Geothermal sneaks into Hawaiian Roll Commission bill, gays no longer excluded from health bill, FBI gets new field office, smoking banned at some Oahu beaches, HMSA seeks 8.5% rate hike, Hawaii council won't bet on bingo, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

The Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Plant in Þingvellir, Iceland, courtesy photo

State senators, fretting over transparency, want to give the public more time to digest a bill that was supposed to be about the Native Hawaiian Roll Commission but was radically altered to also apply to geothermal development. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii legislative leaders have decided who will serve on a conference committee to hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the state budget over the next few weeks. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers are deciding whether to give teachers, school librarians and counselors a tax credit for buying classroom supplies. Associated Press.

The question of who or what is a journalist will take center stage with the full Senate scheduled to vote on House Bill 622 Tuesday. Civil Beat.

A state Senate panel on Friday killed a proposed fee on cesspool and septic tank owners after Hawaii Island residents raised a stink about it. West Hawaii Today.

Holding fundraisers during session is not illegal in Hawaii. It's a very a common practice — one that freshmen lawmakers appear to be adopting quickly, starting this week. Civil Beat.

The nonprofit Hawaii Health Connector has won $128 million in federal funds to implement the state's first health insurance exchange, designed to provide residents access to affordable medical coverage. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Medical Service Association has asked to increase health insurance premiums on small businesses July 1 by an average 8.5 percent, its largest rate increase in four years. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers have amended a bill so that it no longer excludes homosexuals from a treatment option for certain sexually transmitted diseases. Civil Beat.

The first of a two-part series looking at whether Hawaii's public schools are doing enough to help students with dyslexia and other struggling readers. Civil Beat.

Homeless handyman and Congressional candidate's American flag burned. Hawaii News Now.

State roundup for April 9. Associated Press.

Oahu

Smoking is no longer legal at major East Honolulu beaches and parks under a bill signed Monday by Mayor Kirk Caldwell. But a glitch in the language means enforcement must wait at six of the seven locales. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell on Monday signed into a law a bill that bans smoking at Waikiki Beach and other popular Oahu beaches. Pacific Business News.

It’s battle that has been waged for years, but now the Honolulu City Council is finally drawing a line when it comes to funding vacant positions that cost taxpayers millions of dollars every year. KITV4.

Traffic signal adjustments at two of Waikiki's most congested intersections might make life easier for local drivers who cringe at navigating through the tourist-heavy district amid throngs of pedestrians. Star-Advertiser.

The FBI has a new field office in Hawaii. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is being held Tuesday for the new building in the Honolulu suburb of Kapolei.Associated Press.

Waimanalo residents are concerned a planned road that would run through a new subdivision will increase traffic safety issues in an already congested area. KHON2.

Plants aren't the only thing growing in the garden at the Women's Community Correctional Center. Inmates are blossoming as they build self-confidence and learn new skills while planting and harvesting vegetables and herbs for the prison kitchen. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County Council members indicated Monday they’re not ready to gamble on high-stakes bingo as a way to raise revenues in a tight budget year. West Hawaii Today.

Property tax assessors across the country are applying a new technology to crack down on this old crime — comparing aerial photographs and satellite images to existing house plans. Hawaii County began using that process about a year ago, Real Property Division Chief Stanley Sitko said. West Hawaii Today.

What a difference (almost) a week makes. After a record low temperature was set in Hilo on April 2, a record high temperature was set there on Sunday. Big Island Now.

Maui

Maui state Sen. J. Kalani English was one of several Hawaii policymakers who attended the "Waves of Change" conference on Oahu that focuses on the environmental, social, cultural, political, economic and legal impacts of climate change on Pacific Islands, including Hawaii. Maui News.

Ask the Mayor: Building Permits; Homeowner Exemptions. Maui Now.

Kauai

The Pacific Missile Range Facility’s Security Department will conduct live small arms fire training starting today and lasting through April 30, between the hours of 1 and 9 p.m. at Kekaha Rifle Range. Garden Island.

