Legislature to tackle budget, Ige pushes gubernatorial bid, Hanohano speaks up, schools lag but some want school year shortened, senator seeks football over shearwater protection, Honolulu studies bike paths, judge blocks GMO law, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii state Capitol (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

With first crossover now past, the two chambers of the Hawaii Legislature heaped one another with bills last week — moving about 500 combined on Tuesday alone. The remainder of the session, which hits its midway point Wednesday, will begin with those bills grinding through another round of committee hearings on their way to becoming laws or castaways. Associated Press.

Here is the status of major bills at the halfway point of the 60-day legislative session. The bills that are alive have passed in at least one chamber of the Legislature. The bills that are failing were not approved by the state House or Senate by Thursday’s procedural deadline. Star-Advertiser.

State Sen. David Ige said Friday that Gov. Neil Abercrombie has sought to "politicize" the legislative session by blaming him for stalling tax relief for seniors. Star-Advertiser.

Polls offer a glimmer of hope for Ige. Senator seeks bid for governor, says he will win primary. Maui News.

Hawaii lawmakers have killed proposals aimed at raising the legal age for buying tobacco to 21 and clamping down on smoking at beaches statewide. But they’re advancing bills that would restrict smoking and make it more expensive, continuing a trend in Hawaii to crack down on smoking in public places. Associated Press.

The rise of super PACs in Hawaii is an outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which said that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting politically independent expenditures made by corporations, unions and associations. Hawaii's super PACS have caught the attention of the Campaign Spending Commission. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s public schools aren’t rated the nation's best, according to a variety of national rankings. Apparently, many state lawmakers aren’t interested in the numbers. They say teachers and students should not spend more time in the classroom, and the superintendent should make more money. Hawaii Reporter.

State Rep. Bob McDermott filed an ethics complaint against Hawaii State Department of Education District Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi Thursday after she ignored his Feb. 28 letter requesting she halt the implementation of a new teacher training program. The program, Teaching Tolerance, was created by the Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama for K-12 English and history teachers nationwide. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii hotel sales reached a record $1.97 billion last year, and the blistering pace has continued into 2014, with another half-billion in estimated transactions in the first two months alone. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Bike advocates say that Oahu could be on the verge of a biking renaissance that ushers in not only safer conditions, but hopefully a lot more bikers. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has promised to make biking infrastructure a priority and plans to construct Oahu’s first protected bike lane along King Street, running from downtown all the way to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Civil Beat.

City housing officials say they will explain to City Council Budget Committee members Monday that more than $20 million being set aside for their Housing First initiative will help homeless families as well as individuals find permanent shelter. Star-Advertiser.

Dr. Christopher Happy, chief medical examiner, wins the title of being the City and County of Honolulu’s highest paid worker. He filled the long-vacant position in November at an annual salary of $250,000, salary data shows. Civil Beat.

Starting Monday the city’s going to start a sand replenishment project at Kailua Beach Park. KHON2.

The Navy says it will install more monitoring wells around its massive Red Hill fuel storage facility to make sure that leaked fuel that has contaminated the groundwater isn’t migrating toward county drinking water supplies, an environmental threat that state and county officials say is a growing concern for them. Civil Beat.

Station Aloha: A laboratory for studying the sea. Oceanographers gauge man-made changes. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds lined the street to oppose residential development in the waterfront area of Kakaako. The demonstrators said it's one of the last open spaces along the south shore, Kakaako makai, and it should be kept like that. KITV4.

A contentious plan to raise the Waikiki height limit for a second hotel-condominium tower on Kuhio Avenue to 350 feet cleared the City Council Zoning Committee on Thursday, but with a requirement that the developer increase the space between the buildings and add open space and other amenities. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Hawaii County’s effort to register farms growing genetically modified crops was put on hold Friday. Hilo Circuit Court Judge Greg Nakamura granted a temporary restraining order in favor of John Doe, an unnamed plaintiff, two days after the deadline for farmers to comply with the county’s registration program. Tribune-Herald.

After criticism, state-wide media coverage, and an official letter of reprimand from House leadership, Puna State Representative Faye Hanohano returned to Hawaii Island where she gave her side of the story in an exclusive interview. Big Island Video News.

Hawaii County has a new legislative auditor. The County Council, by an 8-0 vote, approved Bonnie S. Nims to the six-year post, which has been vacant more than a year. Nims, who most recently worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, starts May 1. West Hawaii Today.

The pending sale of 5,880 acres of land in Ka‘u is leaving coffee farmers anxious. The property, acquired by Lehman Brothers last year through foreclosure, includes the Moaula coffee lands, known for producing some of the best coffee in the state. Tribune-Herald.

Kohala Kai developers were finally successful Friday relieving County Council members’ trepidation over approving a public easement through the luxury subdivision after assuring them the historical Ala Loa trail would be protected. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County Council Chairwoman Gladys Baisa was recovering Friday at Maui Memorial Medical Center after she fractured her pelvis in two places on Wednesday as she was rushing from one meeting to another, she said Friday. Maui News.

Haleakala National Park is looking for "fit and enthusiastic" Maui residents to serve as trail stewards. Associated Press.

Kauai

A U.S. senator is asking for a reprieve from the county shearwaters settlement that would allow high school night football games again on Kauai. Garden Island.

Three incumbent members of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative board of directors — David Iha, Phil Tacbian and Peter Yukimura — won re-election on Saturday. Pacific Business News.

Connecting the coastal path. New proposal calls for 1.2-mile route to bridge current segments. Garden Island.

