Trump Admin: Greenland to Become a COFA Country?
Another chance to make things right
Neighborhood Board Elections--Voting Ends May 16
Judicial Nominees Sought for ICA and First Circuit
Peeling away regulations that hinder homebuilding
Grassroot: Akina gives Legislature a 'B-'
Yamashita Gone: Nakamura Next?
Borreca: … days after the Legislature adjourned, Big Island Democrat Chris Todd, who was appointed by Gov. David Ige back in 2017 to replace the late Clift Tsuji, was selected to run the Finance Committee.
Committee chairmanships don’t come with a neatly set list of rules, but there is an understood expectation that if you fumble the ball, everyone will notice.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that Todd was picked by House Speaker Nadine Nakamura who in a statement, offered little detail on why Maui Rep. Kyle Yamashita was replaced as finance chairman.
“Leadership transitions are a part of any organization’s growth,” her statement read. “The House has decided to move in a new direction and appreciates Representative Chris Todd’s readiness to lead the Committee on Finance.”
(TRANSLATION: “This was forced on me.”)
… Yamashita’s handling of the state budget was questionable from the beginning as his committee was repeatedly criticized for a chaotic operation. He helped push the state’s largest tax credit bill through the House last year but it was done in such a stumbling manner that few could develop a campaign theme around the tax break.
So far there is no rumor of replacing Nakamura, but the stability of the state House organization seems to change as the power lineup twitches. Without a cohesive organization, Nakamura will be left dangling just like Yamashita was.
read … On Politics: Legislators OK ‘green’ tax, oust House Finance chair | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Green Preps Future Run for Hirono’s Seat--Creates National PAC To Support 'Pro-Science Candidates'
CB: … At the same time that he was in Washington, D.C., at Hawaiʻi taxpayer expense opposing the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Gov. Josh Green was quietly launching a national political action committee that aims to work for health care, homelessness, gun control and “pro-science candidates for federal office.”
Green has never publicly announced the formation of the Heal America PAC, but he did appear in public with two of his partners in the political venture during the second of two D.C. trips he took in January to oppose the Kennedy nomination.
(CLUE: Josh Green for US Senate after Hirono retires at age 83 in 2030.)
The trips, taken Jan. 5-9 and Jan. 27-30, were for official state business, according to the governor’s office. The PAC was registered Jan. 28 with the Federal Election Commission. The combined cost for the two trips was $14,208, according to documents from the governor’s office….
Andy Winer, the Heal America spokesperson and a close associate of Green’s, declined to comment…
Winer is a longtime advisor to Green, and the PAC’s treasurer is Lori LaFave, who runs a Virginia-based fundraising and political consulting firm that specializes in prominent national campaigns and causes.
Winer is also an executive with the public affairs and communications firm Strategies 360, a Seattle-based company with Hawaiʻi connections. He is a former chief of staff to U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and his past clients include Pacific Resource Partnership, a pro-rail labor group connected with Hawaiʻi’s carpenters union.
Green has often retained LaFave’s fundraising services, including paying her $18,000 for consulting during the last half of 2024. Green was elected governor in 2022 and has since raised money to run for reelection next year.
Hart said the PAC also allows Green to position himself as “the anti-RFK,” at a time when many feel the Democratic Party needs to have stronger voices as advocates.
“It’s interesting to speculate how much of a move this is to the national stage; he will undoubtedly run again for governor in 2026 and so any movement would be years away,” Hart said….
Fun Read: Delusional Kai Kahele Thought Andy Winer Would Make Him Governor
read … Hawaiʻi Governor Creates National PAC To Support 'Pro-Science Candidates' - Honolulu Civil Beat
Lahaina Rep Elle Cochran Missed 85% of Session -- and she’s a convicted felon
CB: … Earlier this year The Blog reported that Maui Rep. Elle Cochran had a poor attendance record at the Capitol because she was … uh … ‘caring for a family member’.
(IDEA: Don’t elect a convicted armed robber and drug dealer to the Legislature.)
Her absence pretty much continued throughout the session, which ended May 2, but Cochran still got paid the $225 per diem enjoyed by neighbor island lawmakers. She for sure missed 51 of the 60 floor session days, which totals up to $11,475 of per diem payments. It’s unknown exactly how many of the other days she missed.
