Legislators will convene on Monday, July 18th for a special session to determine whether $25 million in severance pay will be paid to union employees transitioning to new employment in a private hospital system....

In a 2-0 decision, the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission today dismissed without prejudice....

Eligible proposers include financiers, developers, equipment manufacturers, nonprofit organizations, and other clean energy industry participants....

"The Hawaii State Constitution provides: 'The employment of persons in the civil service shall be governed by the merit principle....'"

Other bail bond companies are also being reviewed....

...OKs Ige to appoint (anti-NextEra) Tom Gorak on an interim basis to the Public Utilities Commission after (pro NextEra) Commissioner Mike Champley’s term expired....

The Djou for Mayor campaign will file its first campaign finance report today....

"I am now convinced DOCARE is cursed and doomed to remain a pathetic substandard agency...."

On June 15, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard oral arguments in three related bids to invalidate separate Hawaiian county ordinances....

On average, a cosmetologist needed 372 days in training while an EMT needed just 33....

...Who The Winners Are & Whoʻs Left Out Once Again....

...costs are the highest in the nation....

...Sum Total of Results: Rep Gil Riviere Switches to Democratic Party....

Touted by advocates as a model for laws in other states, HB 1739 nonetheless raised enforcement questions....

Complete list and links here ....

Andrew Santos, President of Admor HVAC, presented the State Department of Education an April 20 offer to Cool Schools at $5990 per classroom....

...Yesterday, when asked to respond on EMS staffing shortages, the mayor again refused to respond....

"The legislature must avoid establishing a costly disincentive that would hinder the saving of other neighbor islands' hospital systems through healthy public-private partnerships...."

Between low wages and high net prices, no state can claim that the average four-year college is affordable for low-income students....

...The Department of Public Safety said the air conditioning will remain on the generator until a faulty transformer can be replaced. The part has been ordered....

Each event is offered free of charge and will run from 5 to 7 p.m....

Our fishermen are among the major fresh food producers for Hawai‘i, with about 80% of the catch consumed in our local communities....

“There’s plenty of resistance from insurance companies at the state level against direct primary care."

...In a Special Session, Legislators may amend the bill and take a vote - bill passes with a simple majority....

...these endorsements are approved by Maui HGEA leaders but have not been officially ‘blessed’ by State HGEA HQ....

...2016 VoterVoice Survey Results....

...The new hospital public-private partnership is estimated to save the state $260 million in costs over the next decade....these savings could disappear if the costs for the transition is too great....

"...The content of the CD1 stunned us; it was passed without a single public hearing.  There clearly was no justification....”

...it looks bad for individual council members to secure money for such organizations....

"...the specs of the stages aren’t enough to shoot a porn...."

...25% decrease in mentally unhealthy days....

...the high bids will be used to make lower—but still exorbitant--second round bids look good by comparison....

...documents may point to efforts by the administration to advocate for the controversial new linking of Hawaii’s gun database with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “Rap Back” program....

Since March, the number of prequalified contractors has increased from 18 to 36 as HIDOE prepares to put projects back out to bid....

New locations that are being considered include Baja California in Mexico, the Canary Islands and Chile, as well as locations in India and China....

...Grassroot Institute analyst Matthew Reade speaks with Thomas Rubin, a mass transit consultant who advised Hawaii officials in the early stages of the project....

You can feel the momentum building....

An investigation showed that he had physically threatened his fellow employees, been insubordinate, attempted to use his position as a Liquor Control Officer to obtain special treatment from a licensed liquor establishment....

...hemp-based electrodes for supercapacitors....

Penalties for Workers’ Compensation, Temporary Disability Insurance and Prevailing Wages Violations Increase....

Hemp, Agriculture, Public Safety and TeleHealth....

Djou will participate in the following eight debates and forums in the next five weeks -- at least one of which Caldwell has refused to attend....