Hawaii tourism forecast trimmed, Bar says Supreme Court nominee unqualified, Abercrombie fights for seniors, university official cleared in contract probe, Kona courthouse funds cut, state hospital scrutinized, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii hotel pool party (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

State tourism officials aim to lure 8.4 million travelers to the islands this year, instead of the 8.7 million targeted earlier, David Uchiyama, the Hawaii Tourism Authority vice president, said Wednesday. The less ambitious goal comes after several months of slowing growth in the state’s biggest industry, but it’s still 2.5 percent higher than the record number of visitors who came to Hawaii last year. Associated Press.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie said Wednesday that he will not give up on tax relief for seniors even though state lawmakers have shown little interest in the idea this session. he governor will continue pushing for bills that would offer income tax exemptions for about 25,000 low- to middle-income seniors at a cost of about $5 million a year and would double a refundable food and excise tax credit for about 110,000 low- to middle-income seniors, a cost of about $7 million a year. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii House money committee trimmed Gov. Neil Abercrombie's executive budget request by $53 million Wednesday in light of a dramatic downgrade that's expected in the state financial forecast. Finance Chair Sylvia Luke said she and her colleagues believe the Council on Revenues will further reduce the rate at which Hawaii’s economy is expected to grow in 2014 when it meets Tuesday. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Bar Association has rated Circuit Judge Michael Wilson "unqualified" for the state Supreme Court, a potential setback for his state Senate confirmation. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii State Bar Association has given State Supreme Court nominee Michael Wilson an "unqualified" rating. The local attorneys' organization does not release the reasons for its ratings of candidates for the bench or what the vote was of its board that makes the assessments. Hawaii News Now.

The state Department of Education Wednesday announced the creation of a renewable energy and efficiency program at public schools statewide that it estimates will save the department roughly $1 billion in operating costs over 25 years while expanding educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. Star-Advertiser.

Faced with a key deadline this week, lawmakers in both chambers chose to advance many bills related to Native Hawaiian issues. Civil Beat.

Five top-level state health administrators will be the first officials subpoenaed to testify in a legislative investigation into whether poor management at the Hawaii State Hospital left workers there vulnerable to patient attacks, state lawmakers said Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

A Senate committee investigating violence, nepotism and mismanagement at the Hawaii State Hospital announced its first round of subpoenas Wednesday along with a stern warning to top administrators that any form of retaliation against employees called to testify will not be tolerated. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Health Connector on radar for congressional audit. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Health Connector, the local Obamacare exchange, has a new campaign to boost enrollment — “Tell a friend.” Hawaii Reporter.

Experts want Hawaii lawmakers to update regulations meant to protect opihi, a tasty mollusk whose numbers have crashed in parts of Hawaii. Associated Press.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: March 6. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Thursday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.

Oahu

A 114-year-old building in Kakaako that has stood abandoned for the past 50 years, despite being an architectural gem, may finally be put to use after numerous failed efforts and ideas in recent decades. A proposal to rehabilitate and reuse the historic Ala Moana Pump Station, which was Honolulu's first sewage disposal facility, was endorsed Wednesday by a state agency that owns the property. Star-Advertiser.

Taxpayers are on the hook for $180,000 to settle a decade-old case involving a few prison guards who slapped, punched, choked and otherwise inappropriately handled kids detained at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. The lawsuit blames the state for failing to properly train and supervise the youth correctional officers involved in the incidents, which took place in the early 2000s. Civil Beat.

A $1.1 million fence is being taken down just three years after it was put up. Some are calling it a waste of taxpayer money, but the State says there was a good reason. Hawaii News Now.

Bakeries and other companies here in Hawaii that rely on flour are bracing for what could be a major disruption in their local supply of the product. That’s because the only flour mill in town has given notice to the state that it will not renew the lease on its operations at Honolulu Harbor. KHON2.

Representatives from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs went to the Capitol today to brief House members on their plan to build residential buildings in Kaka’ako Makai.  Instead, they received a strong recommendation from the committee chair to go back to the negotiating table with the Governor. Hawaii Public Radio.

A Honolulu attorney who’s represented some of Hawaii’s largest hotel, resort and commercial landowners is leading a local hui of investors who are developing a community of 24 homes priced at an average of $1.6 million each in Honolulu’s lush Pauoa Valley that will include open space and a nonprofit component focusing on sustainability. Pacific Business News.

Diamond Head Theatre officials are hoping a new venue will offer a stage experience worthy of the group's long and storied history. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Despite the sorry state of many of Hawaii Island’s highways, and Mayor Billy Kenoi’s promise to use capital projects to stimulate the economy by putting people to work, some $2.3 million of gas taxes collected during the bottom of the recession is sitting in a bank instead of being used to build roads. West Hawaii Today.

The House Finance committee cut $50 million out of the funding request for a new Kona Judiciary Complex Wednesday afternoon. Judiciary officials had requested $81 million, the amount needed to build the long-sought complex in North Kona, which would combine services now happening at three separate courts. West Hawaii Today.

A top University of Hawaii executive accused of favoritism and unethical conduct related to construction of a UH-Hilo dormitory project has been cleared of any alleged wrongdoing in a state attorney general's report released Wednesday by the university. Star-Advertiser.

There are 57 issues inhibiting organic food production and distribution in Hawaii, and 93 potential opportunities and solutions to address them, according to a recent report. Tribune-Herald.

A Hawaii island papaya farmer is suing for relief from new registration requirements for growers of genetically modified crops. The lawsuit filed earlier this week claims the county's new registration law is "burdensome and intrusive." Associated Press.

