Thursday, March 17, 2022

Hawaii Supreme Court rejects redistricting challenge, candidate filing begins for legislative seats, $300M proposed for low-income housing, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

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Candidate filing opens after court rejects challenge to redistricting. Candidate filing for congressional and state House of Representatives and Senate seats is now open, after the Hawaii Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge to the new map for state legislative districts. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. West Hawaii Today. Maui Now.

Record funding proposed for Hawaii low-income rental housing. Members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee have proposed giving $300 million to a state agency that helps developers produce affordable homes. Star-Advertiser.

Budget bill allocates $1.7M to mitigate rapid ohia death. Among proposed appropriations outlined in a state House budget bill is nearly $2 million to help combat rapid ohia death throughout Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

Two years of persistent catalytic converter thefts prompt legislative bills.
Bills before state legislators aimed at cracking down on catalytic converter thefts would require anyone selling one to provide a receipt as proof of ownership. Star-Advertiser. KITV4.

Regents seek public’s input on University of Hawaii’s future.
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents at a special meeting Friday will weigh how the university should grow in its various roles: Indigenous-serving institution, provider of online education, supplier of the state’s workforce, and more. Star-Advertiser.

State To Pay $250,000 To Cover Lawyers’ Fees In Lawsuit Over Covid-19 In Hawaii Prisons. A federal judge ruled the corrections system failed to follow its own protocols for coping with the pandemic, which has now been blamed for 10 inmate deaths. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi National Guard concludes COVID-19 support mission.
The Hawai‘i National Guard’s Joint Task Force has transitioned its remaining COVID-19 responsibilities such as vaccinations, testing, COVID-19 mapping, and unemployment office temperature screenings back to the state as of March 15, 2022. Maui Now.

Health risks, ‘mask shaming’ feared when Hawaii public schools drop indoor mask requirement. Now that Gov. David Ige has declared the sunset of the general statewide indoor mask mandate at 11:59 p.m. March 25, how and when the public schools will follow suit is a topic of vigorous discussion in parts of social media and some advocacy and parent groups. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Community Health Centers To Split $23 Million In Federal Funding.
The newest round of funding follows over $40 million in federal dollars distributed to Hawaii’s 14 health centers during the pandemic. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i reports 1,092 Covid cases, 14 new deaths over the last week.
In its weekly update, the state Department of Health reported that there were 608 coronavirus cases on O‘ahu, 107 on the Big Island, 160 on Kaua‘i, 122 on Maui, one on Lāna‘i, three on Moloka‘i, and 91 diagnosed out of state. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Honolulu Prosecutor Opens Independent Probe Into Police Involvement In Makaha Crash. The three officers accused of causing the crash are facing felony charges, the interim HPD chief said. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Plan to stop rail construction at South Street puts several Kakaako properties in limbo. The rail system paid about $12 million for properties it condemned near Kona and Pensacola streets ― land which they now may not need. Hawaii News Now.

Head of Honolulu transportation services on ending rail short of Ala Moana. City Transportation Services Director and HART Board Member Roger Morton says they’ve tested and modeled the plan, which calls for buses to continue service to major destinations in the area. Hawaii Public Radio.

Bill regulating Oahu commercial activity passes
. The Honolulu City Council approved a proposal to regulate commercial activities at beach parks on the east side of Oahu on Wednesday, March 16. Bill 38 will go to Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi for signature. KHON2.

Lawmakers call for more clarity on Navy’s timeline for emptying Red Hill tanks. Some lawmakers are expressing concern that the Navy won’t begin draining fuel from the Red Hill tanks before possible mandatory water restrictions this summer. Hawaii News Now.

City halfway to green goal of planting trees. The City and County of Honolulu is half way toward its ambitious goal of planting 100,000 more trees. Four years ago, the city embarked on a plan to plant those trees by 2025. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

South Kona town could be renamed.
The town name Captain Cook could be no more under a resolution being considered by state lawmakers. House Concurrent Resolution 27 requests the U.S. Census Bureau re-designate the Census-designated place known as Captain Cook on Hawaii Island as Ka‘awaloa. It further requests the County of Hawaii remove all references to Captain Cook as a place name. West Hawaii Today.

Kanuha receives Press Club’s ‘Torch of Light’ award; San Buenaventura, others, get ‘Lava Tube’ dishonor. The Big Island Press Club awards its annual meritorious Torch of Light Award to state Sen. Dru Mamo Kanuha, a Democrat representing Kona and Ka‘u, and the Lava Tube dishonor award to a group of 10 state senators, including Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, a Democrat representing Puna and Ka‘u. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Victorino Outlines Priorities of Safety, Economy, Housing, Green Infrastructure in State of the County Address. Maui Mayor Michael Victorino delivered his State of the County address in hybrid fashion Wednesday evening from the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. His address included a mix of video and live remarks. Maui Now. Hawaii News Now.

Court upholds approval of Paeahu Solar agreement. Finding that the state Public Utilities Commission properly evaluated a Maui community group’s allegations of harm, the state Supreme Court has upheld the commission’s approval of a power purchase agreement between Maui Electric Co. and Paeahu Solar. Maui News.

Mexican Consulate returns to MEO in Wailuku to process documents. After two years of postponement due to the pandemic, the Mexican Consulate will return to Maui Economic Opportunity to process documents, such as passports and birth certificates, by appointment from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 and 27 in Wailuku. Maui Now.

The Deer Population Is Devastating Maui. Hunters Want To Help. For decades, axis deer have threatened everything from ranching to watersheds. Hunters can limit the destruction while feeding their families but accessing the land has proven difficult. Civil Beat.

Kauai

$10M Chan, Zuckerberg donation for Kaua‘i medical program. Using a $10 million commitment gift from Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine will fund a new Kaua‘i Medical Training Track. Garden Island.

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