Showing posts with label payday loans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label payday loans. Show all posts

Friday, March 30, 2018

Hawaii Legislature passes assisted suicide bill, Senate committee advances pared down budget, top lawmakers endorse Hanabusa, medical marijuana bill would prevent firing of those testing positive, not guilty pleas in Kealoha trial, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2018 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Ohia lehua captures the raindrops ©2018 All Hawaii News
State officials' message to Merrie Monarch Festival goers: Don't take the Ohia. Hawaii News Now.

A bill to legalize medically assisted death for terminally ill patients now awaits Gov. David Ige’s signature to become law after the state Senate today passed the measure. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Legislature Passes Medical Aid In Dying. The bill cleared its final hurdle in the Senate by a wide margin and is now headed to the governor for his signature. Civil Beat.

Hawaii lawmakers approved legislation Thursday that would make it the latest liberal-leaning state to legalize medically assisted suicide. Associated Press.

Medical aid-in-dying passes Senate, heads to governor. KHON2.

The Hawaii Senate on Thursday voted 23-2 to pass House Bill 2739 titled “Our Care, Our Choice Act.” Maui Now.

Sen. Breene Harimoto, D, Pearl City, Aiea, Halawa, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. He made the announcement Thursday on the Senate floor at the State Capitol as he cast his vote against "Our Care, Our Choice," Hawaii's medical-aid-in-dying bill. KHON2.

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Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz criticized Gov. David Ige’s proposed budget for next year as an example of “overspending” as Dela Cruz released his own budget proposal Thursday totaling $14.3 billion. Star-Advertiser.

Top leaders at the Hawaii State Legislature are throwing the full power of their legislative offices behind Colleen Hanabusa in her bid to unseat David Ige for the governor’s office. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Senate confirmed Russell Suzuki as Hawaii attorney general on Thursday via unanimous vote. Hawaii News Now.

A bill to allow out-of-state marijuana patients to buy their medicine at local dispensaries and prohibit employers from firing workers with cannabis cards who test positive for the drug passed out of a key committee Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Medical marijuana cardholders from out of state may soon be able to purchase the drug in Hawaii, if a bill at the state Legislature continues to move forward. Pacific Business News.

After Nearly 20 Years, Legislature Rethinks Payday Lending. The state’s growing demand for payday loans is no surprise given the high cost of living in the islands. But with interest rates as high as 459 percent, lawmakers are demanding greater regulation. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii’s visitor industry tries to improve nuclear response. It’s possible that Hawaii’s visitor industry could achieve its seventh record-setting year in a row in 2018, provided that the state doesn’t fall victim to a natural or man-made disaster like a nuclear attack. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s hotel industry hosted an emergency preparedness workshop today as a follow-up to the state’s false missile alert earlier this year. Hawaii Public Radio.

Shipping Company Prepares for the Next Disaster. Hawaii Public Radio.

In light of evolving natural resource concerns and the needs of managers and people, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife is proposing updates to rules regulating activities within Hawaii’s Forest Reserve System. DOFAW is now inviting input and comments. Information hearings will be held across the state in April. Big Island Now.

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts said Thursday it has named Jeff Wagoner to be its new president and chief executive officer. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Airlines has relinquished its usual top position as the most punctual carrier in the country. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Kealohas, Accused Cops Plead Not Guilty To Newest Charges. Federal prosecutors added three new charges in the corruption case involving the former police chief and his deputy prosecutor wife. Civil Beat.

'We are not guilty': Ex-police chief says he looks forward to day in court. Hawaii News Now.

"We plead not guilty because we are not guilty," said former Honolulu Police Chief, Louis Kealoha, moments after he entered a not guilty plea in federal court Thursday. KITV.

Retired police chief Louis Kealoha and his deputy prosecutor wife Katherine were back in federal court this morning to answer to more charges. They pled not guilty. KHON2.

