Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contraception. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Hanabusa to challenge Schatz for U.S. Senate, labor contracts take bite out of Hawaii budget, Abercrombie signs emergency contraception bill, PLDC is pau, state pays $5.75M for sex abuse at Deaf and Blind School, petroglyphs vandalized, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

U.S. Senate candidates
Brian Schatz, Colleen Hanabusa vie for U.S. Senate
U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has decided to challenge U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz in the Democratic primary next year, according to a source close to her campaign. Star-Advertiser.

A national Democratic source told Civil Beat this morning that Rep. Colleen Hanabusa informed the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington D.C. that she will be challenging Sen. Brian Schatz in next year’s special election.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa will challenge U.S. Senator Brian Schatz in the 2014 Democratic primary, Hawaii News Now has learned.

She hasn’t filed the papers, but sources close to Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa’s camp say it’s official.  She will go head-to-head with Senator Brian Schatz in next years Democratic primary. KHON2.

Sen. Mazie Hirono will be breaking bread with President Barack Obama over at his place tonight. Civil Beat.

State House and Senate budget negotiators said Monday that new contracts for public-sector labor unions would likely limit their options for spending on tax incentives and new state programs. Star-Advertiser.

The latest draft of the Hawaii state budget removes funding for about 200 vacant positions in state agencies and sets aside about $15 million to compensate for federal budget cuts. Associated Press.

House and Senate leaders have made significant policy decisions, unveiling them during the fifth conference committee hearing on the state budget Monday evening at the Capitol. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a bill Monday that repeals the Public Land Development Corp., satisfying persistent public outcry over the land agency, which has been overwhelmingly criticized for its broad power to develop state land. Associated Press.

Nearly two years after signing Act 55, which created the Public Lands Development Corporation, Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed a repeal of the controversial law Monday. Garden Island.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has signed a new law requiring hospital emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception to female victims of sexual assault. Associated Press.

Legislators and activists were all smiles Monday as they packed into Gov. Neil Abercrombie's ceremony room at the state Capitol to watch him sign into law a bill that ensures sexually assaulted women will have access to emergency contraception anywhere they seek emergency care. Star-Advertiser.

The occasion on Monday was the signing of House Bill 411, which ensures that female sexual assault victims are provided "accurate, unbiased information" about and access to emergency contraception when receiving care at hospitals. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers are considering a proposal that would effectively change the way developments are planned throughout the state, by no longer requiring developers to complete archaeological studies prior to beginning construction. Hawaii News Now.

Time is running out for Hawaii lawmakers to negotiate a bill that would make the state shield law permanent before it expires June 30. Civil Beat.

A federal judge gave final approval Monday to a $5.75 million settlement to a class-action lawsuit that claims students at the Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind physically and sexually assaulted other students. Star-Advertiser.

A former U.S. defense contractor’s Chinese girlfriend might have coaxed top secret national security information from him, according to documents filed in federal court Monday. Civil Beat.

The number of youth locked up in the state's Juvenile Detention Facility while their cases are handled in Family Court has plummeted 43 percent in the last three years, reflecting a drop in youth arrests and a concerted effort to reduce unnecessary detention. Star-Advertiser.

About 55 percent of the youth in the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility are from the neighbor islands, even though those islands account for 30 percent of the state's population. Star-Advertiser.

Visitor traffic from two of the larger business meetings of the year has given Waikiki hoteliers an opportunity this month to carry strong rates into the start of the slower "shoulder" season and bolster neighbor island traffic. Star-Advertiser.

More than one billion people in 192 countries were expected to participate in Earth Day activities today… marking the 43rd year of focusing on environmental awareness. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said this week that he won’t accept a raise proposed by the city’s salary commission, but he didn’t mention that he has a side job as a member of Territorial Bancorp’s board of directors that pays more than some city workers make in a year. Pacific Business News.

Landscape planter boxes may soon prevent the tents of (de)Occupy Honolulu members from returning along the Beretania and King street sidewalks at Thomas Square. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, City Council Chairman Ernie Martin and Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation officials are in Washington, D.C. this week to update federal officials about the progress of the $5.16 billion elevated-rail mass-transit project, the mayor’s office said in a statement. Pacific Business News.

Construction on the city’s $5.2 billion Honolulu rail project ground to a halt last August after attorneys from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation representing Paulette Kalekini convinced Hawaii Supreme Court justices that the city violated environmental laws. Hawaii Reporter.

Many hikers still not deterred despite posted violations at Mariner's Ridge trail. KITV4.

