Gov. Green's first State of the State address seeks tax reform, solutions to homelessness, climate crisis. More news from all the Hawaiian Islands

 

Gov. Josh Green shares vision for Hawaii. Gov. Josh Green outlined a bold vision for Hawaii’s future that includes tax reform and ideas to turn Hawaii into a global model addressing climate change — immediately after Green signed his first emergency proclamation on homelessness, which received a standing ovation Monday in a joint session of the state House and Senate. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Tribune-Herald.  Big Island Video News. Big Island Now. Maui Now.  Maui News. Garden Island. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.  KHON2.

Full text of Gov. Josh Green's State of the State address can be found here.

Decision forthcoming to fill 2 state House vacancies. A social worker, a fire commissioner and a couple of current or former County Council members are in the running to fill two vacant seats in Hawaii’s Legislature. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Lawmakers Seek Shields Against Supreme Court Rulings On Abortion, Guns. Lawmakers are considering statewide regulations on concealed carry and also plan to debate measures protecting doctors who perform abortions. Civil Beat.

‘One set of rules’: Counties look to state for uniformity on concealed carry guns. Every county has been working on its own way of dealing with concealed weapon permits and identifying sensitive places. Now, there’s a push for statewide legislation to clear up confusion. Hawaii News Now.

Teacher shortage complicates Hawaii’s preschool plan. As the state embarks on its ambitious plan to offer universal access to preschool by creating 465 new classrooms by 2032, among the questions stakeholders are asking most is, How will so many additional preschool teachers be found in the midst of the state’s chronic teacher shortage? Star-Advertiser.

Soft hotel occupancy may persist in first quarter. December hotel occupancy was 71.3%, down 9 percentage points from December 2019, according to the Hawaii Hotel Performance Report published by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, using data from STR, a global hospitality data and analytics company. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Police In Hawaii Killed 2 People Last Year. Is It A Sign Of A Downward Trend? The quiet year for the Honolulu Police Department meant it fell marginally on a scale used to compare police killings across departments of comparable size, policing communities with similar populations over the past decade. Civil Beat.

Hundreds petition against a new bar planned for a residential area in Waikiki. The concern is around increased noise and disruptive activity to the residential area just mauka of Kuhio Avenue. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Mayor Roth Presents County Priorities To Lawmakers. Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth appeared before a joint meeting of the Hawaiʻi House Finance Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday, offering a perspective from Hawaiʻi County as the 2023 legislative session gets underway. Big Island Video News.

Prisoner in Dana Ireland murder might get freedom. Attorneys for a Native Hawaiian man who has been imprisoned for more than 20 years for the 1991 sexual assault, kidnapping and murder of a white woman visiting Hawaii will ask a judge today to dismiss his conviction due to new evidence — including DNA testing — in the case. Associated Press. Hawaii News Now.

HFD seeks OK to hire grant manager. The Hawaii Fire Department is seeking County Council approval to hire a consultant to manage a nearly half-million dollar federal grant recently awarded to the county. West Hawaii Today.

Retreat expansion headed to contested case hearing. A proposal to more than double the number of rooms at a North Kohala retreat is headed to a contested case hearing after three neighbors successfully petitioned the Leeward Planning Commission. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County officials ‘eager’ to work with Green on proposals. The Maui County Council’s chairwoman is “eager” to discuss a partnership to help the homeless by setting up tiny home villages across the state, as proposed Monday by Gov. Josh Green during his State of the State address. Maui News.

$198,000 grant allows for launch of Native Hawaiian Owner-Builder project on Molokaʻi. Hawai‘i Community Lending announced grant awards totaling $1.3 million that aim to increase economic stability on Moloka‘i by helping the island’s native Hawaiian community to actualize affordable homeownership. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i public schools to receive $3.1M in federal funds. A federal funding mechanism that provides money for elementary and secondary education is projected to deliver more than $3 million to the County of Kaua‘i. Garden Island.

Public may weigh in as Kaua‘i utility seeks 50-year permit. Members of the public have 60 days to comment on a Habitat Conservation Plan developed by the Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative, which is seeking a 50-year incidental take authorization from state and federal agencies. Kauai Now.