June 23, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

June 23, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 10:29 AM :: 371 Views

AG: Foodbank Defrauded by Program Manager for Honolulu’s Useless 'Office of Economic Revitalization'

Will preliminary injunction shut down Act 11 ‘Corporate Personhood’ before it starts?

ASD: … On Friday, Grassroot Institute filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, calling on the court to prohibit Lopez and Ando from enforcing any component of Act 11, including any sanctions or fines, for the duration of the case….

The motion argues that Grassroot Institute, as a nonprofit with a history of advocating for or against various ballot issues throughout the years, would be negatively impacted by the enactment of Act 11.

“Act 11 is already harming Grassroot’s fundraising, as well as the plans Grassroot can make based on that fundraising,” according to the motion. “Two donors have already said that they will decrease or refrain from donations because of the Act’s restrictions.”

The motion also enumerates a number of legal arguments against Act 11, in particular that its underlying legal theory — that the state can completely control what rights a corporation has — is flawed and unsupported by Supreme Court precedent….

Read … Lawsuit calls for preliminary suspension of Act 11

Hawaii’s Republican Party chance to gain another seat in the state Senate?

KHON: … Election officials confirm that each party will submit one candidate to be placed on the November ballot in what’s essentially a special-election runoff for Kidani’s seat….

We know it won’t be Democratic Rep. Trish La Chica, nor Republican Lauren Matsumoto, as both fall under Kidani’s Senate district in Millani. Still, neither can run because the candidate filing deadline has already passed, so they’re locked into their own House races….

Republicans are excited about the opportunity of gaining a Senate seat in an area they say they’ve had success. Besides Matsumoto, area councilmember Val Okimoto is a Republican. As is Rep. Elijah Pierick, who represents Royal Kunia and Village Park, which also falls under Kidani’s Senate district.

“There are opportunities, and we have already proven that there are opportunities for Republicans to maybe win the seat,” said Ostrov….

HPR: Here's how a replacement will be found for a resigning state senator | Hawai'i Public Radio

Read … Hawaii Senate seat up for grabs after Kidani's exit

Ozawa asks judge to fast-track lawsuit challenging Waters’ candidacy

SA: … Trevor Ozawa, a former Honolulu City Council member and District 4 candidate in 2026, has asked a state judge to accelerate proceedings in his lawsuit challenging Council Chair Tommy Waters’ eligibility to seek a third consecutive term in office.

On Friday , Ozawa filed a motion for a preliminary injunction and an ex parte motion in 1st Circuit Court to shorten and advance the hearing schedule, arguing the issue should be resolved before military and overseas ballots are transmitted on Wednesday for this year’s election.

All active registered voters automatically receive a ballot by mail, according to the city’s Elections Division. Oahu voter ballots are sent by July 21.

Read … Ozawa asks judge to fast-track lawsuit challenging Waters’ candidacy | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

“A man who saved many lives is no longer with us, yet a man that destroys many lives and killed our loved one, gets to walk free soon”

KN: … Hilario is accused of driving the vehicle that struck 30-year-old Kailon Tyndzik, a former ocean safety lifeguard, while he was skateboarding along Nāwiliwili Road in Liʻhūe on Feb. 12, 2025. Hilario is also accused of not stopping to render aid.

Tyndizik was transported to the Wilcox Medical Center in Līhue, and later airlifted to the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu where he died eight days later from his injuries….

At the time of Hilario’s initial arrest for this case, police said he had no permanent address….

Hilario’s court records reveal an extensive criminal traffic record dating to 1993 and encompassing approximately 33 arrests, ranging from traffic infractions to serious traffic offenses.

Prior convictions include sexual assault, abuse of a family or household member, resisting an order to stop, operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant, failure to appear, harassment, contempt of court, and trespassing.

“My family will continue to advocate for meaningful change in how impaired driving cases are handled in our community,” Williams said. “Kailon’s death was preventable, and we will keep pushing for stronger accountability so that no other family has to endure this loss.

“We find it disturbing that a man who saved many lives is no longer with us, yet a man that destroys many lives and killed our loved one, gets to walk free soon.”

Read … Salvin Hilario pleads guilty in fatal hit-and-run case; victim’s family objects to plea deal : Kauai Now

We have quietly traded places. The man who steals walks out with his arms full and his pulse even, having learned that little will happen to him.

ASD: … The locked cases came first, only for the obvious things — cold medicine, cans of Spam. Then they spread. Now you summon a clerk with a key to buy honey, or laundry detergent. The plastic barrier that did not exist a few years ago is now as common as the shopping cart. The pole in the lot is the next turn of the same screw.

We have quietly traded places. The man who steals walks out with his arms full and his pulse even, having learned that little will happen to him. The man who obeys the law frets over a lapsed car registration or the fender he tapped. The thief is hard to find. But the taxpayer is right there, with an address….

Read … Why Hawaiʻi locks up the honey

YB Rate Hikes begin July 1

ASD: … Gov. Josh Green signed in May Senate Bill 2694, a measure authorizing annual automatic cost adjustments for interisland shippers for the next several years.

While interisland shippers — which, in effect, means Young Brothers LLC — have had to apply for approval from the Public Utilities Commission for any rate changes, starting in July, the PUC can develop and apply a “water carrier inflationary cost index automatic adjustment mechanism,” which will apply annual cost adjustments without any need for applications.

Those adjustments cannot be more than 5% each year, and are intended to reflect annual changes to the Department of Transportation’s wharfage rates.

