VIDEO: Senators Grill Green over COVID Shutdowns
Feds Launch Process for Potential Offshore Mineral Lease Sale Near American Samoa
Anti-Development Activism Poisons the ‘Aina
Lawsuit Challenges Reopening of Pacific Monument
Zero homes sold within typical Maui residents’ financial reach in 2024
MN: … By analyzing publicly available data sets on local wages, home sales, property tax information and income, the report shows that new homes are getting bigger, pricier by square foot and even more out of reach for kānaka and kamaʻāina. This is especially the case in West Maui, where fewer than half of the new homes built since 2010 are actually housing full-time residents, according to the LCLT.
Per federal wage data, the report shows there is only one profession that can afford Maui’s median-priced single-family home, “and even chief executives and real estate brokers would struggle to afford $1.3 million if they were their family’s sole breadwinner.” Meanwhile, two council members married to each other couldn’t come close to affording $1.3 million, the report notes.
In actuality, the typical household can comfortably afford a $379,000 house. But in 2024, there were zero homes sold within that price range, and only a half dozen single-family transactions under $500,000, according to the LCLT report. ….
PDF: Keeping Lahaina Home
read … LCLT Report: Zero homes sold within typical Maui residents’ financial reach in 2024 : Maui Now
Tax Hikes Coming: COR ‘adjusts’ projection, creating $550M Gap
CB: … The Hawaiʻi Council on Revenues said it expects state tax collections to decline by 3.5% in the fiscal year that begins July 1, then grow at an anemic rate of just 1% the following year. The council is tasked with estimating future tax collections, and those calculations become the basis for the state budget.
House Finance Committee Chair Chris Todd said Wednesday a decline in projected tax collections had been anticipated, and “this year’s budget provides some short-term flexibility and security.”
“Ultimately, it’s our job to do our best to navigate in these uncertain times and do everything we can to ensure our state is financially secure,” he said in a written statement. “There will be some difficult conversations ahead, but I’m confident the legislature and administration are up for the challenge in balancing the longterm stability of state government with looking after the needs of our residents, particularly those who need the most support.”…
Lawmakers announced at the end of session earlier this month the new state budget will hold a cash balance of $700 million in reserve at the end of this budget cycle, with $200 million of that available to help offset any federal budget cuts that may be imposed.
Legislators had drafted the budget expecting to receive about $19.92 billion in state taxes over the two-year period but are now faced with the likelihood of only getting about $19.37 billion.
The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have been debating possible cuts to Medicaid, to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and to federal rental subsidies for low-income families.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers say they want to use state funds to ease the impact of some of those cuts and are making plans for a special session later this year to do that. But their options will be limited if state tax collections slump….
The Hawaiʻi economy is not yet feeling any major impacts from federal budget cuts or the Trump administration’s tariffs, and tax collections have been holding up well so far this year. Total collections for the fiscal year ending June 30 are expected to top $9.9 billion, which would be an all-time record….
(Wow. An all-time record. Amazing.)
TF: Big Beautiful Bill: State Implications | SNAP, Medicaid, "No Tax on"
SA: More downgrades forecast for Hawaii tax collections | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
HPR: Council on Revenues reports slight decrease in 2025 revenue projection | Hawai'i Public Radio
read … Hawaiʻi Tax Collections Will Be Lower Than Expected Over Next 2 Years - Honolulu Civil Beat
DHHL sitting on federal grants since 2008--$75.9M unspent
SA: … the poor reputation that DHHL has developed for execution of its mission — and since roughly 2008, for slow spending of block grant monies — is a real problem….
Watson’s tepid statement that DHHL is “hopeful we can continue to receive the same level of funding” falls far short of a stirring defense of the agency….
The problem DHHL faces is laid bare by criticisms from Hawaii’s U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda — who disagrees with the cuts, but also issued a statement saying DHHL needs to spend its past federal grant awards, faster.
Annual funding from the program in each of the last three years, since Watson took the DHHL helm, has been about $22 million. DHHL presently has a $53.6 million unspent grant funding balance — not including a $22.3 million appropriation for the current fiscal year, Tokuda said.
“These carryover balances, and these high annual reappropriations … made it low-hanging fruit for the Trump administration,” Tokuda rightly said, adding, “I know for beneficiaries it’s extremely frustrating, because there’s so much need.” Also on the mark.
The NHHBG program was created in 2000, and until 2020, DHHL used the grants almost exclusively toward development of affordable single-family homes. But administration of the program went astray amid the housing market collapse of 2008 and ensuing recession, and has not been consistently on track since. And for Hawaiian households in need of housing aid, the bottom line was that much-needed assistance went unused, year after year.
