September 20, 2026 News Read

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Sunday, September 20, 2026

September 20, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 11:25 AM :: 102 Views

How Honolulu can learn from Auckland

Hawaii 2nd-Lowest Student Debt in USA

Getting into Tax Court

With One More Seat, Republican Legislators Could Force Roll-call Votes

CB: … Republicans currently hold just 10 out of 51 seats in the state House, and it appears the Nov. 3 election won’t dramatically change that balance of power. But if the Republicans can secure just one additional House seat, the House rules will allow them to force roll call votes on the House floor.

Hawaiʻi’s Democratic majority would sometimes prefer to avoid public votes on controversial topics. But with an extra House seat, Republicans could force some very public discussions about Hawaiʻi’s pressing problems such as the painfully high cost of living and housing. That would give GOP lawmakers a way to put more Democrats on record on hot-button issues or proposals that otherwise might not be addressed on the House floor.

“Anything to increase debate is a good thing,” said House Republican Floor Leader Diamond Garcia. “If we increase the numbers — and we’re praying to God we do — we’re definitely going to make use of our ability to force debate on more topics, and have more conversations openly and publicly.” ….

read … Hawaiʻi GOP Aims To Win More Seats And Fire Up Debate - Honolulu Civil Beat

Are Voters Apathetic? Maybe They're Disgusted

CB: … In 1959, the year Hawaiʻi became a state, voter turnout statewide was 84% in the primary and 93% in the general election. It has fallen almost every election year since. In this year’s primary, it was a shameful 33%.

What if low voter turnout is not due to apathy, disinterest or laziness, but instead anger or disgust? What if it’s not “I don’t care” but something more like, “I refuse to play the game anymore.”…

Voting used to have a feeling of solemnity and the quiet pride of civic duty. Maybe you went with your parents to the school cafeteria on election day when you were a kid. Maybe you remember the smell of the new canvas in the curtain of the voting booth, the way your parents were extra careful like they were taking a test, the way your friendly neighbors looked a little different than usual – like they were carrying out a serious assignment. So much of the tactile, visceral, communal experience of voting was lost when we switched to all mail-in ballots, and as it is playing out, voting by mail may be easier, but it doesn’t make more people want to participate. …

The absurdity is not just from those races in that part of the island. It’s in the campaign ads paid for by big political action committees that should make candidates ashamed that they seem bought-and-paid-for. It’s the City Council not taking action on anything substantive while awarding themselves big raises. It’s all the politicians going to the Supreme Court to argue for their jobs and framing it like they’re arguing for voters’ rights.

Solemnity and sense of civic duty has been lost in politics, both nationally and here in Hawaiʻi. We bemoan the “bread and circuses” nature of national politics. In Hawaiʻi, it’s lauhala and plastic balls and the angry realization that the job of politicians is largely about keeping their jobs….

read … Lee Cataluna: Are Voters Apathetic? Maybe They're Disgusted - Honolulu Civil Beat

CD2: Dark Money Pours into Tokuda Campaign

CB: … Awa said he doesn’t want to see any outside money come into the race. He’s been running a stripped down, grassroots campaign and he said he wants to carry that through to the Nov. 3 election so that he can maintain his image as a dark horse candidate who’s “moral to the core.”

Awa said he’s already talked to national party officials about not spending money on his behalf and has turned down pitches from others offering to support him, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, which has been pumping millions of dollars into races all across the country in an attempt to unseat critics of Israel.

“We’ve already told people to stay out,” Awa said. “We don’t want your help. This is more degrading to us than anything else.”

State Sen. Brenton Awa said he’s already turned down help from outside groups that otherwise might back his campaign. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026)

When running for state senate in 2024 Awa vowed not to accept any campaign donations yet still beat his Democratic opponent by five percentage points. His congressional campaign is taking a different tack. He’s reported raising around $122,000 through mid-July and has spent most of his money — about 90% so far — on yard signs, banners and bumper stickers.

Tokuda’s campaign, meanwhile, has reported raising more than $800,000 so far this election cycle and as of July still had more than $570,000 in the bank compared to Awa’s $16,000….

read … Dark Money Looms Over This Hawaiʻi Congressional Race - Honolulu Civil Beat

Worries persist in Hawaii despite Supreme Court’s mail-in ballot ruling

SA: … State Sen. Karl Rhoads (D, Nuuanu-Downtown- Iwilei) said the reason that the Trump administration doesn’t “like mail-in voting is because it’s harder to suppress voting.”

“But I’m less concerned that they’ll do it here because they’re probably aware that most people who vote on Election Day here are MAGA who are irrationally suspicious of using mail-in votes, despite the fact that their leader uses them all the time,” he said. “It would be shooting themselves in the foot if they’re trying to intimidate their own voters from coming to polls in Hawaii….”

AS EXPLAINED: Long Lines Suppress Votes on Election Day: Election Officials Plan to do it Again in 2026

read … Worries persist in Hawaii despite Supreme Court’s mail-in ballot ruling | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Can Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA Take Hold At UH Mānoa?

CB: … Turning Point USA does have a chapter at UH and already has seven members. It was founded last fall, said Ethan Yamamoto, a 22-year-old sophomore and the chapter’s current president.

A graduate of Moanalua High School in Salt Lake, Yamamoto said that he was surprised to learn there were no groups for conservative students at UH.

“I felt that was unacceptable for a college campus,” he said. “I think it’d be fair to characterize this as a hostile campus towards conservative Christian values.”

Yamamoto said his beliefs include limited government, freedom of speech and Jesus Christ playing “a larger role in our society.” He added, “America is the greatest country on Earth.”…

Teagan Miley, founder of the Hawaiʻi chapter, wrote on her Instagram that “building a conservative organization in Hawaiʻi, especially on such a liberal campus surrounded by far-left ideology and policies, was an uphill battle from the start.”

She continued: “But it was worth it.”

read … The Sunshine Blog: Can Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA Take Hold At UH Mānoa? - Honolulu Civil Beat

County finance committee votes to extend homeless slush fund

HTH: … A majority of Hawaii County Council members supported a bill this week that would extend the county’s Homeless and Housing Fund into 2029 during a meeting of the council finance committee. It will move forward to be voted on during a meeting of the full council.

Established in 2022, the fund allocates a minimum of $9 million from property tax revenue every year to be distributed to non-profits working to address homelessness in the county. It is set to expire in June of 2027, but Bill 192 would extend the program an additional two years….

Since its creation, the fund has awarded over $33.5 million in grants. Early this year, the council requested an audit of the program to evaluate the impact of the funding, the results of which have not yet been released. South Hilo Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi said he did not want to approve an extension of the fund before reviewing that data.

“For me, I would really want to see the report, you know, that the auditors did, so that we can make a better decision on if this funding is successful, or it should be, I guess, targeted in certain areas,” he said….

read … County finance committee votes to extend homeless fund - Hawaii Tribune-Herald

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