UPDATE: Maui Police identify officer killed in line of duty
No Tax on Overtime
From Koko Crater to Wahiawā: The long fight over Oʻahu’s trash
PRC National Sentenced to 55 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine
Kouchi Changes Mind—Will serve one more term as Senate President
CB: … Kouchi told Civil Beat’s Brittany Lyte last week he’s decided to stick around and finish some unfinished projects such as increasing the share of locally grown food on school lunch plates and boosting affordable housing funds. He says he is being encouraged to stay by family, friends and supporters.
(TRANSLATION: Insiders don’t want Dela Cruz as next Senate President.)
Kawakami has been fundraising for the Senate seat for months, with Kouchi’s endorsement. But Kawakami said he will not oppose Kouchi, whom he considers a mentor, in an election.
(Yes, there will be an ‘election’. They had them in USSR. Everybody raise hand.)
“We’re too tight,” Kawakami, whose eight-year reign as Kauaʻi mayor ends next year due to term limits, told Lyte.
Kawakami, 47, has made no secret of his aspirations to jump into bigger contests, musing publicly over the years about a future run for lieutenant governor or governor.
But in an interview Wednesday he said he has not yet decided which office he will seek, likening his approach to a senior in college unsure of post-graduation plans. ….
March, 2025: ‘Ongoing Operation’ -- FBI Recorded ANOTHER Hawaiʻi Lawmaker Being Given $35,000
read … The Sunshine Blog: Kouchi's Running After All. So What Will Kawakami Do? - Honolulu Civil Beat
Army’s ‘Much More Aggressive Model’: Wrap-up Master Lease Negotiations in 60 Days
SA: … back at the Pentagon, Driscoll said it’s “too much risk” for the Army to wait until the leases end in 2029.
“It’s hard to overstate how important Hawaii and that training area are for us … . We are talking about needing to bring clarity and conclusion to this topic in the coming, let’s say, 60 days,” Driscoll said in an Aug. 6 phone interview. “What we are seeing from the threats in the Indo-Pacific, and what we are seeing with how and where we need our soldiers to be positioned for that threat, has made the United States Army absolutely convinced that this is one of our very top priorities.”
The Army has said that on Oahu, it prefers to renew only 450 acres at Kahuku and not pursue lease renewals on any state land in Makua Valley or the Kawailoa-Poamoho Training Area — a roughly 93% reduction. But the Army maintains large swaths of federal land on Oahu and also seeks to continue using a state-owned parcel on Hawaii island that connects the federal lands making up its massive Pohakuloa Training Area.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources recently voted to reject the Army’s environmental impact statements for its proposals on both Oahu and at Pohakuloa, citing data gaps and a desire to see ongoing studies the Army is currently conducting included.
Driscoll said his office has had “near daily discussions with the governor’s team” to “figure out how can we, with the constraints that we all have — whether it’s a swap, land exchange or through a much more aggressive model — how can we push through these changes in a way that both respects the Hawaiian people, who have been incredible partners and an incredible community for so many generations of soldiers … (and) shows them the love and admiration that we have for them, while also acknowledging the battlefield reality that we must have this training land because it is so critically important to us. ”
(KEY QUESTION: How much money will 8a corps get for bogus UXO cleanup contracts on the former Army leaseholds? No idea what an 8a is? Click here: Native Hawaiian 8(a) List)
Green’s office said in a statement that he “believes there is a shared commitment to finding solutions that both honor Hawaii’s communities and support the operational needs of our Armed Forces. The Governor also shares the Secretary’s optimism about an expedited timeline and is moving forward in that spirit. At the same time, both the Governor and the Secretary are committed to following the lawful process and ensuring that the community has an opportunity to provide input.”
But former BLNR Chair William Aila Jr. said that concluding negotiations within 60 days is “impossible.”
(REALITY: It’s only impossible if the leadership thinks it is impossible. The telescopes are being destroyed ONLY because Harry Kim decided it was ‘impossible’ to order police to clear protesters off the highway.)
“I don’t think this guy understands what the history and what the current feeling is in Hawaii with regards to military lands,” he said, adding “it doesn’t work that fast.”…
(TRANSLATION: There are so many palms to grease.)
Under President Donald Trump, the federal government has made moves to gut environmental and cultural programs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to eliminate “woke” military programs and personnel that don’t “directly contribute to lethality.”
(TRANSLATION: Less money for 8as.)
In Hawaii, there has been concern that this stance might hamper environmental cleanups and protection of Hawaiian cultural sites.
But Driscoll insisted that respect for both culture and environment are critical in Hawaii. He said that soldiers and local leaders stressed that to him when he visited.
(TRANSLATION: Maaaybbeee an exception for Hawaii … Army will still make money available for 8as.)
BACKGROUND:
MEANWHILE: Maunakea Authority seeks community guidance - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
read … Army chief vows to respect Hawaii culture and environment, but 60-day timeline is questioned | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Steaming in the classroom and fleeced at the ballpark
Shapiro: … The past week didn’t answer the eternal question of why Hawaii government can’t do big projects right, but it provided a couple of maddening clues.
First, the state auditor reported that former Gov. David Ige’s 2016 promise to air-condition 1,000 public school classrooms was “a $120 million disaster” that left students still sweltering.
Then, the Stadium Authority announced triumphantly (!!!) that it approved a contract for a new Aloha Stadium that will have 2,500 fewer seats than the 25,000 promised, open a year later than pledged in 2029 and cost the state $400 million instead of the $350 million specifically appropriated by the Legislature….
