Nago gets letter threatening criminal prosecution if non-citizens vote, Green signs bevy of bills, Honolulu auditor stymied by disorganized homeless program, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Trump Administration Sends Threatening Letter To Hawaiʻi Elections Chief. The U.S. Justice Department is telling elections officials nationwide they could be criminally liable if they make it possible for non-citizens to vote. The letter from the U.S. Department of Justice outlined penalties faced by people who vote when they’re not allowed to and said “state election officers, including the chief election officer of the state, could be criminally prosecuted for aiding and abetting the violation of any of these provisions.” Civil Beat.

HECO warned the Iran war would raise costs. Here’s how much bills rose. Monthly bills rose by about $60 for the average Maui resident and $30 for the average Hawaiʻi Island resident between March and June.  On Oahu, prices rose by $59. Costs then started to come down in June. Hawaii Public Radio.

Crime Is Down. Why Do So Many In Hawaiʻi Feel Unsafe? Experts say social media and political rhetoric can lead people to believe crime is higher than it is. In testimony at the Hawaiʻi Legislature this year and in social media posts, dozens of people are expressing concern that crime in the islands is rising.  Civil Beat.

New Hawaii laws address domestic violence, human trafficking. House Bill 1959 extends a five-year pilot project intended to decrease repeated incidents of domestic violence, while HB 1960 would establish a program to educate and train transient accommodations workers to recognize human trafficking and report suspected incidents. Tribune-Herald. KITV4. 

Governor Signs Bills On Tobacco Use, Electronic Smoking Devices. Disposable electronic smoking devices can no longer be sold or distributed beginning January 1, 2027. Big Island Video News. Maui News. KHON2. KITV4. 

New Bill on Marine Affairs Aims To Sustain Hawaiʻi “Blue Economy”. Senate Bill 2907 centralizes marine affairs oversight and formally designates the state as a hub for ocean innovation and stewardship. Big Island Video News. Hawaii Public Radio. 

Oahu

Honolulu City Council poised to override mayor’s vetoes. The Honolulu City Council plans today to consider overriding Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s line-item vetoes restoring funding and positions to the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization after the Council eliminated them from the city’s $3.193 billion fiscal year 2027 operating budget, which took effect July 1. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Homeless Services Program Too Disorganized To Assess, Auditor Says. The CORE program was started in 2021 and has changed its focus repeatedly since then, confounding efforts to gauge its effectiveness. Civil Beat.

UHERO temporarily withdraws energy report that Oʻahu doesn’t need any additional power plants – fueled by liquefied natural gas and any other fuel – to keep the lights on. The University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization on Tuesday temporarily withdrew a report that claimed Hawaii did not need additional power plants if it expanded its solar facilities.  The report was withdrawn one day after Gov. Josh Green told KHON2 the report was “baloney” and based in the “opposite of reality.” Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. KHON2.

H-1 Freeway to shut down overnight Saturday for bridge installation. Part of the H-1 Freeway will be fully closed to traffic this weekend while crews work on the Gulick Avenue overpass. The bridge is part of the state’s $100 million federally funded H-1 widening project. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

Biki bike-share revamps as the city hopes to invest $1.5 million. The city hopes to invest $1.5 million to purchase 600 new bicycles and refurbish existing stations to rebuild the system. KITV4.

Chinese communist party member arrested in Hawaii on visa fraud charge. A 51-year-old man from China is facing a federal criminal charge in Hawaii after he allegedly hid his background as a lieutenant colonel in the People’s Liberation Army and Communist Party leader on his visa application. He was arrested July 1 at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport trying to enter the country. Star-Advertiser.

East Oahu residents criticize ‘monster home,’ property owner responds. There is growing criticism over construction on a property near Maunalani Heights, with some claiming the owner plans to build a “monster home.” Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

Legislation targets data centers in Hawaii County. A Hawaii County Council Committee on Tuesday unanimously approved forwarding a bill banning industrial-scale data centers on the island after hearing testimony from nearly a dozen supporters. Tribune-Herald.

UH seeks to transfer Maunakea master lease to oversight authority. UH recently sent a letter to MKSOA leadership proposing to initiate the transfer of the master lease for the over 11,000-acre summit area. This, along with a recent state bill signed into law in May, would allow MKSOA to extend subleases for observatories on the mountain before officially taking over management responsibilities from UH on Dec. 1, 2029. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

County to discuss Maui shoreline planning boundary on July 14. Community encouraged to attend July 14 meeting on SMA boundary assessment project for Maui. The County of Maui Department of Planning invites community members to learn about the Special Management Area (SMA) boundary assessment project for the island of Maui by attending the Maui Planning Commission meeting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 14. Maui Now. Maui News. 

PUC to review Young Brothers after shipping delays. After shipping delays left Molokai and Lanai residents without some basic supplies for days, state regulators are taking a closer look at Young Brothers’ operations. KHON2.

DOT weighs bids for Lanai federally subsidized air service. Lanai’s only commercial airport is again under federal review as the U.S. Department of Transportation weighs competing bids for subsidized essential air serv­ice — a program that guarantees baseline scheduled flights so the rural island can maintain reliable, year‑round travel. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Public comment period for Kaua‘i’s landfill expansion project coming to an end. Public comment on the Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice for an expansion project at Kauai’s only solid waste landfill, which is projected to reach capacity in four years, is nearing its end. The deadline to submit written comments on the statement is Wednesday. Kauai Now.

Kauai residents question police response to murder case, manhunt. Residents on Kauaʻi’s north shore demanded answers Monday night about the police department’s handling of a multi-day manhunt for a murder suspect. Hawaii News Now.

Prepping for Back to School Bash. More than 70 volunteers from sponsors of the Back to School Bash turned out on Tuesday to pack backpacks with school supplies for the Saturday event at the Kukui Grove Center. Garden Island.