Same-sex marriage advances in Hawaii, police boss under fire for anti-gay marriage remarks, audit again slams recycling program, Hawaii tax program millions in overruns, more GMO, $10 milk on Maui, Big Island council balks at diluting Sunshine Law, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu gay rights rally file photo (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

Two state House committees sent a bill that would legalize gay marriage to the full chamber Tuesday night, ending a five-day public hearing that exposed deep divisions in Hawaii on an issue being considered across the United States. Members of the House Judiciary and Finance committees voted for the bill after hearing more than 55 hours of public testimony, leading to alterations in the measure. Associated Press.

The state House is preparing to take a critical procedural vote today on a bill that would allow same-sex couples to marry but would expand a religious exemption. Several lawmakers are expected to push for amendments that would broaden the religious exemption even further, which, if successful, could put the House version of the bill in sharp conflict with the Senate's and possibly prolong the legislative special session. Star-Advertiser.

Same-sex marriage legislation finally cleared another major hurdle. Despite 55-plus hours of oral testimony, most of it weighted heavily in opposition, two Hawaii House committees passed Senate Bill 1 Tuesday by a comfortable margin. The Judiciary Committee passed the bill 8-5. The Finance Committee passed it 10-7. Civil Beat.

Today the joint House committees recommended to pass SB1 out of committee with amendments. The joint House committee hearing on SB1 (between the Judiciary and Finance committees) recommended to pass SB1 back to the full house today but with three amendments. Hawaii Independent.

A bill that would legalize same-sex marriage in Hawaii has passed through a House joint committee. Senate Bill 1 passed through with three amendments: Adopts law consistent with Connecticut law. Remove sections on parental rights (§572-C) Effective date moved to Dec. 2, 2013. KHON2.

A Joint House Committee ended public testimony this afternoon on the marriage equality bill. Hawaii Public Radio.

A controversial same-sex marriage bill has passed a joint House committee and will advance to the House floor for a second reading and vote Wednesday morning. SB 1, the "Hawai'i Marriage Equality Act of 2013" passed 18 - 12 Tuesday afternoon. The biggest change in this amended version is the expanded exemption that will apply to both non-profit and for-profit religious organizations -- protecting them from fine or penalty if they refuse to perform a wedding ceremony for same-sex couples. Hawaii News Now.

SHOPO President Tenari Ma'afala

The head of Hawaii's police officers union said he is standing by his opposition to the same-sex marriage bill and other comments he made before a legislative committee Monday despite the charge by a gay Honolulu police officer who said the actions cast a shadow over the Police Department's integrity when dealing with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Star-Advertiser.

A gay Honolulu police officer is asking Chief Louis Kealoha to distance the department from comments made by police union president Tenari Maafala. On Monday, Maafala, an HPD officer and president of the State of Hawaii Police Officers Union, told Hawaii legislators he would never enforce such same-sex marriage legislation should it become law. Civil Beat.

"You would have to kill me." Any way you slice it, it's a dramatic, provocative statement. So it's easy to see why those six words — spoken by police union President Tenari Maafala during marathon hearings on same-sex marriage — resonated with Civil Beat.

Holding his bible, SHOPO President Tenari Ma'afala testifies against SB1, the same-sex marriage bill.  He told lawmakers this bill will turn him, a law abiding citizen, into a law breaker. While many in the crowd threw up shakas in support, members of the gay community listened in shock.   Including another Honolulu Police Officer, Corporal John Zeuzheim.  Hawaii News Now.

The contractor responsible for the troubled Hawaii Health Connector website is the same company the state hired 14 years ago to build a tax collection system that state officials say has never worked properly. Canadian-based CGI Group Inc. was paid $87.5 million between 1999 and 2011 to modernize the Hawaii Department of Taxation's collection system. Because of flaws in the system CGI built, the state is preparing to spend at least another $32 million to redo the project, Tax Department officials said. Star-Advertiser.

The state's Deposit Beverage Container Program has been around for a decade, but a new report claims the program is broken. KHON2.

