...the State used to administer the property tax back in the dark ages until the 1978 Constitutional Convention....

Below are bills that were heard between Friday, March 20, 2015 and Thursday, March 26, 2015....

...In Alaska and Hawaii, unauthorized immigrants from the Philippines are the largest group....

...Assuming affirmative resolution of ongoing entitlement battles for Hoopili and Koa Ridge, single-family building will begin to pick up over the next two years....

...expanding from a sanctuary that manages only humpback whales to one that manages all natural and cultural resources within its boundaries....

The new savings estimators are part of the Hawaiian Electric Companies’ support for electrification of transportation....

...Average daily visitor spending (-6.4% to $194 per person) was lower compared to last February....

Trustees have been drawing down the OHA Trust fund by amounts ranging from $5M to $30M per year every year since 2005....

"...Failure to comply with this regulation will result in disciplinary action...."

Characteristics receiving the lowest percentage of excellent or good ratings were the availability of affordable quality housing, cost of living, and traffic flow on major streets....

...eminent domain, property rights, and the Honolulu rail project....

...A geothermal energy developer cannot duck claims that it defrauded the United States of $122 million by reporting false information about two projects to get government grants, a federal judge ruled Tuesday....

Representative Cynthia Thielen discusses NextEra Energy with Robert Harris, who has joined the Hawaii office of Sunrun....

Nonprofits will be able to use GEMS financing to prepay a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a PV system that will fix their electricity costs for 20 years....

“Thanks to the work of the Hawaii Shippers Council and others, I feel after 20 years of activity, the public has a better understanding of the cost impact of the Jones Act and our options...."

Kawika Burgess, who has been OHA’s chief operating officer since October 2013, is stepping down effective April 30th....

Spending Records For The Native Hawaiian Roll Were Just Released & A Select Group Of Insiders Made A Whole Lot Of Money....

...Former WCO Executive Director Sophina Placencia (who has now also been charged) said the organization's board of directors fired Pitolo in May 2010 after she discovered Pitolo had stolen money....

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program helps communities identify and implement solutions that make it easier for people to be healthy....

Marc Hubbard, 46, of Cornelius, NC...charged by indictment, unsealed today, in a conspiracy to defraud victims who thought they were investing in concert promotions....

"...From agencies like the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to organizations like HART that are entrusted with significant state funds, there is a need for greater accountability...."

If confirmed by the State Senate, Domingo will serve a term of six years....

...If recent cuts are finalized, beneficiaries would face cumulative premium increases, benefit reductions of more than $120 per month....

...the least wealthy states tend to be those receiving the most federal support....

...April 7 through April 16 on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, Molokai and Lanai....

Wednesday, March 25, 2015, from 6-7pm....

...ONLY those who stood by to directly benefit financially from the bill were provided an opportunity to testify on it....

​The College and Career Indicators Report​ (CCRI) released today by Hawaii P-20 Partnerships for Education....

...Since 2005, however, gasoline usage has actually declined steadily, which today forces more ethanol into less gasoline....

"... you may currently enjoy the privilege of occupying a seat, you do not own it - it does not belong to you.  Show some respect to the people who put you there ...."

...Kanaiolowalu's spending of OHA's rapidly depleting Trust is in excess of $4M.  But now, thanks to Grassroot Institute's open records request, we can discover where the money went....

The bill is now in the Senate, and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Economic Development and Technology....

...if HB1471 passes we are looking at a total tax of $53.2 million, which is an increase of about 25%....

Hawaii Shippers Council President Mike Hansen interviewed on Think Tech Hawaii March 20, 2015....

...the legal procedure by which an individual or organization in Puerto Rico can request an administrative waiver from the Jones Act....

HB 169 would gradually raise the transient accommodations tax for resort time share vacation units to 9.25%....

...SB 717 will repeal the requirement that gasoline sold in the state for use in motor vehicles be composed of 10% ethanol....

...The current trend of increasing state and county revenues via various state tax increases and surcharges represents the sort of short-term planning that inevitably leads to economic troubles....

This is the sixth National Citizen Survey of Honolulu residents conducted for the City....

Our review covered 150 outstanding audit recommendations from 2004 to 2013....

More than 350 people participated in a planning workshop at McCoy Pavilion....

... “baseless, unreasonable and frivolous” ....

Only California (44%) has more households spending at least 30% of their income on housing....

A report on the top state issues of 2015....