…the flaw is failing to keep it simple….
lawmakers seeking profit opportunities for the politically connected intertwined the stadium with a public-private entertainment district on the remaining 90 acres of the site, creating needless complications, delays and expenses.
The announced stadium contract with a group led by Stanford Carr didn’t include the details where the devil lies. And contracts for the entertainment district, which entails hotels, condos and other attractions, aren’t finished.
When will people in power acknowledge it’s ludicrous to spend $400 million — plus give lucrative development rights — for a shrinking stadium with 2,500 fewer seats than the old Honolulu Stadium and only a few thousand more than UH’s Ching Field could handle?...
read … David Shapiro: Steaming in the classroom and fleeced at the ballpark | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Aloha Stadium: New chapter in wishful thinking
Borreca: … This new chapter in wishful thinking comes with Hawaii officials last week announcing plans for the rebuilding of Aloha Stadium on its old Halawa site.
Here’s a tip: The important thing to remember about Hawaii projects is just because everyone around the conference table is smiling and nodding when you speak doesn’t mean they agree with you — they are just being polite….
this lost puppy is far from home and is in need of being rescued, but there appear to be few saviours lining up to be the hero.
One of the reasons why is that the project starts with a committee, not a vision or goal….
It will include “roughly 4,500 housing units, thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in tax revenue.” Somehow this “new venue will also attract world-class sporting and entertainment events.”
Yes, that’s right, it’s not just a stadium to play ball, we are bringing the circus to town and it is going to live with us, apparently, forever….
Besides being late, the stadium has also shrunk. Morioka said the size was originally set for around 25,000 seats, but is now planned for 22,500, including 10 luxury boxes.
All this is sounding more and more like Honolulu’s expensive and long-delayed rail project, which has cut out a major stop in order to stay within budget.
The irony of the last stadium board vote to move ahead is that officials viewed a project closed since 2020 as just starting.
“We’ve come so far just to get started,” Stadium Authority Chair Eric Fujimoto said after the vote. “Today we met the challenge. Today we’re starting our journey.”…
SA: Aloha Stadium district developer leading project got start carpeting homes | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
read … On Politics: New Aloha Stadium wants to bring circus to Hawaii, but it’s been here for years | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
TVR law goes into effect soon
HTH: … New regulations for short-term vacation rentals in Hawaii County are set to take effect in December, following passage of a bill that drew passionate debate from residents, property owners and housing advocates.
Mayor Kimo Alameda signed Bill 47 into law on June 23. The bill refers to the properties as transient vacation rentals, or TVRs, but for clarity, this article uses the more commonly recognized term: short-term vacation rentals, or STVRs.
The bill also includes rules that exempt certain rental situations, including those for health care workers or rentals authorized during a state of emergency.
The measure includes regulations for third-party hosting platforms, such as Airbnb or VRBO. These platforms must register with the county and pay a $1,000 fee. They also are required to submit monthly reports listing all STVRs they serve, including property tax map keys, county-issued registration numbers, and web links. Platforms that fail to comply may be fined or ordered to remove listings….
read … STVRs law goes into effect soon - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
HPD clarifies concealed carry permit process at meeting
HTH: … The Hilo hearing, at Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Lu‘au Hale, was intended to get public feedback. The changes include the repeal of the original rules, which were adopted in 1997, and adoption of new rules, which contain only slight changes, plus a second rule to define an appeals process for individuals denied a concealed-carry license.
It was the second public hearing about the proposed changes. A similar hearing was held Monday at the West Hawaii Civic Center in Kailua-Kona.
“We had extremely antiquated rules, so most of the changes revolve around the rights community members have if they are denied a concealed-carry permit, so there’s a process that they can use to appeal,” HPD Acting Chief Reed Mahuna told the Tribune-Herald.
The most substantive change was the striking of most of a subsection to leave only one sentence: “Licenses cannot be used to carry any firearm other than the firearm or firearms for which a license is granted.”
“The three sentences that followed conflict with the rest of our rules which require a new/separate application be completed for firearms not covered on an already approved license application,” according to an explanation on the Hawaii Police Department’s website.
The chief of police in each county has the authority to license the concealed carry of handguns in the state of Hawaii, the same as it has been for decades.
“The procedures have changed, but the biggest change is that we now issue them,” Mahuna said. “There was a concealed-carry application process that was on the books for years and years and years. But they were almost never approved. So now the volume of applications is much higher because we have to approve the permits as they come in, and we’ve been doing so since the law changed early last year.”
The change Mahuna referred to came after the late George Young Jr. — a Hilo native, retired U.S. Army Ranger master sergeant and Vietnam War veteran — prevailed in a 2022 appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Young’s legal victory compelled Hawaii’s counties to start issuing concealed-carry permits in accordance with the high court’s decision in New York State Rifle &Pistol Association vs. Bruen.
That ruling held that New York state’s similarly restrictive concealed-carry laws violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Despite the change in the law, a statewide total of only 2,207 private individuals were licensed to carry a concealed handgun in public in 2024, a mere 0.2% of the estimated resident population of 1.1 million persons aged 20 or older. That’s according to a report released in April by the state Department of the Attorney General….
read … HPD clarifies concealed carry permit process at meeting - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Marine monument eco-rhetoric overwrought
SA: … The expansion of these monument waters in 2014 had no scientific justification — rather it satisfied a political environmental agenda…..
read … Column: Marine monument threat overwrought | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
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