Entries for May 2026

...Senate Bill 3125, Our Big Tax Bill (which is still a lot smaller than the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act) was signed into law on May 21 and became Act 24, what I am calling the One Big Tax Bill Act or OBTBA....

"The department is not required to ensure the accuracy of the information in the reports"

"Bill 88 does not automatically rezone a single property. Instead, it creates a legislative pathway. If the bill passes the full council, individual property owners would still need to apply for a zone change on a case-by-case basis."

"The 2026 Legislative Session is done. After 2,459 bills, 397 housing bills, and a lot of late nights, two of our biggest ideas crossed the finish line."

... downstream effects for nonprofits and the 'social safety net' ....

... seagliders are being investigated as a possible mode of interisland transportation ....

...The scheme involved 'affordable' housing development agreements worth more than $11 million....

... Primary Election Ballots arrive by mail: July 21, 2026 ....

...visitors who came in April 2026 spent significantly more on an average daily basis ($278 per person, +14.1%)....

... His appointment will go before the UH Board of Regents for final approval on Thursday, June 4 ....

... Wayne Graves, Director of Human Resources at Hawaii Pacific Health, sits on the Prepaid Health Care Advisory Council ....

... the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online while insulating Big Tech from accountability ....

... AG Lopez acknowledged Hawaii “could do better” with indictments and criminal prosecutions ....

... Silvert names the key players, exposes what really happened during “recess,” and explains why this is more than one bad apple ....

...This, in spite of an alleged ‘90-day processing pathway’ written into Bill 7 of 2019.... 

"...Choi wants to end the pay to play culture in Hawaiʻi politics, move the state to publicly funded elections, and bring down a cost of living that is pushing local families off these islands...."

...People can go in to stores and steal up to $1000 worth of stuff  …Hawaii District Courts will not hold a misdemeanor suspect longer than 72 hours… out of 20,000 HPD arrests, we’ve got 23-46 people at OCCC....

... Hawaii becomes the 4th blue state this year to raise their highest income tax rate ....

...This approach has been adopted in Hawaii....

...Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) achieved a 52.8% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for 2025, second highest in the state behind Hawai‘i Island....