Legislature plans special sessions, Honolulu fails to collect $100M in vacation rental fines, state may buy 1k acres of farmland from Kauai billionaire Steve Case, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaiʻi lawmakers plan special sessions to address federal funding cuts. The Legislature has about three weeks left of its regular session. But the magnitude of federal cuts and what it means for the state’s budget is still unknown. The budget overhaul being considered by Congress threatens about 75% of the state budget’s $4.6 billion in federal funds. Hawaii Public Radio.

State Legislature poised to pass sweeping weapons ban. Senate Bill 401 proposes to ban the purchase or sale of “assault rifles” and “assault shotguns” in the state after July 8. While such weapons purchased and registered before July 8 would remain legal, those guns could not be again sold within the state. Aloha State Daily.

Geothermal power exploration building up steam. Three state agencies have big ambitions to expand geothermal power production in Hawaii, and two somewhat competing bids for more funding are at a final stage of potential legislative approval. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmakers take up the issue of midwifery, possibly affecting Native Hawaiian practices. Midwifery and the Native Hawaiian cultural practices that blur the boundaries of statutory definitions are again at the center of a fierce legislative debate that harkens back to the 2019 legislative session, when lawmakers passed what became Act 32 in recognition of “the potential for harm to public health and safety posed by the unregulated practice of midwifery.” Star-Advertiser.

Bills would require youths to wear skateboard helmets. Minors would be required to wear helmets when riding skateboards on public property under two bills that continue to move through the Legislature. Star-Advertiser.

New Zealand’s deputy prime minister visits Hawaii, amid heightened tensions in Asia-Pacific. New Zealand’s deputy prime minister, who also serves as the foreign minister, was set to visit Hawaii over the weekend, leading a high-level, cross-party delegation for key meetings across the Pacific. Hawaii News Now.

Neighbor Island businesses worry of shipping rate hike, tariffs. The state Public Utility Commission has been holding public hearings on Young Brothers’ request for a 27% rate increase for interisland cargo. KHON2.

Board of Education promotes financial literacy for Hawaii students. The state Board of Education has begun discussions to develop a formal policy that would embed financial literacy education throughout the state’s public school system, responding to growing interest from students, educators and the broader community. Star-Advertiser.

Famed war correspondent to be honored at final resting place. Legendary newsman Ernie Pyle, whose vivid reporting from the front lines of World War II won him a Pulitzer Prize and the admiration of readers and the soldiers whose stories he told, will be honored at a ceremony Friday marking the 80th anniversary of his death during the Battle of Okinawa. Star-Advertiser.

Federal Judge Won’t Make Bribery Investigations Public. A federal judge has ruled against Civil Beat in its efforts to obtain the FBI’s investigative files on two Hawaiʻi lawmakers who took tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from a Honolulu businessman in exchange for swaying legislation the way he wanted it to go. Civil Beat.

Oahu

City fails to collect millions in rental fines. The city has issued over $100 million worth of fines for short-term rental violations over the past three fiscal years but has collected less than $2 million — or barely 2% — even after hiring a collection agency in 2023 that was tasked with bringing in every dollar owed to the city. Star-Advertiser.

Speedier Reviews, Quicker Honolulu Building Permits? Not So Fast. The county says it’s doing its job faster, but that’s not yet translating to faster permits for property owners.  Civil Beat.

Navy seeks to reactivate wells closed during Red Hill crisis. More than three years after the Navy shut down two of its Oahu water wells in response to the Red Hill water crisis, the service is now looking to reopen them. Star-Advertiser.

Transit-oriented development forum is set for Kapolei. The city Department of Planning and Permitting announced it will hold a community meeting Wednesday to address proposed land use changes that could allow for TOD development around three city rail stations in the East Ka­polei area. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu residents turn in over 367 firearms in gun buyback program. The guns were exchanged for $37,900 in Foodland gift cards contributed by the Department of Law Enforcement. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu’s traffic fatalities nearly tripled in deadly start to 2025. Oahu, the most populated isle, usually has the greatest share, and so far this year has 22 fatalities, nearly triple the eight fatalities at the same time last year. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers advance bills banning landfills over aquifers. Opponents to plans by Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration to site the city’s next solid-waste landfill on active pineapple fields above Central Oahu’s freshwater aquifer claimed a tentative victory this week. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Island

Vacation Rental Registration Process Subject Of Online Briefing. An upcoming, online informational briefing will be held about a potential registration process for hosted Transient Vacation Rentals (TVR) and hosting platforms in Hawai‘i County. Big Island Video News. Big Island Now.

