Entries for May 2026

...Senate Bill 3125, Our Big Tax Bill (which is still a lot smaller than the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act) was signed into law on May 21 and became Act 24, what I am calling the One Big Tax Bill Act or OBTBA....

"The department is not required to ensure the accuracy of the information in the reports"

"Bill 88 does not automatically rezone a single property. Instead, it creates a legislative pathway. If the bill passes the full council, individual property owners would still need to apply for a zone change on a case-by-case basis."

"The 2026 Legislative Session is done. After 2,459 bills, 397 housing bills, and a lot of late nights, two of our biggest ideas crossed the finish line."

... downstream effects for nonprofits and the 'social safety net' ....

... seagliders are being investigated as a possible mode of interisland transportation ....

...The scheme involved 'affordable' housing development agreements worth more than $11 million....

... Primary Election Ballots arrive by mail: July 21, 2026 ....

...visitors who came in April 2026 spent significantly more on an average daily basis ($278 per person, +14.1%)....

... His appointment will go before the UH Board of Regents for final approval on Thursday, June 4 ....

... Wayne Graves, Director of Human Resources at Hawaii Pacific Health, sits on the Prepaid Health Care Advisory Council ....

... the bill would weaken states’ ability to protect children online while insulating Big Tech from accountability ....

... AG Lopez acknowledged Hawaii “could do better” with indictments and criminal prosecutions ....

... Silvert names the key players, exposes what really happened during “recess,” and explains why this is more than one bad apple ....

...This, in spite of an alleged ‘90-day processing pathway’ written into Bill 7 of 2019.... 

"...Choi wants to end the pay to play culture in Hawaiʻi politics, move the state to publicly funded elections, and bring down a cost of living that is pushing local families off these islands...."

...People can go in to stores and steal up to $1000 worth of stuff  …Hawaii District Courts will not hold a misdemeanor suspect longer than 72 hours… out of 20,000 HPD arrests, we’ve got 23-46 people at OCCC....

... Hawaii becomes the 4th blue state this year to raise their highest income tax rate ....

...This approach has been adopted in Hawaii....

...Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) achieved a 52.8% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) for 2025, second highest in the state behind Hawai‘i Island....

... A task force launched by U.S. intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard to "end weaponization" has fallen apart after "drama" triggered by a memo it circulated that spread false claims — made by a January 6 rioter — against a CIA employee and a former Capitol Police officer ....

... Hawaii legal trends increasingly prioritize adult desires over children’s rights ....

... Grassroot supports proposals at county councils aimed at reducing tax burden for property owners ....

...increasing income taxes on higher earners could drive away “business owners, entrepreneurs, doctors, people that we really need in our state.”....

...Hawaii’s program is set to launch this year....

... what is going to happen to the renewable energy technologies credit ....

... votes cast and bills introduced in Congress ....

... Hirono thinks she has the moral high ground, but ....

... crack down on illegal fireworks by allowing prosecutors to pursue money laundering charges ....

"...give credit where credit is due...."

... net employment gain of 1,530 jobs in the private sector during the third quarter of 2025 ....

...Campus networks and Fil-Am diaspora groups groomed two US citizens for radical violence that led to their deaths....

... Green now has until July 11 to determine whether he will sign ....

"...an emergency appropriation to the Department of Human Services...."

... Seven Chinese executives and four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturing companies were indicted ....

... TikTok wants Hawaii’s state lawsuit accusing TikTok of deliberately addicting children dismissed, or at least moved to federal court ....

...Following court order blocking Hawaii law in favor of The Babylon Bee, Hawaii resident, state officials agree to pay attorneys’ fees, conclude case....

Commander David Lazar is on Boudin's transition team. I asked Lazar if he is afraid the Boudin will be “soft on crime.” Lazar was politic: “We are optimistic, and I look forward to working with the new DA,” he said. “He has a lot of good ideas.”  --January 8, 2020

"...These indictments result from ongoing federal investigations into fraud and collusion in the defense contracting industry in Hawaii...."

...Biggs was a serial, self-described “groomer” who targeted children, many of whom were mentally and emotionally vulnerable....

...After everything HPD has been through, all the Police Commissioners can think of is exploiting this process to make a useless statement about national politics.  Their decision will barely be noticed on the national level but will have an effect within HPD for years to come.... 

...firearms are prohibited inside the facility because the Convention Center considers itself a “sensitive place”....

"...on December 31, 2025, a statewide total of 3,764 private persons possessed a valid license to carry (LTC) a concealed handgun...."

“...These defendants traded on the reputation of the Shriners Children’s healthcare system to perpetrate their multi-million-dollar fraud...”

... Hawaii politicians and lobbyists star in a movie about their own doings ....

...County acquiring MLP’s West Maui water system, along with select Upcountry water infrastructure and other MLP assets....

... Factory-built housing will now be permitted as permanent housing if ....

"...gifts of swag and tickets from ... tournament officials can be inferred as being an intent to influence or reward county officers...." -- Maui County Ethics Board

"After Hawaii submitted its SIP revision, Hawaiian Electric Company noted that these unconsented closures could have negative impacts to grid reliability on the islands of Maui and Hawaii"

... The Attorney General’s ‘Medicaid Fraud Control Unit’ worked only five cases between 2019 and 2025--they refused to touch this one ....