Hawaii State Government

The Governor's $850 million Surplus is imaginary, given his $9,000 million Retirement System Deficit....

$9,694,000 – Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii (NELHA) Frontage Road and New Intersection Connections, Hawaii Island – Construction of a 0.8-mile frontage road....

House Bill No. 1200, House Draft 2, is not needed to comply with the Higher Education Act of 1965 and other flaws in the bill do not warrant its enactment....

...the first in the nation to have a statewide, pedestrian-only focus....

"the governor is not getting high marks for performance from real people.”

...“best practices” for a healthier state economy. Listen to the entire interview....

Areas Where the Transformation Effort Fell Short in 2013....

We must address the unfunded liabilities of public employees before we can truly begin talking about a surplus in the budget....

I believe we may be able to reduce taxes in key areas....

Sound financial management required making tough decisions and hard choices. All with NO furloughs** (this is a lie, Abercrombie continued Furloughs, renamed as DLWOP Days)....

This is the first combined House-Senate Majority package since 2008....

Thirty-six states (including Hawaii) require that health care providers seeking to offer or expand their services obtain what are known as Certificates of Need (CON)....

Today, riskier investments appear to improve public pension funding. Current accounting rules mean that riskier investments are given higher expected rates of return....

...although some funds have been repealed or are no longer active, their appropriation accounts have not been closed and balances remain....

This morning, the House voted to approve HR2, which details changes to committee assignments as follows....

... more than $744 million directly for Hawaii projects ....

Many of us are glad that 2013 is behind us, because the year did not live up to expectations of change or measurable improvement and was difficult for our local families and small businesses....

My fellow members and guests, aloha and welcome to the 2014 Regular Session of the Hawaii State Legislature....

These include citizen participation in democracy and government, a high cost of living, educational opportunities, and the health of our people....

The Hawaii state legislature opens today at 10 a.m....

... state budget challenges have far outlasted the Great Recession ....

Abercrombie today commented on the state Council on Revenues’ revised forecast....

Annual Report of the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs....

...But fiscal sustainability is essential; to this we remain committed....

$4,742,845 – Department of Public Safety Facilities....

...a list of more than 300 mortgage loan originators (MLOs) and mortgage loan originator companies (MLOCs) that failed to renew their licenses....

$3,055,000 (in addition to $10,200,000 in federal funds) – Farrington Highway Intersection Improvements at Nanakuli Avenue and Haleakala Ave....

• DATE: Monday, January 06 - 14, 2014
• PLACE: Auditorium, State Capitol

...the Governor has until Feb. 9, 2014, to name a permanent director....

...we reviewed the system of quality control of the Hawaii Office of the Auditor in effect for a three-year compliance period from 2011 to 2013....

...$3.46 million in capital improvement project (CIP) funds for the Hawaii Film Studio, including a new production and multipurpose building....

...capital improvement projects (CIPs) that further invest in Hawaii’s airports....

My first transportation wish for 2014: Hawaii needs a motorcycle helmet law....

...to design, manage and install energy efficiency measures that will upgrade facilities, reduce energy usage by about 49 percent and with additional operational improvements save a total of $518 million at 12 state-operated airports....

The Abercrombie Administration on Monday submitted its Executive Supplemental Budget for Fiscal Biennium 2013-2015 and updated Program and Financial Plan for 2013-2019 to the state Legislature....

...Abercrombie today announced the release of more than $3.03 million for various capital improvement grants to Hawaii-based nonprofit organizations whose missions benefit ....

• DATE: Wednesday, December 18, 2013
• TIME: 1:30 p.m.
• PLACE: Auditorium, State Capitol

Abercrombie today announced that the State of Hawaii ended fiscal year 2013 with a positive fund balance of $844 million....

These meetings are designed to demystify the State lawmaking process, and will demonstrate ways that you can speak out at the legislature....

...informational briefing is to provide the legislature with an update on the ERS’ financial status and actuarial valuation report prepared by Gabriel Roeder Smith and Company....

...violating federal law by failing to pay foster parents enough to adequately care for the foster children in their homes....

Grant Y.M. Chun to the Board of Education (BOE); Doreen Napua Gomes to the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Aaron D. Mahi to the Land Use Commission (LUC); and Brian T. Tamamoto to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), Kakaako District....

The DOT vendors that appear to have paid for John Doe’s golf are Mitsunaga & Associates, Inc., TM Designers, Inc., Bowers + Kubota Consulting, Inc., and R. M. Towill Corporation....

An administrative fine of ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FORTY DOLLARS ($1,940.00) for the violations ....

A bipartisan group of state and county leaders age 40 and under ....

• DATE: Monday, December 02, 2013
• TIME: 2:00 pm
• PLACE: Conference Room 329 State Capitol