April 6, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, April 6, 2026

April 6, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 2:59 PM :: 246 Views

Hawaii Ranks Worst for School Bus Safety

HB2413: Bail reform bill will let most criminals right back out again and again

SA: … The criminal justice warriors have hoodwinked politicians again. Even though Hawaii is among the most compassionate states in the country, out-of-state lobbyists and local advocates are pushing for bail reform (House Bill 2413) even though a similar bill caused outrage and was vetoed by Gov. David Ige in 2022.

The new bill had lukewarm success in the House, passing 31 to 20 with 18 Democrats voting no. It’s still alive in the Senate despite objections from the State Attorney General, Prosecutors, Police, and the police union. The bill requires judges to release almost everyone arrested in Hawaii on their own recognizance, without bail. Those who commit non-violent class C felonies, non-violent misdemeanors, and petty misdemeanors would be cut loose despite their criminal records and history of failing to appear in court. Here are some of the common felonies committed that would mandate release: Auto theft, breaking into cars, burglary in the second degree, habitual property crime, theft up to $19,999, and crystal meth possession. Almost all misdemeanors and petty misdemeanors would require release, including harassment, shoplifting, disorderly conduct, and trespassing….

… Last fall, a judge released a career criminal on a non-violent class C felony, crystal meth possession. The guy had 77 convictions, was involved in 399 criminal cases, and racked up dozens of warrants for failure to appear in court and was a registered sex offender. Right after he was released, he attacked and bit a cop .…

Lawmakers are on the brink of approving a landmark law without any local research on what happens to those released without bail. In my two-year study of Waikiki arrests, 73% of misdemeanor defendants released failed to appear in court, and all of those cases resulted in warrants. That means police have to hunt down the defendants during a police shortage, and HPD research shows an average arrest costs $1,900. Most frightening is that after my two-year study, dozens of defendants beat the system and still had warrants.

… OCCC is no longer overcrowded. Eight years ago, it had a frightening average of 245 inmates over capacity. Last week, the jail had 55 vacancies….

HB2413: Text, Status

read … Column: Bail reform bill too lenient, meddles with judicial discretion | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Kauai County: Building Homes with an Eyedropper

CB: … Kaua‘i County is set to develop over 2,000 new affordable, rental and for-sale homes across the island over the next 15 years.

(DO THE MATH: 2,000 / 15 yrs = 133 per year. Without artificial foot-dragging, they could all be built in a year or two.)

But before contractors can build those homes, the county will need to lay roadways, dig water lines, connect sewer systems and make other preparations.

The Kauaʻi County Council is determining whether to approve $15.8 million for some of that housing-related infrastructure work as part of Mayor Derek Kawakami’s proposed $504 million budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

(IDEA: “Revenue anticipation bonds.” Borrow the funds needed to build roads and utilities and start building. Stop using hard up-front spending as an excuse to eye-dropper these houses out over years to come. -- Unless the point is really just to get rid of local people, in which case the current plan makes perfect sense.)

The Housing Development Fund currently has a balance of roughly $28 million, with $8 million committed to projects, Roversi said. In addition to a portion of property tax revenues, the fund is also supported by fees from market-rate, private developments and other historic ad-hoc allocations from the council. The council has been considering whether to allow some Housing Development Fund monies to be used to create a residential deed restriction program where the county would purchase an equity interest in existing homes to preserve housing stock for local residents. …

read … Kaua‘i Mayor’s $504 Million Budget Prioritizes Housing, Infrastructure - Honolulu Civil Beat

SB2024: P3 to reduce Hawaii School Construction Costs?

SA: … Senate Bill 2024 would authorize the Hawaii School Facilities Authority to partner with private developers to design, finance and build public school facilities — including on privately owned land — and launch a pilot program to develop three new schools across the state.

The measure comes as stakeholders acknowledge that Hawaii has some of the highest public school construction costs in the nation, making it difficult to keep pace with demand for classrooms….

read … Construction bill advances amid support, labor concerns | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Maui oceanfront condo damaged by 2025 flood did not survive 2026 storm. Owners association blames county inaction

MN: … Kīhei Kai’s 16-unit A Building was destroyed on March 13, 2026 by flooding from the Kona low storm a little more than a year after it was damaged by flooding from the 2025 Kona low storm….

“The county is culpable in this mess,” association president Mike Conners said last week.

Conners, board member Hungerford and the association’s construction project manager, Josh Berlien, president of Berlien & Co., all say there are three reasons the county holds some liability:

The county denied Kīhei Kai a permit to put in a permanent foundation in a timely manner after it issued a permit for an emergency repair.
The county did not address its complaint that next-door neighbor Māʻalaea Surf Resort built unpermitted concrete perimeter walls and floodgates that diverted water onto Kīhei Kai’s property.
The county failed to address the nearby poorly designed bridge across South Kīhei Road that also caused water to be diverted to Kīhei Kai and other neighboring properties instead of flowing to the ocean.

“All they wanted to do was put back what was destroyed by a flood event caused by a bridge and neighbor diversion,” Berlien said. “And the county still would not let us proceed.”

