January 21 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

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Wednesday, January 21, 2026

January 21 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:24 PM :: 128 Views

AG Flip-Flop: Suddenly decides to open 'investigation' into $35K Bribery Case

Surprise: Hawaii's Gun Control Case Based on 'Black Codes', not 'Aloha Spirit'

Opening Day: Legislative Session Begins Wednesday January 21

Panos: How Hawaii Can Reduce Traffic Fatalities

Lawsuit: Should Fishing Boats Be Required to Pay for Federal Monitors?

Federal court dismisses Hawaii distiller’s challenge to Jones Act

WB: … federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed a constitutional challenge to the Jones Act brought by Kōloa Rum Company, Kauai, Hawaii, ruling that the 1920 cabotage law remains valid and that the distiller’s claims were either time-barred or failed on merits.

In a 46-page memorandum opinion issued Jan. 20, Chief Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted motions to dismiss filed by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and maritime industry intervenors including Matson Navigation Co., the American Maritime Partnership (AMP), and the AFL-CIO’s Maritime Trades Department.

The decision was quickly welcomed by Jones Act supporters. In a statement following the ruling, AMP said the court had “resoundingly rejected claims that the Jones Act violates the Due Process Clause and the obscure Port Preference Clause of the Constitution.”

“We commend the Trump Administration for vigorously defending the Jones Act in court and defending the men and women who serve America’s national security, homeland security and economic security,” said Jennifer Carpenter, AMP’s president. “The Jones Act is foundational to our nation, and we thank the Court for its thoughtful analysis of the history of the law. This decision reaffirms not only the constitutionality but also the critical importance of the Jones Act to every American.”

Kōloa Rum, a small distiller founded in 2009 on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, argued that the Jones Act’s requirement that domestic waterborne trade be carried on U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and U.S.-crewed vessels imposed disproportionate costs on island businesses that lack access to rail or trucking….

Feb 2025: Kōloa Rum Company challenges Jones Act in court

Mar 2025: Will Kōloa Rum Co. lawsuit be the nail in Jones Act coffin?

GC: Federal Judge Upholds Jones Act, Tossing Hawaii Rum Maker's Challenge

read … Federal court dismisses Hawaii distiller’s challenge to Jones Act | WorkBoat

Hawaii birth rate drops 20% over the past decade as young families move to Mainland

KITV: … According to the Department of Health, the number of births dropped nearly 20% over the past decade ….

"It's so hard to afford kids these days. Food prices went up, rent, everything went up. It's just hard to afford a child, and I think people are more comfortable with pets," said Honolulu resident Aya Zorigt….

read … Hawaii birth rate drops 20% over the past decade | Local | kitv.com

Another Airports Division Contracting Scam: State To Spend Millions To Replace Fire Control Systems In Honolulu, Maui

CB: … Fire suppression systems in the recently built rental car facilities at the Honolulu and Maui airports contain toxic chemicals known as PFAS, and the state Department of Transportation estimates it will now cost $23 million to entirely replace the two systems.

(CLUE: 20% kickback x $23M = $4.6M to be split among relevant Airport Div personnel)

State Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said last week the firefighting systems use foam developed to extinguish fuel fires, and that foam contains the so-called “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl….

Sniffen told lawmakers last week the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring all fire suppression systems on Maui and in Honolulu be removed and replaced.

“It cannot just be the tanks, it cannot just be the lines, everything has got to go,” he told the Senate Ways and Means Committee….

Sniffen said fire suppression systems typically last about 15 years. “We’re replacing it short,” he said….

Hawaiʻi lawmakers banned the introduction or distribution of firefighting foam that contains PFAS chemicals statewide in a law that took effect in 2024.

The same law bans the use or discharge of the firefighting foam “unless the use is necessary for effective suppression of a petroleum fire.”…

Sniffen said after the hearing the department will use money from the $7.50-per-day state rental motor vehicle surcharge tax to cover the cost, but did not have a timeline for the project.

Work to replace the fire suppression systems will be done in segments, he said, which will allow the car rental facilities to remain open while construction is underway….

2024: Airports | FAA Awards $17 Million for Fire Alarm and Fire Sprinkler Systems at HNL

read … State To Spend Millions To Replace Fire Control Systems In Honolulu, Maui - Honolulu Civil Beat

Housing committee chairs lay groundwork to reserve homes for residents

HPR: … Rep. Luke Evslin, who chairs the House Housing Committee, plans to introduce a bill that would allow projects to qualify for the 201H process if at least 80% of the units are restricted to being occupied by a local resident in perpetuity.

Evslin will also be reintroducing his Kamaʻāina Homes bill from last year that would allow homeowners to sell a deed restriction on their property to a county, provided they only allow occupants who work at least 30 hours in that county.⁠

The legislative session starts Wednesday….

read … Housing committee chairs lay groundwork to reserve homes for residents | Hawai'i Public Radio

Power Players: Our Guide To Who To Keep An Eye On In The 2026 Legislature

CB: … The two top people in the House — Speaker Nadine Nakamura and Finance Committee chair Chris Todd — are both relatively new to their current posts. Nakamura was elected by her colleagues to the top spot just a year ago; Todd was tapped to lead the House money committee at the end of last session, in May, when members soured on Rep. Kyle Yamashita as chair of that key committee.

They will be going up against veteran politicos in the Senate — President Ron Kouchi and Ways and Means chair Donovan Dela Cruz, both of whom are much more experienced at working the caucuses and the hallways to get what they want. …

Nakamura and Kouchi hold their jobs because they’ve built coalitions that have put them in power. Keeping their backers happy is sometimes hard, especially in the Senate where the president needs 13 of his colleagues to support him.

Around 3,000 bills are filed every session and it’s the top leaders who decide what committee — and how many committees — a bill is referred to. A triple referral is considered the kiss of death and a sign that leadership doesn’t want the bill to see the light of day.

Still, it’s an election year and unlikely that anyone will take any risks that might give a political opponent fodder. …

Legislative Agenda:

read … Power Players: Our Guide To Who To Keep An Eye On In The 2026 Legislature - Honolulu Civil Beat

Initiatives, Referenda, and Con Con on Legislative Agenda

SA: … >> Ask legislators through Senate Bills 2265 and SB 2266 to place a state constitutional amendment before Hawaii voters on whether they want to decide initiatives and referendums for themselves on future ballots.

Voters in states such as California have used the initiative and referendum process to decide among a long list of citizen, corporate and lobbyist-driven proposals, including recent efforts to recall targeted elected officials and decide whether to redraw California’s political map to favor Democrats after red states such as Texas redrew their voting districts to favor Republicans ahead of November’s congressional midterm elections.

>> SB 2315 also would ask Hawaii voters if they want to change the process for approving or voting against future state constitutional amendments that would mimic voting procedures for county charter amendments, which only require a simple majority of votes to pass.

Only amendments to Hawaii’s Constitution count blank, spoiled and “over votes” as “no” votes, meaning that voters who do not vote on state amendments are counted as voting “no.” …

>> HB 1527 would prohibit “any casino, gambling enterprise, or gambling facility from being located on state lands within or adjacent to the Aloha Stadium Development District project area or on any lands under the jurisdiction of the Stadium Authority.”

It also would bar University of Hawaii athletic programs “from competing in venues that are operated by or physically integrated with a gambling enterprise while clarifying that standard naming-rights or advertising agreements do not constitute prohibited sponsorships.”…

read … Limiting immigration enforcement, school cellphone ban among key bills | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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