A clear abuse of power: Auditor Rips Legislators 'Nonsense attempt to conjure up malfeasance'
Ige's Latest COVID Emergency Proclamation Does Only One Thing: Suspend Part of Sunshine Law
Maui Revises Definition of 'Fully Vaccinated'
DHS Waiver Makes Life Easier for Welfare Cheats
Honolulu Hale Multiple Resignations, Retirements
Making Tourism More ‘Woke’ Means Taxes, Fees, and Hassles
B: … You’ll Need a Reservation to Visit Popular Natural Attractions … You May Be Charged a Conservation Fee on Arrival ... And encouraged to “give back.”.…
BG: HAWAII RADICALLY ALTERS APPROACH TO VISITING HORDES FOCUSING ON A “MORE SUSTAINABLE, LESS COLONIAL” EXPERIENCE AS NATIVE HAWAIIANS TAKE OVER TOURISM AUTHORITY!
read … Higher Fees
No Booster Shot Patients in ICU
SA: … In a tweet today, Lt. Gov. Josh Green put the number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide at 139 with 18 of them in ICUs. He said none of the ICU patients had received a COVID-19 booster shot.
According to the latest information from the department’s Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard, a total of 141 patients with the virus were in Hawaii hospitals as of today, with 18 in intensive care units and 10 on ventilators….
read … Hawaii sets new record
Hawaii reports 5 new coronavirus-related deaths, 3,290 additional infections
SA: … Today’s new confirmed and probable infection count by island includes 2,514 new cases on Oahu, 317 on Maui, 256 on Hawaii island, 127 on Kauai, 10 on Molokai, two on Lanai, and 64 Hawaii residents diagnosed outside the state….
Health officials also said today that, of the state’s total infection count, 21,128 cases were considered to be active. Officials say they consider infections reported in the past 14 days to be a “proxy number for active cases.” The state’s total number of active cases increased today by 2,302.
By island, Oahu has 17,837 active cases, Maui has 1,415, the Big Island has 1,110, Kauai has 646, Molokai has 103, and Lanai has 17.
The state’s 7-day average case count is 1,955 and its 7-day positivity rate is 15.1%, according to the Hawaii COVID-19 Data dashboard. The seven-day average case count for Oahu is 1,604 and the seven-day average positivity rate is 17.4%, health officials said today.
The latest Hawaii COVID-19 vaccine summary says 2,536,610 vaccine doses have been administered through state and federal distribution programs as of today, up 6,630 from a day earlier. Health officials say that 74.2% of the state’s population is now fully vaccinated, 79.7% have received at least one dose, and 25% have received a third dose….
read … Hawaii reports 5 new coronavirus-related deaths, 3,290 additional infections
Hawaii County Council Rejects In-Person Testimony
HTH: … Hawaii County Clerk Jon Henricks said his office had written to Ige on Tuesday, asking him to hold off on the in-person portion of the law until the current coronavirus surge subsides.
Because County Council committee agendas had to be posted Wednesday to meet state Sunshine Law requirements, they do have notification that the public can testify at the Hilo council chambers.
“We posted our committee agendas yesterday, prior to receiving notice of this extension of the emergency proclamation,” Henricks said Thursday. “We will be posting an update to the agendas notifying that the committee meetings are not open for in-person public attendance, pursuant to the extension of the emergency proclamation.” ….
(Translation: You can go party at The Republik, but you cannot participate in person in the republic.)
Related: Ige's Latest COVID Emergency Proclamation Does Only One Thing: Suspend Part of Sunshine Law
read … Ige suspends law regarding public testimony
Maui Council to convene online as in-person meeting rules suspended
MN: … The Maui County Council and its committees will keep meeting online in the new year, Chairperson Alice Lee announced Thursday after Gov. David Ige signed an emergency proclamation to allow virtual public meetings to continue as COVID-19 cases rise.
Eight public meetings are set next week, including the full council meeting at 9 a.m. Friday.
“We had been preparing for in-person public testimony in the Council Chamber starting the first week of January based on the Sunshine Law,” Lee said in a news release. “But for public health, it’s commendable the governor is allowing us additional time to keep having exclusively online meetings.”…
(Translation: You can go party at The Republik, but you cannot participate in person in the republic.)
Related: Ige's Latest COVID Emergency Proclamation Does Only One Thing: Suspend Part of Sunshine Law
read … Council to convene online as in-person meeting rules suspended
Hawaii Public Utilities Commission -- 2022 and Beyond
IM: … The Commission is at the leading edge of a tsunami that is radically changing global energy regulation.
The Public Utilities Commission`s web site contains a wealth of information. The Commission`s Document Management System (DMS) with advanced search capabilities includes virtually all filings in all proceedings opened in the last 23 years.
There are five gas and electric utilities: Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (HECO), Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. (HELCO), and Maui Electric Company, Limited (MECO), The Gas Company, LLC dba HAWAI'IGAS (HG), and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC)
There are currently a dozen or so major active dockets involving gas and electric utilities….
read … Hawaii Public Utilities Commission -- 2022 and Beyond
Oahu and Maui plastic bans postponed
SA: … The city’s Department of Environmental Services said it was delaying the start date to Jan. 21 to give restaurants and other food operations more time to recover from nearly two years of coronavirus restrictions that have severely cut into their business.
Other sections of the ordinance went into effect April 1 after being postponed from Jan. 1 last year. Those mandate that food vendors provide disposable food ware to customers only upon request and ban city facilities, events and concessions from using and selling plastic foam containers.
The rules taking effect Jan. 21 are much stricter. Food vendors will not be allowed to sell, serve or provide single-use plastic food ware or use plastic foam containers, regardless of customer requests….
Big Q: What do you think about the delays in the plastic-ware bans for Maui and Oahu?
Related: Maui County Delays Plastic Disposable Foodware Ban
read … Oahu and Maui plastic bans postponed
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