Hawaii State Government

... The $1.6 billion in federal funds allocated to the State in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides a temporary reprieve for the State's financial crisis. ....

... Title IX of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 extends key unemployment insurance and assistance provisions of both the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) as well as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ....

... Establishes the ALOHA homes program to develop low-cost homes on state-owned and county-owned land in urban redevelopment sites to be sold in leasehold by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation ....

...Translation: Wage hikes coming on June 30 ....

... We reviewed 75 House and Senate bills proposing 51 special and revolving funds during the 2021 legislative session. None satisfied the criteria set forth in Section 23-11, HRS, for proposed special and revolving funds ....

... SP18 requires an agency that relies on the suspended deadlines to acknowledge receipt of “UIPA Requests”  ....

... Sunshine Law requires notice of meetings of state boards to be electronically posted on the State Calendar at least six calendar days before the meeting ....

... Lawmakers are planning to increase taxes and regulations this year, but there are better ways to help Hawaii's economy prosper ....

... upcoming hearings ....

... When it comes to budgets and accounting, politicians have successfully convinced voters that the ordinary rules of fiscal accountability shouldn’t apply to government ....

... flawed government accounting standards allow lawmakers to spend more and sweep debt under the rug ....

... The Governmental Accounting Standards Boards is considering letting states count loans as "revenues" to balance their budgets ....

... DLIR announced that it has completed system updates for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program that was extended by the Continued Assistance Act ....

... upcoming hearings ....

" ... I don’t remember a legislative session that began with so many bills worthy of our support .... "

"...By requiring legislative approval for the extension of an emergency past a 60-day time limit, the bill would take a positive step toward protecting the balance of powers and the public trust...."

... JAN 27–LAST DAY TO INTRODUCE BILLS ....

... Hawaii's economy is on the ropes right now, but that hasn't stopped some legislators from going all in with new tax-increase proposals ....

"... Soliciting, selling, or otherwise engaging in a substantial financial transaction with a subordinate or a person or business whom the legislator or employee inspects or supervises in the legislator's or employee's official capacity ...."

... all Legislative employees working in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol will be able to be vaccinated as members of its prioritized vaccination system's Phase 1b (i.e., individuals essential for government operations), on January 28, 2021 ....

... This is made possible with the issuance of a “no action message” by DFI, which will not take any action against these companies during the two-year period of the program ....

... House speaker calls Ige’s State of the State address ‘risk averse’ ....

... a perpetual emergency status ....

... Senator Laura Acasio was appointed by Governor Ige to the Senate District 1 seat ....

... As a service to our readers we are providing a line-by-line debunk of HSTA's argument in parenthesis below ....

... “the carbon tax” is most likely the “barrel tax” ....

... 2021 Key Dates in Legislative Calendar ....

... that $2 billion in “savings” is going to end up costing the taxpayers almost four times as much in the long term ....

"...ADC has done little – if anything – to facilitate the development of agricultural enterprises...the State can no longer wait for ADC to figure out what it is, what it is supposed to do, and how it is supposed to do it...."

... Efforts to save money now will cost taxpayers more later while putting government employees and retirees at risk, says Grassroot Institute of Hawaii ....

... There is still a lot of real estate between $0.3 billion and $1.4 billion a year ....

... This week, we got our first real glimpse of Gov. David Ige’s proposed budget. ...

... Barabara Marumoto, architect of the state's legal spending cap, continues to believe Hawaii needs better budgeting practices ....

"I was just notified that someone had filed an unemployment claim using my name, work title, Social Security number, and work address."

... Free app augments contact tracing, (claims to) keep data private, sends notice of potential exposure ...

... Legislative Advocacy During COVID - A Virtual Seminar - How the Hawaii Legislative 2021 Session will be Conducted ....

... This annual report includes HDOT Highways Division goals, progress made towards those goals (including statistics), and expenditure breakdown .... 

"... A 25-year lack of progress is unacceptable .... "

... “The following specific provisions of law are suspended, as allowed by federal law … Chapter 89, HRS, collective bargaining in public employment.” ....

... Governor being coy in new budget about tax increases totaling $1 billion ....

... steps state officials could take to turn things around ....

...“I’m hopeful that federal aid will allow us to refrain from imposing furloughs until later.”...

... the only two things that are certain in life are debt and taxes ....

... Respecting the state’s legal spending cap might have saved the state from having to consider furloughs for its employees ....

... This RFQ includes the new Aloha Stadium complemented by a mix of developments that will connect to the rail station ....  

"...Many public workers have already lost their second jobs in the tourism industry...."

... Compact Impact Fairness Act Aims At Growing Burden On States and Territories, Now $200 Million Annually for Hawai’i Alone, For Uncovered Services To Resident Migrants From The Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia ....

...About 10,160 employees will be subject to the furloughs. The number will be even larger when Department of Education and University of Hawaii employees are included....

... for up to five health plans to ensure access and continuity of care for Medicaid beneficiaries ....

...Otani replaces Nolan Espinda, who retired in September....