Taxes: Governor seeks $126M for 'Green fee' projects; lawmakers mull luxury home tax, new rental car fee to fund DHHL; private-sector construction workers want public-sector benefits, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Governor Asks Lawmakers For $126M In Green Fee Projects. The source of all that extra cash is an increase in the state hotel room tax, from 9.25% to 10%, and a new levy on cruise ships. Some lawmakers are questioning the administration’s plan to fund the projects through a combination of the new fee and bonds. Civil Beat.

Higher Luxury Home Taxes? State Eyes New Ways To House Hawaiians. State lawmakers are introducing plans to create new and permanent sources of funding for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands including higher taxes on the sale of luxury homes as well as new taxes on rental cars.  Civil Beat.

‘Vienna model’ bill advances to limit rental housing fund surpluses to more housing. A state Senate committee has advanced a bill that uses the “Vienna Model” of housing in Austria, where limited-profit housing associations create a sustainable cycle of money available for future development. Maui Now.

Hawaii construction workers want state taxpayer support. Private-sector construction workers in Hawaii are seeking public financial benefits at the Legislature this year, including a paid holiday and retroactive hazard pay. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Sen. Michelle Kidani Says She’s Capable Of Handling Her Job. The 77-year-old lawmaker is trying to defuse concerns that she suffers from an illness that is affecting her performance. Civil Beat. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.

Rep. Lauren Matsumoto on tax relief, housing bills, transparency. House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto is pushing legislation to eliminate taxes on food and medical services as part of her cost-of-living agenda for the 2026 legislative session. Hawaii News Now.

Will Disaster Insurance Overhaul Increase Protections For Future Survivors? Other states impacted by similar disasters are reforming their insurance laws. Legislators here are teeing up bills to follow suit.  Civil Beat.

New study shows spending on medical cannabis, possible revenue from legal recreational use. According to the analysis by Cannabis Public Policy Consulting, Hawaii’s 30,000 registered patients spent $5.3 million a month at legal dispensaries. Hawaii News Now.

State saw a hot, dry 2025, UH report finds. Last year was one of the driest and warmest on record in the state, with the temperature being above average each month and rainfall below average in all but one month, according to the Hawai‘i Annual Climate Report from University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

2 HPD officers arrested, dozens disciplined in 2025. Officer Keone Kissinger, 32, was arrested in connection with two alleged domestic abuse cases. Officer Chad Fuller was arrested Sunday morning and is accused of driving under the influence after crashing into a guardrail on Farrington Highway. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Hawaii man sentenced to life for trying to assassinate Trump. Ryan Routh, the former Hawaii resident accused of hiding in the bushes of a Florida golf course with a semi-automatic rifle to try to assassinate Donald Trump less than two months before the 2024 U.S. election that returned him to the presidency, was sentenced by a judge Wednesday to life in prison. Routh was originally from North Carolina but lived in Laie for several years before the attempted assassination on Sept. 15, 2024. Reuters.

Bus routes expansions could lead to 24 hour availability for airports. During a testimony before the City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 4, Jon Nouchi, Department of Transportation Services Deputy Director, spoke about a new project in the works. KHON2.

TheBus, Skyline ‘combined’ ridership grows, city officials say. Since the more than $10 billion rail project opened its Segment 2 line past the airport in October 2025, the city Department of Transportation Services states TheBus’ rapid ridership routes — or express buses, which run to downtown Honolulu, the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Waikiki — when included with the Skyline route from East Kapolei to the Kalihi Transit Center, currently average about 20,820 rides daily. Star-Advertiser.

Family complains about lack of toilet paper at Halawa Correctional Facility. Worried family members are complaining about no toilet paper at Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF). It’s unclear how widespread the issue is at the state’s largest prison, but advocates say it’s a basic hygiene right. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Island

UH report confirms 2025 was isle’s second-driest year on record. A study released Wednesday by the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program found that Hawaii Island experienced its second-driest year in 106 years, with 2010 the only year that was drier. Tribune-Herald.

Water Restriction Notice Issued For South Kohala Due To Drought. The town of Waimea and its surrounding subdivisions must reduce water use by at least 25 percent. Big Island Video News.

