Candy Crush
LIST: Dozens of Bills That Could Affect Cost of Living
Policies that could help turn the tide of people leaving Hawaii
If we're not careful, nearly everything will become "historic"
California wildfire recovery lessons from Lahaina
This Week in Hawai'i: Freedom to Read, Gender Affirming Health Care, Marijuana & Gambling
Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted February 14, 2025
SB492: 20 More Years of The Honolulu Rail Tax Being ‘Temporary’?
Cataluna: … We’ve been paying the extra GET for nearly 20 years already. Now there’s a bill to keep it going another 20 ….
In January 2007, Hawaiʻi started paying an extra 0.5% excise tax on all business activities to help pay for the rail. It was framed as almost an emergency make-or-break move to save the Honolulu rail project. “This is our last chance to qualify for federal dollars,” Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.
The tax increase was supposed to expire at the end of 2022. It was just a temporary thing, like a bridge loan, like a car snack, like a promise ring. Just enough to get things going….
By 2015, it became clear that the temporary general excise tax surcharge would be needed for the rail project beyond 2022, so it was extended by the Legislature.
Then it was extended again in 2017.
And now, as Kevin Dayton reported, a bill is moving through the Legislature to extend the rail tax all the way to 2045.
Temporary for 38 years. Unbelievable, right? Nah. Totally believable….
SB492: Text, Status
read … Lee Cataluna: So Much For The Honolulu Rail Tax Being Temporary - Honolulu Civil Beat
Let LNG flow for cheap, clean energy
SA: … In two underreported but hugely significant events, Oahu electricity ratepayers now have hope to be liberated from misguided state policies that have resulted in both the highest cost per kilowatt-hour of any state — 36% higher than the next-worst state — and the highest average greenhouse gas emissions intensity for electrical power generation. Dead last in both with (up to now) blinders-on stubbornness.
Some quick background: Natural gas, shipped to Oahu in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG) was proposed by Hawaiian Electric (HECO) nine years ago as a cleaner, lower cost fuel for generating electricity. Customer savings were estimated to be as much as $3.7 billion over 30 years. But then-Gov. David Ige issued a de facto ban on LNG by opposing the building of LNG facilities: “It’s time to focus all of our efforts on renewables.” HECO withdrew its proposal. Despite noble renewable energy efforts by homeowners and HECO, more than 70% of power generation on Oahu comes from burning residual fuel oil.
To his brave credit, Gov. Josh Green has now initiated a major shift in Oahu energy policy thinking: empathy for ratepayers….
Over a year ago, he tasked his Energy Office to develop a new strategy addressing 1) electricity cost, 2) unreliability, and 3) carbon dioxide emissions vs. the current burning of residual oil. The result of $900,000 in consultant studies is a very thorough and impressive “Alternative Fuel, Repowering, and Energy Transition Study,” released on Jan. 27. The bottom line: The best pathway to address these issues on Oahu is to convert from oil to natural gas — all while continuing to strive for 100% renewable energy by 2045.
Gov. Green’s Executive Order No. 25-01 accelerates the Neighbor Island 100% renewable goal to 2035 — great, but with concerns (more on that in a subsequent proposed article). But tellingly, the order also sets a new Oahu electricity sector policy goal of 70% greenhouse gas reductions (from 2005 levels) by 2035. The order explains, “to provide the lowest cost to ratepayers, this requires … (various actions and) fuel switching to balance new renewable energy projects with affordability, reliability, land use, and resilience.”
While perhaps tiptoeing around “switch to what?” the order avoids mentioning LNG. …
(CLUE: Reducing HECO’s fuel costs will help HECO avoid bankruptcy.)
SA: State agency recommends revisiting liquefied natural gas | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
read … Column: Let LNG flow for cheap, clean energy | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Ethics Complaints up 552%
CB: … the Ethics Commission annual report for 2024 is hot off the press.
The highlights include “a substantial increase” in the number of new ethics complaints filed over the last five years: from 65 in 2019 to 424 in 2024, representing a 552% growth. The trend, the commission speculates, is largely due to mandatory ethics training enacted in 2022 and an overall uptick in public interest in “ethics deficiencies.”…
read … The Sunshine Blog: Blissful Ignorance Of New State Disclosure Law?
No Legislator Admits to Lobbyist Relationships, Given Extension to Correct their Lies
CB: … The Blog looked through all the legislators’ disclosures that had been filed as of Friday and not a single lawmaker reported any such (lobbyist) relationships. So no lawmaker or their spouse worked for or received income from anyone who is a registered lobbyist or the business or organization that employs the lobbyist, according to the filings.