Yup it’s legal. Hawaiʻi Revised Statue 24-2 requires non-Oʻahu representatives to get an allowance for every day from the start of the session to the last day, including weekends and holidays. It’s to be used for boarding, lodging and incidental expenses but not travel expenses…
The Blog called Cochran on Friday to ask about her absence and whether she might consider returning some of the money to taxpayers. But the representative interrupted quickly to ask, “Don’t you have anything better to investigate?”
Then she hung up.
Cochran’s absence did not go unnoticed by her colleagues this session, who grumbled that she was not able to participate in Lahaina- and Maui wildfire-related legislation….
(IDEA: Don’t elect a convicted armed robber and drug dealer to the Legislature.)
REALITY: Former Armed Robber Elle Cochran
read … The Sunshine Blog: Here's How Per Diem Works If You're A Hawaiʻi Legislator - Honolulu Civil Beat
Incumbency machine protects sitting lawmakers from exposure
CB: … In 2030, Hawai‘i lawmakers will earn $114,348 without having cast a single vote to approve their raises. They’ll take effect automatically under recommendations from the state Salary Commission.
Lawmakers had the authority to reject them. But they didn’t. A resolution to do so wasn’t even given a hearing.
That silence wasn’t incidental. It was strategic — and increasingly familiar. The pay raise is just one example of how Hawai‘i’s Legislature sidesteps political risk by avoiding public debate. When a decision could provoke discomfort or disagreement, the instinct is not to argue, but to defer — or more likely, to quietly “disappear” the offending bill.
…. lawmakers … operate in a system that rewards caution over candor. In a state with one-party control and limited electoral competition, losing your seat is unlikely — short of some personal impropriety. That very stability makes it easier — and often safer — for legislators to avoid tough votes that could create problems for their party or draw criticism from vocal interest groups.
Over time, the Legislature has developed procedural habits that minimize visible conflict. Real debates on the floor of the House and Senate are rare. Lawmakers more often register symbolic concern by using a power — unique to Hawai‘i — to vote “yes with reservations,” or “WR” as it’s known at the State Capitol. And many controversial bills are never even scheduled for a hearing. They’re not voted down. They simply vanish.
What has emerged is what I’d term an incumbency machine — a system designed not to allow for ideological conflict or public responsiveness, but to protect sitting lawmakers from exposure. It favors order over openness, discipline over dissent, and process over transparency. If lawmakers don’t create problems, they get to return to their comfortable offices year after year — sometimes for decades….
One of the most effective tools in this system is the “release” process. Nearly all bills with fiscal implications — or those that can be framed that way — are referred to the House Finance Committee or the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Before a bill can be approved by a House-Senate conference committee and move to a final vote, it must be given the green light by these powerful gatekeepers. In the final days of session, they decide which bills move forward, stall or quietly disappear.
I suspect that the release process was originally designed as a temporary measure to manage the volume of proposals and maintain fiscal discipline. But over the past two decades, it has become one of the most powerful choke points in Hawai‘i’s government. In practice, it allows leadership to kill politically sensitive bills without public votes or explanation.
This session, campaign finance reforms and a ban on contractor donations all died at this stage. Not because of organized opposition, but because silence was easier — for the leadership and for most rank-and-file legislators.
You don’t have to be a master of legislative dealmaking to understand why this works: Lawmakers can express support for a bill while knowing it won’t become law. The process protects caucus unity, avoids on-the-record opposition, and keeps divisive issues off the agenda. Everyone shares credit. No one bears the cost….
read … Silence Is Golden For A Legislature That Looks To Avoid Tough Votes - Honolulu Civil Beat
Another Black Eye for Bissen--Druski Debunks Bogus Rape Complaint
CB: … The case of the California woman who filed a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs and a bunch of other people including our very own Maui Police Chief John Pelletier continues to be a weird yet strangely fun read.
The amended complaint that seemingly out of the blue roped in Pelletier as, allegedly, some sort of enforcer for Combs (no evidence of that and of course a very strong denial from the chief) was filed in March in California federal court and created quite the stir on this side of the Pacific. The 87-page complaint told a lurid tale of gang rape, kidnapping and other X-rated accusations that occurred in 2018 when Pelletier was still on the Las Vegas police department.