Goodwill Hawai‘i relocating Hilo store, donation center to new campus. The new location at the campus, located at 17 Maka‘ala Street, offers a larger retail space, more parking and convenient donation drop-off point. Big Island Now.

Stuck in paradise: Non-native brown pelican spotted along Hawaiʻi Island’s south shore. A non-native brown pelican, nicknamed “Kiko,” was spotted Jan. 22 at Punaluʻu Beach, marking what appears to be the first modern record of a brown pelican arriving in Hawaiʻi. KITV4.

Maui

Humpback whale counts on Maui show stable numbers. Pacific Whale Foundation chief scientist Jens Currie said the numbers counted from 8:30 a.m. to noon Jan. 31 at 11 sites totaled 694 compared to 700 last year. Maui News.

Investigation into illegal poaching on private ranch land in Haʻikū nets two arrests. The Maui Police Department arrested two individuals during a coordinated enforcement operation in response to multiple complaints from local ranchers regarding ongoing illegal night hunting activity in Haʻikū. Maui Now.

Maui boat tour operator pleads guilty to wire fraud, false statement. A Hawaii boat tour operator that crashed off Lanai in 2022, which sent five people overboard, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to wire fraud and making a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.  KITV4. 

Kauai

Grove Farm sells land to DHHL. The Grove Farm Company has sold 260 acres of land, situated in Lihue mauka of Isenberg Park, to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Garden Island.

One-on-one with Kauaʻi’s new police chief, Rudy Tai. New Kauaʻi Police Chief Rudy Tai’s interest in law enforcement began long ago in Pearl City, Oʻahu, where the mentorship and coaching of local cops inspired him to become a junior police officer at Highlands Elementary. He was just 12 years old. Kauai Now.

Ostrov returns to head Hawaii GOP, bills advance unmasking ICE agents, Waikiki instituting major drone surveillance program, Rudy Tai named Kauai police chief, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Head of Hawaiʻi Republican Party talks state priorities, President Trump. The Hawaiʻi Republican Party has had a revolving door with three different party chairs in the last six months. Shirlene Ostrov is back in the driver's seat after a stint five years ago.  She said that between then and now, the local party went through nine elected chairs. Hawaii Public Radio.

Bills advance to identify ICE agents. The first of several bills that would unmask federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents was met with concerns Tuesday from the Honolulu Police Department and state Department of Law Enforcement that backup officers from their departments also could be identified while supporting local undercover operations. No representatives for ICE or any federal agency testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee or submitted written testimony regarding SB 2203. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Homeowners Need More Options To Get Rid Of All Cesspools By 2050. State lawmakers are taking up a bill this week that would create a low-interest loan program. All property owners in Hawaiʻi have until 2050 to get rid of their cesspools under state law. But daunting cost challenges have left 83,000 cesspools intact across the island state, with only a few hundred getting removed annually. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers hear passionate testimony on plan to study potential geothermal sites. State lawmakers heard passionate testimony opposing geothermal exploration by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) during a House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection hearing. The department is asking the legislature for $15 million to study geothermal energy and says beneficiary meetings will start in April and May. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii looks to fend off federal fossil fuels lawsuit. A lawsuit the federal government filed against Michigan over fossil fuels has been thrown out — prompting Hawaii to use that case to bolster its own of efforts to hold private companies accountable for their role in climate change. The federal government filed a lawsuit against Hawaii on April 30 after Gov. Josh Green announced he planned to sue private fossil fuel companies for deceptive marketing that contributed to climate change harms. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi’s Cost Of Living Is High. But There’s Another Huge Problem. Policymakers and media outlets often point to Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living when discussing why people flee the state for greener economic pastures. But a study by economists at the University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization argues there’s another, equally important factor: a lack of high-paying jobs. Civil Beat.

How a media censorship case in Alaska relates to Hawaiʻi newspapers. A recent story in the Columbia Journalism Review highlighted the owner of Oahu Publications Inc. Its flagship publication is the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, which it created in 2010 after purchasing the Honolulu Advertiser from Gannett.  The Alabama company Carpenter Media Group acquired Oahu Publications and its media brands in 2024. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Sheriff Drones May Be Watching You In Waikīkī. A major drone surveillance program could be coming to Waikīkī as soon as March as part of a statewide push to use modern technologies to fill gaps in policing. Sheriffs plan to fly drones over the tourist district to watch for crimes being committed in public spaces during peak busy hours, festivals and large events.  Civil Beat.

