League of Women Voters seeks to end filing of blank bills; state tax director Suganuma cleared of workplace violence, whistleblower investigated; Alaska Air lays off 200, citing high fuel costs, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Bill intro deadline appeal lodged with high court. The Hawaii Supreme Court is being asked to put a damper on a common practice at the Legislature that allows state lawmakers to skirt a deadline for introducing bills each year. Used for decades by many lawmakers, the practice involves introducing bills that lack substantive language — effectively blank bills — that can be amended later and made law after a full complement of required public readings. During this year’s legislative session from Jan. 21 to May 8, more than 200 such bills called “short form bills” were introduced. Star-Advertiser.

Court breaks impasse over elections commission meetings.  The Hawaii Supreme Court in a unanimous decision Friday ruled that a single commissioner can direct the state Office of Elections to set up a meeting for the nine-member commission, settling an issue that has prevented the state Elections Commission from holding monthly meetings since its last one in June. Star-Advertiser.

Lauhala Basket Is Back In Proposed Election Tiebreaker Rules. The proposed administrative regulations could still result in the use of a basket and plastic capsules to determine winners by random lot. Civil Beat.

Tax department ‘whistleblower’ now under investigation after director cleared of allegations. State Tax Director Gary Suganuma has been cleared of allegations he had violated the Department of Taxation’s Workplace Violence Action Plan and various executive branch policies regarding discrimination and a harassment-free workplace. Min Meng, the Tax Department’s administrative services officer and its former human resources specialist, is now under investigation.  Star-Advertiser.

Economic woes have residents leaving Hawaii, delaying retirement. Research by the Hawai‘i Workforce Funders Collaborative found that of approximately 371,600 projected job openings in Hawaii between 2022 and 2032, only about 101,200 were in occupations with average wages at or above the estimated living wage for a single adult. Star-Advertiser.

10 Races To Watch In Hawaiʻi’s Nov. 3 Election. Contests could upset the balance of power in Maui, Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi island. Constitutional amendments and charter changes are also on the ballot. Civil Beat.

Alaska Air lays off 200 workers as fuel costs continue to climb. Facing a potential $700 million loss driven by record fuel costs, Alaska Air Group will cut 200 management jobs, including 48 in Hawaii, as it seeks to reduce overhead and streamline operations.  Star-Advertiser.

Warmer future could bring stronger storms closer to Hawaii, study finds. The current hurricane season, which runs through November, underscored Hawaii’s vulnerabilities to tropical cyclones, and a new University of Hawaii study predicts a warmer future could lead to stronger storms and could bring storms closer to the islands in El Nino years. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu expecting election day surge of in-person voting.  With early returns of mail-in ballots from Oahu voters continuing to lag by about 20% compared to the same point in the last midterm general election in 2022, Honolulu elections officials are bracing for a last-minute surge in-person voting Tuesday, which could once again delay the release of election results statewide. Star-Advertiser.

Council members targeted in Sunshine Law probe. The state Office of Information Practices is investigating an alleged Oct. 5 gathering at Zippy’s Waipahu involving five City Council members. Star-Advertiser.

Lawsuit: Honolulu Officials Protected Firefighter Accused Of Rape. The Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office declined to file charges against a battalion chief accused of raping a colleague in his office, the complaint says. Civil Beat.

City Council urges the return of Bellows military lands to Hawaii. The Honolulu City Council is urging the federal government to return lands used by Bellows Air Force Station in Windward Oahu to the people of Hawaii, citing the property’s historical ties to the Hawaiian Kingdom and arguing that portions are no longer needed for their original military purposes. Star-Advertiser.

She’s Famous As The Shark Whisperer. These Divers Recall A Toxic Boss. More than a dozen former workers report workplace abuses they say they suffered at One Ocean Diving, which has been operating cageless shark tours on the North Shore for more than a decade. Civil Beat.

100 Roosters Are Driving These Oʻahu Neighbors Nuts. Residents in Kahaluʻu are mad that their neighbor is keeping more than 100 noisy chickens – and that the city is doing nothing about it. Civil Beat. 

14 evaluated after pepper spray incident evacuates Blaisdell craft fair. According to a vendor, a customer was examining a pepper spray canister at a booth when they accidentally activated it, releasing its contents into the air. Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

A 6-Month Vacation? Hawaiʻi Council Deadlocked On Short-Term Rental Bill. A bill would expand where vacation rentals are allowed and lengthen the rental period considered short-term to 180 days. Civil Beat.

High court suspends Hilo attorney. The Hawaii Supreme Court on Friday entered an order immediately and indefinitely suspending Hilo attorney Charles Michael Heaukulani from the practice of law in the State of Hawaii for his failure to cooperate with six pending disciplinary investigations. Tribune-Herald.

Iconic Hilo museum is ‘back full-time’. The Pacific Tsunami Museum in downtown Hilo is again open seven days a week with paid staffers after a stormy sail through dire financial straits. Tribune-Herald.

Reusable food containers program kicks off in Hilo. Through the program, participating businesses will offer stainless steel takeout containers in place of disposable ones. Customers can return the dishes to any of the collection bins, where they will be picked up, cleaned, sanitized and returned to restaurants to be reused. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News. 

Maui

County of Maui and Kamehameha Schools propose shared stewardship of Lahaina water resources. The County of Maui and Ke Kula ʻo Kamehameha  on Friday announced a proposed agreement for Kamehameha to transfer its option to acquire the Launiupoko Irrigation Company system to the County. Maui Now.

Construction underway on Kīhei Space Force facility as South Maui leader calls for resource transparency. Construction is underway on the US Space Force’s new Secure Integration Support Laboratory (SISL) in Kīhei at Līpoa on Maui, formerly known as the Maui Research and Technology Park. The 56,000-square-foot, two-story facility has drawn both defense of its operational stability and community scrutiny regarding resource usage and impacts. Maui Now.

Three new electric bus charging stations unveiled at Kahului Transit Center. The Maui County Department of Transportation unveiled three new electric bus charging stations during a blessing ceremony Friday at the Kahului Transit Center. Maui News.

When ballots fly: What happens to Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi votes after the polls close. Ballots from Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi take a trip aboard special flights on Kamaka Air. At the Kahului Airport, the ballots are met by election officials and transported to the County building in Wailuku. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai

Over 800 Hawaiian homestead leases given on Kauai. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is offering beneficiaries 832 leases for homesteads on Kauai largely slated for development in the coming years. Star-Advertiser. Kauai Now. Garden Island. 

Hanamā‘ulu Beach Park to close for maintenance in November.  The park closure is necessary to allow the Department of Parks and Recreation and partner agencies to clean the park, repair facilities, trim trees, maintain the grounds and remove abandoned vehicles. Kauai Now.