Zero to Three Court focuses on children neglected or abused during their most vulnerable years, from birth until age 3. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Vandals have damaged 26 of 167 petroglyphs in a lava field located off trail in the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park’s Kaloko area. West Hawaii Today.

The University of Hawaii’s Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy came up short this week, when the school’s lack of permanent facilities cost it points in an accreditation evaluation. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Island hunters are again expressing concerns over the state’s aerial sheep eradication. West Hawaii Today.

A fight is brewing for control of Hawaii Nui Brewing LLC about a week after the Hilo beer maker filed for bankruptcy. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

The Fairmont Kea Lani resort on Maui sponsored a community reef clean-up event recently in celebration of Earth Day, hotel administrators said. Maui Now.

Maui attorney Steven Songstad has been disbarred from practicing law, based on multiple ethical violations in 14 cases, according to a Hawaii Supreme Court order. Maui News.

Beginning on Monday, April 22, some bus stops in West Maui will be out of service due to Honokōwai road repairs and related road closures. Maui Now.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and a cast of executive-level supporting players came to Maui on Wednesday, April 10, for a session billed as "Cabinet in Your Community." Maui Weekly.

Kauai

A project aimed at revitalizing an ailing watershed got a big boost Sunday from volunteers who braved flash flood advisories to battle a silent but deadly enemy. Garden Island.

The Kaua‘i Police Department is supporting the statewide and national campaign for “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.” Garden Island.


Molokai

For 28 years, the Native Hawaiian Library has quietly served Molokai, offering programs and resources to children and adults while enduring as a place of learning and discovery. Molokai Dispatch.


Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hawaii Supreme Court mulls laptops, cellphones in state courtrooms, Legislature advances Steven Tyler paparazzi, minimum wage, marijuana decriminalization, emergency contraception, preschool bills, global warming seen on Mauna Loa, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2013 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Hawaii Supreme Court (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

The Hawaii Supreme Court is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would allow the public, members of the media and lawyers to use laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices in state courtrooms. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii state House and Senate have approved separate proposals to raise the state minimum wage. Associated Press.

The state House and Senate on Tuesday endorsed a new state-funded preschool initiative, a loan program that may help consumers afford solar-energy devices, an increase of the minimum wage and an unemployment insurance tax break for businesses. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers moved on a host of good government measures Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii state Senate passed the so-called Steven Tyler Act Tuesday, a bill that seeks to protect celebrities from overeager paparazzi by creating a civil violation if people take unwanted photos or videos of others in their private moments. Associated Press.

The Hawaii State Senate on Tuesday, March 5, passed the Steven Tyler Act, legislation that Tyler and other celebrities said will protect them from overzealous journalists and paparazzi. Hawaii Reporter.
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/steven-tyler-act-passes-full-hawaii-senate/123

A bill that would decriminalize the possession of under one ounce of marijuana has been approved by the state Senate and moved to the House. Big Island Now.

The Hawaii state Senate has voted for a bill that would require hospital emergency rooms to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. Associated Press.

The state Senate on Tuesday passed a bill that seeks to raise state revenue by developing public school lands. Associated Press.

Hawaii is still trying to get up to speed on spending its $75 million Race to the Top grant. As of Feb. 1, school officials say, the state has spent about $27 million — or 36 percent of the award — on sweeping reforms it pledged to achieve by next year. Star-Advertiser.

The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the air jumped dramatically in 2012, making it very unlikely that global warming can be limited to another 2 degrees as many global leaders have hoped, new measurements from Mauna Loa in Hawaii show. Associated Press.

The state is promoting this week as "Hawaii Invasive Species Awareness Week" to bring attention to a problem that costs residents and businesses millions of dollars each year. Star-Advertiser.

A Civil Beat review of state records and interviews with local regulators shows that that Hawaii’s rivers, streams and coastal waters are not being tested for the herbicide Atrazine even though the EPA established water safety levels a decade ago and last year required states to regulate pesticides under the Clean Water Act.

As policy makers in Washington continue to struggle with budget issues, Hawaii residents are still wondering what the precise impacts will be on the state. One important area of federal spending for Hawaii: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—or NOAA. As HPR’s Bill Dorman reports, the specific cuts to Hawaii’s NOAA operations are still not clear. Hawaii Public Radio.

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono introduced bills Tuesday that would reunite Filipino World War II veterans with their families, many of whom live in the Philippines. Star-Advertiser.

After years of waiting, Hawaii's Filipino World War II veterans like 89-year-old Artemio Caleda are again raising their hopes for a change in immigration law that would make it easier to bring their relatives to be near them in their old age. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s state Insurance Division is expanding the kinds of rate comparisons state residents can find online. West Hawaii Today.

