...Today, state and local public employees can choose whether they want to join a union....

...Unit 9 has completed their arbitration hearing. We anticipate a decision will be rendered early this summer....

...Patients at “C” hospitals on average face an 88% greater risk of avoidable death....

...The first step is admitting you have a problem....

...each has seen a falloff in tourism activity and a slowing of employment growth in a number of sectors....

...Aila’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation....

...the proposed schedule also includes decreases in resident and non-resident graduate school tuition rates that will increase the university’s competitiveness in attracting graduate students....

...This will be the first time all three Freely Associated States (FAS) leaders are hosted together at the White House by a United States president....

...the court's conclusion that the property right to a clean and healthful environment not only requires the PUC to conduct an administrative trial, but that as part of the trial, the agency must expressly consider "the reduction of [greenhouse gas] emissions"....

...incentivize providers to reduce hospital utilization and total cost of care by potentially significantly rewarding them through performance-based payment adjustments based on their performance....

...Low prevalence of obesity....

...Honolulu and Pearl City tie with Juneau, AK as the cities with the lowest average starting salaries when adjusted for cost of living.... 

...Hawaii combined pass-through business income tax rate 43.7%, second only to California....

...OHA will host eight community meetings across the state to inform the public about the planning process and to hear from our beneficiaries....

...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....

...Those unfamiliar with the Hawaii case may wonder what it has to do with the New York action, and the answer to that is that the notoriously anti-gun Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals tied the two together....

...Democratic Hawaii Rep. and presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard criticized Facebook for banning fringe leaders during her appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast Monday....

...the idea of suing America’s energy industry for climate change-related conduct and harms has been rejected many times, including by the highest court in the land....

...It remains unclear exactly how the DOE’s nearly $1.9 billion operating budget is being spent due to the complex, non-transparent nature of its budget. This is not to mention the roughly $1 billion in other expenses that make up the almost $3 billion DOE budget....

... their reported average GPA ranks them amongst the top five smartest states in the country ... (BUT) ... Hawaii has the lowest mean ACT score on this list and the fifth lowest in the United States .... 

... Ranking schools based largely on test results perpetuates the failed "test and punish" culture of the past -- HSTA ....

...HB1070: Tenured and probationary teachers will no longer have to pay their own licensure fees....

... Winer’s resignation as Sen Brian Schatz’ Chief of Staff was announced in the media, May 4, 2019.  Kia'aina is reportedly under consideration for top jobs at DHHL and OHA ....

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

... This week Congress will vote on H.R. 5, the Equality Act, sweeping legislation that would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the definition of sex throughout federal law .... 

...With an overwhelming majority of the votes State Chair Shirlene Ostrov was re-elected for another two years. With the same overwhelming majority of votes or by acclimation her hand picked slate of candidates were also elected....

...Hawaii has the 2nd-most treatment centers per drug user....

...DHHL is accepting comments regarding proposed administrative rules for Planned Communities, Multi-Family Complexes, and Rental Housing until Monday, May 13, 2019....

... We control the purse strings, so we said no to a lot of their money. They reversed some of their decisions. We gave them some money. So the tension worked ....

... Hawaii: Combined State-Federal Corporate Income Tax Rate 26.1% ....

...In Hawaii, state law imposes a registration requirement on almost all firearms. Under a bill signed into law in June 2016, Hawaii became the first state to couple this registration requirement to the Rap Back service....

...Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton has recommended to University of Hawaiʻi President David Lassner the appointment of Carlos Penaloza as the next chancellor for Leeward Community College. The effective date of the appointment is July 1, 2019....

...The FSM Congress elected Pohnpei Senator David W. Panuelo President and Kosrae Senator Yosiwo P. George as Vice President....

...once she saw how anti-GMO groups operate and began investigating the science behind biotechnology, she changed her mind....

...there may be as many as 30 stabilization beds at WGH by early next year....

...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. ...

...the PUC erred by failing to explicitly consider the reduction of GHG emissions in approving the Amended PPA, as required by statute....

..."What now for rail?" was the question considered by three prominent guests at a sold-out luncheon event sponsored last week by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii....

... Weekly update from GovTrack.us ....

...The Hawaii Constitution also has a clause that protects citizens from excessive fines, making it even more likely that someone will challenge the enormous fines associated with this proposal....

...allowing a non-city entity's logo to be adopted as part of the official uniform would give the non-city entity preferential treatment....

...Three Potential Replacements Would Only Make It Worse....

... Another climate lie bites the dust ....

... The vast majority of the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa students, 95 percent, are concerned or very concerned about climate change ....

"...Years needed to afford down payment: 25.68...."

...Gov. Ige has set July 30, 2019 as the date he will sign the new rules for the state Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The new rules will take effect on Aug. 9, 2019....

...a final plan will be presented to the Board of Education early next year....

...Approximately one-third of individuals with severe mental illness have their first contact with mental health treatment through a law enforcement encounter....

...Hawaii radio personality Michael W. Perry hosts Keli‘i Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii....

...members of Congress who spoke with President Trump emerged from the White House projecting supreme confidence that a Jones Act waiver is now effectively off the table....