Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Governor touts education, housing in third State of the State address, lawmakers push counties to tax themselves more, Kauai missile defense plans, Ellison closes Lanai golf course, Hilo landfill almost pau, Waikiki condo put on hold, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy Governor's Office
Gov. David Ige 2017 State of the State, courtesy photo
Full transcript of Gov. David Ige's State of the State address here.

Gov. David Ige offered up a cautious State of the State address to lawmakers Monday that underscored his achievements during his first two years as governor, and warned that a slowing state economy will require “adjustments” to his proposed two-year $28.5 billion budget. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige’s third State of the State address was heavy on improving public education and innovating economic development. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige says transforming schools is key to diversifying the state’s economy, and he wants to expand a program that enables high school students to earn college credits for free. Associated Press.

Governor's State of the State Address: Downward Adjustments to Executive Budget Forthcoming. Hawaii Public Radio.

In his third State of the State address on Monday, Gov. David Ige pointed to homelessness, education and government accountability as the core priorities for his administration in the coming year, but he also warned of a slowing economy that could prompt tough budget decisions. Hawaii News Now.

Governor David Ige made affordable housing one of the main cornerstones to his Monday state of the state speech. Pacific Business News.

Recent changes in revenue projections were mentioned in Governor David Ige’s state of the state address on Monday.Big Island Video News.

Leaders of the Hawaii Legislature say they generally agree with Hawaii Gov. David Ige's public policy goals. But they want to see more details on his proposals. KITV.

Hawaii’s political spotlight settled firmly on Gov. David Ige Monday, as he delivered the 2017 State of the State Address on Oahu. West Hawaii Today.

For Kauai representatives, Gov. David Ige’s plans to address homelessness and enhance the school system were some of the main takeaways from his State of the State address. Garden Island.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige touted the success of the state’s accelerator programs In his third State of the State address on Monday as he called for investment in Hawaii’s innovation sector. Pacific Business News.

Parents and others concerned about recent deaths of children in day care filled a Hawaii Senate committee hearing room Monday to support bills that would toughen sanctions against negligent operators and bolster safe sleeping rules meant to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Civil Beat.

Hawaii residents eventually might be able to use marijuana recreationally, and patients could be allowed to purchase it from legally formed collectives.Those are among more than a dozen bills being vetted in the state Legislature related to marijuana and marijuana dispensaries. Tribune-Herald.

Few Tears Shed In Hawaii As Trump Dumps Pacific Trade Pact. Civil Beat.

The recent power struggle that has wracked the leadership of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is expected to flare up again this week in two board of trustees meetings scheduled to take place behind closed doors. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told state lawmakers Monday that he is proposing to raise fuel and weight taxes, and city parking fees, and might even ask for an array of other hikes to pay for construction, operation and maintenance of Oahu’s rail line. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers want the counties to put “more skin in the game” instead of just coming to the state year after year asking for more money, especially when it comes to Honolulu and funding for its increasingly expensive 20-mile rail project. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell faced tough questions as he tried to convince state lawmakers to approve a permanent extension of the 0.5 percent general excise surcharge used to fund the cash-strapped rail project. They wanted to know what was being done to control rising costs. With a $5.2 billion budget two years ago, Caldwell assured legislators at that time that an extension through 2027 would cover a $910 million shortfall. Hawaii News Now.

Proposed fee hikes target drivers, vehicle owners on Oahu. KHON2.

Majority Leader Scott Saiki says his proposed legislation to prohibit a sitting governor or county mayor from holding outside employment or receiving emoluments is inspired by President Donald Trump, not Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu developers of a 32-story, 246-unit condominium-hotel project that would replace the King’s Village shopping center in Waikiki are pressing the pause button on this development because of high construction and decreasing demand for this type of product, an executive from the development team confirmed to Pacific Business News.

Volunteers and social service outreach workers fanned out across Oahu on Monday night to interact with the homeless and try to get an accurate head count for an island that once had the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the country. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Closure of the Hilo landfill remains a moving target, but the East Hawaii rubbish dump could reach capacity in as little as a year. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Three Maui facilities spewed nearly 190,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air in 2015 with the two Maui Electric Co. power plants logging the largest releases in Maui County, the Environmental Protection Agency reported. Maui News.

Kauai

The head of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance still wants the Pentagon to activate a Kauai missile defense testing facility for the protection of Hawaii in emergencies. Star-Advertiser.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to build a single home on the 700 acres of oceanfront land he owns on Kauai’s North Shore, even though half the land once held entitlements in place for up to 80 luxury homes, Pacific Business News has learned.

Lanai

Billionaire Larry Ellison, who co-founded Oracle Corp. and owns 98 percent of the Hawaiian Island of Lanai, is closing one of the two golf courses he owns on the island, a spokeswoman for the company managing the two golf courses confirmed to Pacific Business News Monday.

The Lodge at Koele, one of the two Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts-branded hotels owned by billionaire co-founder of Oracle Corp. and Lanai owner Larry Ellison, is scheduled to re-open in 2018 with a mix of hotel rooms and a spa and wellness concept, a spokeswoman Four Seasons Resorts Lanai confirmed to Pacific Business News Monday.

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