Maui
The Maui Fire Department has appointed its first battalion chief of ocean safety, who will help facilitate the long-awaited merger between the department and the county's Division of Ocean Safety. Maui News.

The Maui Police Department released a report today confirming the identities of those aboard a plane that crashed on Lānaʻi last week. The report also states that the cause of death for the three individuals that died in the incident has not been determined pending a coroner’s physicians report. Maui Now.

Maui Land & Pineapple Co. reported a $1.2 million net loss (6 cents a share) for 2013, a marked improvement from the $4.6 million loss (25 cents a share) logged in 2012. Maui News.

Kauai

James Alalem and other local residents have created a grassroots burial council for the purpose of honoring iwi kupuna (ancestral bones) and the history and culture of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Garden Island.

Kapaa resident Steven Yoder filed his nomination papers on Wednesday to run as a Republican candidate in this year’s election for the state House District 15 seat now held by Rep. James “Jimmy” Kunane Tokioka. Garden Island.

Developer tax break could boost tourism, GMO battles on two islands, property tax hike for Oahu, bill privatizing hospitals advances, Hawaii Island's tech gap, Ige opens Honolulu campaign HQ, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Waikiki and Diamond Head (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

Hawaii lawmakers are considering giving a tax break to hotel developers to help expand the state’s lucrative visitor industry. The industry pulled in more than $14 billion in 2012 but a recent report by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization suggests that the industry’s growth rate is on the decline. Civil Beat.

The legislative calendar is littered with deadlines, and a big one looms this week: first crossover. If one chamber (House or Senate) is going to send a bill to the other chamber to become law, it has to pass the originating chamber by first crossover on Thursday. To allow time for possible amendments, both chambers will be racing Tuesday to vote on their bills before sending them over. Look for lengthy floor sessions in both chambers that day. Associated Press.

There are no bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings or events scheduled for Monday at the state Capitol. That’s because senators and representatives are preparing for voting tomorrow and Thursday, the 25th and 26th days of the 2014 session. Civil Beat.

It's been three weeks since Hawaii news outlets began reporting on complaints about state Rep. Faye Hanohano alleging abusive behavior and racial prejudice. And yet, the Puna lawmaker still chairs the Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs. While House leaders have expressed a desire that Hanohano step down from her position, as of Sunday she had not. Civil Beat.

Several of Hawaii’s religious leaders are supporting the effort by Democratic legislative leaders to increase the state’s minimum wage. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii’s minimum wage would rise by almost $3 in three years under a bill the state Senate advanced Friday. Associated Press.

A proposal to raise the fee distributors pay for the recycling of nondeposit glass containers appears to have stalled in the state Legislature, leaving the collection of those bottles in limbo for another year. The problem is that the 1.5-cents-per-container fee for wine bottles and other glass containers not included in the HI-5 beverage container program doesn't come close to covering the cost of recycling, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

A movement to commercialize breadfruit in the isles has slowly been taking root in recent years, and a bill moving through the state Legislature aims to give a much-needed boost to the fledgling industry. Senate Bill 3023 proposes appropriating an unspecified sum in the upcoming fiscal year for research, development and marketing of breadfruit, or ulu. Star-Advertiser.

The seed research and development industry in Hawaii shriveled a bit over the last two years following a decade of robust growth, though the unique sector of farming remained the state's biggest crop by value. Recent estimates by the Hawaii field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service put the value of seed company spending statewide at $213 million for the 2012-13 season ended in June, down 10 percent from $238 million in the 2011-12 season. Star-Advertiser.

David Ige's quest for governor may lack a lot of campaign funding. But the opening of his campaign headquarters didn't lack political power. Hawaii News Now.

Commentary: Abercrombie gains an edge in wider gubernatorial field. Star-Advertiser.

The nominating committee for the state water commission is meeting this week to review applications to fill a vacant seat. The committee will send a list of at least three qualified people to the governor. The governor will nominate one person from the list to fill the position. The Senate will vote on the nomination. Associated Press.

Bank of Hawaii is closing the accounts of Iranian nationals living in the state, a move that is angering Iranian activists and civil rights supporters. The bank cites U.S. sanctions against Iran, issued from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the agency responsible for regulating the economic sanctions between the U.S. and Iran. Civil Beat.

Territorial Savings Bank has received regulatory approval to convert to a Hawaii-chartered savings bank from a federal savings bank. The state's fifth-largest bank had been organized first in 1921 as a mutual building and loan association. Star-Advertiser.

State roundup for March 3. Associated Press.

Oahu
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell wants to raise tax rates on owners of luxury homes and hotel/resort properties to help close a $46 million revenue "gap" and balance a proposed $2.15 billion operating budget for next year. Star-Advertiser.

Los Angeles developers seeking the city's permission to exceed a Waikiki building-height limit and other concessions for their controversial Kuhio Avenue hotel-condominium project have given more than $100,000 to Mayor Kirk Caldwell and Honolulu City Council members' political campaigns since 2011, campaign finance records show.  Civil Beat.

The last remaining businesses at the Kapalama Military Reservation near Honolulu Harbor have been given a month-long reprieve before they have to leave to make room for a major renovation that will turn the complex into a shipping container terminal. Pacific Business News.

After several years of service complaints from riders, Honolulu City Councilman Breene Hari­moto says he will introduce a resolution in the next few weeks that would compel a management and operational audit of the Handi-Van system. The program is run by Oahu Transit Services, a nonprofit entity that's partly a city entity and partly an independent operator. Star-Advertiser.