President Barack Obama’s administration zeroed out NHHBG funding in 2016 because DHHL was sitting on $36 million in unspent block grant funds and on its $9 million 2015 appropriation — at a time when more than 26,500 families were on the wait list for homesteads. …
read … Editorial: DHHL must prove worthy of federal grants | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Hawaii Convention Center $64M repair project in limbo
KHON: … the two year, $64 million rooftop repair project is on hold. The project, focused on repairing severe corrosion and leaks in the rooftop terrace deck, was expected to begin in early 2026 and take nearly two years to complete. Another $35 million in repair and maintenance projects were planned to be done during the two year repair timeframe.
The project was designed to continue operations during construction, with events shifted to weekends and only use of the lobby level event space.
That’s because Isaac Choy, HTA Acting Chief Administrative Officer and Vice President of Finance, is now on administrative leave amid an internal investigation for reports of a hostile work environment.
His absence as a key financial decision-maker has created a leadership vacuum at a critical moment.
“I think the reality is it is going to be difficult, if not impossible, to gain that expertise because of the lack of historical knowledge from this contract from inception,” said James McCully, HTA Board Member….
Committee members asked about an internal plan, to find out there is none.
“So, Caroline, when this occurred meaning your recommendation or decision to put Isaac on administrative temporary leave, did you have a solution to this?” asked McCully.
“The solution was to reach out to the comptroller and ask for assistance from DAGS,” said Caroline Anderson, HTA Interim President and CEO.
Convention Center officials said they’ve already had to reschedule large conventions to other venues for 2026 and 2027. They say a delay in construction would impact the island’s economy ….
read … Hawaii Convention Center $64M repair project in limbo
ACLU Hawaii prepares to sue HPD over ‘concerning trend’ of sober drivers arrested for DUI
HNN: … The American Civil Liberties Union Hawaii could pursue legal action against the Honolulu Police Department over a “pattern and practice of falsely arresting drivers in Honolulu without probable cause and without due process,” a letter sent to the police chief on Tuesday read.
It’s the second time the nonprofit demanded change in department policies when it comes to DUI arrests.
The letter cited even more drivers who came forward to report that they were arrested, even though breathalyzer test results showed they had no alcohol in their system.
HNN Investigates has reported on this issue over the past two years and found that 69 drivers taken to jail in 2022 and 2023 despite breath or blood test results of 0.00.
Our investigation also found that about 80% of all of HPD DUI arrests were declined by the Honolulu prosecutor’s office for charges….
read … ACLU Hawaii prepares to sue HPD over ‘concerning trend’ of sober drivers arrested for DUI
HB126: Prosecutor Alm Pushes Back on Forfeiture
SN: … The Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney typically does not issue news releases for asset forfeitures.
But last week, the department alerted local news agencies that it had filed an administrative petition for asset forfeiture with the state Department of the Attorney General relating to some $63,000 in cash that was recovered during a raid on an illegal game room in Kalihi on May 8.
The release was notable not just for the filing itself but for its function as a vessel for the office’s opposition to a bill currently before Gov. Josh Green that would put an end to asset forfeitures in the particular circumstances of this case….
HB126: Text, Status
read … Bill would limit asset forfeitures
Illegal gambling arrests on Oahu increased in 2024
SA: … The Honolulu Police Department made 115 arrests for gambling equipment violations in 2024, up from 92 in 2023, according to HPD’s data dashboard. Officers also arrested 124 people for operating, promoting or assisting gambling in 2024, up from 109 arrests in 2023.
In 2022, HPD arrested 140 people for promoting gambling and 67 for possessing gambling equipment.
As of May 16, Honolulu police have made 48 arrests for gambling equipment violations and 49 arrests for operating, promoting or assisting illegal gaming….
read … Illegal gambling arrests on Oahu increased in 2024 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Shakedown: Surfrider’s Bogus Bacteria Report Targets Turtle Bay and Whalers Cove
TL: … Surfrider Foundation recently released its 2024 Clean Water Report, which ranks the beaches in America that are bacteria hot spots to help raise awareness of water quality issues that affect public health. The No. 1 "bacteria hot spot" in the report is the beach of Kahalu'u in Oahu, Hawaii, (CLUE: Turtle Bay Resort) with a 92 percent high bacteria rate. That rate means that 92 percent of the samples taken at Kahalu'u beach failed to meet the state health standard for recreational waters, the report states. A close second is Waikomo Stream at Koloa Landing in Poipu, Hawaii, (CLUE: Whaler’s Cove Resort) with a high bacteria rate of 90 percent. The top 10 beach bacteria hot spots include beaches on the East Coast, West Coast, and Puerto Rico, as well as Hawaii….
(CLUE: Turtle Bay and Whalers Cove aren’t contributing enough money to Surfrider.)
REALITY: Feds Debunk Surfrider's Fake Bacteria Counts > Hawaii Free Press
read … This Stunning Beach Is the No. 1 'Bacteria Hot Spot' in the U.S.—What Travelers Should Know
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