Legislature may consider lowering cruise ship tax, Kaiser Permanente workers release strike notice, Capitol reflecting pool replacement project delayed, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii cruise ship tax under fire before getting started. Hawaii’s Legislature will be asked to consider amending part of a 2025 state law that attempts to tax cruise ship passengers but is tied up in federal litigation. State Sen. Lorraine Inouye (D, Hilo-Pepeekeo) plans to introduce a bill this month that would reduce the Transient Accommodations Tax charge on cruise ship fares by applying the 11% rate only to cabin cost instead of a cruise’s total base price divided by the number of days a ship is in port. Star-Advertiser.

Courts Blocked Green Fee For Cruises. This Company Is Still Charging It. Passengers currently aboard The Pride of America were irked to see the tax appear on their invoices despite a court injunction. orwegian Cruise Lines  representatives say the company will refund its passengers if the industry ultimately prevails in court. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers prepare to address federal changes impacting health care and social services. State lawmakers will face the federal impacts on the state’s healthcare systems and social services when they reconvene next week. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Republicans have plans this session to attack state’s housing crisis. According to local Republican lawmakers, a recent survey found that 91% of adults say buying a home in Hawaii is a problem. KHON2. KITV4.

Kaiser Permanente workers announce plan to strike. About 200 Hawaii workers plan to walk off the job Jan. 26.  Another strike appears imminent at Kaiser Permanente. The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals on Thursday delivered a 10-day strike notice to Kaiser executives. The strike is set to begin Jan. 26 at hospitals and clinics across Hawaii and California. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Delays have increased the cost of Hawaiʻi Capitol reflecting pools. Rising construction costs and objections over a state bid are delaying a project to fix the dilapidated reflecting pools at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, state officials in charge of the multi-million dollar project told lawmakers Wednesday. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Status of bus contract talks worries Honolulu City Council. After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Oahu Transit Services Inc., which operates TheBus and TheHandi-Van routes on behalf of the City and County of Honolulu, remains at odds with its labor union that represents 1,400 bus operators, mechanics and support staff. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu satellite city halls to modernize with cashless property tax payments. Residents can now pay their property taxes with a major credit card as part of Oahu’s satellite city halls effort to eventually go cashless. KITV4.

City and County Martin Luther King Jr. holiday schedule released. The City and County of Honolulu released its schedule for Memorial Day along with the schedule for the rest of its operations and the traffic and parking regulations that will be in effect for Monday, January 19, 2026. KITV4.

Hawaii Island 

Search for new Hawaii County fire chief begins. The Hawaii County Fire Commission on Thursday named Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Volpe — who has been acting chief since the Dec. 14 death of Chief Kazuo Todd — temporary fire chief as the search for a permanent first firefighter begins. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi Fire Officials Embraced Prevention. Then Kazuo Todd Died. The Hawaiʻi County Fire Commission has appointed a temporary replacement but filling Todd’s shoes within the State Fire Council presents a bigger challenge. Civil Beat.

Mauna Kea oversight board begins series of workshops on the mountain’s future. The Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority began a series of statewide workshops Thursday as it prepares to take over management of the mountain. Hawaii News Now.

$450K released for Boys and Girls Club center. The capital improvement program grant-in-aid funds will support construction, improvements and maintenance of the youth resource center, helping ensure a safe and supportive space for keiki and families in East Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

KWXX Hoʻolauleʻa returns to downtown Hilo this Saturday. The free, family-friendly event runs Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and features four stages of continuous live music, performances by more than 20 Hawaii artists, and more than 40 local food and craft vendors. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. 

Maui

FEMA extension uncertain; Mayor urges wildfire survivors to take alternate housing, if available. With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available. The looming deadline affects 946 households still relying on direct rental assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Maui Now.

Report: Maui home sales surge as prices decline. Realtors Association of Maui report showed single-family house resales increased by 22.2 percent. The median price fell by 2 percent. As for condominiums, resales jumped 41.5 percent, with the median sales price dropping 25.6 percent. The surge in sales suggests buyers are responding to the significant price reductions. Hawaii News Now.

Hale Makua announces new ‘CarePlex’ and workforce housing initiatives on Maui. Hale Makua Health Services, a Maui-born nonprofit serving the island for 80 years, today announced two landmark projects inspired by the community.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i County offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Closures also include the following facilities: All neighborhood centers, The Puhi Metals Recycling Center, The Kekaha Landfill, HI5 Redemption Centers, All refuse transfer stations. Kauai Now.

Federal judge clears the way for new tourist tax on cruise ships, hotels; ER doctor killed in head-on Saddle Road crash; Kauai mayor signs climate change plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii’s climate change tax clears legal hurdle. Hawaii’s so-called "green fee" is set to take effect as scheduled Jan. 1 after a federal judge dismissed most of the cruise industry’s legal challenge to Act 96 and denied its request to block implementation. Beginning in 2026, Act 96 raises the transient accommodations tax, or TAT, on lodging for visitors to 11%, a 0.75 percentage point increase, and for the first time applies it to cruise ships docking in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. Hawaii News Now. 

