Proposed catch limits irk fishers, 30 years of Hawaii-Taiwan sister-statehood, $2M settlement in women's prison sex abuse case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Proposed fishing changes draw ire. Dozens of fishermen and environmentalists on Friday spoke out against proposed new fishing regulations by the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii, Taiwan mark 30 years of sister-state relationship. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Hawaii’s sister-state relationship with Taiwan – a democratically self-ruled island claimed by China. State lawmakers passed resolutions this session to establish a Hawaii-Taiwan Friendship Task Force and support Taiwan participation in international forums like the World Health Organization’s annual assembly, scheduled to meet May 21st. Hawaii News Now.

Minimum Hawaiian coffee labeling requirements could change. The state Department of Agriculture is requesting proposals to study the economic impact of changing Hawaiʻi coffee labeling requirements. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawai‘i lawmakers passed two energy efficiency policies last week, supporting Hawai‘i’s goal to achieve a 100% clean energy and carbon-free future. Bills will transition the state from selling fluorescent light bulbs to more efficient Light-Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs beginning in January 2025 and set a minimum level of energy and water efficiency for certain household appliances sold in the state. Kauai Now.

Discord among Hawaii GOP lawmakers lingers. This year’s legislative session started with a dispute between the state’s two Republican senators over who would be named Senate minority leader, and ended with a quarrel between a Republican representative and other members of the House GOP caucus. Star-Advertiser.

Former Hawaii Executives Plead Guilty To Sending Illegal Donations To US Sen. Susan Collins. The Republican senator from Maine was the beneficiary of more than $200,000 in illegal campaign donations made by a Hawaii defense contractor. Clifford Chen and Lawrence Lum Kee both worked for Navatek, an engineering firm that was doing research and development for the Navy and had satellite offices located in Collins’ home state of Maine. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s new DBEDT boss James Tokioka has a wealth of experience. James “Jimmy” Kunane Tokioka became director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism on May 5, and he brings a considerable mix of business and government experience to the job. Star-Advertiser.

This State Investigator Has A Long History Of Questionable Behavior. And He’s Still At It. Bobby Aiu, the ex-husband of Sen. Donna Kim, disregarded procedures at the DEA, blasted his bosses to the governor, dressed down members of the public and even sued his brother over a horse. Civil Beat.

In about-face, state agrees to pay women’s prison sex assault victims $2M in settlement. The state has agreed to pay $2 million to six former and current inmates who were sexually assaulted by adult correctional officers at the Women’s Community Correctional Center. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii bankruptcies go up 29% on heels of rising rates. Bankruptcy cases in April hit a monthly high for the year, as rising interest rates and high inflation finally appear to be stretching thin the finances of Hawaii consumers. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii ‘survival budget’ hits $104,052, report finds. A new Aloha United Way report on Hawaii families experiencing financial instability estimated the annual “household survival budget” for a family of four in 2021 at $104,052. That’s up 15% from 2018 when the amount needed to cover essentials such as housing, food and health care was placed at $90,828. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Kailua Bay continues battle for clean waters. The beach faces multiple challenges: When there is heavy rain, sewers overflow through waterways into the ocean, prompting warnings of potential pathogens from the state Department of Health. Also, effluent from one of the city’s oldest wastewater plants empties into the ocean at Kailua Bay. Star-Advertiser.

Resident Only Parking Zones May Expand Across Oahu. City officials are considering allowing residents to petition for a restricted parking zone system on local streets. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Police Department takes hands-on approach to hiring process. In the struggle to fill more than 370 vacancies in an increasingly competitive job market, the Honolulu Police Department is banking on greater oversight of its hiring to find enough qualified recruits to wear the uniform. Star-Advertiser.

Plan to retain affordable housing in high-rise moves forward. A city plan to retain affordable housing at a 32-story high-rise in Chinatown by using a private development partnership and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax-exempt bonds moved forward last week. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Central Fire Station operations to move as building plagued by mold, structural issues. The Hawaii Fire Department will move operations this summer from its Central Fire Station in downtown Hilo to a midtown building on Kilauea Avenue so the 90-year-old station can undergo long-overdue repairs. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Hawaiʻi County 911 fire dispatchers having own crisis with severe shortage of workers. On Thursday, in the windowless communication center at Hawai‘i police headquarters in Hilo — with the din of ringing phones, radio chatter and talking people — seven dispatchers answered emergency call after emergency call from around the island. Big Island Now.

Maui

Community Groups Are Trying To Learn Just How Clean — Or Dirty — Maui’s Beaches Really Are. The public is filling in the gaps because the government lacks the resources to regularly test most beaches. Civil Beat.

Maui fishers cited for illegally entering wildlife sanctuary off Lanai. Four Maui fishers were cited for illegal entry into the Moku Naio islet Seabird Sanctuary, also known as Shark Fin Rock, off the coast of Lanai. Star-Advertiser. Maui Now.

County increases Summer PALs seasonal employee salaries to boost recruitment. Hourly wages will be increased to a range of $20 an hour to $31.63 an hour, depending on the position. Maui News. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i county budget draft finalized. The Kaua‘i County Council finalized the county’s draft budget on Friday, including additional decreases to the Homestead tax rate and new funds for the Kaua‘i Police Department, in an uncharacteristically noncombative council meeting. Garden Island.