Former state Rep. Tommy Waters, who left the House of Representatives in 2008, wants to return to public service. Waters, an attorney, is seeking the District 4 seat being vacated by Councilman Stanley Chang, who is running for Congress. He joins a field that already has Natalie Iwasa and Trevor Ozawa. A fourth potential candidate, Scot Johnson, has pulled election papers. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi on Friday unveiled his biggest budget yet, for the first time asking the County Council to spend more than the previous administration spent. The $412.6 million budget is 4.6 percent higher than last year’s, and 2.3 percent higher than the budget in place when Kenoi took office in 2008. West Hawaii Today.

Lorraine Inouye wants a rematch. After losing narrowly to state Sen. Malama Solomon in the 2012 Democratic primary, Inouye of Paukaa is challenging her again for the 4th District post. Tribune-Herald.

Nearly three decades after signing 99-year leases with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, several dozen homesteaders in this arid and isolated region of the Big Island still are waiting for the agency to deliver the one thing critical to their ranching and farming lots: water. Star-Advertiser.

Cable outage exposes islandwide flaw. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii could issue up to $50 million in special purpose revenue bonds to support a company’s plans to turn agriculture waste into biofuel and animal feed. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

A group of Maui residents has launched a petition drive to put before voters a proposal to suspend all farming operations involving genetically engineered crops in Maui County. Some 8,500 signatures must be submitted to the county clerk by March 31 to put the initiative on the county's November ballot. Star-Advertiser.

The state Senate Ways and Means Committee has advanced a bill to allow management of the state's struggling public hospitals, including Maui Memorial Medical Center, to be shifted from the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. to a nonprofit hospital corporation. Maui Now.

A state Senate bill that provides for the transfer of state public hospitals to a private nonprofit has undergone substantial revisions since it was introduced early this year by Senate Health Committee Chairman Josh Green and Sens. Suzanne Chun-Oakland and Maile Shimabukuro. Maui News.

Kauai

Four organizations that support Kauai County's new ordinance pertaining to pesticide use and cultivation of genetically modified crops are seeking to intervene in a federal lawsuit that aims to block its implementation. Star-Advertiser.

All four Kauai legislators said they support minimum wage increases and recognize the need for it, but what differs among some of them is how that vision should be carried out. Garden Island.

Abercrombie, Ige tied in poll for governor, Hawaii ranked high in shark attacks, Hanohano on the hot seat, Maui group wants GMO regs, no new taxes for Hawaii County, HECO execs get raises, Caldwell to deliver state of the city, more news from all the Hawaian Islands

Abercrombie vs. Ige

A new Civil Beat Poll suggests that state Sen. David Ige has a shot at unseating Hawaii's incumbent governor, Neil Abercrombie. Ige and Abercrombie are tied at 37 percent apiece among likely Democratic primary voters, the poll shows. And more than a quarter of those voters, or 26 percent, say they are unsure of who they'll vote for.

Hawaii tallied the second-highest count of shark attacks of any place on Earth last year, according to the University of Florida's annual International Shark Attack File report released last week. Only Florida had more shark attacks, with 23. Star-Advertiser.

Dozens of Hawaii legislators have written Gov. Neil Abercrombie urging him to reappoint their former House colleague to lead the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. As Civil Beat reported Wednesday, the governor could be disappointed that PUC Commissioner Mina Morita has not helped advance aspects of his energy agenda and that the PUC has been slow in issuing opinions. Morita may have raised the governor's ire due to the PUC's rejection of a Big Island biofuel contract and the commission's ongoing delays in letting an inter-island cable plan go forward.

The top thing to watch for this week in the Hawaii state Legislature is what didn't notably happen last week: a promised meeting among House leadership to discuss possible censure of Rep. Faye Hanohano. Associated Press.

In drafting legislation to regulate the budding unmanned aerial vehicle industry, legislators nearly excluded all uses of the devices, except by law enforcement — the opposite of their intent. Star-Advertiser.

After an informational briefing highlighted the medicinal values and outlined the path and roadblocks to implementation of marijuana dispensaries, Rep. Della Au Belatti calls for "steady, measured and reasonable dialogue" on the subject. Hawaii Independent.

Measure regulating dietary supplements gets little attention. Star-Advertiser.

The League of Women Voters of Hawaii is urging taxpayers to support the state's election campaign fund. The league asked last week that taxpayers indicate on their income tax returns that $3 for individuals, or $6 for joint filers, should go to the fund. Associated Press.

University of Hawaii Board of Regents Vice Chairman James Lee has been passed up by Gov. Neil Abercrombie for another term on the board. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Education has convened a working group to review an experimental sex-education program in public schools that has been criticized by Republican lawmakers. The program entitled Pono Choices was developed by the University of Hawaii for seventh-graders. Big Island Now.

Hawaii’s online health insurance exchange hopes to boost enrollment by targeting younger adults. The Hawaii Health Connector is making an aggressive push this weekend aimed at so-called “invincibles,” those who see insurance as an unnecessary expense. Associated Press.

The president and the executive staff of Hawaiian Electric Co., the state’s largest electric utility, received higher base salaries in 2013, but their total compensation for the year was lower compared to the year before, according an annual report for parent Hawaiian Electric Industries. Pacific Business News.

In her keynote address at Sunday's opening of the 17th biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting, National Geographic explorer Elizabeth Kapuuwailanui Lindsey shared a memory about her late mentor, Pius "Mau" Piai­lug, the esteemed Micronesian navigator whose work to preserve traditional way-finding practices influenced generations of modern Polynesian voyagers. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

When Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell delivers his second State of the City address this week, it won't be at Honolulu Hale, or even Kapolei Hale in the  "Second City." For the first time, it will be delivered at McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park. Hawaii News Now.

