Hawaii State Government

...In FY 2019, total State tax collections were $8.28 billion, a 4.8% increase from FY 2018 which were $7.9 billion....

...Ige plans to “boost” the construction industry by increasing the number of public works projects....

"...legislative package of bills to reduce income inequality...."

...Common Cause Hawaii will be holding a meeting about the 2020 Hawaii State Legislative Session on Saturday, January 25....

...When you’ve dug an $88 billion hole, you need to stop digging....

...Grassroot Institute of Hawaii urges the Legislature to rein in spending and taxes....

... The lawsuit could have far broader implications for the AG’s office given the large number of national cases the Hawaii AG’s office involves itself in.  How many of those cases are driven by the profit interest of private law firms? ....

...Will we see the same issues arise in 2020 or will there be new ones?....

...The deadline to submit grant applications is 4:30 p.m. January 17, 2020....

...After failing in the Legislature four times, maybe the fifth time will be the charm....

...NPS, which administers federal funds to SHPD, designated SHPD a high-risk recipient in 2009....

...The project is the largest capital improvement project in Hawaii harbors history....

...The Supreme Court of Hawaii will take over the Common Cause / League of Women Voters' gut-n-replace appeal. The transfer order was filed today....

...Ige’s proposed $15 billion budget for fiscal 2021 is headed toward a fiscal cliff because it would draw on the state’s financial reserves, leaving the state unprepared to deal with a recession....

...tax hikes coming....

...the name game is at the heart of the Legislature’s practice of “gut and replace"....

...Here's the motion we filed today....

... Fitch Ratings upgraded the state’s general obligation bond rating from AA to AA+ ....

...Census error in Hawaii to result in $12M compact funding loss for Guam....

...Hirai has served as executive director of the Hawai‘i Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC), State of Hawai‘i since 2013....

...our state is underutilizing this money on a consistent, year-to-year basis....

...“Where are they going to dispose of the planes, at Waimanalo Gulch?”....

...We also noted that AG did not file statutorily required reports for non-general funds and for administratively created funds....   

...Hawaii ranks 20th with an overall score of 84/100....

...the fee is collected only on shipments by water....

... HDoT's fake ‘report’ will make it seem that you will save money with a road usage charge.  Will you believe them? ....

...The rating upgrade was announced prior to the Highways Division’s upcoming 2019 revenue bond sale, scheduled for November 13th-14th....

...Idea: Use the money to FORCE the homeless into shelter with drug treatment and mental health care....

...This report covers recommendations made in reports issued from 2014-2017....

...On Tuesday, Oct. 29, WIC will launch on Kaua‘i eWIC, an electronic benefits transfer card, which is used like a debit card and replaces paper checks....

...Hawai'i is the ONLY state without any municipal governments below the county level....

...Employment Opportunities with the Hawaii State House and Senate....

...In the news recently was a story about business and licensing fees actually going down....

...Ige's approval rate ranks 48th among US governors....

...In 1996, under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (Welfare Reform Act), COFA migrants living and working legally in the United States under the Compacts were deemed ineligible for most federal public benefits. Hawaii, as a U.S. port of entry in the Pacific, has directly borne the cost of public services related to migration under the Compacts....

...Vernon Char, Wesley “Kaiwi” Yoon, Christopher Yuen....

...Ige has appointed Brig. Gen. Kenneth S. Hara to be the Adjutant General for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Defense effective Dec. 6, 2019. He replaces Maj. Gen. Arthur “Joe” Logan who will be retiring....

...a task force of eminent Hawaii business and other community leaders has just issued a warning that Hawaii’s current rate of government spending is not sustainable....

...Troubled Waters: Charting a New Fiscal Course for Hawaii....

...The latest entry of the State of the States publication breaks down each governor’s “state of the state” address and identifies strong and weak policy prescriptions within....

...user-friendly tool to assist Hawai‘i’s business community, rule-drafting agencies, business chambers and trade organizations in providing current information on the status of state and county new and proposed HARs....

...“A recent enhancement that allowed new applications to be submitted online has cut Guard Employee (GDE) processing time from 15 days to two!”....

...Hawaii is tied with Massachussets for 4th-highest debt per taxpayer....

...Hawaii's OPEB plans are only 12.7 percent funded. Hawaii, like many others, treats OPEB on a pay-as-you-go basis, whereby benefits are paid when retirees receive the health care. This leaves future taxpayers stuck paying for OPEB benefits earned by current employees....

...With this final installment, the department will add cigarette/tobacco, fuel and liquor taxes to the new system, completing the configurations needed to administer all Hawaiʻi taxes....

...The workshop/presentation "Your Voice!" is about an hour in length and covers the Legislature and how to effectively participate in the legislative process....

...Study Ranks Every State’s Highway System, Finds Road Conditions Worsening In Important Categories....

...Ige is recruiting qualified and dedicated people who are interested in serving on the State Board of Land and Natural Resources....

...Current director Linda Chu Takayama to take chief of staff position in Ige Administration August 1....