Entries for March 2016

The JFF group has released its Draft Final Report for public comments....

Combined with a regulatory scheme that allows the county to intrude on property rights by requiring approval of the "economic feasibility" of a farmer's planned use for his or her land....

Tune in every Monday morning at 7:00 am to KKNE AM 940 on Oahu, broadcasting island-wide! ....

... In Hawaii 42.4% of people ages 18-64 with disabilities are employed, 8th highest in USA ....

American Samoa says the U.S. government violated its sovereign rights by shrinking the zone around the territory....

... Nai Aupuni participants were given 40 Minutes to review and approve a constitution ....

The county values each "hypothetical future landfill cell" at $30 a ton ....

This base is far wider than the national median, where the sales tax applies to 34.46 percent of personal income....

Numerous bills that will raise your state taxes are making their way through the Legislature....

Does the Pro Bowl really brings revenue to the state?

...Our voter turn-out increased from 10,000 in the 2012 caucuses to over 15,000 this year, a more than 50% increase....

...The volunteers have been instructed by the campaign’s lawyers to stop using its logo and remove any similar posts from social media accounts....

...bills in the 2016 Legislative Session that test the balance between government’s power and the power of the people....

Will be posted precinct by precinct starting after 8pm HST....

Tuesday, March 8, 2016, the Hawaii Republican Party will hold Presidential Caucus voting at multiple locations statewide. Polling places will be open from 6pm to 8pm and will be different than the normal precinct voting locations....

Hawaii's debt levels are high for a U.S. state government, and Fitch expects them to remain so....

After the local press hullabaloo....

...at Hawaii Republican Party Headquarters Monday, March 7, between 4 - 7 pm....

...Donald Trump’s candidacy, however, is inconsistent with my values and I am unable in good conscience to vote for him....

• Senate: Opioid Abuse – Anti-Kickback Penalties
  
• Senate: Opioid Abuse – Additional Funding
  
• House: Ensuring Terminated Providers are Removed from Medicaid and CHIP– Passage
  
• House: Regulatory Action and Kilns – Passage

A post showing vegetarians and veggies tend to have significantly more mental disorders and health issues than meat-loving people has gone viral....

All bills under consideration for crossing over to the other chamber must be in their final form 48 hours prior to Third Reading....

In this context, conformity means similarity to the federal tax code....

Who voted 'No' to the phony Nai Aupuni 'Constitution'?

If all 256 DOE schools replicate the first 74 campuses’ energy efficiency, the State of Hawaii could save more than $300 million over ten years....

A bill introduced in the Hawaii Senate would restrict the warrantless use of drones by state and local law enforcement....

The legislation would enable terminally ill patients to access to medications and treatments not yet given final approval for use by the FDA....

...he said he will be staying overnight to “sample hospital cuisine and avoid doing dishes.”....

Candidate filing for the 2016 Elections runs from February 1, 2016 through June 7, 2016.....

"I'm voting for Marco Rubio, the candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton."

Dr. Ben Carson has officially dropped out of the race for president....

Hawai'i is the first state in the nation to adopt a 100 percent renewable portfolio standard for the energy sector....

Bottom line: the plaintiff's takings claims are going to trial....

• Hawaii Island electricity use almost 49 percent from renewables
• Maui County 35 percent renewables; 
• Oahu 17 percent renewables

And Hawaii legislators are considering a gas tax hike ....

House Bill 1813, sponsored by state Representative Karl Rhoads,would prohibit an individual whose name appears on the deeply flawed and inaccurate “Terrorist Watchlist,” from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition.....

...HB2607HD1 authorizes Special Purpose Revenue Bond money to “PQ Energy, LLC”.  The amount is not filled in but was originally listed as $63M....

...a dozen proposals related to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit....

Mizuno decided the bill was necessary after Matson raised its rates by 5 percent for goods shipped to Hawaii at the end of November. This came after the company had reported a 93 percent jump in profits....

...Mayors on Wednesday asked federal leaders to increase funding for affordable housing, homeless assistance, and other initiatives by nearly $450 million....

In advance of the Hawaii caucuses on March 8 and March 26, the Census Bureau presents a variety of statistics that give an overall profile of the state’s voting-age population and industries....

From Hawai'i Family Advocates....

This culture of “vote buying” creates a false majority....

...Pew Research Center’s most recent Religious Landscape Study....

...lists and ranks states on 39 different tax and fiscal measures, including: rates, ranks, collections, burdens, and more....