Thousands of ocean scientists are in Hawaii this week for a conference at the Hawaii Convention center. Their goal is to address major marine issues around the world. Organizers feel hawaii is the perfect place to begin the discussion. KHON2.

Beginning Monday, February 24, a tree care company hired by the city will begin the removal of two mature monkeypod trees growing along Kapiolani Boulevard. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

Increases in property values coupled with an improving economy should provide enough revenue to balance the county budget without having to raise property taxes this year, despite across-the-board salary hikes for county employees covered by collective bargaining agreements. West Hawaii Today.

State Rep. Faye Hanohano's recent remarks and actions have roiled the state Capitol, but in her home district of Puna her constituents remain divided about the alleged misconduct. In Pahoa, a once-sleepy town that has mushroomed into a bustling gathering place for people living in the region's many sprawling subdivisions, there are those who still support Hanohano and those who shake their heads at the mention of her name. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii Center at West Hawaii has a new director. The University of Hawaii Board of Regents Thursday night hired Kenneth “Marty” Fletcher to helm the community college, which will become the University of Hawaii at Palamanui. West Hawaii Today.

A former president of Hilo Little League has pleaded guilty in federal court to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars in league funds, plus money from two youth soccer teams, a pageant organization and a car repair and alignment shop. Tribune-Herald.

Maui
Five Maui County residents are looking to gather at least 8,500 signatures for a ballot initiative that would force genetically engineered food growers, such as Monsanto, to "prove that their crops are safe," supporters said. Maui News.

As the state Public Utilities Commission continues to gather public testimony to determine whether a Maui-Oahu undersea power cable would be in the public interest, Upcountry residents were able to ask energy officials and experts questions about the proposal during the Kula Community Association meeting Wednesday night. Maui News.

A total of 1,331 humpback whale sightings were recorded during the Pacific Whale Foundation’s annual Great Whale Count held on Saturday. Maui Now.

A workshop that will include officials from Google, who will help small businesses take advantage of online opportunities, will be held March 19 at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center. Maui News.

Kauai

Four Kauai charter schools will continue to operate thanks to a shot of emergency financial support. The Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs approved $1.5 million in emergency funding to 17 Hawaiian-focused public charter schools for the 2013-2014 school year to address the budgetary shortfalls the schools have faced over the past five years. Garden Island.

Several teachers at Kilauea Elementary School are feeling such pressure to implement a new pilot program called the Educator Effectiveness System, they’ve sent a letter protesting the measure to the Hawaii Board of Education and the Hawaii Department of Education. Garden Island.

Hawaii Polls: Abercrombie struggling, Aiona gaining, Hanabusa leading, Kim on top, Hanohano investigated, plus more government and political news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Neil Abercrombie campaigning file photo (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

Voters are deeply ambivalent about Gov. Neil Abercrombie, a new Hawaii Poll shows, an opening that breathes unexpected life into his political challengers. Despite the state's economic turnaround and record budget surplus, Abercrombie's job approval rating stands at 43 percent, and just 45 percent of voters interviewed had a favorable opinion of him. Abercrombie holds a single-digit lead over state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary for governor, a surprise given that Ige has raised little money and many voters have never heard of or do not know enough about the state senator. Star-Advertiser.

Ige

Reflecting lingering bad feelings about a protracted standoff in labor negotiations, now settled, the Hawaii State Teachers Association today announced its support for state Sen. David Ige in the Democratic primary for governor. That’s a blow to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, the incumbent seeking re-election. The governor angered the 13,500-member union by imposing cuts to salaries and health benefits after the administration could not reach agreement with the union. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association has announced that it is endorsing state Sen. David Ige in the race for governor. Ige, a Democrat, is challenging Gov. Neil Abercrombie in the primary election. Hawaii News Now previously reported that former governors Ben Cayetano and George Ariyoshi are also throwing their support behind the Pearl City-Aiea senator. Hawaii News Now.

Aiona

Hundreds of registered voters were asked if the election were held for Governor today, who would you vote for in the Democratic primary? 47% said incumbent Neil Abercrombie while 38% chose State Senator David Ige. 14% were undecided with a 4% margin of error. 45% polled have an unfavorable opinion of Neil Abercrombie. 45% have a favorable view. In this race Duke Aiona has the highest approval rating at 58%. David Ige polled 30% favorable, but 38% have never heard of him. Hawaii News Now.

Hanabusa

U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa has a gap over U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, a new Hawaii Poll has found, and a quarter of voters interviewed did not know enough about Schatz to form an opinion about the senator. Hanabusa was at 48 percent and Schatz was at 40 percent in the poll of Democratic primary voters. Eleven percent were undecided. Star-Advertiser.

Schatz

In advance of a Honolulu Star-Advertiser poll today that shows Rep. Colleen Hababusa leading Sen. Brian Schatz 48-40 percent in the Democratic primary, Schatz told supporters yesterday that his campaign’s internal poll has him up 41-37 percent. Civil Beat.

Kim

State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim would win the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st Congressional District House of Representatives seat handily if the election were held this month, according to the latest results of the Hawaii Poll. Kim, who's spent more years in elective office than five other candidates in the poll, scored 10 percentage points better than the second top finisher, state Rep. Mark Takai. Star-Advertiser.

Bhagowalia

In hopes of advancing the state's overhaul of its aging information technology infrastructure, the current director of the Office of Information Management Technology will serve as the governor's chief adviser for technology and cybersecurity effective Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hanohano

State House leaders plan to appoint a special committee to investigate Rep. Faye Hanohano after a college student complained she treated him rudely while testifying before a committee she chairs. Associated Press.