Long-standing problems with the state's beverage container recycling program continue to result in overpayments of millions of taxpayer dollars, exposing the operation to abuse and possible fraud and undermining its financial viability, according to a new state audit. Star-Advertiser.

A new administrator is poised to take over the embattled State Historic Preservation Division. The news comes four months after the division's previous head stepped down, following repeated criticisms by federal officials of how the division was run. Alan Downer will join the agency Dec. 2. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority has released a request for qualifications for a contractor to represent Hawaii in the Latin America market in an effort to boost tourism from the area to Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

State roundup for November 6. Associated Press.

Oahu

HECO warns solar companies about unapproved PV systems. KITV.

An attorney representing many Kahuku Village V residents has launched a new salvo in a fight to keep his clients from being evicted from their rental homes -- a 233-page lawsuit filed in state court Monday. Star-Advertiser.

A pedestrian spotted a live 2 1/2-foot-long boa constrictor on a Nuuanu Avenue sidewalk Tuesday morning. The nonvenomous rainbow boa constrictor was seen on the sidewalk in front of the Kukui Plaza condominium at about 7 a.m., captured and turned over to police, the state Agriculture Department said. Star-Advertiser.

Sometime before the end of 2013, Bank of Hawaii will distribute the last $5.6 million in assets of the George Galbraith Trust to more than 1,300 current heirs. That final distribution will terminate both the trust and the bank’s own role as trustee, just over 109 years after Mr. Galbraith’s death. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council will not support attempts by other counties to weaken the state Sunshine Law. The council Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development voted 8-0 Tuesday to reject a proposal from Maui County, a move that removes it from a package of initiatives the Hawaii State Association of Counties will present to the Legislature for the regular 2014 session that starts in January. West Hawaii Today.

University of Hawaii officials want to extend the leases that authorize telescope usage on Mauna Kea by another half century. West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii County Council recessed its meeting on Bill 113, limiting GMO, on Tuesday evening after receiving over four hours of public testimony. Supporters of the bill exceeded opponents by more than 4-1. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Buying locally produced milk in upcountry Maui is likely going to cost a bit more than buyers may be used to. Photos courtesy of MAUIWatch show a gallon of Haleakala Dairy milk at the Safeway store in Wailuku costing $10.19. Hawaii News Now.

While the presence of sharks is seldom enough to deter Maui's most avid watermen and -women, some say they are taking more precautions before entering the water in light of recent attacks. Maui News.

A waterline break reported at around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, will result in a water outage along a portion of Baldwin Avenue in Pāʻia until around 9 p.m., water officials announced. Maui Now.

Kauai

The state Senate approved $7.3 million in emergency funding Tuesday to sustain two rural Kauai hospitals through spring. The Senate passed House Bill 3, unamended, to help keep the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Kauai regional health care system afloat. Sen. Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Kahala-Hawaii Kai) was the lone opponent of the bill. Star-Advertiser.

Emergency funding for Kauai’s public hospitals appears to be on its way. The Hawaii State Senate Tuesday passed House Bill 3 that will provide $7.3 million in emergency funds to the Kauai Regional Health Care System of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. Garden Island.

Proponents of Bill 2491, restricting GMO and pesticides, are saying Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. added insult to injury last week by vetoing the bill and releasing the County Attorney Office’s legal opinion on the matter. Garden Island.

The stage is almost set for deciding the future of Bill 2491, restricting pesticides and GMOs on the island. Four of the council members, including Jay Furfaro, Tim Bynum, JoAnn Yukimura and Gary Hooser, said their initial vote to approve the measure is not likely to change.Garden Island.

Filibusters delay gay marriage vote, SHOPO chief won't enforce it, state procurement officer replaced, Historic Preservation head tapped, Honolulu mayor fights ethics, state backs Kauai GMO veto, Maui hospital earns trauma center designation, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gay marriage rally Yahoo News photo

Legislative progress on same-sex marriage had to wait another day. The Hawaii House Judiciary and Finance committees decided at 10:30 p.m. Monday to defer any decision-making on legislation granting same-sex couples the right to marry until Tuesday, at the earliest. The Judiciary and Finance committees are set to resume hearing testimony at 10:30 a.m. Civil Beat.

