Showing posts with label farmworkers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farmworkers. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Native Hawaiian elections near end as opponents appeal to U.S. Supreme Court, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani addresses South China Sea in Honolulu, CDC coming to study dengue, Oahu solar panels capped, Maui mayor wants $1.8M for homelessness, Four Seasons Resort Lanai remodeling, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2015 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Native Hawaiian protest in front of governor's mansion ©2015 All Hawaii News
Opponents of an election designed to be a significant step toward Native Hawaiian self-governance are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to block votes from being counted in what they argue is an unconstitutional, racially exclusive process. Associated Press.

An election for delegates to a proposed convention is set to conclude November 30th, though concerns about the process persist among members of the Hawaiian community. Na’i Aupuni, an organization founded to help establish a path toward Hawaiian self-determination. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Hawaii Board of Agriculture voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward on rules that would ban wild animals from being brought to Hawaii for use in circuses and fairs. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii and its low rate of gun-related violence — even in the face of a remarkable surge in gun ownership here — has gotten the attention of one national publication that writes about the raging gun debate in America. Civil Beat.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani on Tuesday expressed his support for the U.S. Navy’s sailing of a warship close to one of China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea. Associated Press.

In his first visit to Hawaii as Japan’s defense minister, Gen Nakatani said it is important for the international community to “work more effectively” together to protect freedom of navigation, but he said Japan won’t be patrolling disputed islands in the South China Sea. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Last month, with little fanfare, the state Public Utilities Commission announced it will cap new residential and commercial solar projects at 25 megawatts or about 4,500 new systems on Oahu. Star-Advertiser.

Solving the housing crisis is not going to be easy or cheap, in part, say development experts, because of city officials’ longtime neglect of Honolulu’s basic infrastructure, particularly sewers. Civil Beat.

Three dogs and a cat became the first animals to be cleared for the new Sand Island transitional shelter Tuesday as the city tries to make it easier to get homeless pet owners off the street. Star-Advertiser.

You might think you know where the wealthiest people in Hawaii live. After all, the area of Oahu’s South Shore from Kahala to Portlock is consistently ranked as the state’s wealthiest area, with some of the highest real estate prices in the Islands. Pacific Business News.

Some elderly and disabled residents say they are trapped after the elevators in their seven story building stopped working. KHON2.

When real estate agents have open houses in Honolulu these days, they are putting out their usual signs. But more and more agents seem to be placing signs on sidewalks or on the city property between the sidewalks and the curbs. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

As Hawaii County dengue cases approach 100, a top CDC official is set to arrive on island next week to assess the handling of the outbreak here. West Hawaii Today.

A team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control will visit Hawaii island next week to assess the development of the dengue fever outbreak and review state and county efforts to contain the spread of the virus, Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said Tuesday night. Star-Advertiser.

The Big Island’s tourism industry appears to have been spared the bite from the ongoing dengue fever outbreak, but some worry that could change if the number of infections from the mosquito-borne illness continues to rise. Tribune-Herald.

The U.S. Labor Department says an unregistered farm labor contractor deprived migrant workers picking coffee on the Big Island of federal protections such as minimum wage. Associated Press.

A woman is barred from work as a farm labor contractor for operating an unregistered company after a federal investigation. The U.S. Department of Labor filed its allegations on Nov. 3 against Tomasa Rincon-Ibarra, who was doing business as Tomasita Farm Service in 2011. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Mayor Alan Arakawa is recommending nearly $1.8 million be spent on mobile, lightweight and durable portable shelters for the immediate housing needs for Maui's homeless. Maui News.

Heeding a call to ease the island's pent-up demand for more housing, the Maui Planning Commission recommended approval Tuesday of A&B Properties' proposed Wai'ale South development in Central Maui. Maui News.

Maui County's unemployment rate for October fell a half-percentage point compared to October 2014 to 3.6 percent, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported Thursday. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative that has powered Kauai since 2002 is launching a one-year pricing plan that will offer 300 select households a 25 percent discount on electricity between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day. Civil Beat.

The stoplight at Kuamoo Road and Kuhio Highway has been throwing a wrench into Eastside traffic flow since Saturday, when heavy rains caused a short in the system. Garden Island.

Lanai
The Four Seasons Resort Lanai has started taking reservations for early 2016, following a multimillion-dollar renovation led by owner Larry Ellison that shut down both of the island's main hotels earlier this year. Pacific Business News.