Rosen

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Friday named Dr. Linda Rosen director of the state Department of Health. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Legislature is considering a number of bills to provide tax relief for residents on the verge of becoming homeless.  One sweeping measure is proposing a number of tax breaks for those in need. Hawaii Public Radio.

A bill requiring radiation warnings on cellphones passed two committees in the state Senate. Introduced by Sen. Josh Green, D-Kona, Ka‘u, SB 2571 would require cellphones sold in Hawaii to contain a label covering nearly a third of the back of the device. Tribune-Herald.

Weeks of slow, soaking rains are helping the grass grow again on the western slopes of Maui and Hawaii islands, giving cattle ranchers hope they may at last escape a punishing drought brought on by years of below-normal rainfall. But ranchers warn the soil will dry out if rain doesn’t continue to fall for the rest of Hawaii’s wet season, which lasts through April. Associated Press.

Committee hearings are slowing at the Hawaii state Legislature, so in the coming four-day week, the usual monsoon of public debate will taper to a fine mist. Associated Press.

Oahu

Caldwell

Seventy-two percent of Oahu voters feel Mayor Kirk Caldwell did a good job in his first year in office, according to a recent Hawaii Poll. While that may seem high for a politician, that's been the case for the past three mayors, said Rebecca Ward, president of Ward Research Inc., which did the poll for the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.

Dozens gathered in the drizzling rain at Malaekahana State Park to stage a peaceful protest against what is commonly called Bill 47 (2013) in the Honolulu City Council. It would involve changes in zoning and planning for the North Shore community. KHON2.

Honolulu police are testing a high-speed camera that captures thousands of license plates — and searches a database for information about vehicles and who might be behind the wheel. Star-Advertiser.

Media Council Hawaii and attorneys with the Institute for Public Representation have filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission to halt the transfer of the broadcast license of KFVE from HITV to American Spirit Media.  MCH previously challenged, unsuccessfully, agreements between Raycom Media and HITV that gave Raycom ownership and control of KHNL, KGMB and KFVE in the Honolulu market. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Landers

The Pahoa woman believed to be the Big Island’s oldest resident has died. Saramae Williams Landers, who died Monday at home, witnessed breathtaking technological advances and historic social changes in her 107 years. Tribune-Herald.

With Hawaii County expecting a $20 million payment next month, the County Council’s Finance Committee will consider a bill Tuesday to accept the money, which will be used to build the second half of the Mamalahoa bypass. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County experienced positive economic growth last year. The unemployment rate decreased 2.2 percent during the third quarter of 2013, from 8.4 percent to 6.2 percent, according to a Hawaii Department of Business and Economic Development report. Tribune-Herald.

A mainland-based medical nonprofit, working with Hawaii-based senior living developers, wants to build a combination assisted living and skilled nursing facility in Kailua-Kona. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A subsidiary of Colorado-based land investment, development and conservation firm Bio-Logical Capital has purchased about 3,600 acres of Hana Ranch’s land in East Maui for $4.75 million, Pacific Business News confirmed.

The county Department of Parks and Recreation will host a series of community meetings to discuss proposed permitting and scheduling improvements for the use of county facilities, an announcement said Friday. Maui News.

Kauai

About a dozen rain-soaked people took to the street late Friday afternoon in downtown Kapaa to protest proposed legislation that would discourage home births using a midwife. Garden Island.

A fourth biotech seed company has joined a lawsuit aimed at blocking the County of Kauai’s implementation of Ordinance 960 related to pesticides and genetically modified crops. BASF is now on board with the complaint, filed Jan. 10 in U.S. District Court in Honolulu by Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer and Agrigenetics, a company affiliated with Dow AgroSciences. Civil Beat.

The Department of Public Works will hold a public information meeting to discuss the draft environmental assessment for the Waipouli connection of Ke Ala Hele Makalae, the multi-use path. The meeting will be begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Kapaa Middle School cafeteria. Garden Island.

Molokai

Two years after Molokai's Kanemitsu Bakery was originally fined $90,000 and subsequently ordered to suspend operations due to "numerous health code violations," the iconic bakery has reached a settlement with the state Department of Health to pay $20,000 in fines. Maui News.

Hawaiian Airlines on time, fiscal watchdogs dispute Abercrombie's claims, Koreatown for Honolulu, Legislature mulls minimum wage, e-cigarette regs, massage therapists, vehicle charging stations; Hawaii County Dems to tighten elections, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian Airlines at Honolulu airport (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

Hawaiian Airlines had the best on-time performance of any U.S. airline in 2013, 93.3 percent, making it the 10th consecutive year the Honolulu-based airline led all U.S. carriers in punctuality, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report released Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie maintains the government is on strong financial footing, but fiscal watchdogs say because Hawaii’s unfunded liabilities are in the billions of dollars, the governor’s claims are grossly inaccurate. Hawaii Reporter.

So far this session, the Hawaii Legislature is working to make good on its promise to raise the minimum wage, something Gov. Neil Abercrombie supports. HB 2580 also eliminates the tip credit, the 25 cents employers can deduct from the wages of waiters and other employees who depend on gratuities. And it lets the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations adjust the wage in accordance with the Consumer Price Index beginning September 2017. Civil Beat.

Supporters of electronic smoking devices gathered at the Capitol on Tuesday for the third time in less than a week to oppose proposed measures that would highly tax, regulate or ban the increasingly popular products. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmakers consider new restrictions on e-cigarettes. KHON2.

