May 7, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, May 7, 2026

May 7, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 8:12 AM :: 191 Views

Feds Investigating 562,000 Fraudulent COVID Loans

Despite Flooding, Waialua Robotics Team has a Winning Season

Legislature passes bills for automatic voter registration, DHHL, 'Corporate personhood'

Lambert and Two Outsiders finalists for Honolulu police chief

HNN: … The Honolulu Police Commission named Wednesday three finalists in the search for the next Honolulu police chief: Scott Ebner, Mike Lambert and David Lazar.

(CLUE: It’s Lambert. No outsider will ever be picked. Moszkowicz and Vanic must be severely pissed right now.)

The commission narrowed the field after six semi-finalists were interviewed earlier this week by a panel of stakeholders. Three candidates had law enforcement experience in Hawaii and three were from the continent.

Ebner was a finalist for the job three years ago and is a retired lieutenant colonel from the New Jersey State Police Department. He most recently served as chief for a department in Georgia.

Lambert, a former Honolulu Police Department major, is in the process of leaving his post as head of the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement to return to HPD and earn his pension.

Lazar is a retired assistant chief from the San Francisco Police Department who worked his way up the ranks over 33 years and has family in Kahuku.

All three are expected to appear on the show Insights on PBS next Thursday.

The commission is expected to name a new chief on May 20….

Before Lambert

Lambert Background:

Jan 2025: DLE Director Quits, Lambert appointed to take his place
Jan, 2026: DLE Legislative Agenda: This Year’s Pitch for More Money
April 9 2026: Hawaiʻi Law Enforcement Director Wants To Return To HPD after being screwed by Sen Elefante -- “Lambert had hoped to continue serving with DLE, he said, but his decision to leave is strictly financial. He said he has applied to be police chief in Honolulu, but if he doesn’t get the position, hopes to still return to the department as an officer, which will allow him to make his retirement whole…. Lambert said he expects to step down in late June or early July.”
April 16, 2026: ‘Blew this one’: Gov. Green calls out senator as DLE director leaves over pension
April 21 2026: Lambert must return to HPD to protect pension benefits | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
April 21, 2026: Elefante: Lambert Bill Violates Moratorium on Pension Enhancements

COVERAGE:

Read … 3 finalists named in search for next Honolulu police chief | Hawaii News Now

Honolulu Police Commission names 5 of 6 finalists for HPD chief

HNN: … Six semi-finalists were interviewed earlier this week by a panel of stakeholders.

Three candidates have been law enforcement officers in Hawaii and three are from the continent.

The local candidates are former HPD Majors Mike Lambert and Ben Moszkowicz, and current Interim Chief Rade Vanic.

The other candidates include a current chief who we are not naming because he is still employed with a police department.

Scott Ebner was a finalist three years ago for the job. He is a retired lieutenant colonel from the New Jersey State Police Department. Most recently he served as chief for a department in Georgia.

David Lazar is a retired Assistant Chief from the San Francisco Police Department who worked his way up the ranks over 33 years.

The commission will narrow down the field during executive session of Wednesday’s meeting and will announce the finalists right after….

HPR: Honolulu proposal to allow mayor to choose police chief tabled temporarily | Hawai'i Public Radio

Read … Honolulu Police Commission to name finalists for HPD chief

Third Try: State awards $63 million contract to (again try to) upgrade 55-year old financial data system

ASD: … In March, DAGS published a request for proposals for bidders to develop a replacement for the current Financial Accounting and Management Information System (FAMIS), which is 55 years old.

On Monday, DAGS Director and Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan told Aloha State Daily that, as of last week, DAGS has awarded that contract, totaling $63.7 million, to Virginia-based management firm Guidehouse.

“Our … financial management system is written in a language that’s not even taught in college anymore,” Regan said. “It’s written in COBOL. It’s extremely ancient architecture, and it’s hard to find people that can even program in COBOL anymore these days, and if you can they’re very expensive.”…

(CLUE: History teaches us that Guidehouse must create an interface which appears exactly like the 55-year-old COBOL style interface, or HGEA members will sabotage and destroy this upgrade.)

This is DAGS’ third attempt at overhauling FAMIS, Regan said. The previous two were abandoned for being too “technically led,” he said; this attempt will be driven more by how users engage with the system….

(TRANSLATION: Make it look and feel like the old system or we’ll wreck it.)

DAGS: Department of Accounting and General Services | FAMIS Users Manuals – Volume 1

BACKGROUND:

Read … State awards $63 million contract to upgrade financial data system

Automatic Annual 5% Rate Hikes for Young Brothers Among Dozens of Bills Passed at last minute

CB: … Among the hundreds of bills that did not survive the 2026 session were ones banning the harvesting of aquarium fish, repealing the hotel tax on cruise ships, empowering property insurers to collect payments from oil and gas companies, tapping the conveyance tax to help fund the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and allowing a tax credits for family caregivers.

