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Early Voting Begins Monday
Special Interest Money Behind Hanabusa Campaign
CB: …According to the latest campaign spending reports, candidates and super PACs are spending approximately $3 million combined on a media blitz ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, arguably the election’s most significant day given the Democratic Party’s traditional dominance in the general election.
Local candidates and independent committees are only required to submit sporadic campaign spending reports during the election season. They do, however, have to follow more stringent regulations in reporting their advertising activity.
Electioneering reports offer a glimpse of how the election is taking shape. Here’s what they’re showing so far….
The latest filings with the state’s Campaign Spending Commission indicate Be Change Now, the latest super PAC run by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters, has pumped more than $1 million into the primary race — far more than any other local super PAC….
Hanabusa’s bid has been boosted by the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, which represents some 3,700 UH faculty members. The union’s PAC has reported spending $154,000 so far in support of Hanabusa.
Unlike Be Change Now, however, UHPA is throwing its support to state Sen. Jill Tokuda in her bid for lieutenant governor — not Green. The UH PAC has reported spending at least $88,000 so far for Tokuda….
Ige isn’t seeing the same overall level of support from super PACs. Reports show that AiKea UNITE HERE, the super PAC for the health care industry, and Unite Here Local 5, the hospitality workers union, have spent at least $100,000 to support Ige’s re-election.
United Public Workers’ PAC, meanwhile, has poured at least $82,000 into the primary to support Ige and two other candidates, the reports show….
Ige has so far reported spending more than $474,000 on advertising for his re-election, the bulk of that going to political media strategy firm Snyder Pickerill Media.
Compare that to the Hanabusa campaign’s spending so far: $471,000. More than half of that will go toward a contract with Anthology Marketing Group, the election reports show.
read … Four Takeaways From Hawaii’s Pre-Primary Election Spending
2 homeless bills stall in committee—’Advocates’ Keep the Homeless Homeless Again
SA: Two bills making it illegal for people to “lodge” or otherwise obstruct pedestrians on city sidewalks islandwide were deferred by a City Council committee Wednesday after homeless advocates and council members questioned whether they pass legal muster.
Councilwoman Carol Fukunaga, chairwoman of the Public Works, Infrastructure and Sustainability Committee, called for the deferral to allow time for Corporation Counsel Donna Leong and other Caldwell administration staff to provide more answers.
The two measures represent a shift in policy for the administration, which has supported sit-lie measures in narrowly targeted business zones but had steadfastly refused to support an islandwide prohibition, arguing they would not stand up constitutionally.
Bill 51 makes it a violation punishable by a fine of up to $100 to obstruct or impede a city sidewalk between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Bill 52 makes it illegal to “lodge” on a public sidewalk or other public area at any hour of the day.
read … 2 homeless bills stall in committee
Gov. Ige signs Peyton's Law, adding reforms to child welfare system
HNN: …Act 176 provides parents with information of state-run findings or allegations of child abuse or neglect….
Act175: Text, Status
read … Gov. Ige signs Peyton's Law, adding reforms to child welfare system
Abortion Mongers May Lose Taxpayer Subsidy
HNN: …"For decades, American taxpayers have been wrongfully forced to subsidize the abortion industry through Title 10 federal funding," said Mr. Trump (TWO MONTHS AGO).
His administration is proposing a new rule to prohibit Title X funding from going to clinics like Planned Parenthood that perform abortions or make referrals for the procedure.
"Now we have a president who has basically declared a war on women, men and the impoverished," said Sen. Roz Baker, in response to the president's proposal.
Title X funding provides $260 million in federal money each year to community health centers for a range of family planning services and health screenings.
Kokua Kalihi Valley is one of 12 community health centers in Hawaii that accepts Title X funding.
"The proposed rules would ban healthcare providers who participate in Title X family planning program from giving women full and complete information about their health care options, specifically information about abortion — even if women ask," said Doris Segal Matsunaga, Maternal Child Health director at Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services.
Health care advocates say the rule would lead to more unintended pregnancies and abortions.
"The fact is getting rid of this federal funding will undoubtedly increase abortions and why is that because Title X primarily provides contraceptives," said Marta Kikena De Matto who volunteers for Planned Parenthood….
read … Abortion
Medicare contributes $2.4 billion to Hawaii economy, study says
PBN: …A new study by AARP found that Medicare contributes $2.4 billion to Hawaii’s economy, equivalent to 15 percent of state and local government spending in the state.
The study, which AARP released just before the 53rd anniversary of the law on Sunday, found that Medicare covers 230,659 beneficiaries in Hawaii….
SA: AARP report shows value of Medicare to Hawaii
read … Medicare contributes $2.4 billion to Hawaii economy, study says
HPA to Deliberate Two Weeks on How to get Away With Letting Capobianco Out Early
KHON: …The Hawaii Paroling Authority (where the real sentencing occurs) will spend two weeks deliberating over whether Steven Capobianco will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.
In 2017, Capobianco was convicted of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend Carly "Charli" Scott. The Maui man was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Friday's hearing, before two members of the Hawaii Paroling Authority, was to determine whether Capobianco will be eligible for parole.
He is serving his time at Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona, and listened to the hearing through a video conference.
Prosecutor Robert Rivera requested the Board consider a minimum sentence of 100 years in prison for Capobianco. …
read … Soft on Crime
Honolulu Council Harasses Small Businesses—This Time They Want to Ban Them from Parking
KHON: …A new bill in the city council aims to prevent extra large vehicles from parking on streets. Under bill 48 commercial vehicles larger than 20 feet and weighing greater than 9,000 pounds would not be allowed to park on streets without a permit….(because the space is needed for homeless tents, of course)
Alex Los Banos who works at an AC company says that this bill would change the way their company does business.
"The workflow would have to be totally reorganized and we'd lose a lot of productivity and efficiency in our scheduling and just our ability to react to our customer's needs," said Alex Los Banos of Shobu's Refrigeration and Air conditioning.
It wouldn't just impact the business, but workers lives too.
"A lot of our people, they do their work, they take their vehicles home. They have that luxury of you know like they can drive straight from work to their first job site," said Los Banos.
The bill has currently passed its first reading at council. Fukunaga says that the details of the permitting would still need to be worked out with the Department of Transportation…
read … Harass Small Business Some More
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