Hawaii State Government

...Hawaii has arguably the least competitive state legislative elections among the 50 U.S. states....

...the Star-Advertiser, which earns most of its revenue from ads, ran six convention related ads—all in opposition—beginning on October 14, 2018....

...internet service providers sued Vermont on Thursday in an effort to overturn its recently enacted net neutrality rules....

...all four annual savings reports filed by Johnson Controls through 2017 indicated that actual savings exceeded energy contract guaranteed savings for each period....

...Originally bid at $76,400, the contract grew to $543,374—a 611 percent increase—while its scope shrank and the deliverables’ deadline were extended by a year. In the end, the PKF founder was arrested at the arport....

...per-driver vehicle operating costs due to rough roads. Honolulu 8th-worst at $851.  Share of Poor-Condition Roads 54% – 5th worst....

...The $55 million figure being promoted by Preserve Our Hawaii is highly controversial.  Hawaii’s last convention in 1978 cost $2.03 million. In current dollars, that sum would be $7.7 million....

...On the basis of its solvency in five separate categories....

...the leading no coalition, Preserve Our Hawaii, and its lead organizer, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, publicly announced their 'No' campaign on October 8....

...The insiders, a who’s who of what’s wrong in Hawaii, have made a handy list of everything that keeps them in power in the 1978 Hawaii Constitution....

...Since its inception 21 years ago, this biennial e-survey has helped benchmark state government use of digital technologies to improve service delivery, increase capacity, and reach policy goals....

...state policymakers are willing to commit to payments on the unfunded liabilities, but haven’t done much to curb the excessive spending practices that have led us to this point....

...Follow-Up on Recommendations from Report No. 15-20, Audit of the Department of Human Services’ KOLEA System....

...Our review of six trust funds and four trust accounts of the Department of Defense (DOD) found one trust fund did not meet criteria and should be closed....

...the state continues to hide $4.2 billion of its retiree health care debt....

...This year, on the November 6th ballot, you will have two questions asked of you....

...A Grassroot Institute FOIA request reveals that 320 employees spiked their salaries ahead of retiring....

...Understanding the constitutional amendment questions on the ballot....

...The Employee has been privately employed by the (profitable) Non-Profit for a number of years.... 

...Employee A admitted that the testimony given was not based on a fair and thorough examination of the facts. Employee A’s testimony was offered to counter the recommendations given by Employee A’s own agency and bolster the client’s arguments in the underlying court proceeding....

...Flooding August 27 and 28 inundated Kuhio Highway at Hanalei Bridge and between the Waikoko and Wainiha checkpoints....

...Ige’s formal request to appoint Brig. Gen. Kenneth Hara was submitted on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 and approved by Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis earlier today....

...ABOUT 145 MI SW OF HONOLULU HAWAII ... PRESENT MOVEMENT...W 7mph ....Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph with higher gusts....

...Luke P. Meyers, a Certified Emergency Manager who most recently served in a variety of posts in the Pacific Northwest, has joined the Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) as Executive Officer....

...end date could drag out far longer if the investments of the state’s Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) do not perform as well as expected....

...42 short essays on the history, democratic function, and politics of the periodic state constitutional convention referendum, including Hawaii’s November 6, 2018 convention referendum....

...Finalists for this year’s awards were Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Delaware, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Vermont....

...This second phase included an additional 20,000 employees of the Legislature, Judiciary, Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Executive branch departments....

... what works, what doesn’t, and what might help Hawaii move out of its position as one of the nation’s worst “sinkhole states” ....

...when candidates say they’ll support whatever voters decide—one can be confident that the candidate’s actual position is to oppose a convention....

...how to bring under control the almost $13 billion in unfunded liabilities of Hawaii’s public pension system....

...a Budget Primer that serves as an entry-level course covering the components of the state budget, how it is created, and the priorities and choices it reflects....

...securing compensation for himself and his subordinate employees for more hours than they actually worked....

...Yoshimura will represent District 19 until a new senator is elected in November’s General Election. Yoshimura is not running for the seat....

...of the projects awarded during the current administration, 433 affordable units are now under construction. In addition, 5,946 units are in the pipeline/pending phase, of which 5,235 are affordable....

...Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is releasing a new report that outlines how policymakers could resolve Hawaii’s financially dangerous public pension crisis....

...With HART repaving Kamehmeha Hwy out of its own budget, this is money that could be used to pay for rail--but HDOT refuses....

...Airports Division is proud to be working in partnership with DFS and global restaurateur HMSHost on more than $69 million worth of improvements....

...Asami Kobayashi, co-founder of Young Progressives Demanding Action (YPDA), has a story to tell.... 

“DCCA also negotiated a Public WiFi Partnership program to be deployed in the coming years as a condition of the Hawaiian Telcom-Cincinnati Bell transfer.”

...The proposal is sponsored by Sen. Brian Schatz, Hawaii Democrat, and Sen. John Thune, South Dakota....

...Action Supports More Effective Local Emergency Alert Tests and PSAs, Addresses False Alerts, and Seeks to Improve Wireless Alerts....

...Gov. David Ige has notified legislative leaders and key lawmakers that he is vetoing eight out of 11 bills on his Intent to Veto list....

...the State defeated a recent attempt by Ciber’s insurers to move the lawsuit out of state....

...When many of us in Hawaii grew up, we were taught to go with the flow....

...The HawaiiPay project is helping the state to replace its mainframe payroll system that is more than 50 years old with a single integrated software system called PeopleSoft....

...“On multiple occasions, I’ve observed them watching movies or TV shows.  Usually they are sitting around looking unoccupied. Approximately two weeks ago, it was reported to me by a staff member who came in early that they observed all three SWP staff on shift asleep.”....

...Hawaii Governor May Veto Bill Expanding Hotel Tax....

...HI-EMA is inviting the community to three open houses as it updates the Hawai’i State Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan, which addresses ways to reduce the impact of natural hazards on the State....

...Of the 187 homes destroyed or severely damaged, 109 were owner-occupied....