Town Hall: What to do about Illegal Fireworks?
SB281: Will Conference Committee produce torture bill?
SA: … Torture would become a Class A felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, under Senate Bill 281, which has drawn a great deal of support in testimony from advocates for tougher laws that distinguish between abuse and torture.
The recent cases include starvation, prolonged physical restraint, broken bones and emaciation that led to the deaths of 11-year-old Azaeliyah Pili-Ah You and 10-year-old Geanna Bradley.
Currently, there is no “clear legal definition of torture in the state, even though it should be explicitly prohibited,” said Honolulu Police Department Capt. Vince Legaspi of the Criminal investigation Division in testimony April 2 to the state House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs.
“It is essential to distinguish between abuse and torture, as they differ in severity, and the penalties should reflect that distinction. In 2024 there were several cases involving the torture of children; however, existing laws provided no framework to charge and penalize the perpetrators appropriately,” Legaspi said. “Passing this bill would establish charges that accurately reflect the severity of such acts, ensuring that offenders are held accountable for the magnitude of their crimes.”
Benjamin T. Moszkowicz, chief of the Hawaii County Police Department, told lawmakers that too many forms of “cruel and degrading treatment” are not adequately addressed by the Hawaii Revised Statutes.
“Acts such as starvation, deprivation of food, clothing and water can be challenging to prosecute under existing laws,” Moszkowicz said.
On April 6 the five children’s justice centers in Hawaii released data from 2024 that tracked 1,839 cases of child sex abuse, felony physical abuse, child sex trafficking, internet crimes against children, and children who witnessed a violent crime.
While the total of these cases increased by only seven, there was an alarming increase in cases of severe physical abuse. The number of severe cases on Maui increased, more than doubled in West Hawaii and significantly increased on Oahu.
Over the five-year period from 2000 to 2024, there were 9,627 of these cases, reported Friends of the Children’s Justice Center of Oahu.
Honolulu Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tiffany Kaeo, division chief of the Family Prosecution Division of the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, told lawmakers she is “acutely aware of the need for a torture statute in this state.”….
SB281: Text, Status (Conferees not yet appointed by either house.)
SA: Off the news: It’s down to the wire for torture statute | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
read … Hawaii lawmakers still working on torture bill
HB900 Dead: No Lawyers for Abused Foster Kids
SA: … A recent bill in the state Legislature sought to address these harms. House Bill 900, which died last month, aimed to advance a proven support: client-directed legal counsel for youth in child welfare court cases. The bill would have established a working group — with robust representation from foster youth — to design and pilot legal representation for Hawaii foster youth. The bill received broad support from the Judiciary, the Department of Human Services, service providers, current and former foster youth, and fierce community advocates.
HB 900 died because of concerns that federal budget cuts will severely limit the state’s funding for human services. …
Background: HB900 Dies in Senate: No Lawyers for Abused Foster Kids
read … Column: Hear what isle foster kids say is needed to thrive | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Young Brothers Rates Push up Hawaiʻi grocery bills
MN: … With many residents already feeling the pinch at the checkout counter, the report highlights the continued challenge of balancing healthy food choices with affordability — especially in a state where cost of living remains one of the highest in the country.
One of the major contributing factors to costs for groceries is overseas and inter-island shipping. Inter-island barge company Young Brothers is asking the Public Utilities Commission for a “temporary” rate increase and tariff changes.
In February, the carrier company sought an order granting it a temporary rate increase to be implemented in two steps -– a first-step increase of 20% by April and a second-step increase of 5% by July.
These temporary rate increases would be applied evenly across all regulated cargo rates. For more efficient service lines requiring less cargo handling, rates would increase by 20% to 35%. Services requiring additional or special handling will increase by 35% to 45%.
- An in-person meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. April 30 at Pu‘u Kukui Elementary School cafeteria in Wailuku.
- On Lānaʻi, an in-person meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. May 1 at the Lānaʻi Senior Center on 7th Street.
To read the full LendingTree report, click here.
read … Hawaiʻi ranks third in nation for highest grocery bills, according to LendingTree report
Maui County labor force shrinks as people leave state
MN: … “We did notice that Maui County’s labor force shrank by 0.3% during the first quarter of 2025 while all the other counties experienced increases in labor force (Honolulu County at +2%; Hawaiʻi County at +1.3%; Kauaʻi County at +3.1%, and statewide at +1.7%),” Tian said in an email. “The decrease in labor force mainly happened in January and February 2025. This is an indication that Maui residents were either moving out of island or they withdrew from the labor force during the first two months of 2025, but some of the people came back to the labor force in March.”…
For Maui island, the drop was a little greater to the same point — from 4.8% in March 2024 to 3% in March 2025.….
read … Maui County’s labor force gaining somewhat, first time 19 months after wildfire disaster : Maui Now
HB126: Watered Down Property Seizure Bill Moves Forward
CB: … A conference committee is expected to take up the issue one more time Monday. But last week they significantly watered down House Bill 126, which would have made it harder for law enforcement to take vehicles, houses, currency and other valuables as part of an investigation.
The bill as it stands now would allow seizures, or asset forfeiture, as long as someone has been charged with a crime.
Rep. David Tarnas, who is taking the House’s lead in negotiating HB 126, described the Senate’s version of the bill calling for conviction of a felony before forfeiture as ambitious.
“I think I am taking a more modest approach, but I think we have a similar goal in mind — to reform our civil asset forfeiture system within the state,” Tarnas, the House Judiciary chair, told Sen. Karl Rhoads, the Senate Judiciary chair, at a conference committee hearing at the State Capitol….
read … Watered Down Property Seizure Bill Moves Forward - Honolulu Civil Beat
Act 17: Police records will answer questions for victims’ families
SA: … Families of victims like Andrew Nakoa Jr. — who died of a stab wound 21 years ago blocks from his home — now will be able to get a copy of the closing report from Hawaii law enforcement under a new law designed to answer lingering questions that haunt them.
Under Act 17, any immediate family member has the right to a copy of the final report or summary of any investigation by any state law enforcement agency.
Closing reports detail the steps of investigations, excluding any information regarding minors and confidential personal information of people mentioned, such as witnesses.
Family members will be able to receive the documents once all trials are completed, or five years since a report was written, or if it has been seven years since the event — whichever comes first.
The only exemption where a family would be temporarily denied access to the records would occur if police reopened the case within six months before the family made its request. Then the family has to wait until it’s closed again….
read … Police records will answer questions for victims’ families | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaiʻi County Council hires Mom—Then Moves To Adopt Nepotism Rules For Government Employees
CB: … It was an awkward moment for the Hawaiʻi County Council.
Last week, the nine-member board was considering the mayor’s nomination of Rebecca “Kawehi” Inaba to serve on the island’s Leeward Planning Commission….
The issue was that Inaba is the mother of the council chair, Holeka Goro Inaba.
That same morning the council considered legislation to update the Hawaiʻi County Code to prohibit nepotism.
Bill 21 would ensure hiring and promotion of relatives be conducted in a fair and impartial manner. Specifically, it would adopt the state’s policy on nepotism found in the State Ethics Code.
That policy says no state employee can appoint, hire, promote or retain a relative or household member. Nor can they demote, discharge or terminate them, or participate in interviews or discussions regarding the hiring process.
The bill passed the council unanimously Wednesday and now awaits a final vote May 6. If approved and signed by the mayor, it would take effect immediately….
read … Hawaiʻi County Moves To Adopt Nepotism Rules For Government Employees - Honolulu Civil Beat
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