Massage, spa and escort ads would be restricted under a bill Hawaii lawmakers are considering. The bill targets ads that use the words “massage,” “relaxation,” “escort,” “spa” or “body rub.” It says those ads cannot include physical descriptions or photos of the therapist except for the person’s hands, wrists and forearms. Associated Press.

A bill to impose fines for owners of parking lots who fail to provide a minimum of one electric vehicle charging station and exclusive space is advancing in the Hawaii Senate. Maui Now.

Hawaii's prison system is housing fewer inmates these days. Last year, the state saved $2.5 million by holding fewer prisoners on the mainland, and the state's inmate population decreased by 4 percent overall. A new report credits this to the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) that Hawaii implemented in 2012. Civil Beat.

Doctors, nurse midwives and lay midwives will have nine months to discuss reform of rules regulating home births in Hawaii, based on proposed amendments to several measures before the state Legislature this session. West Hawaii Today.

Beneath the sparkling blue waters of Waikiki's world-famous beaches, an unwelcome visitor called alien algae is killing native coral, chasing away the natural sea life and upsetting the fragile balance of the ocean's ecosystem. Three types of alien algae — Acanthophora spicifera, Gracilaria salicornia and Avrainvillea amadelpha — have formed strongholds around the famous South Shore swells, choking the reefs and overtaking some of the native algae that once grew. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

New condominium towers in Kakaako would be spaced farther apart and rise no higher than existing towers under bills that were advanced Tuesday by a legislative committee that also deferred more radical measures that included a one-year development moratorium for the urban Honolulu area. Star-Advertiser.

A State House Committee today passed 4 of the 7 bills introduced this session to restructure the Hawai’i Community Development Authority.  This following a day-long hearing Saturday involving many Kaka’ako residents who wanted the state agency abolished. Hawaii Public Radio.

Keeaumoku — or as some call it, Korea-moku — is known as Honolulu’s informal ethnic Korean neighborhood, a place to get delicious bibimbap from Sorobel restaurant or pick up gochujang at Keeaumoku Supermarket. A bill introduced by Rep. Sharon Har of West Oahu would set aside money for the state to officially designate the area near Kapiolani Boulevard and Ala Moana Shopping Center as Koreatown. Civil Beat.

Three Senate panels voted on Tuesday to move forward a bill to exchange state land in West Oahu with private agricultural land in central Oahu.  Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz has been advocating for the measure, Senate Bill 3065, as a way to preserve Hawaii’s farmland and help transform the rural town of Wahiawa into an agribusiness hub.  Civil Beat.

A state judge ruled Monday that the Honolulu Police Department must turn over certain disciplinary records requested by Peer News, which does business in Hawaii as Honolulu Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

A state judge said she’ll rule within three weeks on a request by a Honolulu newspaper and a television station to unseal transcripts of closed proceedings when she declared a mistrial for a federal agent charged with murder. Associated Press.

Hawaii

Allegations of a “rigged” election have been dismissed by local Democrats, who vowed Tuesday to create clearer rules governing the process of replacing state lawmakers who leave before their term is complete. At issue was the Dec. 27 District 5 Council election that sent three candidates to Gov. Neil Abercrombie to replace former Rep. Denny Coffman, who resigned a year shy of the completion of his third term. West Hawaii Today.

Legal counsel acting on behalf of Thirty Meter Telescope Corp. will head to court at 8 a.m. next Thursday. The move comes after the TMT Corp. requested to file an amicus curiae brief, also known as a friends of the court brief, in the case involving six petitioners opposing the state’s approval process for issuing a permit for the construction of one of the world’s largest telescopes atop Mauna Kea. Tribune-Herald.

Hunters working for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources are allowed to use suppressors, sometimes called silencers, on their rifles, the department’s chairman said Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

A controversial measure giving the Legislature more authority to determine what is a public trail cleared a key Senate committee Tuesday. But Senate Bill 2728, backed by Maui Sen. Kalani English, is particularly raising the eyebrows of a trail-advocacy group that has sued a Maui company over trail access. Civil Beat.

Maui County's administration wants to outlaw electronic smoking devices at all county properties where tobacco smoking is prohibited. Maui News.

Kauai

A review committee has rejected free legal services offered by attorney Teresa Tico to defend Kauai County against a lawsuit filed by three seed companies to block a new GMO and pesticide law. Kauai County solicited pro bono legal services concerning a lawsuit filed by Syngenta, DuPont Pioneer and Agrigenetics Inc., doing business as Dow AgroSciences. Star-Advertiser.

A review committee rejected an offer from a pair of attorneys to defend the County of Kauai for free in the lawsuit challenging county Ordinance 960 related to pesticides and genetically modified crops. The lone offer to provide pro-bono representation was submitted Jan. 27 by Teresa Tico, former head of the Kauai Bar Association, and Peter Schey, head of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. Garden Island.

Bird’s-eye view. NestCam gives world close-up look at Kauai albatross. Garden Island.

They know about birthing babies, judge says police must release records, stiff e-cig tax mulled, hospital privatization advances, state picks up $5M baggage screening tab, Waikiki tile rainbow to be restored, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiian family man (c) 2014 All Hawaii News

Dozens of mothers and their children crowded a hallway at the Hawaii State Capitol on Monday afternoon hoping to shoot down a proposal to increase government oversight of home births. The measure, Senate Bill 2569, creates a regulatory framework for people who help women give birth at home. Home births currently aren't regulated in Hawaii and advocates for the bill say that it would make such births safer for women and their babies. Civil Beat.

Legislation proposing to establish a home birth safety board to regulate midwives and providers drew passionate testimony Monday from both sides of the spectrum. Star-Advertiser.