The county communications office declined requests last week to speak with anyone in the Planning or Public Works departments.

“Due to potential litigation involved in these properties, please submit a Uniform Information Practices Act for responses to these questions,” the communications department said….

read … Maui oceanfront condo damaged by 2025 flood did not survive 2026 storm. Owners association blames county inaction : Maui Now

HB1655: Legal Representation for Foster Kids?

CB: … Bills to support families at risk for intervention by Child Welfare Services and fund domestic violence training for caseworkers are still alive at the Legislature….

Much of the tentative progress on child welfare reform this year can be traced to the Mālama ʻOhana Working Group, which was created in 2023 after the disappearance of 6-year-old Isabella Kalua from her home in Waimānalo….

The working group produced an array of recommendations for improving the state CWS system, many of which were suggested by former foster children or their parents. But those proposals stalled at the Legislature even while more abuse cases surfaced.

Department of Human Services Director Ryan Yamane declined a request for an interview …

House Bill 1565, which would establish a committee in the state Judiciary to study the idea of a pilot project to provide lawyers to represent the youth in foster care ….

Chin recalled a question posed by a young man with lived experience in the foster system. He asked: “If a convicted criminal can have a lawyer, why can’t I?”…

Marten was the lead sponsor of House Bill 1805, which was co-introduced by 16 other Democrats and two Republicans, and would have created an Office of the Child Advocate. But Marten said the measure failed because she could not work out where in state government to put the new office….

Marilyn Yamamoto, a longtime critic of the CWS system and advocate for parental rights, said the state should instead look to models such as the Kansas’ Office of the Child Advocate. That office bills itself as “neutral investigator and advocate for Kansas children and family well-being.” …

DHS director Yamane said in his statement to Civil Beat that Hawaiʻi is making progress on improving its child welfare system “through ~~a coordinated approach that prioritizes prevention, accountability and community partnership~~ (Ooh-ee, ooh ah-ah, ting tang.) ~~DHS remains committed to continuous improvement and to working collaboratively to ensure the safety and well-being of every child in our care~~ (Walla walla bing bang.)”

read … This May Be The Year For Reforming Hawaiʻi's Child Welfare System - Honolulu Civil Beat

Hawaii: State With The Most Expensive Cup Of Coffee By A Long Shot

CH: … According to data from restaurant management software maker Toast, as of summer 2025, the median price for a cup of joe in the U.S. was $3.52. In Hawaii, however, you'd pay a hefty $5.23, or $1.71 more than you would in the country as a whole. …

You can expect to fork over about $6.74 for a cold brew in Hawaii, compared to a country-wide median of $5.47. That's a marginally better but still substantial $1.27 price difference. …

and the cheapest cups? They're available in Mississippi and West Virginia, each with a median price of $2.99, although there are numerous states where it costs $3, just a cent more.

read … The US State With The Most Expensive Cup Of Coffee By A Long Shot

Hawaiʻi Banned Plastic Foam Food Containers. Are Bodyboards Next?

CB: … On Kauaʻi, a measure introduced by council members Fern Holland and KipuKai Kualiʻi was signed into law by Mayor Derek Kawakami in December, with a one-year phase-in period. Maui also has a ban on Styrofoam bodyboards, which was spearheaded by council member Tamara Paltin, a former county lifeguard.

Hawaiʻi Sen. Angus McKelvey this session introduced a bill to extend the prohibition statewide. The bill stalled despite some support from county officials.

In the absence of statewide action, lawmakers are again turning to the counties. On March 10, Sen. Mike Gabbard introduced Senate Resolution 30, urging Hawaiʻi County and the City and County of Honolulu to adopt bans on the sale, rental and distribution of disposable bodyboards. The measure has a hearing Monday….

read … Hawaiʻi Banned Plastic Foam Food Containers. Are Bodyboards Next? - Honolulu Civil Beat

DoE: 200 cafeterias without budgets, cost controls, reliable financial data, or accountability

CB: … The DOE school meal system is effectively the largest restaurant chain in the state. From a business perspective, attempting to operate more than 200 cafeterias without budgets, cost controls, reliable financial data, or accountability from managers at all levels makes little sense….

Past pilot programs suggest the results will be worth the investment.

The 2018 ʻĀina Pono Report illustrated exactly that. Conducted between August 2016 and July 2018 across several Hawaiʻi schools, the ʻĀina Pono pilot program demonstrated what happens when school food kitchens move from what one DOE cafeteria staff member described at the time as “a boat floating in the ocean without a rudder” to a system where “what gets measured gets managed.”

When basic budgeting and expenditure tracking were introduced, participating schools were able to increase local food purchasing while reducing overall food service losses. In a single semester, the Kohala cafeteria complex on Hawaii Island increased local food content from about 2% to roughly 24% (excluding milk), while reducing its net loss from $81,000 to $51,000. Mililani on Oahu experienced similar results, increasing local food content from about 3% to roughly 15% while reducing its net loss from $213,000 to $105,000….

read … Stop Blaming Local Farmers For Rising School Meal Costs - Honolulu Civil Beat

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