Germany seeks tighter alignment in the Pacific. This month Alexander Taylor-Fowles, a German diplomat working in his country’s embassy in D.C. as the first secretary of its Indo-Pacific Affairs Political Section, visited Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Charter Schools Need Facilities. Could The DOE Be A Solution? Charter schools are the only growing sector of Hawaiʻi education, but limited funding and campus space has prevented schools from expanding and meeting families’ demands. Civil Beat.

Bill seeks to reverse student loan changes. U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda of Hawaii joined fellow Democrats Tim Kennedy of New York and Shomari Figures of Alabama this week in introducing legislation aimed at reversing steep federal student loan limits imposed on nurses, social workers and other health professionals under the Republican-led reconciliation bill, H.R. 1. Star-Advertiser.

Conservationists alarmed over proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. Proposed changes by the Trump administration to the federal Endangered Species Act are raising alarm among conservationists working to save Hawaii’s plants and animals. Maxx Phillips, Hawaii director for the Center for Biological Diversity, said the islands would be drastically affected by the changes, as the 1973 Endangered Species Act has been instrumental to their survival, protection and recovery. Star-Advertiser.

75% of middle-income households may or will leave Hawaiʻi, affordability survey finds. Holomua Collective, a nonprofit focused on affordability issues in Hawaiʻi, asked over 3,000 local workers about cost-of-living issues. Holomua Collective, a nonprofit focused on affordability issues in Hawaiʻi, asked over 3,000 local workers about cost-of-living issues. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

City investigating Nuuanu Stream sewage discharge. An unknown amount of wastewater spilled into Nuuanu Stream earlier this week after a 14-inch sewer line broke near Awa Street and the Nimitz Highway Bridge, according to city officials. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Farmers Are Fighting To Keep Their Soil From Flushing Out To Sea. From kalo to cacao, farmers are adapting to effects of a changing climate by fusing traditional Hawaiian practices with new, regenerative agricultural techniques to save soils, streams and reefs. Civil Beat.

Change comes to Aliamanu in aftermath of  fireworks blast. Nearly one year after a massive illegal fireworks explosion tore through a Salt Lake neighborhood, killing six people and injuring at least 20 others, the three-story home where the blast occurred is repaired and dressed for the holidays, with hanging lights lining the house and glowing Christmas inflatables — a Grinch and Santa Claus — perched on the second-floor porch.  Star-Advertiser.

State opens first transitional shelter for homeless Hawaiian Home Lands waitlisters. $6.4 million Kalaeloa facility to house 18 people with services aimed at eventual homeownership. Hawaii News Now.

Pair Of Faded Crosswalks Near Diamond Head Present A Pair Of Safety Hazards. Transportation Department says rains, water main work have delayed re-striping of the Honolulu crossings. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Island

Funeral services set for Fire Chief Todd. Kazuo Todd died unexpectedly the morning of Dec. 14 after suffering an aneurysm. A funeral service and procession will be held on Saturday, Jan. 10 followed the next day by a public memorial service. Members of the public are encouraged to join the larger public memorial service on Sunday, Jan. 11. Tribune-Herald. KITV4. 

Hawai‘i Island police roll out new heat monitors, K9 collars after death of Archer. While the Hawai’i State Office of the Attorney General decided not to file criminal charges following the death of a Hawai‘i Island police K9, the department has taken steps to ensure the tragedy never happens again. Big Island Now.

Residents across Big Island mourn the loss of beloved, dedicated emergency physician in head-on collision. Hilo Benioff Medical Center announced the passing of a beloved and longtime emergency department doctor, Dr. Judy Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald and the other driver, later identified as 34-year-old Caitlin Smith of Hilo, were transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where Fitzgerald was later pronounced dead. Smith was treated for minor injuries. Big Island Now. Hawaii News Now.  KHON2. 

Hawaii’s Big Island bans feeding feral cats in an effort to help endangered native species. A Hawaii County law set to take effect at the start of the new year bans feeding feral animals on county property. It’s an effort to protect native species, such as an endangered goose called the nene, from a super predator introduced to the islands by Europeans in the 18th century. Associated Press.

Maui

Access to Lahaina Historic District adjusted as harbor operations resume. Following one week of operations at the State of Hawaiʻi’s Lahaina Small Boat Harbor, some adjustments are being made to the public access plan for the Lahaina Historic District. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kauai County adopts climate change action plan. Kauai County mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami has signed the county’s first comprehensive plan focused on addressing climate change. The Kauai Climate Adaptation and Action plan was developed over the course of four years and was informed by both research and community feedback. Star-Advertiser.

Kauaʻi film commissioner finds success as productions continue to film on the island. Despite rising costs, union strikes, and increasing competition from overseas markets, Kauaʻi’s Film Commissioner Sandy Kaʻauwai has kept Kauaʻi on the industry’s radar. Kauai Now.