Small Business

...Through July 14, the department has issued $35,980,789 to imposter fraud claimants....

... Measures address harassment in the workplace and domestic violence ....

...which measures changes in employment and employee wages, monthly revenue and revenue sources, current state of operations and plan for trans-Pacific tourism opening, impact of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and business outlook....

...Pass-through businesses, such as sole proprietorships, S corporations, and partnerships, make up a majority of businesses in the United States....

... On March 10, 2020 Maui County passed Bill 22, signing into law Ordinance 5059 that set the Molokai legal, short term rental cap to zero. This, effectively, canceled the operations of 17 families ....

...unemployment insurance and how it is going to fare after the pandemic....

...Another hemp bill, Senate Bill 1353, was vetoed by Governor Ige last year, after he expressed concerns that it was unenforceable. This year’s version was worked on directly with the Governor's administration to ensure its enactment....

...the Hawaii Legislature should not make a dismal situation worse....

...Food Safety Branch will begin to temporarily suspend the operations of restaurants, bars and other food establishments that do not comply.... 

...Hawaii has the broadest sales tax in the United States, but it taxes many products multiple times and, by one estimate, ultimately taxes 105 percent of the state’s personal income.  This base is far wider than the national median, where the sales tax applies to 34.25 percent of personal income....

...The HPUC perceives the underlying problem as YB management’s inability to control costs and operate an effective service....

"...This will allow local shippers and businesses, especially those on the neighbor islands, to conduct business without worrying about a rate increase at this time....”

...Federal Fishery Managers Weigh-In on Marine National Monument draft plans, COVID-19 Impacts to Fisheries and More....

... Results from a national survey of small-business owners released yesterday ....

...Hawaii AirBnB occupancy rates are running far below those of other US destinations....

...another general excise tax exemption that the State Auditor has put under the microscope....

...setting aside some areas where fishing is prohibited....

...the second complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii challenging the governor's coronavirus shut down orders....

...by mid-April, the same Convention Center that was poised to be converted into extra hospital facilities was instead turned into a phone bank facility to handle the influx of unemployment claims....

...caught off guard by another last-minute government switcheroo....

...use of CWAs, also known as project labor agreements, would drastically limit the use of nonunion employees on public projects, thereby reducing competition among bidding contractors and increasing costs for Honolulu taxpayers....

...New report details challenges, needs and potential of Native Hawaiian businesses during and after pandemic....

...City Council to hear union preference 'fixer bill' next Wednesday, June 3....

...The County’s proposed rules and reopening date have been sent to the Governor and Attorney General’s Office for review and approval....

...“Personal Service Providers” would be allowed to resume operations with modifications on Friday, May 29....

... YB is absorbing operating costs for Saltchuck's unregulated services.  This is a standard accounting trick for companies that are partly regulated and partly unregulated ....

...The over 2000-page EIS had been produced by a group of ten West Hawaiʻi aquarium fishers and the National Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, on their proposal to ask the DLNR to issue permits to the ten aquarium fishers....

...approved reopenings for Maui, Kauai, Oahu....

...One way policymakers can help expedite their state’s economic recovery is by protecting employers from facing higher UI tax rates at a time when they can least afford to pay them....

...Mayor Caldwell provides guidelines for resuming in-person spiritual services....

...the State of Emergency is not justified by the numbers.... 

...Hawaii is 9th at 36.6%....

...Malama Meals has provided nearly 350,000 free meals to individuals impacted by the Coronavirus Crisis....

...According to the plan – the state will start to gradually re-open medium-risk businesses and operations beginning in June – assuming the state’s COVID-19 activity remains manageable....

...Leading salon industry panelists demonstrated today in a live online forum hosted by Honolulu City Councilmember Kym Pine, that they are ready to open for business.... 

...It's not too late to sign 'Let Hawaii Work' petition....

...Small Business Relief and Recovery Fund using $25 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding....

...companies indicated difficulty generating sales, and cited customer uncertainty as a primary driver of declining sales volume....

"...Thousands of people in Hawaii are calling upon the governor to 'Let Hawaii Work' again...."

...A Visual Guide to Unemployment Benefit Claims....

...The latest proclamation also allows residents to leave their homes to patronize certain businesses and activities under the new “Safer-at-Home” order....

...total job reductions between January and April in Honolulu county were 34% of full-time jobs and 41% of part-time. These numbers were much higher on Hawaii (50% and 67%), Maui (69% and 68%), and Kauai (56% and 62%)....

...Friday’s ruling says the agencies must bring 23 national parks into compliance with commercial air tour regulations.... 

...On April 30, Dean Foods completed the sales of its Hilo facility and related distribution branches on the Big Island, Kauai and Maui, as well as a license to the Meadow Gold Hawaii brand name and related intellectual property to MGD Acquisition LLC....

... Mālama Meals, a new group formed by Da Spot and other partners, currently provides more than 10,000 meals a day to kupuna and others in need ....

...Wiser regulators than those in Maui would avoid bloody-minded enforcement that deters voluntary civic action to help the public in a crisis....

...To reopen the economy, start with high dollar-per-human-contact businesses—ie the ones nobody is talking about.  We don’t need to wait a month to do this.... 

"...We also considered factors like how large and how crowded homes are in the state...."

...Unless you like the idea of having doctors in rural areas being scarcer than toilet paper....

...Violations of these orders could result in a misdemeanor with fines of up to $5,000 and/or up to one year in prison or both....