State 3/6. Associated Press.

Oahu

The city ramped up pressure on supporters of the (de)Occupy Honolulu movement Tuesday afternoon, tagging 15 of their tents, chairs, tables, pallets, signs and other items placed on the sidewalk on the makai side of Thomas Square. Star-Advertiser.

The deployment of a Navy ship out of Pearl Harbor was put on hold last week because of budget uncertainties that threaten to undermine the "rebalance" of U.S. forces to the Pacific, Adm. Samuel Locklear III, head of U.S. Pacific Command, told the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Billionaire's arrest could affect Hawaii property. Hawaii News Now.

Gaudy. Cheap. Offensive. Dozens of statues that Japanese real estate tycoon Genshiro Kawamoto erected on four of his sprawling estates along Kahala Avenue have been described by observers in these terms. Star-Advertiser.

Genshiro Kawamoto has been called many things — eccentric, mysterious, a nuisance. You can add one more to the list: suspected criminal. Civil Beat.

We investigated Genshiro Kawamoto's tax bills here in the islands and found he's by and large a model taxpayer. KHON2.

Turtle Bay Resort is willing to negotiate with the state to protect land around the North Shore landmark from development. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Independent spoke with entrepreneur and philanthropist Henk Rogers to discuss his new project: accelerating the creation of a new cadre of Hawaii tech companies via his new organization, Blue Startups. The accelerator provides mentorship and seed funding for teams over a three-month process, at the end of which is a business that can seek greater funding.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said Tuesday that it has improved its online Oahu map to help customers and contractors plan new solar photovoltaic systems. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Marriott International has notified Hawaii labor officials that the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort and Spa is being sold and the hotel's 315 employees could lose their jobs in early May if the new owner does not retain Marriott as the property's manager and operator. Pacific Business News.

The capital improvement budget submitted late last week by Mayor Billy Kenoi is 37 percent higher than last year’s. But don’t expect all those projects to be started right away. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County Fire Department’s request to add an ambulance at Makalei Fire Station was denied this year because of the state’s fiscal situation, Fire Chief Darren Rosario said. West Hawaii Today.

The state Senate, following the House’s lead, adopted a resolution renaming Saddle Road connecting East and West Hawaii the Daniel K. Inouye Legacy Highway after the late U.S. senator. Tribune-Herald.

Michael Madoff was in Honolulu on Tuesday to hear his lawyers plead with a federal judge to let his lawsuit involving the death of his son be resolved in Hawaii. A large wave washed the New York teenager into the ocean at the Kaawa­loa lighthouse near Kealakekua Bay on Hawaii island July 4. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Maui Film Studios LLC began leasing the new warehouse in Central Maui on Friday. In the coming months, Maui Film Studios will be outfitting the warehouse as a 21,000-square-foot soundstage, "the largest film studio in Hawaii," said Socrates Buenger, owner and chief executive officer of the company, on Monday. Maui News.

The Maui County Council on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would officially subject properties used for converting wind to usable energy to real property taxes. Maui News.

A special grass that curbs erosion and absorbs substances such as lead and arsenic from the soil and water through its roots is part of a Maui County pilot project that begins today. Maui News.

Kauai

Former state Rep. Roland Sagum III has been charged with allegedly taking rocks from a 15-acre archaeological preserve in Poipu, Kauai, in 2011. Star-Advertiser.

Two bills that would enable the state Public Utility Commission to consider the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative's status as a member-owned, nonprofit co-op when reviewing regulatory issues have made considerable progress in both chambers of the state Legislature, with ample support from some state agencies and every member of the Kaua‘i County Council. Garden Island.

Arrivals to Kaua‘i grew 10.6 percent to 92,163 visitors in January 2013 with increased arrivals from the top four visitor markets, according to a Hawai‘i Tourism Authority report. Garden Island.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Hawaii lawmakers seek paparazzi protection with 'Steven Tyler Act,' emergency contraception bill proposed, Abercrombie stuffs campaign warchest, libraries go digital, Kauai fights coral disease, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii paparazzi protection
Steven Tyler courtesy photo
More than two-thirds of Hawaii’s state senators have signed onto a bill to protect celebrities from paparazzi, giving them power to sue over unwanted beach photos and other snapshots on the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Star-struck lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 465, which would allow famous people to sue if they felt their privacy was being invaded by people taking photos or making recordings of them. Civil Beat.