Lawsuit is filed against city over approval of new Turtle Bay hotel. Earthjustice filed the suit Tuesday in First Circuit Court on behalf of the nonprofit groups Center for Biological Diversity and Conservation Council for Hawaii, and community group Kapa‘a Kuilima. Star-Advertiser. Hawaii News Now.

Dozens of tenants forced out of low-rise apartments for 'Iolani School demolition. Landowner ʻIolani School is beginning a long-planned expansion, knocking down five aging apartment buildings next to the campus. From keiki to kupuna, dozens of families over the weekend got notices to vacate and are now scrambling to find homes. KITV4.

Council bill seeks online database of city funds. A Honolulu City Council measure requiring the city administration use real-time, web-based software to grant greater public access to the annual, multi-billion dollar budgets and day-to-day finances of the city advanced Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Car dealers say DMV registration delays slowing business on Oahu. For car dealers on Oahu, the biggest holdup isn’t selling vehicles, it’s registering them. Several dealers say limited appointment availability at the Satellite City Hall in Kapalama has turned registration into a waiting game, delaying deliveries and frustrating customers. Hawaii News Now.

Power outage sparks renewed push to restructure HECO. After a massive power outage that left thousands across the island in the dark yesterday, lawmakers are pushing a proposal to restructure Hawaiian Electric, raising new questions about reliability and accountability. KHON2. 

Pearl City woman sentenced for threatening Trump, Biden. A Pearl City woman was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release Monday while she continues her mental health treatment after pleading guilty to threatening to assassinate Trump or Biden, whoever was in the White House at the time. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Tephra cleaup continues: Kilauea volcano’s recent episode made a mess of things. A week-and-a-half after episode 41 of Kilauea’s yearlong summit eruption deposited tephra — lightweight volcanic glass debris — over a sizable area surrounding Halema‘uma‘u crater, residents of Volcano are still digging out. Tribune-Herald.

Police ID women killed in Hilo fire. Hawaii Island police have identified the two women who died in the Nov. 29, 2025, structure fire at the former Puueo Poi factory building on Kekuanaoa Street in Hilo. The victims have been identified as 72-year-old Antoinette Amii and a 56-year-old Neilla Lee, both tenants of the building. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KITV4. 

Maui

KCWA hosts Community Conversation on how Maui’s watersheds really work, Feb. 5. The Kula Community Watershed Alliance will host its next Community Conversations event on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, at 6 p.m., featuring hydrologist Christopher Shuler of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Water Resources Research Center. Maui Now.

Response underway to remove grounded boat from Kīhei shoreline. Owners of a grounded vessel are hoping to get the boat removed from the Kīhei shoreline today. The vessel, Na Nahiku, ran aground on the shore fronting 131 S. Kīhei Road fronting the Kīhei Youth Center on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026. Maui Now.

Kauai

Rudy Tai named next Kauai police chief. An Oahu man who retired Monday as the deputy chief of the San Diego Police Department was selected Tuesday to be Kauai’s next police chief. The Kauai Police Commission appointed Rudy Tai from a pool of 51 applicants. Star-Advertiser. Kauai Now.  KITV4.

Mayor Kawakami attends U.S. Conference of Mayors in D.C. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors, joining mayors from across the country to collaborate on shared challenges and national priorities impacting local communities.  Garden Island. Kauai Now. 

Rank-and-file left behind as government officials get big raises, Maui council advances vacation rental phase-out, arson not suspected in Hilo fires, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Recent Government Salary Hikes At The Top Leave Many Public Workers Behind. Hawaiʻi state and local governments invested in executives and senior managers with a recent round of hefty raises that did not extend to a majority of the public-sector workforce, the latest update to Civil Beat’s Public Employee Salary database shows. Raises for many top bosses on July 1 range from 15% at the state level to more than 50% at the county level for a select group of appointed and elected officials. Most rank-and-file workers received increases of between about 2% and 4% this year following union negotiations. Civil Beat.