Friday, January 9, 2015

Army grows in Pacific, Tulsi Gabbard to marry videographer, big fight over Big Wind, Hawaiian Electric CEO to get $10M in buyout, study looks at geothermal impact on Native Hawaiians, Maui hospital wants private partners, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2015 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Pohakuloa Training Area  © 2015 All Hawaii News
Under a still-developing U.S. Army Pacific deployment concept called "Pacific Pathways," the Army is becoming more expeditionary — like the Marines. Rather than shuttling smaller groups back and forth as in the past, the Army is keeping larger numbers of troops west of the mid-Pacific dateline for extended periods — and adding to security in the region in the process, it says. Star-Advertiser.

One of Hawaii's most eligible singles is tying the knot. U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, the popular Hawaii Democrat who easily won re-election to a second term in November, confirmed Thursday she is engaged and planning an April wedding. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. CEO Connie Lau will get an estimated $10.66 million in compensation if the company is sold to Florida-based NextEra Energy Inc. later this year as planned, according to a federal filing Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

On Monday political science professor Monique Mironesco will walk on to the West Oahu campus of the University of Hawaii and resume the job that was taken away from her 18 months ago. An arbitrator ruled last month that the university wrongfully fired the 10-year "temporary" faculty member in what the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly describes as a landmark decision that will affect hundreds of nontenured UH professors who might face the same situation now or in the future. Star-Advertiser.

The commission overseeing public charter schools agreed Thursday to begin shutting down the financially strapped Halau Lokahi Public Charter School, ending a months­-long struggle to keep the Hawaiian culture-based school afloat. Star-Advertiser.

Environmental attorneys say that Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission likely erred in approving a wind farm before its environmental review was completed. Last week, the PUC approved a contract between Hawaiian Electric Co. and Champlin/GEI Wind Holdings, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a new 10-turbine wind farm to be built in Kahuku on Oahu’s North Shore. Civil Beat.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said it does not foresee any impact on the development of NextEra Energy's planned 15-megawatt Ka La Nui Solar project in Leeward Oahu from the Florida company's $4.3 billion acquisition of the state's largest utility, according to a public filing. Pacific Business News.

January electric bills at 4-year low thanks to oil. KHON2.

Hawaii

The Windward Planning Commission on Thursday approved the allocation of $293,760 for a study on the impact of geothermal development on Native Hawaiians. The request, which taps Hawaii County’s geothermal asset fund, came from geothermal critics and others who say the state’s indigenous population has been ignored during discussions surrounding the contentious issue. Tribune-Herald.

Palikapu Dedman with the Pele Defense Fund addressed the Windward Planning Commission on Thursday (Jan. 8, 2015), demanding the commission release funds for a study on the possible adverse impacts upon Native Hawaiians associated with the development of geothermal energy generation facilities on the island. Big Island Video News.

Stubborn ice deposited by Friday’s storm continues to keep the summit of Mauna Kea closed to the public. Snow storms typically close down access for a day or so, said Office of Mauna Kea Management Director Stephanie Nagata, but the current conditions are unlike anything seen before at the summit. Tribune-Herald.

When flash flooding crippled the Kohala Ditch last month, it spelled the end of one Kapaau business and forced rationing for other users. It also helped force the question of what to do with a historic water system that barely sustains itself but still serves a critical function — albeit not the one for which it was created. West Hawaii Today.

A 10-unit oceanfront development at mile marker 19 in Ninole got the thumbs-up from the Windward Planning Commission on Thursday, despite concerns by neighbors that the upscale community will make housing less affordable along the Hamakua coast. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The head of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp.'s Maui region plans to discuss a partnership with Hawaii Pacific Health during a news conference Friday morning, but the state-owned hospital network will still need legislative approval to partner with the private nonprofit hospital network, which oversees Kapiolani, Pali Momi, Straub, and Wilcox hospitals. Pacific Business News.

A federal judge last month ordered the now defunct Maui Pineapple Co. to pay a portion of an $8.7 million settlement to Thai farm laborers who suffered hostile and deplorable living conditions after being brought to Hawaii more than a decade ago. Maui News.