Hawaiʻi County Council goes round and round on bus budget.  Hawaiʻi Island's mass transit budget has increased by 400% since 2018. At a budget hearing on Thursday, Hawaiʻi County council members questioned whether that fourfold investment has been worth it. Hawaii Public Radio.

Waikoloa Village wildfire preparedness in the spotlight. The public is invited until April 30 to give input to Hawaii County to help identify potential wildfire risks and opportunities for preparation and prevention in the Waikoloa Village area. Tribune-Herald.

Opposition to fence grows: Some neighbors of muni golf course cite safety concerns. Hawaii County is following through on its plans to fence off the Hilo Municipal Golf Course from nearby residents, to the displeasure of at least some of the neighbors. Tribune-Herald.

Aging Kona Inn Shopping Village struggling to sell despite property’s century history as tourist mecca. Nearly 100 years ago, the opening of Kona Inn along the coastline marked the beginning of commercial tourism for the once sleepy fishing village of Kailua-Kona. Big Island Now.

Maui

Dozens of Maui County officials to get hefty raises after vote by salary commission. More than 40 top county officials, including Maui’s mayor, police and fire chief, will see substantial raises following a vote by the salary commission. Hawaii News Now.

Maui wedding and events industry seeks help. The Maui Wedding and Event Association is asking for $300,000 from Maui County to help to support Maui’s wedding and events industry. Maui News.

Worries About Climate Change Spiked On Maui After 2023 Fires. More than three-quarters of Maui residents said they were concerned about global warming in 2024, according to a national climate survey conducted annually by Yale University — a six percentage point increase from 2022. Civil Beat.

Landscape fire recovery work progresses in Upcountry, Kīhei gulches. More than 20,000 cubic yards of excess sedimentation have been moved, and over 9,200 linear feet of gulches have been cleared of burnt debris and dead or dying trees as part of a major undertaking to address substantial landscape damage caused by the Maui wildfires of 2023, and to protect communities and ecosystems downslope of the burned areas. Maui Now.

Modular homes for wildfire survivors to be in transit next week. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation notifies highway users of potential traffic delays as modular homes for wildfire survivors are transported from Kahului to the state’s Ka Laʻi Ola housing site in Lahaina. Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua’i Billionaire Wants To Sell Prime Ag Land. The State Might Buy It. More than 1,000 acres of former Kauaʻi plantation land owned by a billionaire tech entrepreneur Steve Case  are in the sights of the state’s Agribusiness Development Corp. as part of the effort to help Hawaiʻi achieve its local food production goals. Civil Beat.

Kaua‘i County reviewing, updating Multi-hazard Mitigation and Resilience Plan. The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires a community to review and update its Multi-Hazard Mitigation and Resilience Plan at least every 5 years to remain eligible for a range of the agency’s programs, including the agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant program and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant program. Kauai Now.

Former DLNR chairman Aila to be deputy Hawaiian Home Lands director, Green Party missed vote requirements, Honolulu Mayor Caldwell's state of the city today, rail transit board planned political strategy in secret, new doctors for Maui, Steve Case, Pierre Omidyar plans unveiled in book, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

DHHL housing © 2015 All Hawaii News

A legislative panel has recommended that the state Senate approve Gov. David Ige's nominees to lead the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. The Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs on Monday approved Jobie Masagatani to remain as the department's director and chairwoman of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, over the opposition of some key groups that represent Native Hawaiians. The panel also approved William Aila, who until recently was chairman of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, to be her deputy director. Associated Press.

David Ige says he was caught by surprise when President Barack Obama singled him out early during remarks Saturday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s Green Party will have to step up its game if it wants to continue fielding candidates beyond the 2022 election, according to the state Office of Elections. The office found the Green Party last year did not meet the voting threshold set in state law to continue qualifying as a political party after 10 years. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii's public education system has a difficult time recruiting experienced technology workers to support the state's schools, and the Department of Education is now backing a bill at the Legislature to allow high-tech employees to move more freely from one employer to the next. Star-Advertiser.

A program that allows retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm is drawing controversy at the state Capitol. The program is based on a federal law adopted in 2004. The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, or LEOSA, allows for active and retired officers to carry a concealed firearm. KHON2.

The state Senate is reviewing two bills that would grant county mayors the power to fire police chiefs and require more qualifications for police commissioners. Garden Island.

Bill aims to tighten access at public housing properties. KHON2.

The 12 countries involved in a proposed Pacific-Rim free trade initiative will convene a chief negotiators’ meeting in mid-March in Hawaii, sources close to the matter said on Friday, as they scramble to secure a deal by the end of this spring. Japan Times.

