Attorney General releases draft recreational marijuana bill, Hawaii flights canceled after Boeing jetliners grounded, Miske organized crime trial begins today, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

AG releases draft bill for pot legalization; lists best practices to minimize risks. Attorney General Anne Lopez said Friday that if the state Legislature passes a bill in the upcoming session that would legalize the adult use of cannabis in Hawaii, it will do so without her office’s support. Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Hawaii Hemp Growers Don’t Want To Be Regulated Like Marijuana. The Legislature is expected to consider a bill this session to create a new state entity that would oversee recreational and medicinal cannabis as well as industrial hemp. Civil Beat.

Stalled bills have second life in 2024 legislative session. Dozens of bills from the 2023 legislative session that failed to become law remain alive going into the Jan. 17 start of the upcoming session, including one that would eliminate the Hawaii Tourism Authority and create a new tourism entity.  Star-Advertiser.

Security at Hawaii’s state Capitol ramps up amid growing safety concerns. State officials are beefing up security at Hawaii’s top government building with additions that include metal detector scans for visitors and bag X-ray machines as the 2024 session of the Legislature nears its Jan. 17 opening. Star-Advertiser.

Solving Hawaii’s Housing Crisis: More Homes Per Lot? Rep. Luke Evslin’s idea for the upcoming legislative session seems simple: The new House Housing Committee chair wants to keep the country country, as the slogan goes, but also citify the city. Civil Beat.

More Hawaii flights canceled after scores of Boeing jetliners grounded. One Hawaii family said they were told it would be nearly a week before they’d be able to leave the islands. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Jetliner that suffered blowout restricted because of concern over warning light. The Boeing jetliner that suffered an inflight blowout over Oregon was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights, a federal official said Sunday. Associated Press.

Hawai‘i School Choice Week lays out options. While Gov. Josh Green has proclaimed Jan. 21-27 as Hawai‘i School Choice Week, officials say the proclamation does not indicate that he supports a policy shift toward school vouchers or other systems allowing public education funds to follow students into private schools. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Labor Board rules UH graduate assistants have right to be public employees.  The ruling makes a clear pathway for graduate students to have the right to collectively bargain for benefits, such as a living wage, grievance process, health insurance and other working conditions. Hawaii Public Radio.

Navy seeks permit for training areas off Hawaii, California. The Navy is preparing to conduct an environmental review of its Pacific training operations around Hawaii and California and is soliciting public feedback until the end of January. Star-Advertiser.

Jan. 25 grace period approaching to submit SBA disaster loan applications. The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance has passed; however, Hawaiʻi residents and businesses have been granted a 45-day grace period, until Thursday, Jan. 25, to submit their US Small Business Administration disaster loan applications for property damage caused by wildfires.  Maui Now.

Oahu

The Miske Trial Is Finally Beginning. Some Potential Jurors Are Worried. The trial of accused racketeering boss Michael Miske Jr. begins Monday with jury selection, more than three years after the longtime Honolulu business owner was arrested in a federal case that may involve more than 900 witnesses and several former co-defendants who agreed to plea deals. Civil Beat. Bloomberg.

Hawai‘i Convention Center focuses on future offshore bookings. The Hawai‘i Convention Center is on track to achieve one of its strongest revenue-generating years since opening in 1998. Star-Advertiser.

New Housing Is Rising Along the Rail Line. Transit-oriented development brings homes, stores, jobs and transit service together. Hawaii Business magazine.

High mortgage rates, limited supply weigh on Oahu’s housing market. High mortgage rates and limited inventory caused Oahu’s housing market to cool in 2023 — and the number of homeowners locked into mortgages under 6% could continue to discourage listings even if rates go down, some experts say. Star-Advertiser.

Kapiʻolani Medical Center nurses authorize a strike as contract negotiations drag on.  Daniel Ross, president of the Hawai‘i Nurses Association, says no strike date has been set yet. If a strike is called, a 10-day notice will be given. Hawaii Public Radio. KITV4.

Hawaii Island

Dog bite reports on the rise: Number of cases have spiked dramatically since 2020. The charge of negligent failure to control a dangerous dog is now a Class C felony that carries a potential five-year prison term and up to a $10,000 fine. Tribune-Herald.

UH plans to expand IFA facilities, offer more STEM opportunities. Using $2 million in state funds awarded last year, the university will begin designing an expansion to Institute for Astronomy facilities on the UH-Hilo campus, with plans to eventually establish a “space engineering and instrument development center” that designs and builds precision instruments for astronomical facilities. Tribune-Herald. Maui Now.

Planning commission to address four properties in Kona, Waikoloa. The Leeward Planning Commission will address four applications, including two developments less than a block apart, at the Jan. 18 meeting in Kona. West Hawaii Today.

Big Island Police Seize Drugs After A Fatal Overdose At The Hilo Jail. Two inmates were found unresponsive in their cell, and one of them died in an apparent fentanyl overdose. Civil Beat.

New gym in works for Hilo Intermediate: School receives funds to replace termite-damaged facility. Hilo Intermediate School has received $1 million in state funds to begin the process of replacing its gym.  Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Officials Unveil $500 Million Agreement To House All Displaced Maui Households By July. If successful, the Maui Interim Housing Plan will avoid the need for a moratorium on vacation rentals that some are calling for. Civil Beat. Maui News.

West Maui Housing Developer Is Being Sued By Downwind Neighbors. Residents say red dust from excavation activity at the Pulelehua project is infiltrating nearby properties, causing a range of health and nuisance issues. Civil Beat.

Moratorium on electric service disconnections for Maui customers extended through March 5.  Suspension of service disconnecations for all Hawaiian Electric customers on Maui has been extended through at least March 5, 2024, in accordance with the extension of Gov. Josh Green’s emergency proclamation. Maui News.

Kauai

Plan for largest Hawaii hydroelectric plant is downsized. An ambitious plan to develop a renewable energy project on Kauai that would have been the biggest hydroelectric power plant in Hawaii has been scaled back and may not go forward at all. Star-Advertiser.

Laboratory services coming to Mahelona. The opening of the Diagnostic Laboratory Services outpatient Patient Service Center on Tuesday in the Kawaiola Medical Building triggered the announcement by the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) of its new partnership with DLS to operate hospital laboratory services. Garden Island.