Friday, February 4, 2011

Hawaii governor's office is broke, physician-assisted suicide, marijuana, gubernatorial confirmations alive in Legislature, they castrate donkeys, don't they, and other news from the Hawaiian Islands

Photo (c) 2011 All Hawaii News
A legal argument based on the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, used unsuccessfully to fight foreclosures in the 1990s, is now being used once again, even though the man who promoted the theory 15 years ago was convicted of a felony. KITV4.

Hawaii would become the fourth state to legalize physician-assisted suicide under a proposal being brought back for debate in the Legislature for the first time in four years. Star-Advertiser.

A bill aiming to reduce the costs of combating marijuana on the streets and in the courts by decriminalizing possession of small amounts of the drug will be heard by two legislative committees today. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie's office is asking the Hawaii Legislature for an extra $1.06 million in "emergency" funds to get through June. Civil Beat.

Honolulu police are calling it one of their top priority bills in the Legislature this year. They say there's a potentially-deadly loophole in Hawaii's domestic violence law that deals with protective orders. Hawaii News Now.

State Rep. Hermina Morita, the House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee chairwoman who has spearheaded initiatives such as the "bottle bill" for recycling beverage containers, has been tapped by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to head the Public Utilities Commission. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s announcement Thursday that Hermina Morita will be the new chairwoman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, subject to Senate approval, is likely to be welcome news to renewable-energy companies. Pacific Business News

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie's administration is ending furloughs for 1,200 state workers paid with federal funds, saying the furloughs didn't save the state any money. Associated Press.

Maunalei Love is stepping down today as executive director of the Charter School Administrative Office under pressure from a state panel, after serving longer than anyone else in that position. Star-Advertiser.

Tens of millions of dollars in state funds are being cut from nonprofits statewide that employ hundreds of people and serve thousands of needy families. KHON2.

Social service programs for the state's most needy population will terminate on April 1 to save the Department of Human Services $84 million over the next two years and three months. Star-Advertiser.

Acupuncturists to fight bill they say would lower standards. Hawaii News Now.

A bill that places an immediate five-month moratorium on both pending and new non-judicial foreclosures, while a national investigation on securitization plays out, took a big step forward in Hawaii’s State House of Representatives. Hawaii Independent.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie's Cabinet nominees are slowly moving toward getting confirmed by the state Senate. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie must release the names of the other candidates for a position on the Hawaii Supreme Court once his nomination of Sabrina McKenna as associate justice is confirmed by the state Senate, according to the state lawyers who administer the open-records law. Star-Advertiser.

Mass Donkey Castrations Delayed. KITV4.

Hawaii's culinary ambassador Sam Choy to open Kona restaurant. West Hawaii Today.

Residents and the redeveloper of Kuhio Park Terrace turned out in force Thursday to defend a planned $332 million refurbishment of the low income housing project in Kalihi. Hawaii Reporter.

There's a proposal that would eliminate a big discount the city offers to commercial companies that take residue from recycling to Oahu's only public landfill. KITV4.

The Kaiwahine Village affordable housing project is expected to be resubmitted to the Maui County Council today. Maui News.

The planned installation of 40 surveillance cameras around the Big Island has hit a snag. Tribune-Herald.

Officials with the City and County of Honolulu are not ready to call it a compromise but discussions are being planned that could spare an illegal beachside park in Waimanalo from being demolished. KHON2.

One of Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative’s latest efforts to meet its renewable energy goals is being met with some early opposition. Garden Island.

Calls For Unity on the Wind Issue. Molokai Dispatch.

It happened again -- a West Hawaii resident observed aquaculture employees pouring something into their company's fish pens and wondered about the impact on water quality and the surrounding environment. West Hawaii Today.

The volunteer directors for the Hawaii State Federal Credit Union, the state's second largest, agreed yesterday to reduce the benefits they give themselves in the wake of increasing criticism from members. Star-Advertiser.

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