monday and Tuesday to consider approving the appointments of four District Court judges.
Ige has announced he plans to veto 11 bills that were approved by lawmakers this year, including measures to expand the reach of the state hotel room tax to include “resort fees” that are charged to hotel guests, and another measure that would authorize the use of medical marijuana to treat drug addiction.
Senate President Ron Kouchi circulated a memo earlier this week announcing that “we do NOT plan to convene the Senate and House” in a veto override session, a decision that was reached after discussions by House and Senate leadership.
House Speaker Scott Saiki distributed a similar memo Tuesday advising House members that lawmakers will review Ige’s objections to the bills slated for veto and consider addressing Ige’s objections to them during the regular session next year….
Related: Ige Releases 'Intent to Veto' List
read … Lawmakers won’t override Ige vetoes
UPDATE -- Nago Reverses: Opens Pahoa Polling Place for Lava Evacuees
Proclamation from Office of Elections, July 7, 2018:
…the Chief Election Officer and the Hawaiʻi County Clerk hereby determine that a dual polling place will be operated at Pahoa Community Center on the day of the Primary Election, to allow voters in District Precincts 04-03 and 04-04, who have not already voted by absentee mail ballot or at an absentee polling place, to vote. A person who is eligible to vote but is not registered to vote may register by appearing in person, on the day of the election, at the polling place in the precinct associated with the person’s residence. HRS § 11-15.2. As such, those whose residence is in District Precinct 04-03 or 04-04 will be eligible to register to vote and vote in person on election day at the Pahoa Community Center, Pahoa, Hawaiʻi….
read … Proclamation
After lawsuit Threat: State Suddenly ‘confident’ it will open Pahoa polling place
HTH: …With the eruption in lower Puna settling into a fairly consistent pattern, state elections officials are considering opening a polling place for Pahoa on primary election day.
“Right now, we’re in the process of getting that established,” said Scott Nago, chief election officer, on Thursday. “We’re in contact with Civil Defense, we understand the situation has stabilized.”
A consolidated location for precincts 04-03 and 04-04 hasn’t been selected yet, but he added that he is “pretty confident it’s going to happen.”
In the meantime, early walk-in voting will be available for voters in those precincts at the Pahoa Community Center from July 30-Aug. 9.
The move comes as the office is facing criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii….
Related: ACLU Demands Pahoa Voters be Allowed to Register and Vote in Person on Election Day
read … State ‘confident’ it will open Pahoa polling place
Kamehameha Schools to pay $5M in case involving former teacher accused of recording students in the shower
HNN: … The $5 million settlement involves the school, three parents, four former students and the alleged actions of Gabriel Alisna, a former speech teacher and debate coach at Kamehameha High School.
Alisna is still being criminally prosecuted for allegedly videotaping students in his shower and sexually assaulting students while he was a teacher. Attorney Michael Green, who represents several of the victims and their parents, said that Alisna may have recorded as many as 30 students.
Alisna pleaded not guilty to invasion of privacy and misdemeanor sex assault charges last year….
The settlement is to be finalized later this week and includes a dismissal of the civil claims brought by the plaintiffs in 2013, according to Kamehameha Schools officials….
KHON: Kamehameha Schools says students can still stay at teachers' homes under stricter conditions
SA: Kamehameha settles for $5M over spy camera in bathroom
read … Another One
Will Dead Homosexual Child Molester be Removed from Punchbowl?
HNN: … Laws currently in place could have prevented his honorable burial at Punchbowl. Those laws were meant to keep suspected murderers and rapists out of veterans cemeteries, even if they were never convicted of a crime.
But they weren't in place after Browne committed suicide in 1991, when he found out his crimes were going to be made public.
"I hold a lot of anger towards him. That's not going to go away," said Malia Marquez, whose late brother was also sexually abused by Dr. Browne while at Kamehameha.
Marquez said her brother, Tony Lum, never told anyone until just months before his death. That's when she knew that his years of substance abuse and homelessness was the result of the secret he kept for decades.
Marquez said Browne doesn't deserve the honor of being in such a prestigious burial ground. A place where Boy Scouts place lei to honor the dead and where American flags wave above each gravesite on Memorial Day.
But there are only two ways Dr. Browne's remains can be removed from Punchbowl to make room for another, more deserving veteran: His own family would have to request it, or an act of Congress, which has happened before.
In 2013, The Alicia Dawn Koehl Respect for National Cemeteries Act was passed. It was named after the Indiana woman who was killed by an Army veteran, who committed suicide before he could be convicted.
The law, introduced by congressional leaders in Koehl's home state, allowed the Department of Veterans Affairs to disinter her killer….
read … He sexually abused dozens of Hawaii boys over decades. And he's buried at Punchbowl
Eviction case against former employees of Hawaiian heiress dismissed
KITV: …The family of the Kawananakoa's former maid and chauffeur claim a Pearl City home was gifted to them by the heiress in 2016.
The maid and chauffeur's daughters also worked for her and lived at the house as well.
They were all terminated from their jobs and told to move out earlier this year.
