Lobbyists influence legislation, HECO seeks rate hike, Maui County Council asks Air Force to reject military telescope, Hanabusa remembered, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

The Most Influential People At The State Capitol Are Out In The Hallway. Top lobbyists often have more influence than the lawmakers themselves that pass or reject their bills. Lobbyists argue that the key to successfully lobbying is relationships, which are already central in a small island state that maintains high school connections long after graduation. Civil Beat.

Excess in the state’s special funds may help ease budget concerns. More than 200 special financial accounts at 20 state agencies are being examined by Hawaii lawmakers for excessive holdings that could help pay for general state expenses amid a challenging budgetary environment.  Star-Advertiser.

Senators reevaluate income tax cut plan and renewable energy incentives. The state Legislature continues to look at filling the void left by federal funding cuts and added administrative costs — together an estimated $3 billion in lost revenue over the next six years. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii ambassador would work to restore Canadian travel. Hawaii would be represented by an “unofficial ambassador” to Canada through a bill designed to restore positive relations with Canadian visitors, who represent the state’s fourth-largest, but shrinking tourism market. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric seeks rate hikes for next 2 years. Residents on Oʻahu will see their monthly electric bills increase by about $8 in 2027 and another $3 in 2028 under a proposal that Hawaiian Electric and the Ulupono Initiative have submitted to the state Public Utilities Commission. Residents on neighbor islands could expect bigger jumps. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.

Rip currents and hot spots: Hawaii’s drowning dangers revealed. Nearly 800 people have drowned in Hawaiian waters over the past decade and experts say about half of the victims are residents. KHON2.

Former U.S Rep. Colleen Hanabusa dies at age 74. The former congresswoman served as president of the Hawaiʻi Senate and chair of the Honolulu rail authority. Colleen Hanabusa, a formidable Hawaii politician and prominent labor lawyer from Waianae who served in Congress but failed to become Hawaii’s governor and Honolulu’s mayor, died early Friday morning at the age of 74. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat.  Hawaii News Now.  Associated Press.

Oahu

Does Japan Hold The Answer To Fixing Honolulu’s Rail System? Gov. Josh Green is negotiating an agreement with a Japanese rail conglomerate to work on transit-oriented development along the Skyline.  Civil Beat.

With Japan visitor numbers nowhere near pre-pandemic, Waikīkī adapts. The number of visitors from Japan is still only about half of the 1.5 million that came before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu home sales hit record $1,205,000. The median price for Oahu single-family homes in February inched up to a record $1,205,000 as the housing market stabilized ahead of the spring buying season. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council pauses affordable housing bill for more study. A Honolulu City Council proposal that could change how affordable housing projects are built across Oahu is now on pause after lawmakers said they want more data and community feedback. KITV4.

Kūpuna Wait On Fix For Broken Elevator At Liliha Apartments. A five-month elevator outage at a Honolulu apartment building has created significant challenges for the mostly senior residents, many of whom rely on walkers and motorized wheelchairs. Civil Beat.

Homeless encampment moored along Keehi Stream poses knotty challenges. The state, city and outreach teams from the Institute for Human Services continue to try to connect to a growing homeless population living aboard a flotilla of 20 or so structures moored on either side of Keehi Stream in Kalihi, often within reach of the well-established Kahauiki Village community of families who were formerly homeless. Star-Advertiser.

Navy claims fuel contamination was a result of military service. Military families sickened by the 2021 Red Hill water crisis say the federal government is twisting a doctrine meant for battlefield decisions to defend its assertion that injuries from consuming, bathing and cooking with jet‑fuel‑contaminated water were “incident to service.” Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Council awards Kilauea recovery grants to Puna nonprofits. The Hawaii County Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday awarding nearly $6 million from the Kilauea Recovery Grant Program to a variety of local nonprofit organizations providing relief to communities impacted by the 2018 lower Puna eruption. Tribune-Herald.

‘A lack of transparency’: Residents blast county’s plan for transitional housing in Waiakea Uka. At issue was a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home on a third-acre of land at 76 Makani Circle. The property was purchased in October by the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development for $809,000 in federal funds. Tribune-Herald.

Council tries to tackle Kailua Village parking fees. Years of grumbling about inflated and unpredictable parking fees in downtown Kona came to a head last Tuesday as the Hawaii County Council considered a bill that would cap rates at privately owned parking lots in Kailua Village. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Military’s Haleakalā Telescope Project Draws Deep Opposition On Maui. Echoing strong community sentiment, the County Council has joined the chorus calling on the U.S. Air Force to reject an environmental review of the project. Civil Beat.

Major housing and infrastructure investments for wildfire recovery move forward. The County of Maui Office of Recovery’s Hoʻokumu Hou program announced major investments in the long-term recovery from the 2023 Maui wildfires with the selection of seven multifamily rental housing projects and 22 infrastructure and mitigation improvement projects that have been conditionally awarded Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding. Maui Now.

South Maui’s saltier, more turbid waters could signal drought is taking a toll. For the hui that goes out to collect samples every three weeks, every little change in the ocean offers a clue, raising early red flags about how the wider environment could be taking a toll on Maui’s critical reefs and nearshore waters. Maui Now.

Kauai

Bill for prescibing psychologists program on Kauai advances. Some psychologists may be able to prescribe medications for their patients as part of a pilot program on Kauai, if approved by the state Legislature. Star-Advertiser.

Hanalei transfer station halts bagged trash service due to equipment issues. The County of Kauaʻi Department of Public Works reported Sunday morning that the Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station is temporarily not accepting bagged household trash because of equipment issues. Kauai Now.