Legislator seeks ballot question on legalizing marijuana, governor's budget chief wants to scale back promised tax cuts, Hawaii council seeks aquarium fishing ban, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii lawmaker wants to put legalizing cannabis on state ballot. Hawaii voters would be asked in November whether to pass a constitutional amendment legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults under a bill that state Rep. David Tarnas plans to introduce this month. Star-Advertiser.

National Turmoil Is Adding To Hawaiʻi’s Budget Angst. The governor’s budget chief says the administration will submit legislative proposals to walk back promised tax cuts in 2027 and beyond. Civil Beat.

Homebuyers in limbo with mortgage financing. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands recently informed a state legislative committee that it is in a bind over a surge in demand for such loans that is outstripping its capacity to supply the special mortgages carrying a 1% interest rate. Star-Advertiser.

State expands nutrition access to support families in need. Under a new referral process, the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will now share monthly referrals with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC. Star-Advertiser.

DFS to close Hawaii operations, laying off 183 employees. DFS Hawaii is closing its operations in Hawaii, including its shops in Waikiki and at Honolulu and Kahului airports, resulting in 183 layoffs. DFS Group LP, which has had a 63-year presence in Hawaii catering to duty-free shoppers, reinvented itself several times. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

O‘ahu’s North Shore Erosion Leaves Homeowners Without Solutions. Residents are struggling to protect their homes from falling into the ocean without violating environmental protections that preserve the island’s iconic beaches.  Civil Beat.

Vietnam veterans memorial wall replica returning to Hawaii. The wall will arrive there today and will have an official 10 a.m. opening ceremony on Wednesday with a military flyover and dignitaries giving speeches. It will begin its 2026 tour on Oahu at University of Hawaii’s West Oahu campus. Star-Advertiser.

New Records Detail How State Bungled ‘Lord Of The Flies’ Foster Home. Judge Kevin Morikone ordered the release of the trial exhibits in a lawsuit brought by a former foster boy who was sexually molested by his foster dad. Civil Beat.

Affordable housing village loses bus service, putting residents at risk. Kahauiki Village, managed by the Institute for Human Services, houses more than 500 residents including kupuna and formerly homeless families.  Hawaii News Now.

Virus to fight coconut rhinoceros beetle shows promising results.  UH-Manoa is assistant investigating a virus to kill the coconut rhinoceros beetle, also referred to as CRB, which is decimating Oahu’s coconut and palm trees. Star-Advertiser.

Waikīkī Roosters Remain At Large, For Now. Chicken nuisance complaints have doubled to 321 complaints per year from 160 since the Honolulu Department of Customer Services started keeping track in 2023. Waikīkī has the most complaints out of any ZIP code on Oʻahu. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Council resolution urges ban on aquarium fishing. A resolution urging a ban on the taking of ornamental fish for aquariums received a 9-0 vote Tuesday by the County Council’s Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs, which forwarded the measure to the full council with a positive recommendation. Tribune-Herald.

Lack of progress at Isaac Hale peeves council members. A resolution urging the county Department of Parks and Recreation “to prioritize and expedite the restoration of Isaac Kepo‘okalani Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki” received a unanimous 9-0 vote Tuesday by the County Council’s Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs. Tribune-Herald.

Fisherman Gets Maximum Penalty For Longline Violation Off Kona. Konane Zager, owner of the vessel Waiʻaka, will be fined $10,051.90 and have his Commercial Marine License revoked for one year, following a vote by the Hawaiʻi Board of Land and Natural Resources on Friday.  Big Island Video News.

Fire Chief Kazuo Todd remembered for his efforts to leave the Big Island a safer, better place. Fire Chief Kazuo Todd remembered for his efforts to leave the Big Island a safer, better place. More than 200 people gathered Sunday at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium in Hilo in reverence of Hawaiʻi County Fire Chief Kazuo Todd, who died unexpectedly from natural causes on Dec. 14 at age 45. Big Island Now. KHON2. 

Maui

Man wounded in shootout with police succumbs to injuries. According to the Maui Police Department, dispatch received a call at 7:27 p.m. Thursday reporting a possible terroristic threatening incident involving a man armed with a gun in an open field off Kuikahi Drive in Wailuku next to the Hele gas station. Maui News.

With rising seas, erosion threatening Pā‘ia Youth & Cultural Center, plans are underway to build new one. Located at the edge of Pā‘ia town just off Hāna Highway, the youth center has served an estimated 6,000 kids since it was founded in 1993 out of a former sugar plantation workers’ home. Maui Now.

Molokai High School begins $18.7M gym renovation. The 21,000-square- foot gym, affectionately known as “The Barn,” is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade aimed at modernizing student athletic facilities while reinforcing the structure to serve as a Category B hurricane shelter during severe weather events. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

New club leads revival of Anahola trails; organizes mountain bike race on Kauaʻi. A new nonprofit, Mountain Biking Kaua’i, has revived the Anahola trail system, enabling organized off-road cycling and competitive racing on the island’s East Side. Kauai Now.