Garret Hashimoto of the Hawaii Christian Coalition dubbed it another "People's Filibuster." Thousands of religious conservatives, taking full advantage of the state House's commitment to hear from everyone on gay marriage, have deliberately sought to prolong a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Finance Committee. Star-Advertiser.

Two Hawaii House committees considering a bill to legalize gay marriage are tightening rules on testimony at a joint hearing after some people used a registration list to speak for others. Associated Press.

As the Hawaii Legislature inches closer to legalizing same-sex marriage, opponents of the bill have been voicing their concerns with increasing fervor. One persistent concern has emerged: that legalizing same-sex marriage could force public school teachers to teach kids about "the homosexual lifestyle."  Civil Beat.

Tenari Maafala, the President of Hawaii’s police union and an active police officer with the Honolulu Police Department, who testified that he would never enforce a law requiring same-sex marriage. “You would have to kill me,” he told the lawmakers. HuffPost Hawaii.

Special Session rolls into week two. What's left on the agenda? Hawaii Independent.

A new procedure is speeding up the testimony process at the Capitol, as lawmakers make their way through a fourth, and possibly final, day of a public hearing on a controversial same-sex marriage bill. Hawaii News Now.

For the masochists who have sat through more than 50 hours of mind-numbingly repetitive testimony in the House and Senate on legislation that could open up marriage to homosexual couples, some things have become abundantly clear. Civil Beat.

Rep. Clift Tsuji, who has long described himself as a supporter of “traditional marriage,” said that, based solely on the sheer amount of testimony he has received in opposition to Senate Bill 1 — which would legalize gay marriage in Hawaii — he will likely vote against the measure. Tribune-Herald.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Monday appointed Maria Zielinski as interim State Procurement Office administrator Monday after Aaron Fujioka unexpectedly retired last week. Right before Fujioka stepped down, he suspended the procurement delegation that he’d given state department heads. He sent an order out Oct. 31 that said any subsequent authority would be issued by his successor. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers question timing of procurement office job-fill. KHON2.

A veteran archaeologist from the mainland has been chosen to take over the beleaguered State Historic Preservation Division. Big Island Now.

Small groups like exercise classes and Cub Scout troops across the state are finding themselves caught in the fallout over a lawsuit against the Department of Education. The lawsuit claims five large churches have underpaid the state more than $5 million in rent, so prices are going up for small groups as a result. Hawaii News Now.

Green, yellow, red — those are the colors that would alert restaurant patrons to whether the establishment has passed health inspections, under rules proposed by the state Department of Health. Star-Advertiser.

One in five stars has an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone, according to researchers with University of Hawaii and University of California, Berkeley. West Hawaii Today.

State roundup for November 5. Associated Press.

Oahu
Honolulu Ethics Commission Executive Director Chuck Totto doesn’t want to lose control of his agency, but he says that’s becoming a real possibility under the increasingly heavy thumb of the Caldwell administration. Civil Beat.

Oahu’s solar photovoltaic industry suffered its sixth straight month of decline in October for permits issued when comparing statistics from the same period last year. Pacific Business News.

A federal judge said she's inclined to deny a motion by a North Carolina man to move his trial over a failed University of Hawaii concert that was supposed to feature Stevie Wonder. Associated Press.

Harbor officials fear state could be partially to blame for molasses spill. Special legislative hearing on spill yet to be scheduled. KITV4.

The controversy over the dumping of tons of sludge in Waianae is now a criminal case. Hawaii News Now has learned that the Honolulu Police Department is working with the city Department of Planning and Permitting in its investigation into SER Trucking of Waianae.