Former Maui mayoral candidate Nelson Waikiki Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced in a securities fraud case next month, after he was arrested Tuesday night on a warrant. Maui News.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Seven media takes on Ige's proposed budget, huge invasive coconut crab makes first appearance since 1989, Obama vacations in the rain, Health Department can't find Kauai's pollution source, Kenoi asks Obama to visit lava flow, Oahu's wealthiest to pay more property taxes, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Honolulu's Chinatown © 2014 All Hawaii News
After two weeks of handing out warnings, Honolulu police officers Monday began enforcing the city's expanded sit-lie ordinance in Chinatown. Star-Advertiser.

The cost of state government will rise to $12.6 billion in the fiscal year that starts July 1, an increase of about 4 percent over the current year, due largely to contractual requirements such as health benefits and raises negotiated by the previous administration, Gov. David Ige said Monday in unveiling his proposed budget for the next two-year cycle. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige unveiled his administration’s first biennium budget Monday, seeking almost $1.5 billion in new spending over the next two years. The governor said most of the increased costs are beyond his control — a result of contractual agreements with public-worker unions and actions the state made before he took office Dec. 1. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige has released the first draft of Hawaii’s $25.7 billion budget that covers the next two fiscal years. Ige released the budget Monday, which is the deadline to submit the document to the Legislature. Associated Press.

The Governor delivered the first draft of his 2015-2017 Biennium Budget today to the state Legislature as required by law. Hawaii Public Radio.

Gov. David Ige submitted his first budget draft to the state Legislature Monday three weeks after taking office. The $25.7 billion biennial budget maintains state programs at current spending levels without raising taxes. However, if not for a $665 million projected carryover from the current fiscal year, the budget would be in the red. KITV4.

No job cuts and no tax increase —  that’s according to Gov. David Ige who unveiled his first projected state budget Monday for the next two fiscal years. KHON2.

On a rain-swept Monday unfit for even the most avid golfer, President Barack Obama whiled his third day of vacation taking to the lanes rather than the links. Obama started the day by signing a disaster declaration for upstate New York, clearing the way for federal funds to be used to help the area recover from a major storm that deposited more than 7 feet of snow. Star-Advertiser.

How President Barack Obama spent the third day of his holiday vacation in Hawaii on Monday. Associated Press.

Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi is inviting President Barack Obama to view lava from an active volcano heading to Pahoa. Associated Press.

Mark Takai, the former state representative who will be Hawaii’s next congressman, has named Rod Tanonaka to be his chief of staff. Tanonaka will be based in the Hawaii District Office at the Federal Building in Honolulu. Civil Beat.

A federal judge has ruled that a California-based labor contractor must pay $8.7 million in damages to Thai workers who were exploited while working at Hawaii farms, but it’s not clear whether any of them will get the money. Associated Press.

Opinion: Hawaii is the healthiest state in the nation for the third year in a row — at least if you believe the United Health Foundation, the group that released its annual nationwide survey. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Oahu roads funnel about 112,000 residents into urban Honolulu daily for work, according to a state analysis of U.S. Census data that shows where jobs and residences intersect on the island. Star-Advertiser.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism on Monday released data on “commuter adjusted” daytime population on Oahu. Civil Beat.

A bill that lets the city repave and maintain a new series of Oahu's private roads was allowed to become law by Mayor Kirk Caldwell without his signature Monday. But Caldwell administration officials, who had raised strong objections to the bill as it was moving through the City Council, said they won't be jumping at every opportunity to take on more responsibility when they've still got some 800 miles of standard city roads they've promised to pave over. Star-Advertiser.

As the City and County of Honolulu begin mailing out real property tax assessment notices this week, owners of non-owner occupied residential properties assessed at more than $1 million will pay near twice as much in taxes next year because of a new rate class. Pacific Business News.

According to Department of Agriculture officials, a recent coconut crab sighting is the first since 1989. The crustaceans can grow up to three feet in length. KHON2.

Hawaii

While the Big Island is expected to benefit from statewide expenditures in operating and capital improvement budgets proposed Monday by Gov. David Ige, there are just two specific projects, one in East Hawaii and one in West Hawaii, earmarked in his first spending plan. West Hawaii Today.

The June 27 lava flow hasn’t quite given Pahoa Marketplace merchants the Christmas miracle they are hoping for but it is giving them more time to prepare, watch and wait. The lava flow front remained about 0.4 miles from the shopping center and 0.6 miles from Highway 130 on Monday morning after advancing 70 yards in 24 hours. Tribune-Herald.

