Hawaii State Government

...Which States Rely the Most on Federal Aid?....

...The economic boom of the last few years allowed them to continue spending at high levels, and many of them would like to keep it that way....

...On the first pay date of the year on Jan. 4, 2019, the PeopleSoft Payroll system issued 70,771 payments to 66,182 employees, as there are individuals issued pay for multiple positions....

...tens of millions of dollars for modernization within nearly every department....

...BUF, DAGS, DLIR....

...Jay Griffin becomes PUC chair immediately....

...HDOT, DoTAX, DHRD, DOH, DHS, DLNR, DCCA, PSD, DHHL, ETS, DoD....

...the Foundation and DAGS have implemented 16 and partially implemented 7 of the 29 recommendations. Six recommendations have not been implemented....

... the agencies are supposed to come up with a “variance report” that is supposed to list how much they were budgeted, how much was spent, and a narrative explanation for any significant difference ....

...Connors was nominated to the Federal District Court by Obama, but the Senate did not vote and the nomination lapsed when Obama's term ended....

...DCCA Director Catherine P. Awakuni Colón has named Colin M. Hayashida as insurance commissioner for the State of Hawaii. The appointment was effective January 1, 2019....

...a series of Informational Briefings in January to hear testimony and review requests for the state budget from governmental agencies....

...DLNR needs to understand that the money in these funds isn’t “their” money. It’s taxpayer money....

...Submit an online application to the Office of the Governor, Boards and Commissions, and learn more about how you can make an impact serving on the Commission....

...the state still spent about $2 billion more than it generated in fiscal year 2018, and its overall net position dropped by $718.4 million dollars over the course of the fiscal year, in spite of a $326 million increase in revenue generated mostly by airport and harbor fees....

...The deadline to submit grant applications is 4:30 p.m. January 18, 2019....

...The following senators will take on the leadership roles for the Thirtieth Legislative Biennium 2019 through 2020....

...Aaron Hoff also pops up in the recent eviction of a gym from DHHL land in Anahola....

...2 special funds, 2 trust funds, and 4 trust accounts did not meet criteria. We also noted that DAGS did not file statutorily required reports....

...The Cato Institute has released its 14th biennial fiscal report card on the governors....

...Gov. David Ige submitted his Executive Budget for Fiscal Biennium 2019-2021 to the Hawai‘i State Legislature today....

...Over $26 Million of State Portion of Ceded Land Revenues were not Transferred to the State General Fund in a Timely Manner....

...The newly updated Dam Inventory Management System is now available online with access to dam evacuation zone maps....

...Leadership and the committee assignments for the Thirtieth Legislature (2019-2020)....

...often easier said than done....

...Pew found “symptoms of structural deficits” in Hawaii (96.9 percent)....

...Report: One-third of states have passable fiscal transparency, the rest need improvement....

...In addition, the state is searching for individuals to serve on a variety of boards and commissions....

...Keli'i Akina and Joe Kent discuss the latest research by the Grassroot Institute on rail, vacation rentals and the unfunded liabilty of Hawaii's public pension system....

...Hawaii is precariously stretched to fund debt obligations....

...30th Legislature - Session Employment Opportunities....

...House Speaker Scott K. Saiki and the House Majority Democrats are pleased to welcome nine newly elected Representatives to the 2019 Legislature....

...and found one special fund did not meet criteria and should be closed....

...House Speaker Scott K. Saiki is pleased to announce the Representatives who will be part of the House Leadership and the committee chair assignments for the Thirtieth Legislature....

...every year we follow up on recommendations made in our audit reports....

...For the most recent period the No Campaign under the name “Preserve Our Hawaii” reported contributions of $665,000 and expenditures of $612,513....

...Hawaii has arguably the least competitive state legislative elections among the 50 U.S. states....

...the Star-Advertiser, which earns most of its revenue from ads, ran six convention related ads—all in opposition—beginning on October 14, 2018....

...internet service providers sued Vermont on Thursday in an effort to overturn its recently enacted net neutrality rules....

...all four annual savings reports filed by Johnson Controls through 2017 indicated that actual savings exceeded energy contract guaranteed savings for each period....

...Originally bid at $76,400, the contract grew to $543,374—a 611 percent increase—while its scope shrank and the deliverables’ deadline were extended by a year. In the end, the PKF founder was arrested at the arport....

...per-driver vehicle operating costs due to rough roads. Honolulu 8th-worst at $851.  Share of Poor-Condition Roads 54% – 5th worst....

...The $55 million figure being promoted by Preserve Our Hawaii is highly controversial.  Hawaii’s last convention in 1978 cost $2.03 million. In current dollars, that sum would be $7.7 million....

...On the basis of its solvency in five separate categories....

...the leading no coalition, Preserve Our Hawaii, and its lead organizer, the Hawaii Government Employees Association, publicly announced their 'No' campaign on October 8....

...The insiders, a who’s who of what’s wrong in Hawaii, have made a handy list of everything that keeps them in power in the 1978 Hawaii Constitution....

...Since its inception 21 years ago, this biennial e-survey has helped benchmark state government use of digital technologies to improve service delivery, increase capacity, and reach policy goals....

...state policymakers are willing to commit to payments on the unfunded liabilities, but haven’t done much to curb the excessive spending practices that have led us to this point....

...Follow-Up on Recommendations from Report No. 15-20, Audit of the Department of Human Services’ KOLEA System....

...Our review of six trust funds and four trust accounts of the Department of Defense (DOD) found one trust fund did not meet criteria and should be closed....