... helping to defeat many measures that would have harmed Hawaii’s economy and added to our already high cost of living ....

... the average salary in the Aloha State is $61,420, or $23.35 an hour, putting it behind 16 other states whose average employees earn more ....

... Hawaii’s economy will grow at a slower pace than in past years ....

... A critical transmission line that serves as a back-up route of power to approximately 11,000 customers in West Maui is now online ....

"... launching and connecting student clubs such as Genders & Sexualities Alliance ...."

... About 500 teachers qualify for payments ranging from $2,500 to $8,000 in June ....

... groceries cost more in Hawaii than in any other state ....

... Akina said “the tax cuts are gonna be huge in terms of keeping money in the pockets of people starting next year” .... 

... nonprofit hospitals are exempt from the GET, but small physician practices and clinics are not ....

... “Economic pressures will cause ‘toxic’ hysteria to be hyped up until locals sell out.  Then the hysteria will evaporate and be forgotten as Lahaina is rebuilt as Wailea v2 surrounding the ‘Venice of the Pacific’ water feature.”  -- HFP, Nov 2023 ....

... Navy’s and NASA’s proposal to retain the use of 8,348 acres and 23 acres, respectively, of State lands presently utilized pursuant to leases and easements on Kauai ....

... rate would increase by 82% for B&Bs worth $3 million or more ....

... to competitively pursue and secure the historic investments made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) ....

... Hawaii has the lowest training requirements in the USA ....

... Social service providers have made numerous visits to the camps at Kahului, attempting to place people into transitionary or permanent housing. However, most decline ....

“We thank Gov. Green, Hawai‘i legislators, and our partners at the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, UNITE HERE Local 5, and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 142 for their leadership in passing this important law."--AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey

... A federal court in Hawaii dismissed a woman’s lawsuit against the state for allegedly providing porn to minors through the public library system ....

... after an investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards ....

... and proposed rules changes were defeated ....

... With the adjournment of the 2024 session, the following anti-gun bills are now defeated ....

... harm to society is minimized if individuals are responsible for the own actions ....

... to honor Honolulu’s Purple Heart recipients for their “singularly meritorious action” in the line of duty and service to their nation ....

... 73 percent of those vehicles with expired tags have not been registered in at least five years ....

... Get inside scoop at upcoming events on how good bills managed to prevail ....

... votes cast and bills introduced ....

... “Good riddance!” ....

... The best news to come out of it was that our lawmakers passed a major income tax-relief bill, HB2404, which Gov. Josh Green is almost certain to sign because it was part of his much-touted "Green Affordability Plan." ....

... Because USACE is involved, 8a companies such as Dawson score no-bid contracts.  Hopefully the FBI investigation and any future indictments and arrests won't interfere with construction.  It also helps that Robin Danner scored a gig in the Governor's office ....

... DeCorte almost beat me in 2022.  By resigning, I give Green a chance to appoint a Democrat to give him a better chance for this seat in 2024 ....

... Three Words: 'Conflict Of Interest' ....

... six fig leaves ....

"... ALICE families will experience firsthand one of the biggest tax cuts in the State’s history ...."

... The bill clarifies the counties’ authority to control the time, place, manner, and duration of land uses, particularly transient accommodations including short-term rentals ....

... over the last 16 years, one bird died ....

... $297 million has been designated to aid non-FEMA eligible families ....

... Senate and House chambers passed Senate Bill 2845 that prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from purchasing or possessing ammunition ....

... "Too bad Maui didn’t learn from the City getting spanked for unconstitutionally attempting to legislatively phase out vested property rights to STRs" ....

... Hawaii ranks 47th in health care facilities per capita ....

... but Hawaii has the 5th-highest proportion of teenagers offered drugs on school grounds ....

... exempts hospitals, infirmaries, medical clinics, health care facilities, pharmacies, and medical and dental providers from General Excise Tax (GET) on goods or services that are reimbursed through Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE ....

... Maui’s circuit breaker offers relief to people who own and live in their homes and have filed for property tax homeowner exemptions ....

... any coffee labeled or advertised with a Hawaiʻi geographic origin must consist of at least fifty-one percent coffee by weight from that geographic region ....

... By broadening the types of shelf-stable food that can be sold and where producers can sell them, the bill ensures that local entrepreneurs have the chance to thrive while maintaining high standards of food safety ....

... to hold the Cell Carriers responsible for their failure to properly inform the Maui Police Department in a timely manner of widespread cellular service outages on August 8 to 9, 2023 ....

... There were 855,537 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in March 2024, down 5.0 percent from a year ago. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.76 billion, which was a drop of 4.2 percent compared to March 2023 ....

... groundwater monitoring to support the Navy’s request to reduce the amount of water being discharged into Halawa Stream from 4.5 million gallons a day to 1.8 million gallons a day ....

... 2.2% were denied due to one or more disqualifying factors ....

... 450 temporary studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom housing units across 54 acres ....

“I am concerned that the amicus brief will be perceived as an attempt by OHA to evade accountability to state ethics laws and oversight. Courts have ruled that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is a state agency whose leadership and employees are subject to the standards of conduct and behavior expected of all state personnel.” --- OHA Trustee Keli'i Akina

... over one third—or $15.3 million—went unclaimed ....