Hawaii State Government

...Hawaii was third behind Illinois and New Jersey for how much of its total revenue would be required to pay off its unfunded retirement liabilities over the next 30 years....

...good news and bad news for Hawaii's taxpayers during this past legislative session....

...The Hawaii Legislature approved 303 bills, among which were measures clarifying what people must do in crosswalks with countdown timers, determining who is allowed to drive “low speed electric bicycles,” and expanding the prohibition on the capturing or killing of manta rays to all rays. ...

"Improve recordkeeping to prepare accrual basis financial statements"

"...There is more to be done, and we will use this interim to develop priorities for next year...."

...As of Sept. 30, Hawaii has paid $36.4 million to Abraaj Global Growth Markets Fund....

...The victims of these tactics usually are bills that have been passed by one chamber and are waiting for hearings in the non-originating chamber. This makes them ripe for tinkering because they no longer require hearings or votes in the original house....

...New budget system allowed for closer scrutiny, more transparency....

...CIP funds for renovations, repairs, construction, land acquisition statewide....

...The rampant use of "gut and replace'"and "Frankenstein" bills shows disrespect for the public....

...auditors from KMH LLP reported one significant deficiency in internal control over financial reporting and 14 material weaknesses and three significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance....

...“We’re excited to be able to use the Wiki Wiki Hire process to fill our engineering vacancies and are committed to using these available resources to get qualified workers into positions within one to two weeks.”....

...CSEA disbursed amounts received without knowing whether the non-custodial parent had sufficient funds at the bank....

...Financial and Compliance Audit of the Department of Health....

...With two days left before the Second Crossover deadline, the House today passed an additional 85 Senate bills. These bills now head back to the Senate for their consideration....

...American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) analysis of the recently-released U.S. Department of Transportation 2018 National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database....

...Sex-Change 'Conversion Therapy' Ban Passes Full Senate....

...A new Grassroot Institute of Hawaii report suggests ways to build a financial reserve....

...The committee is charged with increasing awareness about the importance of being counted; organizing state resources effectively and cost-efficiently to promote the count; and improving the response rate for the 2020 Census questionnaire....

...four material weaknesses and ten significant deficiencies in internal control over compliance with major federal programs....

...Hawaii lawmakers are considering a myriad of new tax increases in order to pay for their spending plans, but instead they should clamp down on their spending so tax hikes aren’t needed....

...Stress tests help validate increases in state, worker contributions....

...We already have a good stadium.  And this consultant now admits Aloha Stadium is located in the best possible place.  So why tear it down for yet another unnecessary boondoggle?....

...with a month to go, legislators will have plenty of time to raise your taxes....

...Auditors reviewed 25 HDOT projects in progress where little or no activity had occurred in the prior two fiscal years and found that all but five were categorized inappropriately. Twenty of the selected projects “were deemed to either have been placed in service or were canceled....”

...contrasting state and local tax collections with the quality of the services residents receive in each of the 50 states....

...higher medical costs increase our state’s debt — and Hawaii taxpayers might be the ones who end up paying for it....

...the House Labor Committee unanimously approved a draft resolution calling on Hawaiian Airlines to return the 200 plus call center jobs it has outsourced to the Philippines....

...This is our last opportunity to provide public testimony to the committees hearing the bills....

...You just violated Hawaii law. Get ready to be sued....

...state agencies have saved thousands of dollars a year by privatizing some of their janitorial positions....

...Hawaii taxpayers are already burdened by the nation’s most highly paid part time legislators and its about to get worse....

...A small tweak to an old law might be all that is needed to help the state partner with the private sector....

...We reviewed 98 House and Senate bills proposing 80 special and revolving funds during the 2019 legislative session of which none met criteria....

...Last week was cross over, 524 Senate Bills and 498 House Bill passed third reading in their respective chambers....

...As the 2019 Legislative Session nears its crossover deadline this week, the House of Representatives has passed nearly 500 bills....

...important legislation relating to government data and information and technology strategy remain in play, with some bills already crossing over to the other house....

...Crossover is the deadline for bills to pass third reading in order to move (or “crossover”) to the other chamber....

...Multiple bills heard this session have revolved around encouraging residents to save. The details vary, but there’s a common theme: The state wants to be your local bank....

...your testimony is needed....

...the program’s requirement that investments must “substantially improve” zone property in order to qualify for tax breaks is quite loose....

...These measures will move to a full vote on the House floor....

...Legislative Hearings Week 5....

...The auditor found that they have lots of money lying around. More than $120 million in accounts that haven’t been even touched for five years....

...Data, strategic planning bills critical to transforming state government....

...Ige has appointed Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture.  Former Chair Denise Albano resigned for personal reasons on January 29, 2019....

...The Senate Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs has arbitrarily decided to not accept testimony submitted to it via e-mail....

...Legislative Hearings Week 4....

...Legislative Hearings Week 3....

...The terms will run from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2023....