Green granted $200M discretionary spending, Tokioka named DBEDT director, cruise ships return with a vengeance, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii’s cruise ship tourism picks up steam. The winds are shifting for Hawaii’s cruise ship trade as bookings catch up with pent-up demand for travel after the state went almost two years without a single sailing. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Gov. Green’s $200M ‘pot of money’ under scrutiny. Some House members who voted in protest against the new state budget ended the legislative session with questions about how leaders of both chambers ended up granting Gov. Josh Green power to use $200 million — accompanied by “safeguards” — to spend any way he wants. Star-Advertiser.

Green Picks Former Legislator Tokioka To Lead the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. James “Jimmy” Kunane Tokioka is a former member of the Kauai County Council and Hawaii State House of Representatives with a background in the hotel industry. He left the Legislature last year to be Green’s director of the airports division in the state Department of Transportation. Civil Beat. Big Island Video News.  Maui Now.  Garden Island. Kauai Now.

How major bills fared at the Capitol. Here is the status of major bills following the end of the 60-day legislative session known as “sine die.”  Star-Advertiser.

Chaos at the Capitol is part of lawmaking in Hawaii. Many bills fell by the wayside amid the rush, or “cattle call” as some observers called it, including legislation where agreement was lacking but also some bills where no conference committee quorum could be arranged or a key lawmaker was elsewhere when their vote was needed. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Legislature Delivers Mixed Bag On Climate, Environment Solutions. Lawmakers punted on key cesspool measures, but they made some progress on conservation and the state's zero-emission goals. Civil Beat.

Hawaii doctors to get more from Medicaid. Hawaii doctors are poised to get paid more for treating Medicaid patients after state lawmakers inserted $60 million into the state biennium budget to boost reimbursement rates for the government insurance plan that primarily covers low-income and disabled residents. Star-Advertiser.

Health advocates praise vape bill’s passage. Senate Bill 975 Opens in a new tab taxes electronic smoking devices and e-liquids at the same level as other tobacco products and prohibits the shipping of vaping products to anyone other than licensed retailers. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.

HMSA employees say executive compensation came as a shock. Employees at the Hawaii Medical Service Association say they’re angry after learning that top executives at their company raked in large pay increases during the COVID-19 pandemic while at the same time curtailing pay raises and benefits for regular employees. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu reduces workforce vacancies, but slightly. To drive down the more than 3,000 vacancies plaguing the ranks of the city’s workforce, Mayor Rick Blangiardi in 2022 sought to quash the six-month wait it took to fill an average City and County of Honolulu employee position. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Council Members Hope To Strengthen New Historic Preservation Commission. The Oahu Historic Preservation Commission, the city’s newest oversight board, is going to be more muscular and better staffed than originally envisioned, if City Council members Tommy Waters and Esther Kiaaina have their way. Civil Beat.

Grant to foster traditional watershed management. Groups led by Malama Maunalua, have been awarded an $8 million National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to utilize the traditional ridge-to-reef ahupuaa strategy to address habitat degradation in the Niu, Kuliouou, and Wailupe watersheds of Maunalua Bay. Star-Advertiser.

Joint Task Force-Red Hill releases investigation into November forever chemical spill. Six months ago, the U.S. Navy reported a 1,300 spill of a highly concentrated Aqueous Film Forming Foam at the infamous Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Oʻahu. Hawaii Public Radio. Maui News.

Hawaii Island

Scientists look to cull invasive beetle decimating Hawaii coffee. Researchers plan to import a population of parasitic wasps to manage an invasive insect devastating Hawaii’s coffee industry. Tribune-Herald.

Coffee bill passed – Bill expands current coffee-labeling requirements. Although it’s not what coffee farmers were hoping for, the first step to protect the name Kona and other geographic names for the coffee grown and produced in the state was passed through the Hawaii Senate and awaits Gov. Josh Green’s signature. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island hospitals awarded nearly $70M. The state Legislature has awarded Hilo Medical Center, Hawaii island’s largest hospital, $50 million for its long-awaited expansion project to help address overcapacity. The Legislature also appropriated Kona Community Hospital with $18.5 million to make urgently needed infrastructure repairs. Star-Advertiser.

Ceremony celebrates Edith Kanaka‘ole’s commemorative coin. Hundreds of people filled the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Performing Arts Center on Saturday to honor the legacy of Edith Kanaka‘ole, a revered Hawaiian educator, composer, singer and dancer. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui County lawmakers mull wins, defeats as session ends. Lawmakers feel Maui County fared well this legislative session, with funding for a variety of local projects, bills passed to address the lack of medical professionals as well as legislation and funding to help ease the housing crisis. Maui News.

With One Airline Left, Molokai And Lanai Residents Struggle To Access Medical Care. Living on Hawaii’s least populated islands means specialized medical care is not readily available. It’s always been part of the reality on Molokai and Lanai, but the challenge has become increasingly severe due to air travel options. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Meeting Tuesday is on further Kawaihau Road improvement plans. The county Department of Public Works will hold a public meeting on May 9 frm 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Catherine Church Coyle Hall to review the developing design concepts for the Kawaihau Road Improvements Project, for the area from St. Catherine Church to Ka‘apuni Road. Garden Island.

Mongoose captured at Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauaʻi. While mongoose populations are well-established on O‘ahu, Maui, Moloka‘i and Hawai‘i Island, the Kaua‘i Invasive Species Committee continues to successfully prevent the animal from gaining a foothold on the Garden Isle. Kauai Now.