Republicans Give Josh Green Opportunity to Appoint his Former Office Manager as State Rep
Hawaii Housing Costs 53.47% of Median Income
Former death row inmate convicted of sex trafficking in Hawaii
HB371: Kouchi and Nakamura Gut Pay-To-Play Bill
CB: … Leaders in the House and Senate want to weaken a key reform measure that had sought to ban campaign contributions from people who win substantial government contracts.
House Bill 371 would include officers, their executives and family members of businesses who do government work and also extend to state and county grant recipients.
But changes being pushed by the House speaker and Senate president would apply the contribution ban only to companies doing business with specific branches of government, essentially continuing the status quo for most elected officials and their campaign donors….
BACKGROUND: Naming Names: Airports Division Ran Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked In Money
read …Legislative Leaders Want Pay-To-Play Bill Significantly Watered Down
HB1001: Bill sets aside $807.5 million for Maui wildfire claims
SA: … Hawaii legislative leaders have agreed to fully fund the state’s share of Maui wildfire damage claims slated to be paid out over four years.
A select group of lawmakers in the House and Senate agreed Tuesday to terms for a bill that would deposit about half of the state’s $807.5 million obligation into a trust fund next fiscal year followed by the balance a year later.
State attorneys in August agreed with five other defendants in mass litigation over the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires to settle all loss claims for about $4 billion, with payments spread over four years….
read … Bill sets aside $807.5 million for Maui wildfire claims
SB1373: Sex Offenders Lose Massage License Immediately – Instead of years later
CB: … House and Senate conference committees approved a measure Wednesday that would allow the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs to automatically revoke some professional licenses of registered sex offenders.
Senate Bill 1373 cites an Oct. 24 story by Civil Beat Investigations Editor John Hill about a Hawai‘i acupuncturist and physical therapist who retained his professional licenses for years after he was convicted of arranging a sexual encounter with an undercover agent he believed to be a 13-year-old boy….
read … The Sunshine Blog: Some Bills Squeeze Through The Bottleneck, Others Donʻt
FEMA cracks down on Lahaina residents not paying rent
KHON: … At the start of the week, nearly 200 out of around 1,000 households on FEMA’s temporary housing program had not paid rent. Now, it’s down 100 — or one in 10….
Those units were no longer free as of this spring, with the first payments due April 1….
The process starts with a 15-day warning, a notice of revocation, and then a notice to surrender the property. And the unpaid bill doesn’t go away.
“It goes up to the Treasury level, and then the US Treasury will follow up. And there are different ways that the federal government can recoup those funds, including garnishing wages and or having it be taken out of Social Security.” …
read … FEMA cracks down on Lahaina residents not paying rent
'I thought she was safe,' Aunt of dead Laie girl speaks out
HNN: … “We weren’t in the best place to take her at the time, like she could have struggled with us and still been alive,” said Hai Acevedo, Azaeliyah’s aunt. “You know, like we would have been able to make it happen.”
Azaeliyah died in December 2023. Her adoptive mother, Sina Pili, is charged with manslaughter, accused of beating her to death.
“I really thought that she was safe,” said Acevedo. “I never would have thought any of this would have happened.”
Hai Acevedo is Azaeliyah’s aunt. Cousins with her biological mom, who passed away a few years ago. She’s also related to Pili’s husband, Davis Pili, who has not been arrested or charged in connection with this case ….
read … 'I thought she was safe,' Aunt of dead Laie girl speaks out
U.S. Army releases final environmental impact statement for Pōhakuloa Training Area
BIN: … With four years left before the U.S. Army’s 65-year lease ends on state-owned land in the Pōhakuloa region of Hawai‘i Island, military officials hope to retain most of the acreage in a new land agreement with the state.
On Friday, the U.S. Army released its final environmental impact statement on approximately 22,750 acres to support continued military operations and exercises at Pōhakuloa Training Area….
Click here to review all drafts and documents….
read … U.S. Army releases final environmental impact statement for Pōhakuloa Training Area : Big Island Now
City Council Should Reconsider Its Plan To Increase Sewer Fees
CB: … By using general funds for “sewer activities,” council members are betting rating agencies won’t decrease Honolulu’s bond ratings….
read … City Council Should Reconsider Its Plan To Increase Sewer Fees
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