…The Blog wasn’t the only one who apparently found that a bit unlikely, considering there were 581 registered lobbyists and 498 lobbying organizations in 2024.
The filings have drawn a letter of concern from the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission to legislative leaders.
“In a spot review of recent legislative submissions, we have noted a number of omissions, particularly in the reporting of spousal income,” commission chair Wesley Fong wrote Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura on Feb. 6. “To uphold the integrity of the disclosure process, the commission plans to conduct a more thorough review of filings.”
No names were mentioned, but Fong said the disclosures serve a constitutionally mandated purpose and “are essential for ensuring transparency, accountability, and public confidence in government.”
Fong told legislative leaders he’d give lawmakers until Friday to take another crack at their disclosures and file any amendments….
read … The Sunshine Blog: Blissful Ignorance Of New State Disclosure Law?
Prison Designer Hosts Indiana Fundraiser for Green
CB: … The top two recipients of campaign cash during the last six months of 2024 weren’t even running for office last year.
Gov. Josh Green raised more than $506,000 between July 1 and the end of the year. Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami, who plans to run for Senate (swap seats with Kouchi) when his term is up next year, raised $277,000….
Green’s campaign also reported raising about $54,000 from donors in Indiana. He held a fundraiser in Fort Wayne at the Sycamore Hills Golf Club last August.
The fundraiser’s host, Michael Gouloff, paid for airfare, valet, flowers and catering for the event, according to campaign spending reports.
Gouloff is also a partner in the firm Elevatus Architecture. Two Elevatus employees appeared to donate the maximum $6,000 to Green around the time of that fundraiser.
(CLUE: Elevatus designs prisons.)
read … The Sunshine Blog: Blissful Ignorance Of New State Disclosure Law? - Honolulu Civil Beat
Those who lost loved ones in the Lahaina fire could receive some funds next month
HPR: … Those who lost loved ones or were severely injured in the Lahaina wildfires could begin to receive compensation in the next month with larger payouts by the end of the summer through the One ʻOhana Fund settlement.
Gov. Josh Green explained the program would give survivors who lost family members up to $1.5 million.
“We announced the One ʻOhana Fund three months after the fire, we reached the settlement at exactly a year, and we got the Supreme Court to approve it at 18 months,” he said.
“I intend to be paying out these benefits, some of it in the next month when we have what's called the good faith settlement hearing in front of Judge Cahill, who's an exceptional judge. That's for people who lost a loved one. I think by late summer, we'll see large settlement payments go out.”…
The $175 million One ʻOhana Fund is separate from the global settlement that got the green light from the state Supreme Court this week —although it’s often included in the $4 billion total.
This is the anticipated first round of the One ‘Ohana Fund which includes about 14 people. If the global settlement goes through, the rest of the wrongful death cases will be included….
HPR: Maui fire survivors soon have to pay rent for FEMA housing. Some still don't know how much
read … Those who lost loved ones in the Lahaina fire could receive some funds next month | Hawai'i Public Radio
Miske’s criminal case enters its final stage
ILind: … Although both sides agree that the indictments must be thrown out, they disagree on a rather obscure point, whether the same reading of the law requires vacating the jury’s two separate verdicts (verdict 1 found Miske guilty of 13 charges, and verdict 2 found that almost all of his property was tied up with his criminal activities and therefore is subject to forfeiture)….
Further, the government announced it had already filed a civil lawsuit seeking to seize the same property which, the argue, “was obtained illegally and used in furtherance of the Defendant’s crimes.” As a result, they say, Judge Derrick Watson, who presided over Miske’s criminal trial, no longer has jurisdiction over the forfeiture matter, which now moves to a different court….
What actual difference vacating the verdicts along with the indictments might make isn’t clear, but it seems most likely related to how the forfeiture issue will play out as the government’s civil lawsuit claiming right to Miske’s property moves forward….
read … Miske’s criminal case enters its final stage
Hawaii County Police discipline: Sex Offender Gets Job Back, Armed Robber and Bribe Taker Next
HTH: … One Hawaii Police Department officer was fired in 2024, one terminated in 2023 is in binding arbitration hoping to regain his badge, while a third discharged in 2023 has returned to the force as a result of his grievance.
That’s according to the department’s annual disciplinary report for 2024 to the state Legislature….