A new bill in the senate aims at making licensing a requirement for home birth providers. Supporters say educational mandates for those who practice mid-wifery are long overdue, but opponents fear the bill will put an end to the practice. KITV4.

For nearly 20 years, Hawaii police officers who were suspended for misconduct have been able to hide behind an exemption in the state’s public records law that prevents officials from releasing their names and details of disciplinary actions. But on Monday, in a case brought by Civil Beat, Hawaii Circuit Court Judge Karl Sakamoto ruled that police cannot be above the law when it comes to disclosure of their misconduct.

State lawmakers on Monday advanced bills that could heavily tax electronic smoking devices in Hawaii. People who sell the devices, also called vaporizers or e-cigs, turned out to hearings Friday and Monday to oppose the bills (SB2495 and SB2496). They said the devices help people stop smoking cigarettes and that high taxes could put their shops out of business. Star-Advertiser.

A bill that would clear the way for public-private hospital partnerships in Hawaii is getting across-the-board support. Testimony for Senate Bill 3064, which was scheduled for a Senate Health Committee hearing Monday afternoon, shows representatives from a number of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. hospitals are in favor of the measure, which would allow nonprofit hospitals already operating in Hawaii to partner with the state-supported facilities. West Hawaii Today.

Previous measures have failed to get very far at the Legislature, but now that Washington and Colorado have changed their laws on marijuana, Hawaii lawmakers are given the idea another look. Civil Beat.

A bill that would remove the state’s general excise tax from groceries and medical services has stalled in the Legislature. Introduced by Sen. Sam Slom, Senate Bill 2169 would also make seeds and garden plants, as well as meals prepared for those age 60 and above, exempt from the GET. Big Island Now.

Of all the ants in all the world, Hawaii had to get bitten by this one. Hawaii lawmakers on Monday advanced a bill aiming to study and kill the little fire ant, a hard-stinging pipsqueak that threatens the state's economy and ecology. Associated Press.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: Feb. 11. Civil Beat.

State Land Board Chairman William Aila said he will seek fines against two people who damaged a front door of Iolani Palace and made their way into the historic building Sunday morning. Star-Advertiser.

KHON2 has exclusive video of two suspects arrested for vandalizing Iolani Palace over the weekend.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie is currently considering his third appointment to the Hawaii Supreme Court. He received a list of six candidates from the Judicial Selection Commission on Jan. 27. Under the state Constitution a governor must make the judicial appointment within 30 days of receiving the commission's list. That deadline falls on Feb. 26. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Health will temporarily be without a director. Gary Gill, who Gov. Neil Abercrombie named as interim director after Loretta Fuddy died in a plane crash off Molokai in December, returned to his deputy director for environmental health administration post on Monday after the interim appointment expired. Star-Advertiser.

The number of discrimination complaints filed statewide increased in 2013, with retaliation as the most common suit against employers. Garden Island.

Scientists are using crittercams and crowdsourcing to bust myths about Hawaiian monk seals.  The incredible footage they're gathering from little cameras mounted onto the seals' backs are dispelling misconceptions many have had about the endangered species. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu
The state Department of Transportation is paying $5 million for a baggage screening contract at Honolulu International Airport that airlines used to pay for, Hawaii News Now has learned.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is visiting the Philippines. Caldwell's office says the purpose of the visit is to strengthen ties, promote business opportunities and renew sister-city relationships. Associated Press.

Come rain or shine, a rainbow always will grace the Waikiki skyline thanks to Hilton Hawaiian Village's $4.25 million commitment to restore the colorful ceramic-tile bands around the sides of its Rainbow Tower. Star-Advertiser.

There’s a proposal to install a zipline above an Aiea neighborhood, but not everyone is happy about it. The Aiea Neighborhood Board will take up the issue at its monthly meeting. KHON2.

Shares of Cardax Pharmaceuticals rose sharply on the first day of public trading for the Honolulu-based biotech firm. Cardax opened at $1.50 a share and rose as high as $3.25 a share before closing at $3.05 in the over-the-counter market. Trading volume was 5,200 shares. Star-Advertiser.

Sir Russell Coutts, CEO of Larry Ellison’s Oracle Team USA, which won the 2013 America’s Cup in one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, will be the keynote speaker at a Hawaii Coast Guard Foundation event in April. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

Legislation seeking an environmental study of Keauhou Bay, the creation of an ocean management recreation area and a moratorium on new commercial vessels permits in the area is likely dead. House Bill 2226 was considered Friday during a joint hearing with the Committee on Land &Water and Committee on Ocean, Marine Resources & Hawaiian Affairs at the state Capitol. West Hawaii Today.

The state House Committee on Higher Education will hear a bill today proposing funding for the Hawaii Island Family Medicine Residency program. The program, administered by Hilo Medical Center and Hawaii Health Systems Corp., is viewed as an important tool to help address the Big Island’s growing doctor shortage. Tribune-Herald.

The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the state’s Clean Air Branch to modify or reissue an air pollution permit for the proposed Hu Honua Bioenergy facility in Pepeekeo. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Home Birth Bill in Senate Prompts Demonstration on Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Authorities are investigating the poisoning deaths of five pets in a Kauai subdivision but say it's unclear whether they were intentional. The four dogs and one cat were poisoned Jan. 25 in Kalaheo using paraquat, a highly toxic pesticide used to kill unwanted plants, state Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Janelle Saneishi said. Associated Press.

The Anianiau is one of six Kauai forest birds found nowhere else on Earth, restricted to the high elevations of Kokee and the Alakai Swamp. Garden Island.

Rising for justice. Red flags aim to raise awareness for domestic violence. Garden Island.