Also dying were measures to increase penalties for some firearms offenses including carrying one while under the influence, repealing the law outlawing drug paraphernalia, requiring probation with mandatory treatment for habitual dangerous intoxication and issuing citations in lieu of arrest for nonviolent petty misdemeanors excluding DUIs.

All died in conference committee, which concluded Friday with little explanation from lawmakers about what happened to the legislation.

Bills that did pass this year are ones to help counties dispose of feral chickens, have the state move toward regulating e-bikes, help protect education workers and sports officials from harassment, create a new cesspool low-interest loan conversion program and force AI operators provide greater disclosure to users especially when minors are involved.

House members lavished particular praise on Senate Bill 903, which authorizes transfer of $55 million from a state trust account to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for (insert excuse here) ….

Three bills that would allow Hawaiʻi to respond to and resist federal immigration efforts also passed. A bill making a person arrested for or charged with a crime but convicted of a violation eligible for an expungement of their arrest record for that incident also passed. And another bill requiring the state to cover $20 million for claims against the state was expected to be approved Friday when the House agrees to accept the Senate’s draft of the measure.

Lawmakers also gave approval to Senate Bill 2694, which grants Young Brothers automatic rate increases of up to 5% per year for the next three years….

HNN: Shipping rate-hike bill advances to governor | Hawaii News Now

Read … Legislators Advance Bill To Limit Corporate Money In Hawaiʻi Elections - Honolulu Civil Beat

3% to 6% Annual Pay Hikes for HSTA Forever

ASD: … Teachers in Hawai‘i can expect annual step increases to their salary under a new bill the state Legislature passed Wednesday.

(Really. Who needs collective bargaining when politicians just give you stuff?)

Lawmakers in the state Senate and House voted unanimously in support of House Bill 1890, a measure that promises automatic annual pay hikes for public school and public charter schoolteachers.

The final version of the bill lawmakers voted through Wednesday allows for annual incremental increases to teacher salaries, provided that those increases are negotiated into a collective bargaining agreement. Teachers who have served for 3 years are also entitled to annual longevity-based step increases.

The Hawai‘i State Teachers Association has had those step increases written into its contract with the state for years, but they have never been funded until now. For most teachers, those increases will amount to a 3% salary hike per year, although some teachers will see a 6% increase….

ASD: Pay increases coming for Hawai‘i teachers

Read … Pay increases coming for Hawai‘i teachers

Plans for jail on Oahu continue to advance

KITV: … "The average population at OCCC ranges around 950 people every day, and it spikes up. With a design capacity of 628, that means you constantly have people sleeping on the floor," said Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Director Tommy Johnson….

That is why the state wants to build a modern jail at the old Animal Quarantine location. One that would be able to accommodate more inmates and pretrial detainees.

But ~~some~~ (the usual soft-on-crime types are) opposed to the new jail (because they hope to force a mass-release of hardened criminals onto the streets)….

"We have an overcrowded jail largely because we continue to over ~~criminalize behavioral health issues and poverty~~ (arrest criminals for their crimes, we gotta stop that!) said Nikos Leverenz, with the (mis-named) Hawaii Community Safety Coalition….

"We authorize 412 Adult Corrections Officer at OCCC. A new, modern facility built to hold many more detainees could be done for less than 300. That's a huge savings, about $20 million a year to the state," said Johnson….

Read … Plans for $1B jail on Oahu continue to advance | Local | kitv.com

SB2140: Carpenters Union Scam Targets nonunion contractors

PBN: … Senate Bill 2140 is now making its way to Gov. Josh Green, whose signature would codify it into law. Under the law, counties would need to form regulations that require disclosures of wages, benefits, hours worked and employee status. Counties would also be authorized to deny or revoke building permits from any contractor caught cheating those disclosures….

Read … Bill targeting construction wage transparency passes in Hawaii - Pacific Business News

Bissen Refusing to do anything to Prevent Future Kihei Floods

CB: … The county paid $662,800 to contract a group of engineering consultants to compile the 405-page Kīhei Drainage Master Plan, which was completed in December 2022. The plan outlines roughly $200 million worth of flood mitigation projects, ranging from detention basins intended to intercept floodwaters draining down the slopes of Haleakalā to new and improved culverts for stormwater runoff.

Then-Mayor Michael Victorino acknowledged in a letter attached to the report how Kīhei’s rapid buildup since the 1970s brought the drainage challenges the community has faced for decades. He said this “technical document” provided recommendations that would alleviate flooding in the district.

“Maui County must take steps to preserve our Kīhei community and minimize the impacts of stormwater runoff, which will only become more of a challenge as we face changes due to climate change and sea-level rise,” Victorino said in the letter, adding that he looked forward to working with the various parties necessary to implement the plan.

Not much has happened since then. The county has studied some flood mitigation projects, but virtually no significant steps have been taken to implement them. Jordan Molina, who heads the Public Works Department under now-Mayor Richard Bissen, said the priority is maintaining access to major roadways during floods. That means building the North-South Collector Road, a major throughway that would reduce traffic on Piʻilani Highway, which in 2020 was estimated to cost more than $155 million.….