To recap: Maui Mayor Richard Bissen insisted Pelletier be placed on leave by the Maui Police Commission, his police powers suspended, while the case was proceeding. Pelletier produced documentation showing that he was in Las Vegas when the alleged incident took place. He’s also said he has never met Combs and has no idea why he was suddenly dragged into this mess. The commission refused to put the chief on leave….
one of the higher-profile defendants in the case filed a motion for sanctions against the plaintiff, Ashley Parham, and her lawyers who have been involved in a number of the Combs lawsuits….
Drew Desbordes, who some of you may better recognize as the comedian named Druski, contends he, too, had nothing to do with anything alleged in the lawsuit and has over the past few months provided the plaintiff and her attorneys plenty of documentation to show he wasn’t. And yet, they still have not let him off the hook.
Druski says that in 2018 he was living in Georgia with his mom and working as a waiter at an Outback Steakhouse. He was not yet a famous entertainer. Employment records, photos, phone bills and other documents bear this out….
March 11, 2025: Crackpot Lawsuit is all it takes--Maui Mayor and SHOPO make Complete Fools of Themselves Trying to get rid of Chief Pelletier
May 6, 2025: Bissen names Meth Dealer’s Son to Maui County Board of Water Supply
read … The Sunshine Blog: Here's How Per Diem Works If You're A Hawaiʻi Legislator - Honolulu Civil Beat
Land Board rejection of Pohakuloa EIS just another maneuver in lease negotiations
SA: … The U.S. Army hit a speed bump in its effort to retain training land in Hawaii with the state Board of Land and Natural Resources voting to reject its final environmental impact statement on its proposal to keep a state-owned parcel at the Pohakuloa Training Area on Hawaii island.
The ruling is an embarrassing setback for (State negotiating ploy against) the Army after years of working on the document and submitting several drafts since 2022. The many hours of public comment from hundreds of people (the usual suspects) who turned out to testify both in person and over a Zoom teleconference before the BLNR vote Friday evening overwhelmingly (predictably) called on the board to reject the EIS and lambasted Army officials.
…But it’s not the end of the service’s efforts to retain training land in Hawaii after its leases expire in 2029….
“The issue today is whether we should accept the EIS or not accept the EIS,” BLNR Chair Dawn Chang said during Friday’s hearing. “It is only with respect to PTA. It is not on whether what the Army is doing is good or bad, or if we provide them land retention or not. So I want to be really clear on what this is, I want to manage everyone’s expectation, including my own and the board.” ….
Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees Chair Kai Kahele released a statement Saturday in support of rejecting the EIS.
“This decision reflects a thorough review of the document’s legal, environmental, and cultural deficiencies, many of which OHA and others identified in public testimony,” he said. “As the State and Hawai‘i’s Congressional Delegation consider next steps, OHA remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that any future course of action honors the unique legal status of these lands and the trust obligations they carry. These lands are not ordinary — they are part of an unrelinquished legacy. OHA will continue to prioritize protecting the rights and interests of the Native Hawaiian people and preserving the integrity of the public land trust.”
(TRANSLATION: OHA wants money.)
Just minutes after the board voted Friday, the Army released its own statement saying, “The Army is currently observing a 30-day waiting period, after which the Army will determine how much land it will seek to retain in its Record of Decision (ROD). The method of retention, or real estate transaction (lease, fee simple), would be negotiated with the State of Hawaii after the ROD is confirmed.”
(TRANSLATION: Cash negotiations coming soon.)
DLNR put out a statement that said, “An EIS is intended to support informed decision-making and does not, by itself, authorize any land use. No decision has been made on the Army’s long-term lease request. A separate review and determination will be required should such a request be brought before the board in the future.”
(TRANSLATION: We await the Army’s cash offer.)