HECO: More Than Half Of Us Will Be Driving Electric Vehicles By 2045. The state’s largest power utility is preparing for a surge in ownership of EVs during the next 30 years. Civil Beat.

Oahu led all Islands in tourism gains in February as total visitor spending surged nearly 13 percent to $1.52 billion, according to preliminary statistics released Thursday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Pacific Business News.

The Lanikai Pillbox hiking trail will remain open after all, the state said in a news release today. Star-Advertiser.

Fleetwood Mac bassist John McVie has sold his Honolulu home for $5.4 million, according to Mansion Global. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Island

Council wants voters to weigh in on future raises. A charter amendment is unnecessary, Salary Commission officials told the County Council on Wednesday, because the commission is changing its administrative rules to add more transparency to the way it doles out raises.  West Hawaii Today.

The head of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands said a group that started an “Aloha Safety Checkpoint” on beneficiary lands along the Maunakea Access Road this week did so without permission. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply took the first step toward augmenting its existing staff by proposing the addition of 19 new positions at the Water Board’s monthly meeting Tuesday in Hilo. West Hawaii Today.

Mayor Kim: Hilo Farmers Market Info “Wrong And Misleading”. Big Island Video News.

A bill that would take $30,000 from the Geothermal Relocation and Community Fund and in order to provide access to computers and Wi-Fi at the Pahoa Community Center was panned by testifiers on Wednesday before the council voted 6-3 to advance the measure to second reading. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Maui County Council Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Riki Hokama did not get specific on projects or budget items he would support or object to in Mayor Alan Arakawa’s proposed $820 million fiscal 2019 budget, but he said the council should look into completing projects already on the books, as well as filling current staff vacancies, before creating new jobs and craft a budget allowing for flexibility for a new administration. Maui News.

Students from a number of schools walked out of class in a show of resistance against the placement of the state flag. One of the biggest protests happened on Maui at Hana High School, which also attracted members of the community. KITV.

Haiku residents were opposed overwhelmingly to a new zip-line operation at a community meeting Wednesday night called by its developer who already has racked up more than a half a million dollars in fines running another zip line in the region. Maui News.

Longer Stays on Maui Boost Visitor Spending in February. Maui Now.

Renovation begins on Waiehu Municipal Golf Course’s back nine greens starting April 16, the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation announced Thursday. Maui Now.

Kauai

Bus stop ‘angel’ arrested. For more than a year, El Aina Danine lived at the bus stop fronting the Kapaa Neighborhood Center. She slept there. She ate there. She read there. She fed chickens there. Garden Island.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Kamehameha Schools to pay $80M to settle sex abuse lawsuit, activists delay Coco Palms, Mauna Kea management plan opposed, Steven Tyler addresses Maui drug court, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2018 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Kamehameha Schools on parade ©2018 All Hawaii News
Kamehameha Schools will pay out $80 million to victims and their families under a settlement in a sex abuse case that's rocked the prestigious private school. Hawaii News Now.

Kamehameha Schools has agreed to pay $80 million to 32 plaintiffs who were sexually abused by a psychiatrist decades ago while they were students at the private school or were treated by him, according to terms of a tentative agreement reached between the two sides. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers are advancing a bill to explicitly ban “bump stocks” similar to the devices that were used in last year’s massacre of 58 concertgoers in Las Vegas, but that effort is being opposed by dozens of local firearm enthusiasts. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers looking at new ways to ensure campus safety. A proposal moving forward in the Senate would require the Department of Education to make sure each classroom has an interior lock on its door by the beginning of next year, as well as an intercom throughout the campus by the year 2020. KITV.

Lawmaker proposes changes to locks, intercoms, emergency training and drills for schools. A lawmaker wants to put safeguards on campuses so students are less vulnerable should a school shooting ever happen here. KHON2.

A number of proposed bills dealing with cesspools are advancing in the House of Representatives this session. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui Senator Tries Again To Reform High-Interest Payday Loans. Hawaii currently allows lenders to offer loans with annual interest rates as high as 459 percent. Civil Beat.

A controversial measure to institute across Hawaii a blanket ban on the manufacturing, distribution and use of chlorpyrifos — once the most widely utilized pesticide in the United States — continues to gain traction as it moves through the state House of Representatives. West Hawaii Today.

Organizers hope Obama exhibit grows into something more permanent. An exhibit at Honolulu Hale created by the Obama Hawaiian Africana Museum has glimpses of President Barack Obama's childhood to his days at Punahou School to his first public speech at Sand Island in August 2008. Hawaii News Now.

Hospital emergency rooms are bustling, with one reporting twice as many flu patients as it was seeing at this time last year. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Housing developers and builders will be eligible for property tax exemptions and various fee waivers from the city if they commit to building housing aimed at lower- income families and individuals, under a bill signed into law Thursday by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Star-Advertiser.

Low-income rental housing breaks ground. Local developer Stanford Carr held a construction blessing Thursday for the Kakaako project called Hale Kewalo where apartments are projected to rent for as little as $516 a month and serve some households annually earning around or less than $25,110 for a couple or $31,380 for a family of four. Star-Advertiser.

Developer Stanford Carr broke ground Thursday on a new affordable rental project. Hale Kewalo will be built at the corner of Piikoi and Kona streets, where Home Sweet Home used to be. KHON2.

Paramedics are stretched to the limit — and there's no help in sight. Honolulu's plea for a new Emergency Medical Services station is on life support at the state Legislature. Hawaii News Now.

North Shore residents have unleashed a sweeping condemnation of a plan to subdivide Dillingham Ranch for housing while somewhat expanding agriculture on the historic 2,721-acre property in Mokuleia. Star-Advertiser.

A private-public venture between the U.S. Navy and the country’s largest owner of privatized military housing has sued the wife of a retired Kaneohe Marine officer for defamation. Civil Beat.

Attorney: FBI investigation into four Honolulu police officers ‘completely unfair’. KHON2.

75-year-old Sunset Beach palms are latest victims of erosion. The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation Division of Urban Forestry decided to cut down seven of the beachfront date palms Thursday after certified arborists determined the continual undermining of the trees by erosion made them a hazard to the general public and motorists. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu agreed to pay three service members for towing and auctioning off their vehicles while they were deployed. It's part of a settlement with the Department of Justice that cost the city over $100,000 so far. KITV.

Hawaii Island

Hawaiians, astronomers, UH oppose bill to create Maunakea management authority. Tribune-Herald.

Hirano Store celebrates a century of goods, community and flying chili bowls. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The County of Maui Department of Planning will hold an informational meeting on the permitting process and land entitlements on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the West Maui Senior Center in Lahaina. Maui Now.

As state legislators weigh spending $500 million for a new prison, they also could consider funding a less costly treatment program with a 20-year track record of “remarkable” change, state Supreme Court Associate Justice Michael Wilson said Thursday. Maui News.

Although he was introduced as a singer, songwriter and founding member of the legendary rock band Aerosmith, Steven Tyler offered another description when he spoke to Maui Drug Court graduates Thursday. Maui News.

A group of Native Hawaiian protesters and college students seized the American and Hawaiian flags Wednesday morning at the University of Hawaii Maui College campus. Maui News.

Two West Maui properties have taken emergency measures to halt the growing shoreline erosion that threatens their buildings. Associated Press.

Kauai

Activists delay rebirth of Hawaii hotel with Elvis ties. Developers rebuilding a storied, hurricane-ravaged Hawaii hotel with a Hollywood connection were looking forward to the Coco Palms' rebirth when two men showed up last year, claiming to own the property because they descend from King Kaumualii, the last ruler of Kauai. Associated Press.

Over 100 oppose Wainiha bridges project. The final environmental assessment for a project to replace temporary bridges on Kauai’s North Shore has been completed and is available to the public. Garden Island.

Critics are blasting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dramatically lowering a fine on agribusiness company Syngenta for violations of pesticide regulations. Associated Press.

Molokai

All Clear: Re-sampling at Ualapue Meets Federal Standards. Maui Now.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Ige's union support falters; lawmakers to take up payday loans, suicide prevention, self-driving cars in upcoming legislative session; Kauai post office to be moved; Big Island income lags; rail station privatization mulled, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

courtesy HSTA
Teachers union supported Gov. David Ige in 2014. Other unions are not so happy with him. Courtesy HSTA
Twice this fall the state’s largest union has issued dire warnings about efforts by Gov. David Ige’s administration to upgrade critically important state computer systems, and that pushback is taking on political implications as Ige prepares for a tough Democratic primary next year. Star-Advertiser.

Gov’s chief of staff shifts to deputy role. Mike McCartney, Gov. David Ige’s chief of staff, has been moved into a lower-­level position and salary — but gets to keep his old title — under what Ige describes as a reorganization of his office. Star-Advertiser.

Medical Pot: Taking Your Medicine Can Get You Fired. Cannabis advocates may try to strengthen patient protections in workplaces and public housing during the next legislative session. Civil Beat.

Civil Beat Poll: Let’s Have A Constitutional Convention. Two-thirds of Hawaii voters surveyed in our poll support the state holding a “con con,” the first in 40 years. Civil Beat.

State legislators aim to regulate high-interest payday loans. State lawmakers plan to again consider imposing stricter regulations on so-called payday lenders issuing loans that can carry interest rates as high as 459 percent in Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Lawmakers urge more funding, awareness to suicide prevention. Hawaii legislators are grappling with how to prevent suicides, the leading cause of fatal injuries in the state.  Associated Press.

Inouye among skeptics of testing self-driving cars. Hawaii’s drivers might soon share the road with self-driving cars, after Gov. David Ige signed an executive order last month allowing statewide testing of the autonomous vehicles. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Longliners Are Paying Big Bucks To Go Over Quota. Environmentalists worry short-term deals will result in overfishing. Meanwhile, fishermen seek more access to restricted areas. Civil Beat.

China ups recycling regulations, causes ripple effect felt in Hawaii. China wants to rehabilitate its environment, but one of the country’s primary initiatives to do so could leave pollutants piling up over much of the rest of the world, including Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

State creates Hawaii Defense Economy website to share data. Total defense spending in Hawaii averages around $7.8 billion a year, according to the website, and defense spending is 9.8 percent of the state’s gross domestic product. Garden Island.

Hawaiian Telcom took a step closer to being acquired by Ohio-based Cincinnati Bell on Friday, receiving one of two necessary Hawaii regulatory approvals. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Cable Television Division on Friday conditionally approved the merger transaction transferring control of Hawaiian Telcom’s Oahu cable franchise to Cincinnati Bell Inc. Pacific Business News.

Hawaiian Airlines Federal Credit Union merged with Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union last month after Hawaiian Airlines FCU’s board of directors and membership voted in favor of the merger on Sept. 8. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Hawaii Reserves Inc. has scrapped its contentious plan to put up houses in rural Malaekahana and is instead proposing a scaled-down project allowing for 300 additional residential units within the Laie ahupuaa. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu rail officials have brought on Ernst & Young Infrastructure Advisors LLC to study the potential use of a public-private partnership for the remainder of the 20-mile elevated rail project. Pacific Business News.

The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration will award Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children $514,532 to fund resident training. Pacific Business News.

Waianae latest stop for Hokulea in its 'mahalo sail' around the islands. The voyaging canoe Hokulea received a warm welcome when it arrived at Pokai Bay in Waianae Saturday as it continues its Mahalo Hawaii Sail around the islands. KITV.

Hokulea sails to the west side, celebrates Buffalo Keaulana. KHON2.

Hawaii Island

Big Island household income falling behind. It’s long been said a rising tide lifts all boats, but census data released last week shows the Big Island remains grounded on the reef of a faltering economy. West Hawaii Today.

Council questions scrutiny of contingency funds. Hawaii County Council members often use their contingency funds as grants to nonprofits, which they say allows them to provide quick aid to their districts. Tribune-Herald.

Delay sought in TMT sublease contested case. Attorneys for the University of Hawaii and TMT International Observatory are asking that a contested case for the telescope’s sublease not proceed at this time. Tribune-Herald.

Raises for UH staffers: Many at UH-Hilo, HCC earn more than $100K per year. Nearly a dozen executive and managerial employees at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii Community College will get merit-based raises effective Jan. 1. Tribune-Herald.

Wind farm seeks incidental take permit.  The operator of Lalamilo Wind Farm has applied for a federal permit that would allow for the incidental taking of two endangered Hawaiian species during the project’s operation. West Hawaii Today.

$30M Waikoloa resort project moving forward. Two years after the Planning Department accepted applications to rezone part of a Waikoloa parcel and grant a special management area use permit for a proposed 44-unit resort development, the Leeward Planning Commission is expected to take up the issue this week. West Hawaii Today.

Non-native birds thrive where coquis abide, study finds. The proliferation of coqui frogs in Hawaii has had a significant, and surprising, impact on non-­native birds — not that indigenous birds have bothered to notice. Star-Advertiser.

Maui

Illegal fireworks are booming. Resident: ‘It cannot be a cultural thing, every single night from Halloween to the first week in February’. Maui News.

Maui residents call for end to Illegal fireworks. With New Year's around the corner, Maui residents are complaining over social media about loud booms in their neighborhoods, which are irritating residents and frightening children and pets. Associated Press.

Pilot program aims to use oysters to filter pollution from Maalaea bay water. According to UH researchers, oysters can filter 50 to 100 gallons of water a day. Maui News.

Kauai

Community blasts USPS decision to close Lihue office. The U.S. Postal Service is under criticism for giving the Kauai community “false hope” that it would prevail in its appeal to save the historic Lihue Post Office. Star-Advertiser.

Molokai

2 killed in fiery crash of small plane on Molokai. The Cessna 206 propeller plane crashed while en route to the Molokai Airport under unknown circumstances, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer. Star-Advertiser.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Sunscreen ban advances, payday loan regulation passes Senate, Hawaii v. Trump in court today, new Honolulu agencies to cost $1M, Uber comes to Big Island, Haleakala records 1.3M visitors, UH grad programs drop in rating, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

copyright 2017 All Hawaii News all rights reserved
Swimming at Waikiki © 2017 All Hawaii News
State lawmakers have advanced a bill making it illegal to use or apply sunscreen containing any amount of oxybenzone while at the beach or in the ocean. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Senate voted last week to limit payday loan annual interest rates to 36 percent, down from the current allowable annual rate of 459 percent. Civil Beat.

More than 200 kupuna sporting orange T-shirts rallied at the state Capitol on Tuesday to protect senior programs in a “March for Meals,” as legislators weighed how to respond to a federal health care bill that could hike costs for the needy. Star-Advertiser.

Travel Ban Challenged In 3 Cities Wednesday — Including Honolulu. A local hearing is scheduled to begin six hours after one in Maryland and 90 minutes before another in Seattle. Civil Beat.

Hawaii versus Trump is expected be one of three lawsuits that will be heard in courts across the country Wednesday.  All this comes as President's Trump's travel ban is expected to kick in on Thursday. KITV.

Major federal budget cuts are going to hit Hawaii soon. Civil Beat.

Two high-profile state agencies are having difficulty attracting viable candidates to serve on their boards. Civil Beat.

Service members with Hawaii ties among group accused of trading military secrets for sex parties. KHON2.

Oahu

It will cost more than $1 million for the city to fully establish two new agencies that Oahu voters approved via City Charter amendments in November. Star-Advertiser.

The state Legislature is considering a bill to continue funding for Honolulu’s Rail Transit project. Hawaii Public Radio.

Just 3 inches below the asphalt on Factory Street in Kalihi lies a toxic dump that — until last summer — the government had forgotten about. Hawaii News Now.

Despite a growing call for a secondary access road through the Waianae Coast to relieve traffic congestion and address public safety concerns, the state Department of Transportation says it doesn’t have the money to build it and is instead focusing on improvements planned for Farrington Highway. Star-Advertiser.

While as many as a dozen residential high-rise condominiums are in some sort of development process along the Ala Moana-Kapiolani corridor, representing the next wave of towers in Honolulu’s urban core, a long-planned project roughly in the same area is now in limbo, Pacific Business News has learned.

A state judge says he intends to close his courtroom to the public when two Kamehameha Schools employees testify in May in a case involving a teacher accused of using a spy camera to record students in the shower at his home. Star-Advertiser.

Frustration mounts over 'slow' progress of Honolulu airport renovations. Hawaii News Now.

The city’s prosecutor and public defender agree that a pilot program to adjudicate low-level, nonviolent offenses for homeless defendants is working. Star-Advertiser.

Several of the graduate programs at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have taken a turn in the wrong direction based on the latest rankings of the country’s top graduate schools from U.S. News & World Report. Pacific Business News.

President Barack Obama heads to Kailua course during surprise visit to Oahu. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii

A bit of Silicon Valley is set to arrive on the Big Island this week with the launch of ride-hailing startup Uber. The phone app will go live Friday for the entire island. Tribune-Herald.

Controlling invasives and human activity in order to protect endangered species while honoring traditional practices and access rights are highlights of a management plan for county-owned lands along Kawa Bay that will be discussed at a public meeting this evening in Naalehu. West Hawaii Today.

The Office of Mauna Kea Management plans to nearly double the number of parking stalls at the Mauna Kea Visitor Information Station. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii County Parks and Recreation Director Charmaine Kamaka doesn’t yet have a concrete strategy to reclaim Old Kona Airport Park from the homeless population that has commandeered it through sheer numbers. But the outline of a plan is beginning to take shape. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Haleakalā National Park recorded 1,263,558 visitors in 2016, the National Park Service’s centennial year, up 4% (46,786 visitors) from 2015. Maui Now.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources released a statement today saying it has received numerous comments from concerned members of the public regarding the Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Notice for a water lease in East Maui filed by Alexander & Baldwin Inc. and East Maui Irrigation Company, Limited.  Maui Now.

Golf enthusiasts on Maui are pitching ideas ranging from higher prices to night golf in an attempt to keep Maui County's mayor from shutting down an 87-year-old municipal golf course. Associated Press.

Kauai

In its newest version, the General Plan Update spells out ways to enforce policies. Garden Island.

Eradication plan questioned. About 15 attend Waimea meeting on proposal to poison Lehua Island rats to protect native birds. Garden Island.

Kunoa Cattle Co., which manages about 2,000 cattle across several thousand acres of former sugarcane land on Kauai and operates the Oahu slaughterhouse facility, has received $300,000 from a Hawaii-based venture capital fund, the company said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Ige gets more time to fill Cabinet, Senate minority budget trims $1.6B, Sen. Schatz father dies, Maui council says there's waste in waste program, ethics complaint targets Mayor Kenoi, Finance Department, Japanese cultural program brings cheap labor to Waikiki, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands


 
courtesy Hawaii Senate majority
Hokulea voyage honored in Hawaii Legislature, courtesy Hawaii Senate Majority
The Hawai'i Senate honored the 40th anniversary of legendary voyaging canoe Hōkūle'a and the members of the first crews who sailed her between Hawaii and Tahiti in 1976.

 The Hawaii Senate has voted to give Gov. David Ige more time to fill important positions in his cabinet. The move comes after Ige faced a public backlash for nominating developer Carleton Ching to lead the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Senate Minority budget proposal, released Monday, calls for $1.59 billion in cuts to Gov. David Ige’s initial submittal. Civil Beat.