Civil Beat’s Public Salary Database Is Updated. Here’s How To Use It. Civil Beat’s database of Hawaiʻi public employee salaries has been updated with the latest numbers for the fiscal year running from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Civil Beat.

.08 is Hawaii’s blood alcohol content limit under DUI laws. Some want that changed. Hawaii’s legal limit for blood alcohol content stands at .08, which is in alignment with most of the country. Depending on a number of factors like gender, and weight, reaching .08 on average is reached after about three to five drinks. Hawaii News Now.

DHHL expects to meet deadline to spend $600M. The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands anticipates meeting a June 30 deadline to fully use $600 million appropriated in mid-2022 by the Legislature mainly to develop homestead lots for beneficiaries. Star-Advertiser.

Here's what proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act mean for Hawaiʻi. The Department of the Interior proposed new rules to the ESA in late November that would allow the federal government to take into account economic factors when deciding to list a new species or designate critical habitat for a protected species. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

New city 3-1-1 app and system expected to speed up resident's requests. Most know about calling 9-1-1 for emergencies, or 2-1-1 for assistance or support, but do you know about dialing 3-1-1? That is the city's site for Honolulu residents to request services in their community. KITV4.

DPP closes building permit counter for a week. The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting has closed its building permit counter through Friday to deal with a stated backlog of permits stuck in the prescreen process since the summer time. Star-Advertiser.

Family housing service provider sees increase in calls for assistance. Family Promise of Hawaiʻi, an organization that serves families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, has seen the number of calls for assistance significantly increase over the last few months. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Council resolution urges state to push back against Trump’s immigration order. A new resolution before the Hawaii County Council is challenging the Trump administration’s latest immigration directives and urging the state to resist stepped-up federal enforcement. Tribune-Herald.

No-parking change proposed for Kona street. Bill 109, introduced by Council Chair Holeka Inaba, would amend Chapter 24 of the Hawaii County Code to revise the existing no-parking designation on Hina-Lani Street. Tribune-Herald.

Arson not suspected in Hilo fire that burned multiple buildings. Fire investigators also reported there was no indication of accelerants or evidence of foul play, and the cause of the fire is currently classified as undetermined, police said in a follow-up statement on Monday. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.  Big Island Now.  KHON2.  KITV4. 

Maui

Maui County Council Advances Plan To Phase Out Short-Term Vacation Rentals. The Maui County Council voted 5 to 3 on Monday to pass the first of three readings on Bill 9 — Mayor Richard Bissen’s divisive proposal to convert 6,100 short-term vacation rentals into long-term housing for Maui residents. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Maui News.  Hawaii News Now.

Lahaina Community Meeting set for Wednesday, Dec. 3. Residents are encouraged to attend the County of Maui’s Lahaina Community Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria. Maui Now.

Hawaiian Electric to install bird diverters using drones on Maui. Hawaiian Electric will be installing power line markers also known as bird diverters on its electrical infrastructure using unmanned aircrafts, or drones, in parts of Kahakuloa, Honomanū, and Keālia National Wildlife Refuge areas from Dec. 1 to Dec. 22, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and weather permitting. Electric service will not be impacted. Maui Now.

Kauai

SHOPO says it will work with new Kauaʻi police chief amid call for transparency. On Nov. 21, the Kauaʻi Police Commission made a conditional offer to San Diego Police Department Deputy Chief Rudy Tai to lead the island’s beleaguered police department. The State of Hawaiʻi Organization of Police Officers said it wants to help Tai succeed, despite its concerns about his past. Hawaii Public Radio.

Kauai lifeguard discharged from hospital after shark bite. Chance Swanson, 33, was surfing at a spot he frequents just outside of Hanalei Bay when he was bitten by a shark that severed a major artery in his leg. Hawaii News Now. KHON2.

More lights on tap for the holidays. The Kauai Rotary Club Lights on Rice holiday parade is coming on Friday, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Rice Street. Garden Island.