They believe it was because they provided statements claiming Kawananakoa's wife, Gail Worth, abused the 92 year old.
After the judge's decision today, the family can stay in the house for now….
But the battle isn't over. The case moves to circuit court on July 23, where a jury may be tasked with deciding whose name is on the lease of the property….
read … Eviction case against former employees of Hawaiian heiress dismissed
Young Brothers Grabs for $7.8M Rate Increase
MD: …On Tuesday, July 10, Molokai residents and business owners will have a chance to weigh in at a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rate hearing held on the island.
Young Brothers (YB) has applied for an 11.05 percent increase in its shipping rates, which would raise the company’s revenue by $7.8 million. Company officials say the hike is because of increases in worker wages and benefits. The increase would vary depending on the type of cargo. At all its ports around the state, including Kaunakakai, the barge company is proposing rate increases between five and 17 percent. YB is the only cargo shipper between Honolulu and Molokai.
Historically, shipping increases have hurt local farmers exporting produce, as well as trickled down to local shoppers as grocery store prices reflect the added cost of bringing in food, as reported by the Dispatch in the past….
read … Barge Proposes Rate Increase
Obamacare Grafted into Prepaid
HNN: …Senate Bill 2340 retains several of the measures introduced in the Obama-era legislation, also known as Obamacare, including a clause that allows Hawaii adults up to 26 years-old to continue receiving health insurance under their parents.
The law also prohibits health insurance organizations from excluding coverage to those with preexisting conditions, or using an individual's gender to determine premiums or contributions to health insurance plans….
read … New law preserves Affordable Care Act measures for Hawaii residents
Same old Tricks from Maui Liquor Commission
MN: Maui County attorneys will be advising county Liquor Control Commission Chairman Bob Tanaka to delete item “proposed rule amendments” from its Wednesday meeting agenda, following a state Office of Information Practices advisory that more detailed information is required.
OIP said the three-word agenda item, which does not list what the proposed amendments are, “appears to be insufficient.” The agenda item brought back memories of an eruption of community complaints last year over similar insufficient public notice for rule changes that allowed 24-hour retail sales of alcohol and home delivery of alcohol. Against a wave of public opposition, the commission reversed itself on those and other rule changes.
Kihei resident Madge Schaefer, who filed a lawsuit last year over public notices for those rule changes, asked the Liquor Control Department last week for information about proposed rule changes on Wednesday’s agenda. She said she was told by the department that information on the agenda item could be provided after Wednesday’s meeting….
read … Another ‘insufficient’ agenda item draws fire
Coco Palms Grifters No-Show at Court Hearing
KGI: In lieu of a trial, a summary judgment hearing ended the Coco Palms property dispute in a Kauai courtroom on Thursday.
Circuit Court Chief Judge Randall Valenciano ruled in favor of development company Coco Palms Hui LLC, owned by Chad Waters and Tyler Greene….
“As far as we’re concerned, there’s nothing existing (regarding Coco Palms Hui LLC), in any courts on Kauai,” Loo told The Garden Island newspaper.
The ruling is the completion of court dealings on the matter, she said.
Absent from the day’s proceedings, which lasted just over one minute, were Noa Mau-Espirito and Kamu “Charles” Hepa, who have been battling the development of the property in the courts since late last year.
They claimed ownership of the land through ancestral rights and planned to turn it into a cultural and religious center for the Kanaka Maoli.
In an interview with TGI, Mau-Espirito said his camp isn’t done filing appeals.
He also said they weren’t informed of the day’s proceedings.
“I had no idea there was a hearing today. The last thing I heard from them was their request in summary judgment so I answered their finding with my own answer I was waiting to hear back from them. I didn’t know I had court,” Mau-Espirito said.
He did agree there currently wasn’t anything filed in Kauai courts regarding this case, but he did say they’ve filed appeals with the State of Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals on Oahu….
read … Circus
Homeless Village May Get A New Neighbor: A 150-Foot Radio Tower
CB: …Hawaii businessman Duane Kurisu is asking the Honolulu City Council for permission to build a 150-foot radio tower next to Kahauiki Village, a low-income housing project along Nimitz Highway that Kurisu built with help from the state and local governments.
Radio broadcasting company Blow Up needs to relocate its radio tower to continue operating two AM radio stations: KHKA, the Hawaii affiliate of NBC Sports Radio Network, and Christian radio station KLHT.
Kurisu owns Blow Up. He is also the founder of its parent company, aio.
The tower must relocate from its current location just across Nimitz Highway from Kahauiki Village to make way for Honolulu’s 20-mile elevated rail project….
read … 150-Foot Radio Tower
Biki Getting 40% More Docking Stations Rent-Free
SA: …This week BikeShare Hawaii announced plans to add about 40 new docking stations to the 100 that already occupy largely former street parking stalls at key locations in the urban core.
This continues to raise hackles among Biki’s critics, one of them being City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi. She observed the nonprofit is not paying for the docking space on city property….
read … Connected
Election News:
Volcano News:
QUICK HITS: