New state laws enacted to deter corruption in Hawaii government. Gov. Josh Green on Friday signed a bill into law that will extend the statute of limitations from three years to nine years for the offense of bribery. Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.
Hawaii’s new ‘millionaire tax’ rivals top tax rate among other states. Under part of Act 24, which some call Hawaii’s new “millionaire tax,” a married couple earning over $1 million and filing a joint return would be charged $88,729 plus 13% on any income above $1 million for the 2027 tax year. Star-Advertiser.
Landmark bill gives Native Hawaiians larger public lands role. Gov. Josh Green signed House Bill 2218 into law Wednesday after it unanimously passed both chambers of the state Legislature, creating a formal legal pathway for the state Board of Land and Natural Resources to enter into long-term co-management agreements with qualified community-based nonprofit organizations. Star-Advertiser.
OHA Dissenters Won’t Recant Retaliation Claims. Four trustees from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are bucking orders to withdraw a court document filed as part of a lawsuit that alleges the office, other members of the board and Chair Kai Kahele unfairly retaliated against CEO Stacy Ferreira. Civil Beat.
Hawaiʻi forgiveness program to reduce $91M in medical debt. About 50,000 Hawaiʻi residents have accumulated a total of $91 million in medical debt, but a new state program could help absolve lower-income residents of those unpaid bills. Hawaii Public Radio.
Federal aid climbs, thousands apply for Kona-low support. Federal agencies have approved tens of millions of dollars in assistance for survivors of Hawaii’s Kona-low storms in March, with thousands of FEMA, SBA and USDA applications still under review as recovery efforts continue statewide. Star-Advertiser.
Traffic fatalities in Hawaii ticked up after Memorial Day. Since Memorial Day on May 25, there have been at least a dozen fatalities, accounting for roughly 25% of the total, which stood at 48 as of Friday. At the same time last year, the number was at 69. Star-Advertiser.
Oahu
Waters’ War Chest Dwarfs Opponents In Competitive Honolulu Council Primary. Candidates running for the Honolulu Council District 4 seat have vastly different resources to draw on. Honolulu Council Chair Tommy Waters is sitting on a $320,000 war chest and has so far spent $130,000 in his bid for reelection to Honolulu Council District 4, the latest state campaign finance reports show. Civil Beat.
Honolulu City Council advances bill aimed at expanding affordable housing. A Honolulu City Council measure aimed at accelerating affordable rental housing construction on Oahu by easing development standards has advanced despite concerns from housing advocates, Council members and other stakeholders over its potential impacts. Star-Advertiser.
Waianae homeless community shrinks as permanent homes arrive. The Pu‘uhonoua o Wai‘anae homeless community at the Wai‘anae Small Boat Harbor has shrunk from a peak of 250 people to just 30 who are waiting for new, permanent homes to arrive so they can join their friends and family who already have moved to a new 20-acre site on the mauka side of Farrington Highway. Star-Advertiser.
HPD sends Aliamanu fireworks case to prosecutors. The Honolulu Police Department’s investigation into the Jan. 1, 2025, explosion of illegal fireworks at a New Year’s party in Aliamanu that killed six people, including a 3-year-old child, has been sent to prosecutors for possible criminal charges. Star-Advertiser.
As pro golf tournaments leave Hawaiʻi, so do millions in charitable giving. Friends of Hawaii Charities hosted the Sony Open PGA golf tournament in Hawaiʻi for 28 years. Over that time, it raised nearly $28 million in grants for nonprofits in Hawaiʻi that serve children, older people and underserved communities. Hawaii Public Radio.
After storm damage, Hawaii’s reefs brace for another blow from El Niño. When back-to-back Kona lows hit the state in March, Alika Garcia got ready to dive.As executive director of Kuleana Coral, a coral restoration group on Oahu, he and his team worked under an emergency permit to survey and restore the affected coral colonies in Maunalua Bay as soon as ocean conditions were safe. Star-Advertiser.
No ‘large cat-like animal’ found at Manoa Falls, DLNR says. After reports of large wild cats at Manoa Falls, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said it found no evidence that would require the trail to close. Hawaii News Now.
Hawaii Island
Most of Big Island sees above average rainfall last month, with 10 sites having wettest June on record. Several locations on the leeward side, on the other hand, didn't fare as well, with much of the Kona and Kohala coasts, slopes and interior higher elevations recording below average rainfall for June. Big Island Now.
A place to call home: DHHL awards 200 lots in Pana‘ewa to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries. For the first time in over 20 years, the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands presented leases for residential lots in East Hawaii to Native Hawaiian beneficiaries Saturday at a ceremony in Hilo, where 200 lots were awarded. Tribune-Herald.
Kona low victims awarded nearly $5M. Hawaii County launched a recovery grant program late last month for businesses impacted by back-to-back Kona low storms that hammered the island in March, just as a similar federal aid effort formed to help storm victims is wrapping up. Tribune-Herald.
Takeout Boxes Are Filling Landfills. This Town Has A Plan To Phase Them Out. As Hawaiʻi island prepares to enact a ban on single-use plastic serviceware, a coalition in Hilo is rolling out the nation’s first comprehensive city-wide reuse program with over $3 million in seed funding. Civil Beat.
Ka‘u cultural center clears another hurdle. A final environmental assessment was recently completed for the site, which is located near Waiohinu on land managed by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. Star-Advertiser.
Hilo skateboard ramp expected to officially open soon. Intended to “bridge the gap” until the proposed multimillion-dollar roller-sport facility along Piilani Street across from the Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium can be built, the 16-foot-wide and 60-foot-long plywood half-pipe ramp was gifted to the county by Oasis Skateboards owner Dan Madsen to create a dedicated space for skaters. Tribune-Herald.
Maui
Fired Maui County official sues Mayor Bissen, Board of Ethics for defamation. Luana Mahi, the former director of the county Office of Economic Development, is suing the county for defamation, saying her reputation was tarnished by “inaccurate” claims that she used grant funding to benefit her family members. Maui Now.
North extension of Lahaina bypass needed as a critical evacuation route is finally moving forward. The 4.5-mile extension from Lahaina to Kā‘anapali is in the early planning stages, with funding from a $100 million allocation of Maui County’s $1.6 billion federal disaster recovery grant. Maui Now.
National Park Service ‘pauses’ Kalaupapa tours after one trip. The National Park Service abruptly paused its planned twice-a-week walking tours of Kalaupapa National Historic Park after its inaugural trip Thursday was met by about 30 Native Hawaiians and Molokai residents demanding a say in the future of the site where 8,000 Hansen’s disease patients were forced to live in isolation for over a century. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. KITV4.
Rebuilding, Mental Health And Groundwater: Maui County Mayor Candidate Q&As. A ballot full of candidates is running in the primary election to lead Maui Nui. Civil Beat.
RISE Maui Summit will bring together scientists, artists and cultural practitioners. With proceeds benefiting Lahaina’s rebuilding efforts, the RISE Maui: Sustainability + Tech Summit in August at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa will spotlight sustainability and innovation through the lens of regeneration. Maui News.
Kauai
Kauaʻi seeks state assistance as Waimea River mouth shifts towards homes. Kauaʻi County urgently seeks technical assistance because the Waimea River's sudden westward shift threatens nearby homes and properties. Kauai Now. Garden Island. KHON2. KITV4.
Kauaʻi Wants New Homes To Resist Fire. It’s Cheaper Than You Might Think. The Garden Isle has a higher wildfire risk than most counties in the country. Civil Beat.
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