Hawaii State Government

After 50 years of federal funding, the US Department of Health and Human Services has determined in two separate studies that Head Start is completely ineffectual....

"The Senate Majority will draw upon the recommendations of the Senate Special Committee on Accountability for the improvement of the operational and financial management of the University of Hawai’i"

Eventually, the goal is a statewide early childhood education program for more 4-year-olds....

As part of the campaign, DCCA has launched www.HFIC.Hawaii.gov....

Previously appointed to the House in January 2009 to complete the unexpired term of the late Bob Nakasone.... 

...the Seventeenth Amendment prevents the Hawaii legislature from substantively constraining the Governor’s choices in making a temporary appointment....

As another legislative session is about to be convened, let’s look back at some of their follies over the past few years ....

January 3 - 15, 2013....

"With the support of a majority of the House of Representatives, Speaker-elect Joe Souki has established leading committees ...."

Applicants include Nicanor E. Casumpang, Jr., Loretta Giannotti, Robert George Hill III, Natalie A. Kama, Gilbert Samuel Coloma Keith-Agaran, Clifford R. Libed, and Mary D. Wagner.

...update on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and healthcare transformation in Hawaii....

HIC is to conduct a study on designating safe facilities located at camping areas .... 

The purpose of this briefing is to provide the legislature with an overview of the current projects, the priorities of the divisions; a report on whether the Department of Transportation is using renewable energy and its efficiency; and a departmental 5 year plan....

...this project will provide land acquisition for the last remaining, undeveloped parcel of land contiguous with existing harbor lands....

No public testimony will be accepted....

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING SCHEDULE January 3-18, 2013

Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim (Sen. District 14) has been selected as the President of the Senate ....

Plans are underway to establish an additional Office of the Lt. Governor on Maui....

...first joint enforcement action against a nationwide debt-relief services company that illegally charged advance fees for its services....

January 3 - 15, 2013

Friday January 11, 2013 at 1pm 

Review of the Revolving Funds, Trust Funds, and Trust Accounts of the Departments of Human Resources Development, Labor and Industrial Relations, Public Safety, and Taxation....

...Such a framework is necessary to preserve the availability of federal student aid funding under Title IV of the HEA....

Pending the election, the governor shall make a temporary appointment to fill the vacancy by selecting a person from a list of three prospective appointees submitted by the same political party as the prior incumbent....

...general funds, approximately $6.1 billion for fiscal year 2014 and $6.3 billion for fiscal year 2015....

... lawmakers will make a bid to increase taxes yet again ....

“This isn’t the first time that a Democratic majority faction has organized with the Republicans; some people are just more honest and transparent about it. It is time to govern and stop politicking.”

· DATE: Tuesday, December 18, 2012

· TIME: 2:00 PM

... several deficiencies expose the Program to fraud, including the over-reliance on self-reporting by Program personnel and lack of systematic compliance inspections....

This informational briefing will cover the topic of food safety as it concerns and relates to farmers, wholesalers and retailers in Hawaii....

In his prior role at the Department of Attorney General, Wisch served as special assistant to the Attorney General....

Discover the Public's Power in the Legislative Process....

The elections are over and the governing is to come. Now is the time for citizens to step up and get involved. Here are the ways....

Some of these governors are schizophrenic on taxes: They jack up overall business tax rates, then give breaks to favored businesses....

Many have asked how come none of the regular environmental and public interest watch-dog groups sounded the alarm earlier? How did such a law get passed?

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...politicians of all colors and persuasions have used these one time or another....

Hawaii banks and Hawaii’s housing sector largely avoided subprime lending....  But Hawaii’s political leaders are working to change all of that. 

...a total of seven employment-based lawsuits against HDOT presently filed in state or federal court, at various stages of litigation, some involving workplace violence in one form or another. Also, there are Workers’ Compensation claims filed as a result of workplace violence at different stages of that process....

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday morning to appoint Muslim Association of Hawaii President Hakim Ouansafi as HPHA Executive Director.

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Sheila Weinberg spoke in Hawaii Tuesday, Oct. 11 on "Government Accounting: The Seen and the Unseen -- What Needs to be Done?"

To put an end to budget shenanigans the Institute has developed a budgeting system called “Full Accrual Calculations and Techniques”. FACT based budgeting would require governors and legislatures to recognize expenses when incurred regardless of when they are paid. This improved method of accounting is discussed in detail in this report.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) took action to improve operations at its State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) and ensure federal compliance. The Department awarded a contract to Solutions Pacific, LLC to implement recommendations of the National Park Service’s Corrective Action Plan.  

...the districts in BOLD are ones in which the Representative has changed in the past 7 years. There are 27 changes out of 51 seats, which is indeed more than half.

...The Grassroot Institute applauds the House Minority Caucus for including fiscal note legislation in its 2011 legislative package....

Hawaii is the only state which does not mandate “fiscal notes” be attached to legislation introduced in the House or Senate.   Without Fiscal Notes, Legislators are just guessing....