Luke Quits Race After Polls Show Her Losing 2-1

What if Sylvia Luke is Telling the Truth?

Hawaii Family Forum Legislative Week in Review

Hawaii yards second-most expensive in the nation

“Raised in the boiler room of local politics” Chief Justice Nominee Vladimir Devens spent $500K to elect Gov. Josh Green

CB: ... The nomination of Vladimir Devens to be Hawaiʻi’s next Supreme Court chief justice is scheduled for a hearing this week amid ‘new concerns’ (LOL!) over his past leadership of a political action committee that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect Gov. Josh Green.

(They didn’t notice that Andy Weiner’s law partner was slightly involved in local politics?  It is the entire reason for the nomination.)

Karl Rhoads, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Civil Beat Friday that he is (uhhh…) ‘concerned’ Vladimir Devens did not disclose in his confidential Judicial Selection Commission application last week that he spent four years on the board of Be Change Now, the super PAC operated by Public Resource Partnership, which represents the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters and more than 250 of Hawaiʻi’s top contractors.

Devens also did not disclose his PAC position in 2023 when Green nominated him for a seat on the state’s highest court.

Civil Beat reported the super PAC connection in November 2023, just one day after the full Senate confirmed Devens to be an associate justice.

Devens’ confirmation hearing for chief justice is scheduled for Wednesday.

Between June and October 2022, Be Change Now spent just over $500,000 on advertisements supporting Green’s campaign for governor, according to data from the Campaign Spending Commission. Another PRP super PAC, For A Better Tomorrow, is now spending heavily on behalf of Kauaʻi Mayor Derek Kawakami….

2023: Mafia News: Andy Winer’s Law Partner ‘a lock’ on Supreme Court Nomination Longstanding respect in the community and deep connections outweigh Devens’ lack of experience as a judge, two other lawyers said. His lived experience, “raised in the boiler room of local politics,” as one put it, has given Devens intellectual toughness that one local attorney described as “hard as nails.”

2019: Source: Esther Kia’aina and Andy Winer Warned Jim Lyon About Investigation

Read … Justice's Past Political Activity Is Raising Fresh Questions For Some Senators - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii Unemployment Low as Young Families Flee to Mainland

SA: … Former DBEDT chief economist Eugene Tian, who retired at the end of May, said Sunday that Hawaii’s low unemployment rate is mainly due to the state’s low labor force participation rate, which measures the percentage of the working-­age population (16 years and above) that is either employed or actively seeking employment.

“More people in Hawaii are not working or not looking for jobs,” Tian said. “Aging is one of the reasons for lower labor force participation.”

(TRANSLATION:  The high cost of housing has driven young families to leave Hawaii.  They will never return.)

In January, the U.S. labor force participation rate was 62.1%. South Dakota had a labor force participation rate of 68%, while Hawaii’s labor force participation rate was at 60.7%.

“Hawaii’s population (in January) ranked the seventh oldest in the nation in terms of percentage of population 65 years and above,” Tian said. “Hawaii has 17.8% of its population 65 years or over while the national average is 16%.

“The decrease in population and aging in Hawaii limits the supply of labor. The low unemployment rate represents a stable labor market in the state but also indicates a challenge in labor supply. Businesses and governments have been having difficulties in finding workers.”

The state’s labor force dipped in January to 688,000 from 688,050 in the previous month. …

Read … State jobless rate ties for lowest in nation | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

AARP Hawai‘i Urges $3,000 Tax Break For Caregivers

CB: … AARP Hawai‘i has been advocating at the state Legislature to support family caregivers with a modest ($3,000) tax credit. House Bill 1972 passed both chambers unanimously. But it won’t be enacted unless the House and Senate agree to resolve differences in their versions of the bill in conference committee.

The bill is a first step to show support for caregivers that the Legislature has so far been unwilling to take. A similar bill died in conference committee last year.

AARP Hawai‘i also supports House Bill 1804 to create a Long-Term Care Financing Advisory Commission to examine the feasibility of different financing options for long-term care services and supports….

Read … AARP Hawai‘i Urges Support For Modest Tax Break For Caregivers - Honolulu Civil Beat

HECO/KSBE/Bissen responsible for Lahaina Fire: Global Warming Researchers try to Hide this Fact

CB: … “Nights aren’t what they used to be — that is, more reliable breaks for wildfire,” he added. “Widespread warming and lack of humidity is keeping fires up at night.” … Fires that surge at night are tougher to fight and included the Lahaina, Hawai‘i fire in 2023, the Jasper fire in Alberta in 2024 and the Los Angeles fires in 2025, the study said. Maui’s fire ignited at 12:22 a.m…

(CLUE: If you can say stuff like this while pretending to be serious, you too can help save HECO, KSBE, and Bissen from accountability.  Maybe you could be an ‘expert witness’ when they ‘sue big oil.’  Get on eBay and buy yourself a white lab coat with large pockets to hold your ‘green’ money.)

Read … Wildfires Used To 'Go To Sleep' At Night. Climate Change Has Them Burning Overtime - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii ACLU Slacking: Hawaii ICE Challenges Lag far behind California

CB: … The new ICE policy says almost anyone who entered the country without permission must be detained.

“No lawbreakers in the history of human civilization have been treated better than illegal aliens in the United States,” Jason Sweeney, an ICE spokesperson, said in an email. 

He added: “It should come as no surprise that more habeas petitions are being filed by illegal aliens, especially after many activist judges have attempted to thwart President Trump from fulfilling the American people’s mandate.”

Leading the nation in habeas cases are the large, immigrant-heavy states of California and Texas, which between them have seen more than 13,000 petitions filed in that period, Propublica found. 

But 12 of the 15 Hawaiʻi habeas cases have come since January and the numbers are certain to grow, attorneys say, as the local crackdown continues and the population of immigrant detainees in Honolulu climbs….

Read … Locked Up Too Long? Legal Tactic Challenges Hawaiʻi ICE Detentions - Honolulu Civil Beat

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:

1. Hawaiʻi PUC Chair Appointment Advances In Senate

2. TODAY: Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green hosts WGA policy workshop on disaster response and recovery

3. Maui AIDS Foundation At Risk Of Losing Money In Trump Budget - Honolulu Civil Beat

4. Confusing Donation Drops Run By For-Profits Targeted By Hawaiʻi Lawmakers - Honolulu Civil Beat

5. Bill to ban disposable e-cigs gains ground | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

6. Bills on ICE rules, tax relief advance as Hawaii legislative session nears end | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

QUICK HITS:

1. Big Q: What do you make of the dispute between President Trump and Pope Leo? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

2. Department of Education to open A+ after-school program registration : Big Island Now

3. Efforts begin to restore aging cemeteries statewide | Hawaii News Now

4. Volunteers prepare for Shinnyo Lantern Floating in Hawaii

5. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designates University of Hawaiʻi as new reef research institute : Kauai Now

6. Vineyard Wind sues GE Renewables to block it from abandoning project - The New Bedford Light

7. Column: The psychological cost of threatening annihilation | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

8. Editorial: Solve penny issue before coin retires | Honolulu Star-Advertiser