Entries for April 2016

Learn what Federal, State, and local agencies are doing to keep the Aloha State safe....

...the 19 members discussed innovation and empowerment as the team starts work to create the blueprint for public education in Hawai‘i....

House Democrats are here to cut off your ....

The Candidate Report is available weekly....

The Bishop Museum Board of Directors today announced that Blair Collis has resigned as president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the museum....

...the department continues to provide monthly reports to the commission that do not fully reflect the severity of loan delinquencies....

Which cronies get to sell marijuana? -- Click here to find out ....

For the second consecutive year, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) will issue a specialized assessment to Hawaiian immersion students....

Tuesday (5/3) will be the second to last floor session where many of the bills will be heard for final passage. The 2016 Legislative session officially ends Thursday (5/5)....

...three different scenarios a bill can go through after passing Second Crossover....

...From Hawai'i Family Advocates....

When it comes to hiring a home health aide, where you live matters....

This week, two anti-gun bills, House Bill 625 and Senate Bill 2954 were enrolled to the Governor for his consideration.  Additionally, final action may soon be taken on two other anti-gun bills, House Bill 2632 and Senate Bill 2647....

"As Zika continues to spread rapidly overseas, we must take precautionary measures to prevent any locally acquired cases from taking hold in our state.”

College Affordability Diagnosis shows that higher education has gone from expensive to unaffordable for most American families....

...Hawaii's aggregate scores are in the highest quartiles of both illegal and legal corruption....

Illinois has the nation’s highest median property tax rate at 2.67 percent, according to new data from CoreLogic, while Hawaii has the lowest median property tax rate at 0.31 percent....

... people who promote sexual reassignment surgery “are collaborating with and promoting a mental disorder” ....

...second in problem gambling treatment....

...legislators are allowed to simply carve up the Capitol Improvement Budget by political favoritism....

A new accounting standard is requiring Hawaii to come clean about its pension debt, but the state is still hiding billions of pension and health care debt from its financial reports....

...we have an old eminent domain code and don't have a whole lot of current decisional law applying it....

... when it makes allegations like this, there's not going to be much doubt about the outcome, is there? ....

...requesting a waiver of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act that compromise the state’s existing Prepaid Health Care Act...

...Compared with 2004‐2005, Honolulu consumers spent more on housing in 2013‐2014, with the share of housing increasing from 31.7% to 43.2%....

"...he has quite the history of confrontations with HPD...."

...Child care for a 4-year-old costs an average of $776 each month....

• Senate: Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization – Passage
• Senate: Energy Policy – Passage
• Senate: Fiscal 2017 Energy-Water Appropriations – Eliminate Funding for Various Commissions
• Senate: Fiscal 2017 Energy-Water Appropriations – Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program
• House: IRS Hiring – Passage
• House: IRS Oversight and User Fees - Passage
• House: Bar IRS from Rehiring Certain Employees – Passage

... marijuana providers with high startup costs are not allowed to deduct any of them or any routine business expenses ....

Renewable fuel proponents took another shot this year at enacting a renewable fuels credit....

...The Strategic Plan, which was last updated in 2012, is a combined effort to further develop comprehensive strategies focused on three foundational goals of quality education: Student Success, Staff Success and Successful Systems of Support....

...Ige's fourth supplemental proclamation on homelessness will remain in effect until late June....

Candidate filing for the 2016 Elections runs from February 1, 2016 through June 7, 2016....

...Gary and Hector kept repeating the words corporations and chemicals over and over....

...Until recently, hospital labor on Maui was given exclusively to a public labor union. As a result, 70% of the budget was spent on employees....

“The main reason is a very cumbersome permitting process, in a way that prevents people from building housing quickly and at a low cost…."

...the conference committee on Senate Bill 2954 recommended that the Senate concur with the House amendments that were made to SB 2954.  This bill will now go back to the Senate for final concurrence.  Additionally, House Bill 2632 has been scheduled for a conference committee hearing....

... Sign this petition opposing Bill 165 so that I may share it with the Council members when we discuss the tax increase in the Finance Committee on May 3 ....

...Sanders’ camp has been quiet as far as whether Gabbard would join the Vermont senator as his running mate....

...much of the university’s request is not accommodated in either the House or Senate version of the budget....

...When Zika makes it to Hawaii and destroys the tourism industry, remember the environmentalists and organic pseudo-farmers who refused to allow spraying....

“We look like potted plants.” -- Formby

...“Keahole Management Group LLC” is managed by former House Vice-Speaker Jon Riki Karimtsu ....

"...only four cities—Burlington-South Burlington, Vt.; Elmira-Corning, N.Y.; Honolulu, Hawaii; and Salinas, Calif.—qualified for the 'cleanest cities' list in the "State of the Air' report...."

... HB2501 Conference Committee meets today at 2pm, do the math ....

...debtor in possession....

Representative Bob McDermott discusses the building of a new school for Ewa Beach with Kurt Fevella President at The Ewa Beach Lions Club....