The end of the month will see a changing of the guard for a Big Isle school system complex that has seen more than its fair share of challenges lately. Mary Correa, the longtime Department of Education complex area superintendent for Ka‘u, Keaau and Pahoa, will retire Dec. 31 after 10 years in the position, and Keaau Elementary Principal Chad Keone Farias was tapped to fill her shoes. Tribune-Herald.

The summit areas of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii have been placed under a Blizzard Watch from Tuesday morning through Wednesday afternoon. Hawaii News Now.

Maui

More public education and enforcement of stricter fishing regulations appears to be working, according to the supervisor of the nearly year-old Community Fisheries Enforcement Unit and Makai Watch volunteers. Maui News.

Kauai

After three rounds of testing, the state Department of Health says it has been unable to pinpoint the source of pollution ending up in Waiopili Stream in Mahaulepu. Garden Island.

Cameras on drones have provided spectacular videos from Kauai, but residents are filing complaints when the unmanned aircraft fly too close. Associated Press.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Al Gore raises climate awareness in Honolulu, Schatz holds money lead over Hanabusa, Obamacare health exchange extends sign-up deadline, Oahu farm fined for labor practices, Hawaii County kills homeless bill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Al Gore audience photo courtesy Sen. Brian Schatz
Climate change crowd, Brian Schatz courtesy photo
The man who was almost president graced Honolulu with his presence Tuesday and walked us through a "seminar of sustainability." By turns a university professor, a wry observer, a recovering politician, a joke teller and a Southern preacher, Al Gore fired up an audience of thousands at the Stan Sheriff Center to believe that global warming can be stopped. But it's possible only if each of us does our part. Civil Beat.

photo by Robert Olivier
Al Gore
Al Gore brought his inconvenient truth to Hawaii on Tuesday night, praising local officials for making progress on global warming issues but saying there's more work ahead. Star-Advertiser.

Even though the world faces melting Arctic sea ice, more violent storms and flooding, dying coral reefs, more droughts and wildfires, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer suggested in Honolulu on Tuesday that Americans shouldn't expect great solutions from the nation's capital. Civil Beat.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz preserved his fundraising lead over U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa during the past quarter, but both Democrats saw their donations dip as the competition for campaign money increased nationally. Schatz raised about $601,320 from January through March and has topped $4 million overall, according to his federal campaign finance report. Hanabusa raised about $427,860 during the past quarter and more than $2 million overall, her report shows. Star-Advertiser.

You know it's election season when politicians and political action committees start buying up ads on TV. In the past six months, more than $700,000 has been spent on political TV spots, public records kept by each local TV station show. Much of that has been spent since January, as campaign season kicks into a higher gear ahead of the Aug. 9 primary. Civil Beat.

Help to shape the agenda for the 2014 elections. Hawaii Independent.

Hawaii environmental and cultural groups are raising the alarm about two bills in the Legislature that would make it easier for developers to get projects approved without undergoing the state’s review process for historic buildings. The measures, Senate Bill 2633 and House Bill 1678, limit the definition of “historic property” in state law and specify what types of residences need to go through the review process. Civil Beat.

State lawmakers began deliberations today on the state budget in a joint Senate-House conference committee.   The largest state funding outlay – about one-third of total spending – goes to Hawai’i’s public school system. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Hawaii Health Connector has extended the  initial grace period— which would have ended on Tuesday — given to individuals in need of extra time completing the enrollment application process for health insurance by a couple of weeks to April 30. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii lawmakers are weighing whether insurance companies should be required to cover more treatments for infertility and to update a law that some say discriminates against unmarried women. The resolution (SCR 35) calls on the state auditor to study the social and economic impacts of the fertility-coverage proposal. Associated Press.

Beginning May 1, the cost of a state identification card and the documents required to obtain a driver’s license will increase. KHON2.

Russia's out and China is in. Two years ago it was the other way around. This year's Rim of the Pacific war games in and around Hawaii, from late June to early August, are expected to be among the biggest ever, with 23 nations and 25,000 people, officials said. Star-Advertiser.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature:
April 16. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Wednesday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.

State briefs for April 16. Associated Press.

Oahu

Fat Law Farm, which distributes herbs and vegetables to Safeway, D. Otani Produce and a number of other stores locally, and is the main exporter of Hawaiian-grown basil to the U.S. mainland and Canada, has been fined nearly a half a million dollars by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour division for its treatment of its Laotian workers. Hawaii Reporter.

The Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau, berthed at Coast Guard Base Sand Island, improperly discharged about 4,600 gallons of wastewater and sewage into Honolulu Harbor, the Coast Guard confirmed Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

The state House on Monday approved a bill that would place new restrictions on the Hawaii Community Development Authority and increase public notice requirements for development projects in burgeoning Kakaako. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

If the county moves ahead with the purchase of more than 1,200 acres of Ka‘u coastline, as the County Council’s Finance Committee recommended Tuesday, it will create the largest beach park in the state, Lehua Lopez-Mau said. West Hawaii Today.

Homeless bill heads back to drawing board. West Hawaii Today.

Not a single Hawaii County resident showed up for Tuesday night’s budget hearing. The Hawaii County Council held the hearing at the West Hawaii Civic Center, with videoconference sites in Hilo, Pahoa and Waimea. Council members adjourned the hearing, the first opportunity county residents had to weigh in on the administration’s proposed budget, within minutes of its 5 p.m. start time. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii News Now investigation revealed that Hawaii Community College failed to spend a majority of its student government and activities fees last year, leaving $173,000 leftover, alarming state lawmakers.  Those unspent funds are in addition to $245,000 in publication, recreation and campus center fees for which students said they got little or nothing.

It’s been about 10 years since a Volcano charter school has seen any renovations. But all that is about to change with the recent release of $618,000 to the Friends of Volcano School of Arts &Sciences from Gov. Neil Abercrombie. Tribune-Herald.

A former Big Island man accused of sexually abusing boys he fostered and adopted is shown fleeing a film crew in an online documentary published Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Recent letters to local media criticizing the Maui Humane Society's animal euthanasia practices and urging the organization to hire a new leader with a no-kill philosophy have led some of the nonprofit's board members and supporters to fork out their own money for a public advertisement to address those letters, a board member said Monday. Maui News.

A "Maui County Remembers" memorial fund has been established by Pulama Lana'i to provide financial assistance to the families of those who perished or were injured in the Lana'i plane crash on February 26, 2014. All funds will be allocated to assist crash victims and their families. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai

NASA recently showed off a saucer-shaped Mars entry vehicle in California that is bound for Hawaii for a unique series of test flights starting in June. NASA previously said the Kauai flights will represent the first supersonic parachute tests for re-entry missions in more than 40 years. Star-Advertiser.

A rapid transit hub on Eiwa Street and office spaces in the now vacant Big Save building is what county officials are envisioning for the Lihue Civic Center as plans move ahead to redefine the busy area of town. Garden Island.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Nene return to Oahu, labor contractor liable for worker abuse, Kauai stays with at-large council elections, Hilo judge hears GMO lawsuit, Maui court clears cops in shooting, privatizing prisons, Legislature mulls sex ed, medical marijuana, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2014 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Nene on Big Island (c) 2014 All Hawaii News
Endangered Hawaiian geese have been seen in the wild on Oahu for the first time in centuries, indicating the chances of survival for the native birds are improving, federal and state officials said. A pair of nene that migrated to Oahu has nested and hatched three goslings at the James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Kahuku, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Endangered nene have been spotted in the wild on Oahu for the first time in centuries, a federal agency said Monday. Associated Press.

Critics of the state's controversial middle-school sex education pilot program, Pono Choices, expressed concern Monday that a working group convened to study the material has been meeting in secret and comprises members who might not deliver a fair and unbiased report. Star-Advertiser.

A Republican lawmaker in Hawaii has taken issue with one of the state's sex education programs, saying it "sexualizes the innocent" by teaching 11-year-old children about anal sex. Associated Press.

Hawaii lawmakers are considering a measure to improve the state's struggling correctional system by turning to the private sector for help. State Sen. Will Espero introduced a resolution on public-private partnerships for jails, prisons and other correctional facilities. A Senate panel listened to testimony from supporters and opponents during a hearing on Monday. Hawaii News Now.

A federal judge has found a California-based labor contractor liable for discrimination and abuse of hundreds of Thai workers at Hawaii farms. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday announced the ruling against Global Horizons, which placed the workers at six farms across the state. Associated Press.