Les Iczkovitz, who heads the Maui Meadows Community Association in South Kīhei, said he and other community members want to see officials address the root cause of the problem, rather than repairing the same damage again and again.

“Everybody in South Maui is upset about the lack of government response to the flooding. Everybody,” Iczkovitz said. “I would like to see some politicians actually come forward and say, ‘This is insane.’ It’s the year 2026, and we can’t stop flooding? Of course, we can. We just haven’t had a commitment for it.” …

Read … Despite A Death And Damage, Maui Stalls On Chronic Kīhei Flooding - Honolulu Civil Beat

The Governor And The Auditor Are Fighting. That's Great

CB: … Green has called an auditor’s memo to lawmakers last month warning them of problems with the kauhale program’s financial reporting a “personal vendetta” against him. Kondo shot back, “Scrutiny is not aggression or disrespect. The audit was honest, objective, and fact-based.”

Bad manners? No, good government.

The fight is a good thing. It’s a model of good government at work…

BACKGROUND: Auditor: Out-of-Control Homeless Program Puts Public Funds at 'Immediate Risk'

Read … Neal Milner: The Governor And The Auditor Are Fighting. That's Great - Honolulu Civil Beat

Military members lose Red Hill case against the federal government

SA: … a federal judge ruled against military service members affected by the Red Hill fuel crisis and dismissed their case against the government Tuesday — a decision attorneys for the plaintiffs say they are ready to take to the Supreme Court….

…U.S. District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi found that case law known as the “Feres doctrine” prohibited service members from receiving any sort of compensation from the government …

WIKI: Feres v. United States - Wikipedia

Read … Military members lose Red Hill case against the federal government | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Par Pacific: Hawaii biorefinery begins commercial operations

BD: … Par Pacific Holdings Inc. on May 5 confirmed that its Hawaii renewable fuels facility began operations in April. The biorefinery, located at the company’s Kapolei refinery, has the capacity to produce 61 MMgy of renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable naphtha and low-carbon liquefied petroleum gases. The project is designed to have the flexibility to produce up to 90% SAF or 90% renewable diesel.

The Kapolei refinery originally had the capacity to produce approximately 94,000 barrels per day of conventional fuels. Par Pacific in April 2023 announced plans to make an estimated $90 million investment to convert one of the refinery’s production units to renewables.

Par Pacific Holdings Inc., Mitsubishi Corp. and ENEOS Corp. on in July 2025 announced plans to establish Hawaii Renewables LLC, a joint venture to produce renewable fuels at the Kapolei refinery. The joint venture closed in October 2025. Mitsubishi Corp. and ENEOS Corp., through Alohi Renewable Energy LLC, acquired a 36.5% equity stake in Hawaii Renewables in exchange for cash consideration of $100 million. Under the agreement, Par Pacific retained the remaining interest and will and operate the renewable fuels facility through its affiliate, Par Hawaii Refining LLC….

PAR: Par Pacific Holdings Reports First Quarter 2026 Results | Par Pacific

Read … Par Pacific: Hawaii biorefinery begins commercial operations | Biodiesel Magazine

Now That taxes Have Been Raised, Isle ‘Non’-profits want More Funding so they can pay Fatter Salaries

SA: … Hawaii has 8,037 registered charitable organizations, including 5,982 that are financially active. Together, they ~~generate~~ (consume) $45.4 billion in economic output, about 11.9% of the state’s gross domestic product, and employ 10.3% of the civilian workforce, according to the report….

HANO: State of the Sector Report - Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations

Read … Isle nonprofits face mounting challenges, new report finds | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Matayoshi: Playing with Fire ‘Stop Corporate Personhood’ Bill could ‘further cement’ Citizens United Decision

SA: … The state House and Senate on Wednesday separately approved last-minute amendments to a bill that would require corporations and nonprofit organizations created on the mainland to follow the same campaign donation laws that Hawaii entities must follow.

Senate Bill 2471 has been seen as a way for Hawaii to respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 ruling that cleared the way for organizations to escalate their political activities to influence elections.

“It puts Hawaii right out in front of probably one of the most innovative responses to Citizens United,” said Colin Moore, who teaches public policy at the University of Hawaii. “It is bold so I think that, of course, it will be litigated.” …

Rep. Scot Matayoshi served on the joint House- Senate conference committee that kept SB 2471 alive in the final minutes before Friday night’s deadline to pass it.

“No other state in the nation has passed this concept before to try to get around Citizens United,” Matayoshi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday following unanimous votes in both the House and Senate. “We are taking the lead. So it’ll be tested in court. … But if this gets up to the Supreme Court, with this particular U.S. Supreme Court, they could make a ruling that further cements Citizens United. So, we are playing with a bit of fire here.”…

(WOW. That is what the Bill’s authors say.)

SB2471: Text, Status

As Explained in 2016: HCR29: Legislators Vote to Abolish ERS, End Free Speech for Star-Advertiser

April, 2026: SB2471: Genius legislators vote to Stop Unions from Spending Money on Elections

Read … Bill limiting mainland campaign activity faces likely passage | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA:

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