Bill restricting public beach access stalls, state Senate passes 'no secret police' bill, measure would allow feral chicken killings, Skyline rail approved to extend to UH-Manoa, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Effort to restrict beach access to the public stalls. Public lands — including beaches in front of hotels and resorts — will remain open to the public after a Senate committee on Wednesday deferred a bill that drew near universal condemnation. SB 3148 — which is supported by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources — would allow private interests to restrict access to Hawaii’s beaches. Star-Advertiser.

Landfill siting ban could be repealed under new bill at Legislature. A measure going through the state Legislature this year seeks to strengthen last year’s ban on building landfills too close to water sources — but now the bill could undo that ban altogether. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Senate sends 'no secret police' bill to the House. The state Senate passed a measure that would ban local and federal law enforcement from covering their faces, with some exceptions. Hawaii Public Radio.

Bills to require stronger buildings against hurricanes moving forward in Legislature. The measures are being acted on just days after strong winds with gusts near 70 miles per hour, less than hurricane strength, caused damage around the state. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii residents sick of early crowing and aggressive pecking could be allowed to kill wild chickens. Lawmakers are considering possible solutions — including measures that would let residents kill feral chickens, deem them a “controllable pest” on public land in Honolulu, and fine people for feeding them or releasing them in parks. Associated Press.

Mistaken ID Case At Hawaiʻi State Hospital May Cost State $200K. A man with a history of mental illness was held at the Oʻahu jail and Hawaiʻi State Hospital for nearly three years after police mistook him for a wanted felon. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Higher food prices elevate inflation in Honolulu. Honolulu consumers are finding it more expensive to both eat out and to prepare food at home. Higher food prices contributed to the county’s inflation rising 1.1% over the two-month period that ended in January, and increasing 2.4% over the previous 12 months, according to a report issued Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Star-Advertiser.

EPA says Navy does not have to engage with community over Red Hill crisis. The Navy is no longer required to meet with a group of concerned community members regarding the fallout from the Red Hill water crisis, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared last week. Star-Advertiser.

Council OKs HART rail planning to UH Manoa. The Honolulu City Council voted 8-1, with Council member Augie Tulba dissenting, to finalize adoption of Bill 60, which authorizes the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation to conduct preliminary engineering plans to construct the city’s rail line to branch beyond its current terminus in Kakaako, on to UH Manoa’s campus as well as to locations near the Leeward Coast. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

New way to get rid of food waste coming to Oahu. The Department of Environmental Services is aunching the Green Recycling Organic Waste (GROW) program where residents will be able to dispose of their leftover or spoiled food in their green collection bin to cut back. KHON2.

Deadly force justified to end 2024 standoff in Waikiki. Four Honolulu police officers who shot and killed a 56-year-old man who was a suspect in a trio of bank robberies in July 2024 were justified to use deadly force, Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser. KITV4. 

Water Main Break Adds Up And Down Ride To Travel On Kamehameha Highway. There’s no ETA for repairs to a buckled spot of road on Oʻahu’s Windward side. Civil Beat.

Ban on Hawaiian flag in Ewa community spurs proposal for protections. Senate Bill 2795 would require residential associations to allow homeowners to display the Hawaiian flag on their property. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Proposed new Hawaiʻi County tax rate for luxury second homes passes first reading. The Hawai‘i County Council passed on first reading Wednesday a proposed new tax code that would create a Tier 3 tax rate for luxury second homes worth more than $4 million. Big Island Now.

Is it getting hotter? Hawaiʻi Island adopts data-driven approach to tracking heat. Measurements taken near Hilo International Airport show that the number of days per year with temperatures exceeding 80 degrees Fahrenheit has increased significantly in the last decade. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hilo’s Beloved Banyan Drive Is In Ruins. Could A New Agency Save It? Lawmakers want a hotel built at Hilo’s airport to meet the housing needs of the Merrie Monarch festival while longer-term efforts to revitalize the once-thriving tourist district continue. Civil Beat.

Maui

Who should get first crack at water licenses in Hawaiʻi? This bill wants it to be the counties. Maui County’s recently created water authority for East Maui could have a more direct shot at securing water licenses under a bill proposed in the Hawai‘i State Legislature. Maui Now.

Hale Makua plans $160M health care complex, housing project on Maui. The major non-profit announces state-of-the-art “CarePlex” and workforce housing. Hale Makua Health Services announced plans for a major expansion that includes a new innovative health care complex and workforce housing project. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Failed development on Kauaʻi’s south shore leads to bankruptcy auction of 25-acre property. California-based Kupono Resort LLC had big plans to develop a luxury resort and wellness center on Kauaʻi’s south shore. But the $227 million project called The Ohia, with an 84-room boutique hotel, a spa and 115 residential units, never broke ground. Kauai Now.

Community input sought on additional protection of Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve on Kauaʻi. Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife seeks community feedback on a proposed fencing project to protect an additional 2,400 acres of the Alakaʻi Wilderness Preserve on Kauaʻi. Kauai Now. Hawaii News Now.