Hawaii State Government

... A total of 606,674 Act 115 refunds were issued, totaling $307.9 million. That includes 288,590 direct deposits and 318,084 paper checks ....

... Hawaii, pension liabilities totaled an estimated $32.7 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, the state's pension assets totaled $17.4 billion. Considering both assets and liabilities, Hawaii's pension funding ratio is 53.2%, the seventh lowest in the country ....

... Green today announced nominees to serve as Director and/or Deputy Director for fourteen state departments in his cabinet ....

... Hawaii has the highest average burdens across the occupations it licenses ....

... Hawaii Department of Transportation will be holding virtual public meetings on the update of the Hawaii Statewide Transportation Plan on Dec. 5, 6, 14, & 15 ....

... chief of staff, Brooke Wilson, (former political and education director for the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters) who had served in the same position when he was Hawaiʻi’s lieutenant governor ....

... Hawaii leveraged $290.0 million in federal highway and bridge formula funds in FY 2022 to help jumpstart 95 new improvement projects ....

... If we don’t demand action, followup on our demands and show the consequences at the ballot box, then we have failed in our civic duty ....

... Senate announces new Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs for 2023 .... 

"...higher inflation will pressure pension liabilities via rising employee wages, which raise projected benefits, and automatic cost of living adjustment mechanisms...."

... click here to apply ....

... Hawaii’s unemployment insurance (UI) program is funded exclusively by employers via state and federal payroll taxes on wages ....

... Hawaii spent $1 million on a sea urchin hatchery and $300,000 for an engineering assessment of the now-condemned Aloha Stadium. …

... the “dedication” of the funding source is often porous ....

... ​Yost vs Wakai over Hu Honua ....

... We found that OLA has done little of consequence ....

... $37,000 of shortfall per taxpayer ....

... The report examines the tax and spending choices made by the governors and discusses recent policy trends ....

... the state's sound financial position and strong governance, offset by economic concentration in tourism, elevated leverage (combined debt, pension, OPEB and other liabilities) and associated fixed costs ....

... The positions are temporary (4-6 month) jobs with start dates in December 2022 or January 2023 .... 

“...Effective immediately, departments and agencies under my authority shall not provide any information, including medical records, data, or billing, to another state seeking to impose penalties upon a person or entity related to reproductive health services in Hawaiʻi....”

“...This attack was focused only on the public-facing website for the airports and had no impact on internal systems, operations, or traveler safety....”

... The most recent and visible example is our iconic Aloha Stadium .... 

... draft legislation would incorporate a “deliberative process privilege” into the state Uniform Information Practices Act ....

... For 2021, Hawaii had $6.5 billion to pay its bills of $24.5 billion ....

... In a Telegram post Wednesday, Killnet, a notorious "hacktivist" group posted a list of several governmental websites it would be targeting in the coming days ....

... City boards, commissions and committees which currently have vacant positions, including openings on the Honolulu Ethics Commission and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation ....

... The Hawai‘i Regulatory Licensing Reform Act requires that professions should be regulated only when reasonably necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of consumers of their services ....

... Does the state have a responsibility to “go without,” if that would be better for the people? ....

... lawmakers are allowed to waive the state’s spending cap by a two-thirds vote, which they routinely do ....

... Tired of runaway government taxes, spending and debt?  Learn what we can do about it from budget expert Daniel Mitchell ....

... Decades of studies have shown that publicly financed stadiums, even those that include housing and retail projects, do not bring in enough money to offset public investments ....

... Gov. Ige vetoed HB1147, which the Legislature approved via an illegal practice, but also vetoed SB3089, which was a setback for liberty ....

... no mention of a fuel dock ....

... FY2022 corporate income tax collections up 60.1% from the previous year, IIT collections up 22.3% from the previous year, and General Fund tax collections up 34.8% ....

... In addition, there are six bills that are becoming law without the governor’s signature. ...

... Ige has until July 12th to veto ....

... “Hawaiʻi is the only state in the country that doesn’t have a centralized, independent state law enforcement agency. The new department will allow more efficient and effective emergency response, criminal law enforcement, investigations and homeland security operations” ....

... The total estimated cost of all six phases is $315M to $470M ....

... tip of the iceberg ....

... Earlier this week, Gov. David Ige announced his “intent to veto” SB3089, a bill that aims to reform the state’s emergency powers law ....

... Asuncion’s current term on the PUC began on July 1, 2020 and ends on June 30, 2026 .... 

... SB3089 would ensure checks and balances during times of emergency ....

 ... including cash bail and Hu Honua -- but not Mauna Kea ....

... Hawaii’s policymakers haven’t given up the dream of regulating it into oblivion ....

... Hawaii per-capita pension liability $39,939.43 ....

... Hawaii improved significantly in 2021 after initially being hard hit by the pandemic ....

... the good, the bad and the ugly ....

... efforts to reform the state’s emergency powers law; reduce barriers to housing; bring taxes, debt and state spending under control ....

... Legislature Passes Bills Supporting Senate Priorities in a Historic Legislative Session ....