It's been 42 years since the last whistle blew ending work at the Kahuku Plantation Co., though in some respects, life in one neighborhood has gone on as if the sugar mill never closed. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A lawsuit alleging police used excessive force against a 25-year-old Mountain View man in the Hilo cellblock after a drunken driving arrest has been moved to federal court in Honolulu. Tribune-Herald.

Volunteers are breathing new life into a home built more than a century ago, when its closest neighbor was a large grass shack. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Maui Memorial Medical Center was awarded designation as a Level 3 Trauma Center following evaluation and inspection conducted over a one-year period, the hospital announced. Maui Now.

Wailuku attorney Lloyd A. Poelman became Maui County's newest District Court judge after being confirmed by the state Senate during the special legislative session Monday. Maui News.

Members of the public get a rare look inside the Maui Bird Conservation Center. Maui News.

Homelessness will be the focus of discussion for the next edition of Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa’s County on Your Corner Event. The discussion will be televised in a live broadcast, scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, on Channel 54. Maui Now.

Kauai

The state Department of Agriculture issued a statement Monday endorsing Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s assessment of a bill to regulate genetically modified crops and pesticide use on the Garden Island. Carvalho vetoed the bill last week due to legal concerns, prompting a backlash from its supporters. Associated Press.

The Kauai County Council is planning a special meeting in the next two weeks to consider candidates for a vacant council seat — a process that could begin after a final decision has been made on the veto of Bill 2491. Garden Island.

The Hawaii state Intermediate Court of Appeals has vacated a prior judgment that said the former permit-holders would not be responsible to defend claims brought against the state related to the 2006 Ka Loko dam disaster. Garden Island.

Hawaii police well-paid, no raise for election chief, Hawaii watching Fukushima, Honolulu mayor to slash $20M, Hagel addresses troups, drones for Maui agriculture, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Honolulu police officers courtesy photo

Hawaii police officers are the highest-paid public employees in the state, higher even than college professors, according to a West Hawaii Today analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday.

See the U.S. Census Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll here.

Hawaii’s four counties did little to fight against the state’s police union over a new six-year contract that will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next four years. An arbitrator’s decision reviewed by Civil Beat on Thursday shows that when county officials had the opportunity to push back against the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers' demands for more pay and other concessions, they merely deferred to the union or provided incomplete information that didn't withstand the arbitrator's scrutiny.

The man at the center of 2012′s general election disaster will not get a $36,000 pay hike. The Hawaii Salary Commission, an independent appointed board that recently OK’d pay hikes for the state’s executive, judicial and legislative branches, decided Wednesday against increasing Chief  Election Officer Scott Nago‘s salary to $116,000 a year. He earns $80,000. Hawaii Reporter.

Deep beneath Fukushima's crippled nuclear power station, a massive underground reservoir of contaminated water that began spilling from the plant's reactors after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has been creeping slowly toward the Pacific. Now, 2 1/2 years later, experts fear it is about to reach the ocean and greatly worsen what is fast becoming a new crisis at Fukushima: the inability to contain vast quantities of radioactive water. Associated Press.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke to about 200 Marines and sailors on the helicopter flight line at Kaneohe Bay at the start of a four-nation trip to Southeast Asia. Star-Advertiser.

One month after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples were entitled to federal benefits, Hawaii democrats still haven't decided whether or not to call a special session of legislature.  Hawaii Independent.

State Rep. Denny Coffman, who had urged House leaders against quickly moving a gay marriage bill in special session, said Thursday that he now favors a special session. Star-Advertiser.

Obama's plan to cut college costs likely to benefit Hawaii. Hawaii News Now.

The University of Hawaii Foundation raised $66.3 million during the 2012-13 fiscal year, which ended June 30, down slightly from last year's fundraising totals. The nonprofit organization raises money from the private sector to benefit the university's 10 campuses. Star-Advertiser.

University of Hawaii students could see tuition rise by as much as 35 percent in the next five years. And that’s after a nearly 50 percent rise over the past five. KHON2.

