Cuts to Hawaii’s federal workforce loom. Hawaii was home to about 35,500 federal civilian workers last year, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Eugene Tian, DBEDT’s chief economist, said this group represents 5.6% of Hawaii’s workforce. Star-Advertiser.
Senate bill advances to strip county council approval of state-funded housing projects. A bill to exempt state-financed housing developments from county council approval has passed second reading on the Hawaiʻi Senate floor and advanced to the Ways and Means Committee. Maui Now.
Should Hawai‘i Families Be Allowed To Opt Out Of School Vaccines? Roughly 1 in 5 students in Hawaiʻi were missing required vaccines last year. Doctors say that’s a growing health threat, but efforts to toughen state law are drawing intense criticism from parents opposed to vaccines. Civil Beat.
Bullying of teachers persists; DOE lacks resolution. Lawmakers for the third time have introduced a bill aimed at strengthening workplace safety for educational workers following concerns from advocates about the state Department of Education’s handling of harassment issues. Star-Advertiser.
The price of hunger: Navigating the cost burden of free meals for Hawaiʻi students. Several bills this legislative session opt for either universal free breakfast and lunch, or for free meals for students who are currently eligible for reduced-pricing. To date, no one has publicly gone on record to oppose supplying free lunches to students in Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Public Radio.
Marijuana legalization bill alive in Senate. Two Senate committees voted Thursday to recommend passage of a bill to legalize adult personal use of cannabis Hawaiʻi and establish taxes on its retail sale and medical use. Maui Now.
Counties are closer to getting back authority over tobacco regulations. County councils were the lead authorities to pass tobacco regulations until 2018 when the state Legislature passed Act 206, a tobacco law that preempts and nullifies county-level regulations and gives state lawmakers that authority. Hawaii Public Radio.
Hawaiʻi Airports System successfully issues $849M of bonds, largest in its history. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation announced that the state’s Airports System has successfully raised $849 million in bond financing to fund approximately $600 million of essential projects to upgrade and expand airport infrastructure, including runway repairs, terminal renovations, security enhancements and the construction of new facilities. Maui Now.
Hirono, colleagues introduce bipartisan bill to promote wildfire mitigation through grazing. US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) on Friday announced her support for the bipartisan Wildfire Resilience Through Grazing Research Act, introduced alongside Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and James Lankford (R-OK). The bill aims to promote research on using grazing as a strategy to mitigate wildfires, reduce fuel loads and support post-fire recovery efforts. Maui News.
Bill targets owners of properties hosting illegal massage parlors. A bill at the state Legislature would identify trafficked sex workers as victims while simultaneously going after landlords and property owners who allow massage parlors that pose as legitimate businesses but are actually illegal houses of prostitution. Star-Advertiser.
Bill would subsidize fencing to control ungulates. A proposal to help subsidize the installation of animal control fences is the only survivor of four bills in the state Legislature aimed at controlling pigs, goats and sheep. Tribune-Herald.
Oahu
City Council committee postpones reappointment of emergency services director. Dr. Jim Ireland has led the city’s Department of Emergency Services for the past four years. A City Council committee got an earful from detractors who say he doesn’t deserve another four, because the department is in worse shape than it was when he began. Hawaii News Now.
State senators killed a bill on Thursday that would have permitted casinos on Oahu. Senate Bill 893 would have granted 20-year licenses for casinos at the new Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and at the Hawaii Convention Center. Hawaii News Now.
Long-time Makaha surfing competition highlights growing impact of coastal erosion. Rocks and berms that support nearby Farrington Highway were covered with sand last year. This year, winter swells pushed the sand elsewhere down the beach. Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Island
Hawai‘i County launches task force to address nearly 700 vacancies. There are fewer hours at transfer stations and public pools; slower response to maintenance of roads, tree trimming, parks and fields; clerk shortages that sometimes result in no one answering phones when the public calls the county for help. Big Island Now.
Police discipline reported: HPD terminations, suspensions documented for lawmakers. One Hawaii Police Department officer was fired in 2024, one terminated in 2023 is in binding arbitration hoping to regain his badge, while a third discharged in 2023 has returned to the force as a result of his grievance. Tribune-Herald.
New Hawaiʻi County Parks and Recreation director highlights projects to finish, projects to begin. Hawaiʻi County’s new Parks and Recreation Director Clayton Honma, who is returning to a position he knows well, plans to focus this time around on “safe, recreational facilities and programs for everyone – visitors and residents.” Big Island Now.
Funding is sought again for Puna alternate traffic route study. State officials are still seeking to restore funds for a study of alternate traffic routes into Puna, even as Hawaii County officials try to figure out what went wrong. Tribune-Herald.
Highly venomous sea snake found ashore in Hilo. A highly venomous yellow-bellied sea snake was found washed up on the shore at Honoli‘i Beach in Hilo last week, according to the state Department of Agriculture. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Video News.
Maui
Maui fire survivors soon have to pay rent for FEMA housing. Some still don't know how much. There are more than 1,100 Maui fire survivor households in FEMA’s direct lease housing, a program in that FEMA pays property owners to house survivors. That program ends Feb. 28. Hawaii Public Radio.
These Are The Stories Lahaina Wildfire Survivors Never Got To Tell. Court documents filed in a wildfire compensation lawsuit give an unprecedented look at the struggles fire survivors continue to face. Written statements filed with the courts by more than three dozen people offer rare insights into the night of the fire, and the lingering effects of disaster. Civil Beat.
County releases report on strategies to reduce and prevent homelessness. The County of Maui Department of Human Concerns on Friday released “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County,” a report offering strategic solutions to reduce and prevent homelessness across the county. Maui Now.
Catholic Charities Hawai‘i’s new Maui Support Center for first responders receives blessing. From first responders to educators, therapists, disaster case managers and more, Catholic Charities Hawai’i’s Maui Support Center hopes to be a vital resource for public servants. Maui News.
Kauai
Momentous milestone reached in fight against often-deadly avian malaria on Kauaʻi. It seems counterproductive, at the least, to release hundreds of thousands of 6-legged, flying harpoons into a place where a portion of their population is spreading a plague that has several species of native Hawaiian honeycreepers — some endemic only to Kaua‘i — fighting for their very existence. Kauai Now.
Kauai launches new ‘PulsePoint Respond App’. Officials in Kauai have launched their latest tool this week that now connects everyday heroes to those in need before the arrival of emergency responders. Garden Island.
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