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February 1, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 10:09 AM :: 95 Views

House Urges Attorney General to Prioritize and Expedite State Bribery Investigation

Tax Versus Judiciary

Honolulu’s economic revitalization office has revitalized very little

Ethics: DoH Employee Responsible for Regulation of Ambulance Services was Employed by One of Them

2026 Hawaii Legislative Session – Firearms Bills Tracker

OIP: Eight Opinions Issued

Hawaii Congressional Delegation How They Voted February 1, 2026

Green Lied: Tax Hikes will take Thousands from Middle Class

SA: … Hawaii taxpayers stand to receive dramatically stunted financial savings under a plan by Gov. Josh Green to cancel future state income tax cuts….

Tom Yamachika, president of the nonprofit Tax Foundation of Hawaii, said what the governor has proposed is a flat-out repeal of tax cuts slated for 2027 through 2031 and not a pause….

(TRANSLATION: Green lied.)

In his State of the State speech Monday to the Legislature, Green announced his proposal to “pause” tax cuts slated for 2027, 2028 and 2029, affecting three out of eight annual cuts that began in 2024 and run to 2031 under a 2024 law touted as the biggest cumulative tax cut in Hawaii history.

Yet, a pair of bills from the governor introduced after his address propose repealing the last five years of the tax cuts, from 2027 through 2031.

(TRANSLATION: This is a tax hike.)

A single person earning $75,000 a year would miss out on $3,855 in estimated tax savings over the next five years, and $1,103 a year after 2031 if Green’s legislation is approved by the Legislature, according to calculations by the state Department of Taxation.

The canceled tax savings for a married couple earning $150,000 with two dependents under Green’s plan are estimated to total $7,673 over the next five years and $2,219 annually after 2031.

(RESULT: More people leaving Hawaii.)

Under the historic tax reduction law enacted in 2024, decreases in tax liabilities over eight years were to range between 10% and 72%, depending on household income. Also over the same period, the share of low-income households that pay no Hawaii income tax was expected to rise to 40% from 25%.

How those figures would change under the legislation proposed by Green, House Bill 2306 and Senate Bill 3125, was not available from the Tax Department in recent days.

(CLUE: They must be pretty bad.)

Individuals can calculate their own estimated savings under the 2024 law at taxcuthawaii.org. Under Green’s proposal, the savings in 2026 would be delivered and then continue at the same level in subsequent years instead of getting bigger each year from 2027 through 2031….

The former chief economist for Bank of Hawaii also questioned Green’s stated $3 billion-plus negative impact on Hawaii’s economy from federal policy and funding changes. “We have to take their word for it because nobody has ever seen this economic analysis,” Brewbaker said.

(TRANSLATION: Another Green lie.)

read … Green’s tax cut freeze plan REPEALS five years of savings for taxpayers

Trump’s Newly Appointed Federal ‘Fraud Czar’ Knows all about Hawaii Corruption, Helped Convict Kealohas

NYP: … President Trump on Wednesday announced Colin McDonald as his nominee for a new assistant attorney general for fraud position that would — with Senate approval — grant him a broad license to find and prosecute misappropriation of federal resources.

McDonald isn’t a well-known national figure, but has built a reputation as a “fearless” prosecutor whose anti-fraud resume includes winning convictions in a significant Hawaii law enforcement corruption case.

(HANDY TIP FOR HAWAII POLITICIANS: “Cook Islands: A Paradise of Untouchable Assets.”)

“I am pleased to nominate Colin McDonald to serve as the first ever Assistant Attorney General for National FRAUD Enforcement, a new Division at the Department of Justice, which I created to catch and stop FRAUDSTERS that have been STEALING from the American People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social….

In 2020, McDonald helped convict Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, his city-prosecutor wife Katherine Kealoha and two police officers in a complex scandal involving the powerful defendants framing an innocent man to cover up their own crimes.

The Kealohas were found guilty of false arrest and obstruction of justice for abusing their roles to arrest their own uncle — claiming he stole their mailbox — to discredit him and conceal their own theft of $148,000 from an elderly relative.

The four crooked Hawaii law enforcers were awarded between 42 and 156 months in prison — after they blew their loot on Elton John tickets, payments for Mercedes and Maserati luxury cars, a Disneyland vacation and a $23,976 brunch tab, according to prosecutors.

McDonald currently is associate deputy attorney general, reporting to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. He worked between 2014 and 2025 as a federal prosecutor in Southern California and Hawaii….

… Former Southern California US Attorney Robert Brewer, who was McDonald’s boss during Trump’s first term, called him “a career public servant as well as a fearless, strong and ethical prosecutor.”

“I assigned him to a very difficult public corruption case in Hawaii that seriously needed his organizational and legal skills. As expected, he was invaluable in resolving the case in a most favorable way,” Brewer said.