The University of Hawaii Board of Regents approved three executive appointments at its monthly meeting Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Growth in Hawaii’s tourism industry, which set records in 2012, is expected to continue this year and into 2014 at a much slower pace, and some in the industry might have to make price adjustments to stay on track. The Hawaii Tourism Authority forecast Thursday that the industry will bring 8.75 million visitors to Hawaii in 2014, a 3.2 percent increase over the 2013 arrivals goal. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawai’i Tourism Authority opened its annual conference today, following a year of record growth.   But, as HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports, the conference theme --“Defining the Next Chapter”--is an attempt to position the industry to withstand the next downturn in tourism. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii hotels had a strong week last week, with average daily room rates increasing 14 percent across the major islands, and occupancy increasing on all but the Big Island, according to the latest report from Hospitality Advisors LLC and Smith Travel Research. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii struggles with being able to feed itself. Our island chain imports more than 80 percent of the food consumed by local residents, in part because the cost of producing our own food is so high people can't afford to buy it. Civil Beat.

Federal agents have confiscated and destroyed a fungus harmful to plants that was found on brooms imported from the Philippines. While examining a cargo container in Honolulu on Aug. 9, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists discovered the fungus on a handicraft made of native palm parts. The fungus was in a shipment of “native brooms” made from Cocos nucifera, a palm species. Star-Advertiser.

Sales of new autos in Hawaii rose 13.4 percent during the first half of the year from the year-ago period but that pace is expected to slow during the final six months of 2013. Star-Advertiser.

State roundup for August 23. Associated Press.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is taking a proactive approach to an expected $26 million budget shortcoming for fiscal year 2014.  He has announced $20 million in cuts to all of his departments. Hawaii News Now.

HFD delays deployment of ladder company because of budget restriction. KITV.

A Circuit Court jury will return Monday to resume deliberations in State Department special agent Christopher Deedy’s murder case after spending four full days this week trying to reach a verdict. Circuit Judge Karen Ahn gave no reason as to why the panel would not meet today. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

The return of tourists is driving economic improvements across Hawaii Island, an economist told West Hawaii business owners and leaders Thursday afternoon. “The years of bouncing along the bottom seem to be over,” Jack Suyderhoud said during the 39th annual First Hawaiian Bank economic outlook forum at the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel. West Hawaii Today.

Growth in the state's visitor industry is spreading to the economy on Hawaii island, one of the last areas in the state to recover from the recent recession, a top Hawaii economist said Thursday. "Thanks to the statewide tourism boom, Hawaii island's economic outlook is better than it has been in the last five years," economist Jack Suyderhoud said at the 39th annual First Hawaiian Bank Hawai‘i County Business Outlook Forum. Star-Advertiser.

A Big Island charter school that educates students in the Hawaiian language claims the state Department of Education’s recently released rankings unfairly imply the school is failing. Associated Press.

From the muck, healthy anchialine pool habitats emerge. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company held a test run of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or UAV, that it plans to use to improve irrigation practices at the company’s sugar cane fields. Maui Now.

A miniature helicopter with high-tech cameras will soon be flying over certain sugar cane fields on Maui to detect problems with irrigation, monitor crop health and conduct scientific research. Maui News.

Barriers to bridge gap until work begins. Maui News.

Less than a year after opening their doors, Old Wailuku Grill on Market Street has closed. Maui Now.

Kauai

A proposal to add more changes to the county’s real property tax system — which has been significantly revamped in the last three years — cleared the Kauai County Council’s Finance Committee Wednesday, though with a few tweaks. Among other things, the bill eliminates a property tax cap. Garden Island.

Parking changes to begin in Poipu. Garden Island.

Molokai
A new apartment complex proposed for Manila Camp is in its initial planning stages and seeks to fulfill a need for affordable housing in central Molokai. The Chopra Hale apartments would consist of 16 units and occupy 1.04 acres located at 190 Makaena Place, according to project manager Luigi Manera. Molokai Dispatch.

Last week, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz made a visit to Molokai and talked story with business owners, farmers, advocates and residents. Molokai Dispatch.