Happy Hawaii, panel mulls legislative term limits, state tops national ranking for COVID response, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii hula dancer ©2022 All Hawaii News

Hawaii May Not Be The Richest State, But It Is One Of The Happiest. The bad news: Hawaii has a large percentage of people living close to the edge. The good news: they tend to be happier here than their peers elsewhere. Civil Beat.

Panel discusses proposals for legislative term limits. A panel created by the state House of Representatives to recommend reforms after two former lawmakers admitted taking bribes discussed proposals to establish term limits for legislators at a meeting Wednesday. Associated Press. KHON2.

Political Newcomer Sergio Alcubilla Is Seeking To Oust US Rep. Ed Case. Alcubilla admits his candidacy is a long shot, but he’s hoping his stance on social spending will propel him in the Democratic primary. Civil Beat.

Duke Aiona announces gubernatorial run. James “Duke” Aiona, a former Circuit Court judge who served as lieutenant governor, announced Wednesday his latest run to become governor as a Republican. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Hawaii's main staple -- rice -- could eat up more of the family budget. The cost of rice is now at a 12-month high, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. That means the price of a 25 pound bag of rice here has jumped $2 over the past six months -- putting a big dent into the wallets of many local families. KITV4.

Marine ecologist warns deep-sea mining will hurt fishing. A marine ecology researcher told a panel sponsored by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council on Wednesday that deep-sea mining will have a negative impact on Pacific fisheries. Douglas McCauley, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara, said seabed mining claims have been staked by nations and private contractors in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii tops national ranking for COVID-19 response. Hawaii has ranked first in the nation for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic, faring much better than other states on metrics such as pandemic-related deaths, vaccination rates and strains on hospital resources, according to an assessment by the Commonwealth Fund, which focuses on improving the quality and efficiency of the country’s health care system and improving access to care. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Department of Health reports 7,199 new infections, 9 coronavirus-related deaths. The state’s average positivity rate, meanwhile, decreased to 18.9% from 19.2% reported last week. It is the first decrease in the positivity rate reported after two-and-a-half months of consecutive increases. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Another $1.1 billion sought to address Red Hill. The tab for the Navy’s Red Hill calamity could double to $2.2 billion, which includes estimated costs for repairing the fuel facility so that it can be safely drained, remediating the environment and reimbursing service members and their family members who were displaced last year when jet fuel contaminated their drinking water, among other costs. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii consumers are seeing higher costs, but there is some hope for relief as Honolulu sees a dip in inflation. Oahu’s rolling 12-month inflation rate ticked down in May to 7.0% from the prior 12-month measurement of 7.5% in March, according to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Star-Advertiser.

In effort to save lives, Honolulu firefighters to add opioid overdose reversal drug to their trucks. Honolulu firefighters will soon be joining the list of first responders who can administer Narcan, a a medicine that can instantly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Hawaii News Now.

2 LGBTQ businesses add new claims to their legal challenge against Liquor Commission. Two businesses that filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Honolulu Liquor Commission have added new claims to their legal challenge. Hawaii News Now.

Communities post ‘Free Stores’ around Oahu. Pick up or drop off free plants, books and canned goods at a ‘free store’ in a local neighborhood. The community is helping each other by setting up these free stores in 16 neighborhoods around the island. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Final death knell for tax relief this year. The public said it wanted it, the administration said the county could afford it, but there will be no property tax relief this year, after the County Council on Wednesday couldn’t agree on either of two competing proposals. West Hawaii Today.

Bill to ban most sunscreens passes. All but two kinds of sunscreen will be banned on the Big Island under a bill passed Wednesday by the County Council. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.

Council passes resolution supporting gun control. The Hawaii County administration on Wednesday collectively urged U.S. lawmakers to pass gun safety measures. Tribune-Herald.

UH Hilo receiving nearly $6M for college prep program. The U.S. Department of Education has awarded four grants to the University of Hawaiʻi at Hiloʻs Upward Bound program over the next five years. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Maui residents may get to vote on creating an East Maui Community Water Authority. The Maui County Council is considering whether a question should be added to the ballot this November for voters to decide on creating a local water authority in East Maui. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui police chief addresses union survey showing low morale. Chief John Pelletier pointed out that his team is working to address many of the issues outlined by the SHOPO survey. He quoted the Harvard Business Review’s assessment that organizational change takes five to seven years to properly complete. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Maui Now. Maui News. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

Wedding business seeks approvals to use Makena property. A longtime Maui wedding business that operated at a Makena property for 25 years without permits secured one of several required approvals Tuesday to legally hold events and weddings at the private property. Maui News.

Kauai

Lawmakers mull charter amendment on affordable housing. Resolution No. 2022-22 introduced at council Wednesday proposes an amendment to the county charter that would allocate at least 2% of property-tax revenues each year to a housing-development fund, a step that proponents hope can put a dent in the ongoing affordable-housing crisis. Garden Island.

Corals left ‘baking in the sun’ at ‘Anini Beach. Hanalei Marine Biologist Terry Lilley said Wednesday that king tides were having a negative effect at ‘Anini Beach Park. Garden Island.