Public-sector construction falls, teacher turnover intensifies, ousted occupants storm apartment building, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii construction report shows drop in public-sector projects. Pacific Resource Partnership said data for this year through Sept. 30 show that the industry remains strong with spending at $4.3 billion, though the sum trails full-year spending that was over $8 billion in each of the last three years, including $9.5 billion in 2023 and $8.4 billion in 2024. Star-Advertiser.

High teacher turnover challenges Hawaii public schools. The teacher turnover rate averages 15.7% statewide, according to the state Department of Education’s recent analysis. Some schools have posted turnover rates of 30% to 50% over two years. Star-Advertiser.

Bonuses Aren’t Solving Hawaiʻi’s Special Education Teacher Shortage. The Hawaiʻi DOE offers at least $10,000 to special education teachers to fill open positions, but most schools have reported worsening shortages. Civil Beat.

Hawaiʻi Police Face Unique Barriers To Solving Violent Crimes. The percentage of violent crimes that end in an arrest or a closed case is declining, as agencies grapple with understaffing, insufficient technology and geographical challenges of an island state. Civil Beat. Hawaii Public Radio. 

Hawaiʻi Launches New Online Data Portal About Invasive Species. Lawmakers called on the agriculture department to create the dashboard so the public can keep an eye on what it’s doing to stem the spread of pests. Civil Beat. KHON2. 

Oahu

Deed forgery scheme impacts properties across Oahu. Hawaii’s attorney general has charged two men with stealing three properties, but investigators say a Kalihi lot may be one of about a dozen others taken as part of a much larger deed fraud scheme. Hawaii News Now.

Evicted tenants reoccupy downtown apartment building in ‘hostile takeover’.  The owner of Union Plaza said someone called in a false fire alarm, so that about 30 evicted tenants could storm the building and reoccupy rooms. Hawaii News Now.

Property manager blames clerical error for rent hike notices wrongly sent to low-income seniors. Seniors at two Oahu housing complexes say they were thrown into panic after receiving rent hike notices that turned out to be wrong. EAH Housing now confirms the issue was caused by a clerical error that affected both Ainahau Vista and Artesian Vista. Hawaii News Now.

Local journalists look for a way forward as newsrooms shrink or disappear. The book “Presstime in Paradise” by editor George Chaplin details the life and times of the Honolulu Advertiser from 1856 to 1995. The 'Tiser' was one of Honolulu’s first non-government newspapers under the Hawaiian Kingdom, but it no longer exists. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

Hilo hospital expansion on target for 2027 completion. The $80 million expansion of Hilo Benioff Medical Center is taking shape, with certain facilities likely ready for use early next year and full completion expected in 2027, hospital officials said. Tribune-Herald.

Push to expand Hawaiʻi Island bus infrastructure reaches another step in Pāhoa. A proposed Pāhoa Transit Hub is gaining traction in its planning phase, with a preferred location confirmed by Hawaiʻi County's Mass Transit Agency. Hawaii Public Radio.

New access road proposed for Kaʻu Forest Reserve. The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is proposing to bulldoze a short access road in the remote Ka‘u Forest Reserve to improve management of native ecosystems and maintain a hooved-animal-proof fence, according to a draft environmental assessment released this week. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui County to collect domestic waste.  Maui residents may start making appointments Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, for the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management’s free Residential Household Waste Collection on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Central Maui. Maui News. Maui Now. 

Kauai

SHOPO raises concerns about pick for the next Kauaʻi police chief. At a meeting on Friday, the commission made a conditional offer to Rudy Tai, one of four finalists. Tai was born and raised on Oʻahu, but spent his 35-year police career with the San Diego Police Department, where he currently serves as deputy chief. Hawaii Public Radio.

Man dies rescuing children in Kauai surf. A Good Samaritan has died on Kauai after being pulled from the waters of Waiapuaa Bay. KHON2. Hawaii News Now. KITV4.

DMV identification cards unavailable through Wednesday. The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is unable to produce identification cards, such as driving permits, driver’s licenses, and state identification cards, because of hardware issues. Kauai Now.

First cohort of AI Accelerator celebrates. The Capstone Pau Hana held on Friday at the Kuleana Workspace in Kukui Grove celebrated achievements of six members — all local small business owners — of the first AI (Artificial Intelligence) Lab cohort. Garden Island.