This week marks the start of the 3rd Annual Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Awareness Week. In observance, state agencies and private partners working to rid the islands of these damaging species are highlighting 10 particularly bad offenders. Maui Now.

Opinion: Being Black in Hawaii Is Something Few People Talk About. It has been my experience that some black people will attempt to find alliances with non-white people when they come to Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Opinion: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Hawaii and Annexation. A student from Hawaii queried the judicial firebrand about the way the U.S. took formal control of the Islands. He got an answer. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Using the Foster Botanical Garden as his backdrop, Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is expected to emphasize park improvements Tuesday morning during his third State of the City speech. Star-Advertiser.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell will deliver his third annual State of the City address on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at Foster Botanical Garden. It’s an invitation-only event, as was the mayor’s first address in 2013. Civil Beat.

An announcement on a new Honolulu zoo director, the unveiling of the city's first hybrid electric bus and progress on how the city is battling Oahu's homeless problem are among key topics Mayor Kirk Caldwell will address in his State of the City speech Tuesday morning. Hawaii News Now.

Newly released records show top Honolulu rail officials were pumping state lawmakers for money before telling the public the project was over budget and facing a nearly $1 billion shortfall. The documents describe what was said during a Dec. 18 closed-door meeting between the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board of directors and city attorney Gary Takeuchi. Civil Beat.

Mililani Uka Elementary School teacher Jana Fukada, 32, was named a recipient of the Milken Educator Award, a national honor that recognizes excellence in education and comes with an unrestricted $25,000 cash prize. Star-Advertiser.

The National Park Service is suggesting historic designation for a larger area of the Dec. 7, 1941, Ewa Field battlefield, which would help preserve the site and stave off development plans, said John Bond, a proponent of the measure. Star-Advertiser.

The Army in Hawai’i is in the midst of completing another environmental study related to Makua Valley, the military’s live-fire range on O’ahu.  Hawaii Public Radio.

The Navy's public ceremony at Pearl Harbor will have African-American history and heritage as its theme this month. The ceremony will be held at the Pearl Harbor visitors' center at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. Associated Press.

The Honolulu Board of Water Supply is moving forward with plans to demolish one of Oahu's most sought-after hikes. On Monday, the Board approved a $500,000 budget to study the demolition of Haiku Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven. Hawaii News Now.

Opinion: It is remarkable that while public open space in Honolulu is increasingly threatened by development, a beautiful new public park has quietly sprung up in the heart of the urban core. This is the new Fort Ruger Pathway on the exterior backside of Diamond Head crater along Diamond Head Road. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

A 3rd Circuit Court judge heard arguments Monday on the dispute regarding whether Environmental Management Director Bobby Jean Leithead Todd is qualified for the position she has held for the past three years. West Hawaii Today.

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has issued a finding of no significant environmental impact for the second phase of improvements to Kekaha Kai State Park. The finding, released Monday, says a full environmental impact statement isn’t needed because of the minor nature of the expected improvements. West Hawaii Today.

Two lanes will be available for Pahoa-bound motorists on Highway 130 near Keaau during peak hours as early as today, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman said. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Three doctors have joined Maui Memorial Medical Center's new outpatient clinic in Maui Lani, a welcome sight for Maui County as residents cope with a shortage of doctors. Maui News.

More competition in Central Maui is one reason the Salvation Army's Kahului Corps will close its Family Store in Kahului on Saturday, an official said Monday. Maui News.

Kauai

Grove Farm once planned to build resorts along Kauai's South Shore, but heavy community opposition nixed those plans, according to a new book about one of Hawaii's largest landowners. Grove Farm, which is owned by AOL founder Steve Case, instead opted to partner with Ulupono Initiative, eBay founder Pierre Omdiyar's investment firm, on a dairy farm project near the existing Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort in Poipu. Pacific Business News.

The county is considering a plan to transform the vacant Nawiliwili Bulk Sugar Building into a self-storage facility and recycling center for construction materials. Garden Island.

A former county public works employee claims his dismissal was due to race, age and disability. Amadeo Dullaga, 65, was hired as a temporary assignment markings crew lead supervisor for the county on May 1, 1996. He was seeking a full-time permanent supervisor position when his job was terminated on Sept. 9, 2013. Garden Island.

Rental units are still available in the new Rice Camp Senior Apartments on Hoala Street behind the Lihue fire station. Garden Island.

Molokai

More than a decade after Molokai veterans first began the process to build their own center, the Kaunakakai building is only one step away from being complete, veterans said Monday. Maui News.