A federal judge has ruled that a labor recruiting company that was previously accused of human trafficking did harass, discriminate and retaliate against hundreds of Thai workers in Hawaii. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Leslie Kobayashi leaves for a jury to decide the amount of money Global Horizons owes 530 Thai workers it imported to work on farms on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii island and what measures it needs to implement to prevent future abuses. Trial is set for November. Star-Advertiser.

Four years after Global Horizons was implicated in the largest human trafficking case in U.S. history, a federal judge has found the California labor-contracting company liable for harassing, discriminating against and retaliating against more than 500 Thai laborers working on Hawaii farms. Civil Beat.

The Beverly Hills-based farm labor contractor, Global Horizons, Inc., is liable for “harassing, discriminating, and retaliating against hundreds of Thai workers in the U.S., in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws,” the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Monday. Hawaii Reporter.

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz is up with his first TV spot of the 2014 campaign season. The spot, titled "Commitment," has one primary message: Schatz is devoted to protecting Social Security. Civil Beat.

The Smart Approaches to Marijuana Project will brief state House and Senate lawmakers at 10:30 a.m. in Room 423. Civil Beat.

Supporters of medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawai’i brought a new face to the Legislature.  Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Senate to Decide on Aaron Mahi for the Land Use Commission. Civil Beat.

A new report says Hawaii is the most expensive state in the country for renters. The National Low Income Housing Coalition says a renter would need to make a least $31.54 an hour to afford a two-bedroom apartment, with a fair market rent of $1,640 a month. KHON2.

On Tap at the Hawaii Legislature: March 25. A selective list of bills, resolutions, hearings, briefings and events for Tuesday at the state Capitol. Civil Beat.

State roundup for March 25. Associated Press.

Oahu

The city broke ground Monday for the underwater portion of a project that will help transport sewage from the Ala Moana Wastewater Pump Station across Honolulu Harbor to the Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in what the contractor called the most expensive microtunneling project in U.S. history. Star-Advertiser.

Former U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has lashed out at Hawaiian Electric Co., saying that the Honolulu-based utility needs a “better business model” when it comes to integrating more solar energy into its grid, according to a recent Forbes article. Pacific Business News.

The House Committee on Water and Land approved a resolution Monday to require a financial and management audit of the Hawaii Community Development Authority.  The agency in charge of managing land in Kakaako, Kalaeloa and Heeia has been under fire from critics who are worried about the fast pace of development in Kakaako. Civil Beat.

A long-awaited project to re-do Moanalua High School's main athletic field has been delayed for two years because of problems obtaining city and state permits. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

Does requiring farmers growing genetically modified crops to register with Hawaii County result in the release of proprietary information? That’s the question Hilo Circuit Judge Greg Nakamura will consider after hearing from witnesses and attorneys on both sides of the issue Monday. Tribune-Herald.

Improvements to Hawaii Island’s two airports take up the bulk of the $436 million in capital improvement projects the state House is proposing for the island this year. West Hawaii Today.

Construction of Hawaii Island’s first roundabout could begin as soon as August. Salvador C. Panem, state Department of Transportation Hawaii district engineer, said Isemoto Contracting Co. Ltd. won the bid for the Pahoa roundabout earlier this month. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County is preparing to ask a federal bankruptcy judge to lift a stay and allow corporation counsel to initiate foreclosure proceedings on 80 acres of oceanfront land in South Kona. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Ruling that Maui police officers used reasonable force in firing shots at the driver of a fleeing truck that had struck a police officer at Honolua Bay, a judge dismissed a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by two men who were in the bed of the truck when they were hit by bullets. Maui News.

Several state transportation projects are planned this week that will result in lane closures or detours in Pukalani, Kāʻanapali, and Māʻalaea. Maui Now.

Maui Paving LLC has begun work on two road resurfacing projects in Pukalani, according to an announcement from the contractor. Maui News.

Kauai

The voting map won’t be carved up. The Kauai County Charter Review Commission rejected three proposals Monday that would have let county voters determine whether County Council districts, and the election of those seats, should be changed. The decision to forego a ballot question on County Council redistricting, at least for now, followed several months of discussions on whether it was time to change how the seven-member board is elected and represented on the island. Garden Island.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie and Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. said they support the Kauai County Council’s call to lawmakers to stop initiatives regulating coastal and marine resources around the island of Niihau. Garden Island.

One of the largest solar energy farms in Hawaii is about halfway done and is expected to be completed in early July, the project’s development team told Pacific Business News on Monday.