(IDEA: Army agrees to allow construction of a geothermal plant at Pohakuloa. State and OHA get royalties.)
read … Land Board rejects Pohakuloa EIS but lease negotiations to move ahead | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Rate Hikes: Saltchuk Milking Young Bros
MN: … “Not just in the ’20 years’ since Saltchuk acquired Young Brothers and the last request for emergency or temporary rates, but still since then until today, Young Brothers’ managerial and financial decisions have strongly implied that Saltchuk has not treated Young Brothers like a public utility and vital service for the state of Hawaiʻi, but rather purely like a financial asset, from which resources can be extracted in good times, for which no support is maintained during hard times,” the Consumer Advocate said.
It added: “If Young Brothers’ management were not as eager to distribute dividends up to Saltchuk whenever possible and to the maximum extent possible, Young Brothers may have the cash reserves to better weather the storms of its cyclical financial distresses. Any long-term search for a way out of Young Brothers’ repeated financial distresses will be incomplete without an examination of Saltchuk’s influence and direction.”
The attorneys said Young Brothers recognizes the commission’s broad investigative powers, however, the company does not have the authority to agree to an investigation of Saltchuk or any of its affiliates.
“YB and Saltchuk are separate and independent entities, and as the Commission is aware, YB is currently governed by a separate independent board of directors. Therefore, any investigation of Saltchuk will require Saltchuk’s direct involvement and representation by its own counsel,” they said.
In its protest filing, the Consumer Advocate emphasized its “significant and ongoing concern” about Young Brothers’ temporary rate increase, calling it “another example of Young Brothers continuing to repeat a cycle of seeking relief to address urgent financial concerns by requesting approval of rate increases, or the establishment of rate increase mechanisms, and then soon thereafter requesting additional rate increases in an unsustainable pattern.”
“Young Brothers is seeking emergency rates again because it has made no meaningful efforts to control its costs, or its investments or dividend distributions for that matter,” the Advocate says in its protest….
read … Maui Council, Consumer Advocate oppose Young Brothers’ proposed shipping rate hikes : Maui Now
The Miske case is winding down but not yet over
ILind: … Mike Miske is dead and gone, the businesses that served as fronts have closed, all but one of his associates who pleaded guilty have been sentenced, and his racketeering organization has been dismantled.
But the saga is still playing out on several fronts. There are some interesting little stories buried here ….
read … The Miske case is winding down but not yet over | i L i n d
Hawai‘i lawmakers approve $6M to support Planned Parenthood
MN: … The Hawai‘i Legislature has approved $6 million in state funding over two years to support reproductive health care providers, including Planned Parenthood, amid ongoing federal threats to reproductive health care.
The funding, included in the final state budget passed last week, directs $3 million over two years to Planned Parenthood’s operations and $3 million over two years to offset losses in federal Title X funding. The budget now awaits Gov. Josh Green’s approval….
read … Hawai‘i lawmakers approve $6M to support reproductive health care providers
Lopez Outlines Strategy to Defeat Trump Climate Change Lawsuit
CB: … Lopez was asked first about the strategy behind her office‘s response on May 1 to a lawsuit filed April 30 by the Trump administration seeking to preemptively halt a separate lawsuit — also filed May 1 — by the Hawaiʻi attorney general against major oil companies that alleges deceptive conduct contributing to climate change.
Lopez: I won’t go into too many details. Obviously, I will tell you that we will be litigating this in-house. My department will be combating this unprecedented lawsuit, and we’re doing that because, one, I have confidence in my department, (solicitor general) Kaliko Fernandes and (special assistant) Dave Day, but also because this is a direct attack on our state of Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty, and it is unprecedented because filing a lawsuit to stop somebody from filing a lawsuit doesn’t even make sense in sort of a rational and reasonable way.
They admit in the complaint that only Hawaiʻi knows what’s in their complaint. And that was true, but they went ahead and filed. So I see this as a great opportunity for Hawaiʻi to show what we’re made of, and that we will fight back, and we will do so aggressively.
Did you want to add anything, Kaliko?
Fernandes: I think AG Lopez summed it up. Right now, what we have from the federal government is the complaint, and it does seek to stop us as a sovereign state with rights to file claims. They seek to stop us from doing that. It is unprecedented. We do think that this is federal overreach. So we will be vigorously defending in that lawsuit ….
read … The Sunshine Interview: Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez - Honolulu Civil Beat
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