Entries for May 2025

... 13,500 safety incidents from 2016 to 2017 at Job Corps centers, nearly half of them drug-related episodes or assaults ....

... ACLU says Honolulu police routinely arrest sober drivers to falsely boost their numbers to secure federal funding ....

... To share your input, please respond to the Police Chief Desirable Traits survey between now and June 30 ....

... The following firearms related bills were passed in Hawaii in 2025 ....

... I have been asked if I plan on running for the House District 18 seat in November of 2026.  I can advise you today that I have filed with Campaign Spending Commission as the initial step in that process ....

... The cost of the Sand Island upgrade aligns with the Council’s dispute with the Blangiardi administration over the amount of sewer fee increases to be forced upon Oahu ratepayers ....

... three bills that passed in the 2025 Legislative Session ....

... This adjustment reflects the impact of tariffs on international imports, a slowdown in tourism, persistent consumer inflation and increasing uncertainty in both national and international economic policy ....

"...My sole focus in these next eighteen months is to renew, unify, and grow our membership, and elect Conservative Republicans on November 3, 2026 to County, State and Federal office," said Chair Hannemann....

... tax "may have invited a legal storm" ....

... There are currently 33 active boards across the City and County of Honolulu, with approximately 400 volunteer members ....

... Senate Bill 1396 increases the TAT rate by 0.75% beginning in 2026 and levies, for the first time, the TAT on cruise ships that port in the state ....

... Multiple Chinese nationals have been indicted ....

... delegates elected Art Hannemann party chair over the incumbent Tamara McKay by a vote of 164 to 147 ....

... could potentially open up a huge legal can of worms based on historical layers of fraud, mislabeling and mishandling of so-called "Ag" land ....

... Was it worth it?   Senate Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz got $4,000 in campaign contributions from convicted Unity House felon Roberta Cabral.  In exchange, we got a shouting match in Hilo .... 

... votes cast and bills introduced in Congress ....

... Keanu Sai has been helped by UH and the Maui Council ....

... out of the eighty-six special and revolving funds reviewed, not one of them met the statutory criteria ....

... county councils are setting property tax rates for the coming year ....

... promises are not guarantees, and that big government projects tend to come with unexpected costs and delays ....

... the defeat of nearly all attempts to add more taxes and the passing of five Grassroot model bills and other Grassroot-supported measures ....

... no maintenance for 28 years ....

... testimony before Hawai‘i, Honolulu, Kaua‘i and Maui county councils or planning commissions ....

... Bill 2951, was proposed in response to a January zoning complaint that shut down the popular Princeville Farmers and Artists Market ....

... a new report from the county’s Office of the County Auditor suggests more than two dozen ways to help speed up the process ....

... Over the past five years, 15 energy projects in the state have been cancelled — more than half of the power projects being considered ....

... Hawaii is at the vanguard of a coordinated legal campaign that aims to enact Green New Deal-type policies by lawsuit. And by all appearances, the state’s judiciary is an eager participant ....

... effective immediately, there will be a suspension of all Faculty Special Salary Adjustments (SSAs) for merit, equity, and/or market that have not been approved by me as of May 23, 2025 ....

... Among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) and low-income respondents, ratings dropped from 40% describing their health as excellent or very good to 23%—a 17 percentage point decrease in 18 months ....

... Hawaii medical malpractice claim count is 71% higher than the national average ....

... Hawaii has the 4th-largest increase in mortgage delinquency ....

... The groups are challenging President Trump’s April 17 proclamation that would allow U.S.-flagged vessels to fish commercially ....

... This marks the first such action by Interior in over 30 years ....

... Ohio Senator confronts Hawaii governor over COVID lockdowns, says “tell me about the science behind why you locked your residents up” ....

... Hawaiʻi Gas' synthetic natural gas (SNG), made from naptha produced by the Par Pacific oil refinery on Oʻahu, contains up to 15% hydrogen—the highest percentage of any natural gas utility in the United States ....

... 64,490 additional units are needed through 2027 but only 13,471 units are currently in development pipelines and anticipated to be available by 2027 .... 

... 11.6% of Honolulu rentals are under 348 square feet ....

... A new report from the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization shows that Hawaii permit delays in 2024 were at some of the worst levels ever ....

... Hawaii has the third-lowest percentage of single-mother households at 3%.  Single-father households make up 1.4% of the 493,898 households in Hawaii ....

... Delegates should vote NO on all proposed party rules changes ....

... a few bills that passed both houses of the legislature, but did not make it through conference, may come back to haunt us next year .... 

... “friend of the court” brief supporting the plaintiffs in National Association of Diversity Officers v. Trump ....

... Most participants work in low-wage, non-unionized jobs—often seasonal or gig-based—in sectors like hospitality, domestic work, and landscaping ....

... a case challenging Governor Josh Green's use of emergency powers to address the state's affordable housing crisis ....

... when authorities raided the Kiakona compound, a mere $140,000 of cash was seized, along with 2 pounds of crystal meth and multiple firearms.  Where are the rest of the millions? ....

... 14 years after the wrongful arrest ....

... The bipartisan legislation provides congressional direction to fully implement the South Pacific Tuna Treaty, which has been diplomatically negotiated among the U.S. and 16 Pacific Islands nations ....

... The pace of new housing construction remains historically low. Housing permitting times continue to be long, especially in Honolulu and Maui ....

... Hawaii among 13 states ranked low for emergency readiness ....