Aquarium fish in jeopardy, Hawaii tax office backs off hefty filing fee, UH profs consider severing NEA ties, military cuts could hurt, plan could help solar panel installation, Steve Case licks wounds on Maui, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Yellow tang off Hawaii coast (c) 2013 All Hawaii News

Aquarium fish collectors love yellow tang, the electric-yellow fish that once thrived off the Hawaiian islands. But a successful research program on the brink of helping ease depletion of the wild species is facing an uncertain future. Civil Beat.

The state might help more consumers afford solar panels by tapping into the same bond financing that utilities have used to improve power plants and respond to storm damage. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii tax officials have backed off on plans to charge an extra fee to residents who file their taxes electronically after tax preparers used to doing so for free raised a big stink. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii's faculty union will decide this month whether to end its affiliation with the National Education Association, a move proponents say would save money and sharpen the union's focus. Star-Advertiser.

In the midst of the national debate over immigration, the University of Hawaii system is poised to begin treating undocumented students as state residents — a move that would make it less expensive to attend college and open up career paths for perhaps hundreds of young people. Civil Beat.

The University of Hawaii has received a $3 million gift in support of cancer and oceanographic research. Associated Press.

Hawaii among most vulnerable to federal military cuts. Associated Press.

Hawaii is the state most vulnerable to federal defense budget cuts, according to a report released Monday by Wells Fargo Securities. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz has tapped field representatives on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island, including the CEO of a Kauai engineering firm and the COO of L&L Franchise Inc., to help his office engage with local communities. Pacific Business News.

Trafficked Thai Workers' Dreams Become Nightmares. Hawaii Reporter.

Stunning underwater video of a Hawaii-based shark conservationist petting and swimming very close to a Great White shark is aimed at teaching people that not all sharks are violent, blood-hungry creatures, according to the people who shot the footage. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

The Waikiki Health Center, Honolulu's largest homeless service provider and operator of the city's biggest emergency shelter, has opted out of a plan to get some of Oahu's most mentally ill homeless off the street. Star-Advertiser.

The destroyer USS Russell has been replaced at Pearl Harbor by the destroyer USS Halsey in what's known as a "hull swap," but planned upgrades of the Russell that prompted the move are in jeopardy because of military-wide budget shortages, the Navy said. Star-Advertiser.

About 100 Kaiser Permanente Hawaii workers have authorized their union to move forward with preparations, including a potential strike, over layoffs due to the planned closure of Kaiser's Honolulu Clinic Urgent Care Center. Star-Advertiser.

Billionaire investor plans to change image of Kahala. Hawaii News Now.

A fishing boat that recently reached Hawaii has been confirmed as debris from the Japan tsunami, capping off a busy week of discoveries. KHON2.

Hawaii

April 23 marks the 20th anniversary of the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill in Puuanahulu, an ambitious public-private contract born of necessity and forged through a lawsuit over union labor. West Hawaii Today.

A measure to codify language about public access and open space land Hawaii County voters approved six years ago goes before the County Council for its final reading Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

HPR is getting underway with its next signal enhancement project – the building of a new HPR-2 transmitter for West Hawaii. HPR has just made the $100,000 goal needed for the West Hawaii KHPH transmitter. Hawaii Public Radio.

World-renowned inventor and engineer Graham Hawkes hopes to inspire the next generation of ocean explorers with his latest machine. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Steve Case's fortunes ballooned as the chairman of AOL was able to gobble up Time Warner in hopes of building an old/new media behemoth. It all unraveled at the dawn of the 21st century, and Case's fortune is a mere shadow of its past. But if you feel like you want to weep for the guy, take the road past Kaanapali and Napili to the far northwest coast of Maui. Orange County Register.

A bill that authorizes the mayor and the Department of Water Supply director to declare "water shortages" and to impose higher rates for Maui County residents is one step closer to becoming law with the Maui County Council on Friday approving the measure on first reading. Maui News.

A bill that would establish a Mala Wharf Task Force to examine the feasibility of redeveloping the collapsed pier at Mala Wharf on Maui, gained preliminary approval by a House committee on Friday. Maui Now.

Kauai

On Presidents’ Day, U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono met with about 40 veterans at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center to listen to their various concerns on jobs, health and education. Garden Island.

After several weeks of fine-tuning, the Kaua‘i County Council on Wednesday gave its final approval on a law that creates a planning enforcement account, where fines collected by the Planning Department will be deposited and used toward enforcement of zoning laws. Garden Island.

There are more than 200 former residents of the Marshall Islands on Kaua‘i, and they are adapting to Kaua‘i’s (comparatively) fast-paced lifestyle, leaders of the community said last week.  Garden Island.