Some Hawaii lawmakers believe public figures do deserve added protection. State Senator Kalani English, a Democrat from Maui, introduced the “Steven Tyler Act,” which makes it a civil tort to invade the privacy of celebrities. Hawaii Reporter.

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler could be called the poster child for legislation some are calling the "paparazzi bill." KITV4.

A bill to strengthen Hawaii's lobbying law cleared a big hurdle this week, but not before the House Judiciary Committee diluted a key part. Civil Beat.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has brought in more than $2.4 million for his re-election campaign next year, building a formidable bankroll while other Democrats consider whether he is vulnerable in a primary challenge. Star-Advertiser.

Members of the Women's Legislative Caucus say this could be the year state lawmakers pass what they've dubbed the Compassionate Care Act, which would require Hawaii hospitals to carry and offer emergency contraception to sexual assault victims. Star-Advertiser.

With new leadership in the state House of Representatives and greater awareness of the issue, the Women's Legislative Caucus is again trying to ensure that victims of sexual assault have access to factual, unbiased information about hospital emergency care. Civil Beat.

The state House Judiciary Committee on Thursday deferred a bill that would have asked voters to decide whether only people, and not corporations, should be entitled to free speech protections. Star-Advertiser.

A law signed in 2010 requiring maintenance of public beach accesses by adjacent landowners is poised to sunset June 30, unless a bill moving steadily at the Legislature is passed. Garden Island.

The national debate over gun control has led Hawaii legislators to introduce a handful of stricter gun laws, including a proposal to buy back guns. Hawaii Public Radio.

After a rocky start, Hawaii made significant progress in meeting its school improvement pledges in the second year of the four-year, $75 million Race to the Top grant, federal officials said Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii's charter school law leaped to 14th place in a national ranking, up from 35th the previous year, as reform efforts took hold in the state. Star-Advertiser.

The number of online items checked out through the Hawaii State Public Library System has more than tripled since 2009, library officials said. West Hawaii Today.

Oahu

From the outside, they appeared set for life, paid by the city for their Pearl City land an amount more than five times their initial investment. But one family says a sweet deal to move out of rail's path turned sour. KHON2.

Cuts and changes last year to Honolulu's bus service were made to trim costs as the system became more expensive to operate. But those changes fueled widespread angst among riders across the city, many of whom now wait longer hours to catch overcrowded buses. Star-Advertiser.

On any given day, thousands of visitors and residents pack the beaches of Waikiki, and along with them, are thousands of discarded cigarette butts. Volunteers from Sustainable Coastlines and students from St. Louis School were out in full force Thursday morning cleaning up the mess many have left behind. Hawaii News Now.

A redeployment ceremony was held Thursday at Wheeler Army Airfield to welcome about 2,600 aviation brigade soldiers from Af­ghani­stan duty that saw the loss of two Black Hawk helicopter crews — one to pilot disorientation in a sandstorm and the other to a rocket-propelled grenade. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii
A settlement between Hawaii County and the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands over tax debt from homesteaders remains elusive. Tribune-Herald.

The Intermediate Court of Appeals has kicked Hawaii Island rancher Freddy Nobriga’s cattle theft lawsuit against the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands back to 3rd Circuit Court, saying DHHL violated Nobriga’s right of due process when it rounded up and sold at least 115 head of Nobriga’s cattle without adequate notice. West Hawaii Today.

Ford seeks $30M Kona area shelter, center. West Hawaii Today.

Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School hopes to blaze a trail by becoming the first publicly funded school in the state to use hybrid buses. Tribune-Herald.

The state Department of Transportation broke ground Thursday for a more than $7 million project that will increase cargo space at Kawaihae Small Boat Harbor, as well as improve operational safety and efficiency for users. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Maui County Council Water Resources Committee advanced a bill that authorizes the mayor and the director of the Department of Water Supply to declare "water shortages" and to impose higher rates for Maui County residents. Maui News.

Three real estate investment firms, including one formed by the co-founder of a company that created Hot Pockets, competed to buy a former Ritz-Carlton condominium and time-share resort on Maui at a Thursday foreclosure auction that resulted in a $100 million sale. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

After a whole morning ironing out details on the Kaua‘i Multimodal Land Transportation Plan, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution to adopt the plan as a policy guideline for the island. Garden Island.

It is no secret that pinpointing the stressors which have lead to the recent coral disease outbreak along Kaua‘i’s shores is going to require additional bodies, more funding and further study. Garden Island.

Kaua‘i teachers took to the streets Thursday afternoon, joining a statewide sign waving campaign. Garden Island.