July 14, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

July 14, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 11:00 AM :: 152 Views

Act233 Another Massive Pay Hike for Teachers

Next Kakaako: City Buying up Property in Iwilei

Act222: Hospital ERs to Provide Real-Time Disease Data to DoH

Luke Campaign Reporting ‘Errors’: Criminal Intent?

CB: … Whether they were innocent errors or actions taken with criminal intent is now up to Attorney General Anne Lopez to decide. …

The omissions and errors have stunned some political observers who, for years, watched Luke manage the state budget as House Finance chair and chastise those she felt were not on top of their agency’s finances. Her reputation as a state representative stands in contrast with what she’s accused of now: failing to report more than $50,000 in expenditures; reporting more than $30,000 in contributions late, sometimes years after they were received; and allowing unauthorized campaign staffers to sign off on checks. According to campaign finance law, only treasurers and deputy treasurers can sign checks. …

The Campaign Spending Commission also noted Luke’s campaign filed 55 amended reports to fix omissions and discrepancies in previously-filed reports. The amendments were, in many cases, made four years after the original reports were filed. …

Eunice Park, general counsel for the Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission, said during Wednesday’s meeting that when looked at as a whole, the alleged violations are serious.

“These are not minor technical errors,” she said during the meeting. “They occurred in a campaign for lieutenant governor run by a candidate who was then the House finance chair and who had more than 24 years of legislative and political campaign experience”

The Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission last week voted to refer Luke’s campaign finance violations to the attorney general at a time when her campaign is already under intense scrutiny.

The AG’s Office is investigating Luke as part of its probe into an unidentified lawmaker accused of accepting $35,000 in a paper bag in 2022. The transaction, revealed by Civil Beat, was recorded by former state Rep. Ty Cullen, who at the time was working as an FBI informant. He later pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to two years in federal prison.

Luke later revealed that she accepted two $5,000 checks from lobbyist and businessman Tobi Solidum and his stepdaughter during a dinner in January 2022 that was also attended by Cullen. She didn’t report receiving those checks until Civil Beat asked about them.

Luke has repeatedly denied ever accepting $35,000, which would be too large to be a legal campaign contribution or gift from an individual….

Read … Lt. Gov.’s Books Were A Mess. Political Insiders Say It’s Not The Norm

OHA Insiders: Mind your own business, Just Let us do what we want

CB: … “We’re asking everyone who cares about OHA’s mission to allow us the discretion to resolve these governance, legal, and leadership matters — including matters that have been the subject of differing views among elected trustees — through the appropriate processes established for that purpose.” …

(IQ Test: Are you impressed by this request?)

SN: OHA administrator responds to board schism

OHA: An open letter from Office of Hawaiian Affairs Interim Chief Administrator Summer Sylva

Read … OHA CEO: Context Important In Understanding Current Board Conflict

Hawaiʻi County Council Candidates Rake In Thousands Ahead Of Primary

CB: … Seven of the nine seats are contested, with top vote-getters advancing to the November general election….

Read … Hawaiʻi County Council Candidates Rake In Thousands Ahead Of Primary

Congress passes housing bill to aid Hawaii's affordability crisis

PBN: … A bipartisan bill passed by Congress last month would provide Hawaii lawmakers with tools to address the state's affordable housing crisis. The measure is set to become law without President Trump's signature.

The 21st Century Road to Housing Act aims to increase the housing supply and homeownership nationwide by removing barriers to new development that slow the process relating to costs and permitting…

key sections of the new law include:

Making manufactured homes more affordable by removing the requirement of a permanent chassis or steel frame to make them moveable;
Allowing builders to skip the environmental review when a housing project is being built between two buildings that have already completed an environmental review;
Increasing banks’ capacity to invest in affordable housing;
Improving transparency for veterans by ensuring they can better compare VA and FHA financing options;
Helping local governments convert vacant commercial or industrial buildings into affordable housing;
And prioritizing economically distressed areas and opportunity zones.

“There are obstacles that legislation creates that prohibits housing to be built in a reasonable time frame," Duncan said. "Right now, some projects take seven to 20 years or longer, and that's not going to solve the housing crisis we have.”..

CATO: There and Back Again: The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

CB: Congress Overhauls Disaster Recovery, Speeding Up New Home Builds

Read … Congress passes housing bill to aid Hawaii's affordability crisis - Pacific Business News

The luxury tourism myth

ASD: … Many voices call for Hawai‘i's tourism industry to attract fewer, wealthier customers. Hospitality industry veteran Dan Wacksman explains why Hawaiʻi can't simply replace millions of visitors with millionaires….

CB: Tourists Visiting Hawaiʻi Have Changed Dramatically In Recent Years

Read … The luxury tourism myth

‘Shocked’: carjacking victims want stiffer charges for alleged thief

HNN: … Victims of an alleged carjacking at Honolulu’s airport last week feel state prosecutors are not doing enough about their case.

Garrett Spencer, 25, was charged with theft and unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle after the incident.

But Lawrence and Rose Ching, who own the car Spencer allegedly stole, think he should also be charged with kidnapping, because their daughter was in the car when the theft happened.

“I think it’s extremely hard to see how this is panning our right now, knowing that he took her against her will,” Lawrence Ching said….

“He even dragged me on the ground while I was trying to get to my daughter,” Lawrence Ching claimed.

Spencer was later detained at the Hickam Field main gate a few miles away.

The girl had been dropped off unharmed at the airport….

Read … ‘Shocked’: carjacking victims want stiffer charges for alleged thief | Hawaii News Now

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