“Mr. McDonald is exceedingly bright, dedicated and is a great leader. The American people can trust his judgment, his ethics and will be proud of his work.” …

read … Trump’s fraud czar pick is ‘fearless’ prosecutor Colin McDonald — who busted crooked police chief

What Ariel Sellers' Court Records Tell Us About The Child Welfare System

CB: … To better understand how this state-sponsored adoption unfolded, we asked the family court to release case files concerning Ariel and the report of Special Master Steven Lane, who reviewed her case. The Judiciary commendably released Ariel’s records. Without such openness, Hawai`i cannot truly begin the policy discussions needed to better protect our children.

Ariel’s records reflect a child welfare system so heavily focused on the biological parents, it missed warning signs — some subtle, others flashing bright — that Ariel was suffering in the Kalua home….

DHS’s assessment of the Kalua’s finances, for example, was plainly insufficient. Isaac filed for bankruptcy six months before the adoption hearing. DHS had no idea….

The bankruptcy also casts doubt on the Kaluas’ candor if they failed to notify DHS or the court of such a significant financial event. Lehua was similarly under financial duress — with a collection action filed weeks after the family court approved the adoption and two more filed within the next six months. How can DHS assess financial ability to provide for children when its form adoption petition does not even reference debts?

The Kaluas’ economic strain, Lane observed, “could provide the wrong type of motivation to accept as many children as possible in foster care or adoption proceedings.” Illustrative, the foster payments nearly doubled the Kaluas’ monthly income (Issac received $4,755 as a shipyard specialist, Lehua $3,750 in foster payments).

DHS’s assessment of Ariel’s medical issues under the Kaluas’ care also was deficient. For example, DHS attributed a potential red flag — Ariel’s rapid and “significant” weight loss with the Kaluas — to healthier eating. But when Lehua reported that “Ariel would raid the refrigerator for food” at night, no one stopped to wonder why. DHS also received a report that Ariel was “treated differently” and “not being fed like the other children.” DHS failed to disclose that report to the family court.

After a series of fractures, DHS told the court that Ariel was “prone to fractures” and “does not seem to feel physical pain.” DHS also reported, however, that Ariel was taken to Castle Hospital after she “cried in pain after falling from a trampoline.” When DHS convened a “multidisciplinary team” to assess neglect based on the injuries, it did not invite the social worker who had expressed concerns, but did invite the Kaluas.

DHS also failed to disclose to the family court a critical report from Ariel’s teacher. The teacher raised several concerns, including that Ariel attended school only five days in January 2020 and only 66 days to date — 50% attendance. The teacher reported that “when Ariel is asked about her home environment, Ariel will shut down despite Ariel being the most vocal student throughout the day.”…

Review the records In re Motion to Unseal (Isabella P. Kalua) …

BACKGROUND: Extreme-Stinginess-A-look-at-Accused-Waimanalo-Child-Killers-Bankruptcy-Case

read … What Ariel Sellers-court-records-tell-us-about-the-child-welfare-system

Act 138: New Hawaii law spikes car insurance rates 25%

SA: … Motorists who carry the minimum required liability coverage may see their auto insurance premiums rise about 25%, now that a state law doubling the minimums has taken effect, according to the Insurance Division of the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Act 138 was signed into law July 1, 2024, but the section that raised the minimums for liability coverage did not take effect until Jan. 1, 2026, applying to policies obtained or renewed this year….

read … How-much-will-new-state-law-spike-car-insurance?

Fox, Henhouse: More Futile Sunshine Bills Introduced This Year

CB: … Now that the bill-filing deadline has passed, here’s our handy roadmap for following hundreds of government accountability and political reform bills proposed for the 2026 session….

LINK: "Voter Center" Measures

read … Hot-political-topics-are-stoking-sunshine-bills-this-year

Infighting, MAGA babble can’t win for Hawaii GOP

Shapiro: … Hawaii has never been more in need of capable political competition, with ruling local Democrats tangled in corruption charges and incompetent delivery of major projects.

Even with its futlessness, the local GOP has made gains in spite of itself as voters search for options.

Trump has never come close to carrying Hawaii, but his share of the vote has inched up each time he’s run, from 29.4% in 2016 to 34.0% in 2020 to 37.1% in 2024.

The GOP now holds three seats in the state Senate and eight in the state House — although typically for local Republicans, one of the eight refuses to caucus with the other seven.

The numbers don’t sound like much among 51 seats in the House and 25 in the Senate, but it wasn’t long ago Republicans were down to lows of four House seats and zero Senate seats.

Growing their numbers and making an impact will require mature leadership that focuses on local concerns over the religious devotions and MAGA bromides dominating the state party’s website….

read … Infighting, MAGA-babble-cant-win-for Hawaii GOP

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