Income tax cuts still in the mix as House and Senate grapple with budget, gas prices soar to record highs, Oahu schools, government shut down for storm, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

New draft of state budget bill slims spending. Both the House and Senate rejected the governor’s plan to cancel some tax relief, despite earlier uncertainty about the state’s financial situation. The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday amended the state budget bill to include $10.4 billion in total state funding appropriations.  The latest draft of House Bill 1800 represents a reduction of about $258 million from a $10.7 billion plan advanced by the House Finance Committee on March 11 that was itself roughly $100 million less than what Green proposed in December. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate Becomes A Tax Bill Graveyard. The state House proposed an assortment of potential tax increases for the Senate to consider, but senators buried almost all of them without a hearing. Civil Beat.

A Last-Minute Miracle For A Bill To Help Hawaiʻi Convert Cesspools. The bill would create a new low-interest loan program to help eliminate some of the 80,000 cesspools leaking millions of gallons of sewage into Hawaiʻi’s nearshore waters daily. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi gas prices soar to record highs. Drivers across the islands are now paying record prices for gas after the statewide average for regular fuel climbed to $5.63 per gallon on Thursday, April 9, according to AAA Hawaiʻi. KHON2.

HMSA and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health file with Justice Department for clearance to integrate. HMSA and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health have filed with the Department of Justice to integrate and create a new parent organization called One Health Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Public Radio.

El Nino summer could bring sticky weather, tropical storms. As Hawaii experiences its third major storm in less than a month, the state is also facing the likelihood of a wetter and more humid than normal summer and fall, according to the National Weather Service, which Thursday forecast a 61% chance of an El Nino, which generates warmer ocean waters that can trigger more tropical storms. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Oahu schools, state, city offices close as heavy rain moves in. All state offices and public schools on Oahu, as well as nonessential City and County of Honolulu offices and services, are closed today in anticipation of heavy rain across the island. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. 

Hawaii Island

Hawaiʻi County Council considering leasing 6 residential properties to nonprofits. In November, the Office of Housing and Community Development issued a request for proposals for the leasehold operation and rental of each of the six residential properties as long-term housing for underserved populations. The nonprofits will each only pay $10 annually for the houses to the county.  Big Island Now.

Kīlauea Eruption Episode 44 Ends After 9 Hours. Episode 44 in the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption ended abruptly at 7:41 p.m. HST Thursday evening, after 9 hours of continuous lava fountaining.  Big Island Video News.

Ivy Leaguer from Maui is Miss Aloha Hula 2026. Faith Kealohapau‘ole Paredes of Halau Kekuaokala‘au‘ala ‘Iliahi scored 1161 points Thursday night — the first evening of the 63rd Annual Merrie Monarch Festival’s hula competition at the Edith Kanaka‘ole Multi-Purpose Stadium in Hilo. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Maui

‘Don’t Make It Worse’: Kīhei Cleans Up, Braces For More Rain. Residents and business owners are still dealing with March flood damage as Maui readies for the next storm. Civil Beat.

Maui severe weather update: More shelters open, water conservation in effect. Maui Emergency Management Agency, other County of Maui departments and the American Red Cross started proactively opening shelters on April 8, ahead of severe weather.  Maui Now.

Kona lows highlight need for emergency service upgrades on Molokai. Pukoo Fire Station, the only one servicing Molokai’s east end, is actually a two-bedroom house that is more than 100 years old. The aging facility is also in a flood zone, and like many nearby homes, the structure also gets flooded during storms. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kauaʻi County Council approves Santos for environmental seat on Planning Commission. The Kauaʻi County Council unanimously approved Hanapēpē native Kuuleialoha Santos to fill a vacant environmental seat on the Planning Commission. Kauai Now.

DOW water rate community meeting rescheduled. The new meeting date will be April 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. Garden Island.

Kauai residents warned to stay off roads as storm moves in. Kauai was the first island hit by an incoming storm system Thursday evening. Hawaii News Now.