The report also lists 19 incidents of officers being suspended from duty without pay ranging from a day to 50 days….
Some of the incidents stem from 2022 and 2023, but also are listed in this report because of the length of the grievance process, should the disciplined officer appeal….
The officer discharged in 2024 is Louie Ondo Jr., who allegedly provided confidential information regarding an active vice investigation to a civilian. Ondo, whose alleged action was reported to prosecutors, is currently in arbitration….
An officer fired in 2023, Aaron Abalos, is back in uniform after arbitration. Abalos allegedly committed an unspecified criminal act, which was reported to prosecutors, but wasn’t charged. He also received a one-day suspension for allegedly exposing himself in public. The suspension was upheld.
The officer terminated in 2023 who’s currently in arbitration is Mark Kaili Jr.
Kaili, then 31, and a 27-year-old acquaintance, Cody Kanahele, were charged with first-degree burglary, a Class B felony carrying a potential 10-year prison term, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. The pair entered a Naalehu home, both wearing masks, and assaulted a 20-year-old man male cousin of Kanahele. The victim’s grandfather intervened and unmasked Kaili, who was off-duty.
Kanahele pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 30 days in jail with all but one day — which he had already served — suspended. Kanahele also was granted a deferred acceptance of his plea, which means if he stays out of trouble with the law for a year, the conviction will be erased from his criminal record.
Kaili’s burglary charge was dropped in return for no contest pleas to the assault charge and misdemeanor trespassing. He also received a 30-day suspended jail sentence with a deferred plea acceptance, so his conviction could be erased, as well….
read … Police discipline reported: HPD terminations, suspensions documented for lawmakers
Maneuver: House ‘Recommits’ Marijuana Legalization Bill Forcing Senate to Take Lead
CB: … Thursday brought another plot twist. The victim, you see, had an identical twin, what’s known as a companion measure.
As long as the House bill remained ambulatory, Senate Bill 1613 was kept on ice. Why go through the time-consuming process of taking duplicative testimony from hundreds of people?
But when the House opted to shut down the public discourse with no real explanation, the Senate sprang into action very late in the legislative process.
On the final day before the measure would have died from lack of action, a rushed hearing was held on SB 1613 by the Judiciary and Health and Human Services committees.
Afterward, she acknowledged the rush job was in response to the House killing its version of the bill.
“We are giving the House another opportunity to amend the bill to address major concerns and pass a compromise bill that hopefully will regulate small amounts of non-medicinal marijuana, which are now being sold on the black market,” San Buenaventura said in an email.
One bit of new information that came out at the Senate hearing was the Taxation Department’s estimate of annual tax revenue the bill would produce: about $3 million.
That’s only part of the high financial stakes at play here. Tarnas said he crafted his bill to open up the recreational marijuana industry to local rather than mainland businesses.
But on Thursday, Sen. Brenton Awa said that even though “there’s probably not a lawmaker in this building who wants to legalize marijuana as much as I do,” he was voting no because he felt the bill favors corporations over “local sellers.”…
After the third “point of order,” Speaker Nakamura called a recess. She did so again when Rep. Souza pushed for an explanation.
That explanation never came, although Quinlan did offer this by way of dismissal:
“Just like last session, we were unable to build consensus and I think it is now time for us to focus on areas where we can build consensus.”
The deal was sealed with a voice vote, making it hard to say exactly who all voted “no.” Those who went on the record with their opposition included Reps. Iwamoto, Souza, Amy Perruso, Della Au Belatti, Terez Amato and Elle Cochran.
Todd told Civil Beat on Friday that he actually still supports legalizing recreational marijuana, but that “one of my assigned roles in leadership is to make floor motions, which is why it came from me and not another member who may be opposed to legalization.” …
read … Public Discourse Was Flowing On The Pot Bill. Then The House Snuffed It - Honolulu Civil Beat
Federal job losses could be local government gains
SA: … Vast federal job cuts being driven by President Donald Trump could benefit Hawaii state and county workforces burdened by high vacancies.
About 5,000 state civil service jobs, excluding public school teacher positions, were vacant as of Feb. 11, according to the state Department of Human Resources Development.
Elena Murayama, a DHRD spokesperson, said the state could use personnel separated from the federal workforce in Hawaii to fill vacancies and help maintain job stability for residents….
BIN: Hawai‘i County launches task force to address nearly 700 vacancies : Big Island Now
SA: Cuts to Hawaii’s federal workforce loom | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
read … Federal job losses could be local government gains | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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