Hawaii voter registration up, state plans for Medicaid cuts, legislators don't report stock ownership, FBI coming to Hilo, Honolulu pig removal costly, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

2010 voters All Hawaii News file photo

The number of registered voters statewide has increased steadily over two decades to 684,481 people in 2010 — the most recent year for which data are available — from 436,323 people in 1990. But voter turnout for primary elections during those decades fluctuated between a high of 309,700 in 1994 and a low of 246,299 in 2008. Star-Advertiser.

The last day for new voters to register to vote in the Aug. 11 primary election is July 12, the state Office of Elections said. Maui News.

A review of lawmakers' most recent financial disclosures shows that remarkably few report owning stock or mutual funds, similar to last year's finding. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s spending on Medicaid under the federal health-care law will drop by $28 million during the years 2014-19, as federal financing under the law kicks in. Pacific Business News.

The Affordable Care Act is moving forward with some additional certainly after last week’s Supreme Court ruling. As part of ongoing coverage, HPR is speaking with health care providers to find out what’s next in Hawai`i. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Hawaii State Department of Health will receive a $6.8 million federal grant to increase preparedness for public health threats. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii State Board of Education today unanimously approved an updated Hawaii State Department of Education Strategic Plan that builds on key strengths and reform initiatives to ensure all students graduate ready to succeed in college or careers. Hawaii Independent.

Randy Moore, 73, retired last week after serving the past six years as assistant superintendent for the Office of School Facilities and Support Services. Civil Beat.

Hawaii's Birds Threatened by Invasive Predators, Habitat Loss. Hawaii Reporter.

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s exclusion from docking at Pearl Harbor during this month’s Rim of the Pacific international naval exercises has created a kerfuffle among political commentators in that country. Tribune-Herald.

State roundup for July 5. Associated Press.

Oahu
In the last five years, the city has paid the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services branch $305,000 to trap, shoot and kill 233 feral pigs that root around in the gardens, dropping feces and damaging the tropical and native flora that grow there. Civil Beat.

An engineering firm with the contract to design the first three stations for the city's $5.26 billion rail project has bought a consulting firm that has a key role in overseeing the project. Star-Advertiser.

Kakaako's waterfront will have a new look on Sept. 1 with the opening of a $16 million Mediterranean-style wedding venue marketed to Japanese couples on the site of the former John Dominis restaurant. Star-Advertiser.

With this year's primary election just five weeks away, politicians and their supporters pushed the number of units in this year's Kailua Independence Day Parade to 108, an increase of 20 more than last year. Hawaii News Now.

Romy Cachola's eight years on the Honolulu City Council is coming to a close, and the next generation of leaders is poised to step into the void. Civil Beat.

Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii gathered on Waikiki Beach Wednesday with a 5-foot by 10-foot iMat serving as the perfect platform for their trash-fighting endeavor. KITV4.

The race for Honolulu Prosecutor will go straight to the November general election with just two candidates. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Democratic Party’s annual Independence Day Picnic on Wednesday drew scores of Big Islanders who reveled in the smorgasbord of Democratic candidates vying for county, state and federal offices this fall. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County Council approved a request for the Federal Bureau of Investigation to set up an office in the Hilo police station. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

South Maui beachgoers would be able to park for longer periods of time at the end of South Kihei Road under a bill advanced Monday by a County Council committee. Maui News.

Maui residents could end up paying as much as $30,000 for a new water meter under one of four "funding philosophies" the county's Department of Water Supply says is needed to handle future growth. Maui News.

The fight over the fate of two malls planned for Kihei in South Maui has turned into a battle of dueling letters, filings with official county and state administrative bodies and organized community protests. Maui Now.

Kauai
As July 1 rolled in, Kauai County’s Fiscal Year 2013 officially started, and with it, the possibility for Kaua‘i’s top police and fire officials to receive almost $7,000 more in annual salaries. Garden Island.

Three Kaua‘i residents whose essays were selected from 15 responders recently won an hour of flight instruction. Garden Island.