The automatic adjustments are scheduled to go into effect July 1 of each year through 2032….

Read … New laws coming in second half of 2026

Toll booth, cultural center proposed for Maunakea Access Road

HTH: … DHHL planning office staff members presented two proposals and preliminary feedback at a meeting of the Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting last month. Both proposals come from DHHL beneficiaries in the form of land-use requests under DHHL’s Aina Mauna Legacy Program, which was developed to oversee the trust’s lands surrounding Maunakea.

One of the proposals was submitted by the Waimea Hawaiian Homesteaders Association, also known as Waimea Nui. The group’s proposal includes building a cultural center, having trained cultural stewards on site and community and youth development opportunities. It would be funded in part by an access fee, but the presentation did not include cost or revenue estimates.

The other proposal is from Koa Kia‘i, a Native Hawaiian group led by Kalaniakea Wilson, a local tour company operator. It suggests installing a toll booth, parking lot, bathrooms, gift shop, playground, workout area and food truck along the access road, as well as operating astronomy, cultural and environmental tours. The proposal also includes cultural monitoring and ecological restoration measures.

The applicants estimate a cost of $1.5 million to implement the proposal, and a revenue of $1.75 million from the toll and parking fees in the first year of operation.

A survey of DHHL beneficiaries suggested preference for the Waimea Nui plan, but respondents also expressed desire for the two organizations to find a way to work together.

While it will ultimately be up to DHHL to make a decision, MKSOA Board Chair John Komeiji said the authority could serve in an advisory capacity and help align the proposals with broader management plans for the mauna….

Read … Toll booth, cultural center proposed for Maunakea Access Road - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

PUC considers liability cap, recovery fund for future Hawaii wildfires

SA: … Under the year-old law, Act 258, the three-member commission must establish a monetary liability limit for future catastrophic wildfire damage, not including physical bodily or emotional harm, caused by an electric utility adhering to an approved wildfire mitigation plan.

Such a cap could be a fixed amount per event, or a total that covers a period of time regardless of the number of wildfire disasters.

The PUC also is exploring, as directed by Act 258, whether to recommend that the state Legislature establish a recovery fund for future wildfire disasters potentially financed in whole or part by contributions from ratepayers, utility company shareholders, taxpayers, insurance companies, landowners, tourists and other entities.

Both initiatives were reactions to the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfire disaster…

SA Kokua Line: Can public speak up on ‘liability cap’ for wildfires? | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Read … PUC considers liability cap, recovery fund for future Hawaii wildfires | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Two lawsuits against state retirement system go to Supreme Court

ASD: … Zachary’s application was allegedly not reviewed until 2011. In 2012, the ERS medical board concluded that he had not been incapacitated, and therefore was not eligible for the benefits he sought.

A contested case the following year ended the same way, and in 2014, Zachary attempted to appeal the case. Only in 2019 did he get a response from ERS asking if he was continuing the appeal; when he said yes, it took another two years for another response.

These delays are the subject of Zachary’s Supreme Court case: passing over his potential disability, Zachary’s attorneys argue that Hawai‘i statutes require the ERS to respond to applicants within a reasonable amount of time. The delays, which Zachary’s attorneys describe as lasting more than 14 years, “cannot under any circumstances” be considered a reasonable amount of time….

Read … Two lawsuits against state retirement system go to Supreme Court

Hemani, Wolford and Bruen’s Second Amendment History Test

AL: … If you want to understand how firearms laws survive or die in America today, you have to throw out the old way of thinking. Courts are no longer allowed to balance public safety against individual rights. Instead, under the landmark Bruen standard, the Supreme Court uses a strict “History and Tradition” test ….

Read … Hemani, Wolford and Bruen’s Second Amendment History Test

Federal judge in Hawaii sentences 160-lbs-a-month drug trafficker to 18 years

SA: … A 57-year-old man was sentenced Monday to more than 18 years in federal prison and will forfeit $118,050 for conspiring to sell 40 pounds a week of fentanyl and methamphetamine that was packed into cans labeled as condensed milk, green tea and hominy.

Bill Van Nguyen was originally charged by criminal complaint June 30 with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances — more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 400 grams of fentanyl — in connection with coordinated drug buys made by an undercover FBI employee between April 2023 and April 2025.

He was indicted Aug. 28 for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, five counts of distribution of a controlled substance and one count of attempted distribution. With the help of a Vietnamese interpreter, Nguyen pleaded guilty to the charges March 9 without a plea agreement in place with the U.S. Department of Justice….

Nguyen, who is also known as Sau, had access to a canning operation that he used to hide the drugs in cans labeled for food. The FBI and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration worked with an informant to buy more than 34 pounds of methamphetamine and more than 11 pounds of fentanyl, and discussed more deals, according to a June 18 sentencing memorandum by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca A. Perlmutter.

Nguyen’s recorded conversations and text messages with the undercover buyer revealed a “much larger scope of drug trafficking activity,” the memorandum states.

Nguyen claimed to have been a drug dealer for the last 35 years and “displayed a menu of options” to the undercover buyer for narcotics purchasing and discussed trafficking narcotics, including “voluminous amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl powder and pills, oxycodone, cocaine, and ketamine.”

On May 9, 2023, the undercover buyer met Nguyen at a restaurant in Los Angeles and set up a deal involving 20 pounds of methamphetamine at $1,400 per pound…

Read … Federal judge in Hawaii sentences drug trafficker to 18 years | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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