Molokai

In an attempt to aid west end Molokai residents paying some of the highest water rates in the nation, Maui County filed an appeal last year in the state Intermediate Court of Appeals against the utilities of Molokai Properties, Ltd. (MPL), better known as Molokai Ranch. That appeal was recently denied, leaving ratepayers struggling under rates that have been called outrageous. Molokai Dispatch.

Hawaiian Island of Lanai could be sold quickly, recycling audits secret, rail transit funds slashed, pension funds go unfunded, FBI increases Hilo presence, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Island of Lanai

Los Angeles billionaire David Murdock is trying to sell the island of Lanai. The price is about $500 million. Pacific Business News.

Billionaire David Murdock and his company, Castle & Cooke Inc., are in discussions to sell Lanai in a deal that could alter the future of the former Pineapple Island and dramatically reduce Murdock's land ownership in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Auditor's Office is not releasing several audits of the state's so-called bottle-bill program, reports that are key to tracking where millions of dollars in state money is going. Civil Beat.

Hawaii has funded just 61 percent of its $18.5 billion pension obligation for public sector workers — the 10th worst in the nation. Hawaii also has a $14 billion retiree health care liability that is unfunded. Star-Advertiser.

While independent candidates have had little electoral success in the islands, a handful have been elected to office. They are also part of a larger trend nationally away from traditional left and right divisions. Civil Beat.

A settlement will ensure the continued cleanup of lead-based paint that has killed thousands of Laysan albatross chicks at Midway Atoll, the Center for Biological Diversity said. Associated Press.

Hawaii's governor has signed a bill banning the sale of products containing bear bile or gallbladders. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Monday signed into law a measure to help Hawai‘i fight pests that have been impacting the state’s bee populations. Garden Island.

There are fewer than 55 days remaining until Hawai’i’s Primary Election Day showdown … in which all 76 state legislative seats are up for consideration by voters. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

U.S. House Subcommittee Slices Money for Rail. Civil Beat.

A federal judge sentenced a former Honolulu city driver's licensing clerk Monday to four months in jail for fraudulently producing a Hawaii license for an illegal immigrant. Star-Advertiser.

As the city of Honolulu plans to start building a $200 million, 3.2-mile wastewater tunnel between Kaneohe and Kailua this year, some residents living near the project are worried about the potential impact on their properties. Star-Advertiser.

Much controversy has surfaced over UH Manoa Chancellor-Designate, Tom Apple's large salary and the flagship campus' top executive, Virginia Hinshaw's sabbatical pay, and it all came to a head during our interview with the executives today. Hawaii News Now.

Doctor Tom Apple comes from the University of Delaware where he was provost. KHON2.

Can a White Federal Agent Who Killed a Hawaii Local Get a Fair Trial? Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Politicians and officials from around Hawaii, Western states and even some national-level representatives are coming to Hawaii at the end of this week for an annual state government conference. West Hawaii Today.

The FBI could soon have its own digs at the Hilo police station. Tribune-Herald.

Funding has been approved for permanent facilities to house the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES).KPUA.

A study of vog and wind patterns shows communities most impacted by the volcanic emissions can predict when the air is likely to be cleaner, a researcher told a County Council committee Monday. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui's boating community has mixed reactions to a proposed state rule that would require recreational boaters operating motorized vessels to complete a one-time safety course, or face fines of up to $1,000. Maui News.

The bankrupt Days Inn Maui Oceanfront Inn in Kihei has been sold to a Chinese investor for $7.5 million, according to court documents. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kaua‘i Fire Department held a brush fire mitigation meeting Friday morning, reminding large landowners, lessees and other stakeholders of their responsibility in maintaining firebreaks for open fields adjacent to structure. Garden Island.

Molokai

“Solar is the strongest renewable energy resource for Molokai,” concludes the just-released Life of the Land report, “Wayfinding: Navigating Hawaii’s Energy Future,” by Henry Curtis. Molokai Dispatch.