A legislative deadline is looming and supporters of a number of bills are rallying at the Capitol to let lawmakers know they want their measures heard and passed. Hawaii Public Radio.

When the Hawaii State Teachers Association withheld support from two resolutions that asked the state to increase teachers’ salaries and pay them overtime, some teachers were surprised and disappointed. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers want cap on interest rate for payday loans. Hawaii News Now.

Gov. David Ige, the four county mayors, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, University of Hawaii and Hawaii Green Growth launched the Aloha+ Challenge dashboard last week. It features indicators for two of six targets — clean energy and solid waste reduction — that were set, according to a release from the governor’s office Monday. Civil Beat.

A major report that aims to tackle Hawaii’s transportation energy issues with more than 50 different strategies, including an effort to significantly reduce gas and diesel usage in the state, is expected to be unveiled in June, the head of the state’s energy office told Pacific Business News.

Hawaii needs up to 66,000 homes if it expects to satisfy demand for housing over the next decade. That's the conclusion of a new report, "Measuring Housing Demand in Hawaii, 2015-2025," by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Star-Advertiser.

Dr. Irwin Schatz, father of U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, has died. The cardiologist was a former chair of the University of Hawaii Department of Medicine and led the medical school’s residency program for over 20 years. Civil Beat.

Oahu

Plans to purchase the ritzy 25-story Alii Place office building to provide office space for state workers won support from a key state Senate committee Monday, with lawmakers suggesting the purchase will save the state tens of millions of dollars in the years ahead. Star-Advertiser.

A Cultural Exchange Program or a Ticket to Sweatshop Labor? A Japanese woman's poor working conditions as a Waikiki pastry chef illustrate the dark side of a visa program that brings thousands of temporary foreign workers to Hawaii each year. Civil Beat.

Despite the negative impact that seawalls have on surrounding coastlines, a South Korean billionaire has been allowed to build a new one in Kahala after his application for a shoreline setback variance was approved unanimously last month by the City Council. KITV4.

A Los Angeles Times investigation found that the huge golf-ball-like radar craft that spends a lot of time at Pearl Harbor has failed to perform its important mission: detecting missiles in a sneak attack against the United States. Hawaii News Now.

Should a city deputy prosecutor keep his job after second DUI arrest? Hawaii News Now.

Makiki residents say they’re getting more frustrated over a city construction project that continues to face delays. It’s been nearly a year since the city started the Prospect street rock fall mitigation project. KHON2.

University of Hawaii law school students will get to watch the state Supreme Court hear oral arguments in a criminal case. The state Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case Thursday at the William S. Richardson School of Law. Associated Press.

Hawaii

A West Hawaii man filed an ethics complaint Monday against Mayor Billy Kenoi and Finance Director Deanna Sako, saying both should be removed from office for his misuse of a county credit card and her complicity in it. West Hawaii Today.

A Hawaii County audit of government-issued purchasing cards wasn't launched for nearly a year after Mayor Billy Kenoi used his in December 2013 to pay for an $892 tab at a hostess bar, and despite the fact that he had been warned repeatedly about using it for personal items. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Department of Education announced Monday it plans to reopen Keonepoko Elementary School, a Hawaiian Beaches school closed because it was int he path of a lava flow, next school year. West Hawaii Today.

Monday came and went without construction crews attempting to reach the Thirty Meter Telescope site on Mauna Kea, according to opponents who have continued to maintain a constant presence on the mountain they consider sacred. When TMT plans to resume work on the $1.4 billion project remains unclear. Tribune-Herald.

As protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope continue on Mauna Kea, it remains unclear when the $1.4 billion project’s most recent legal challenge will be resolved. Six plaintiffs who challenged the project’s conservation district use permit in 3rd Circuit Court filed an appeal to the state Intermediate Court of Appeals on June 3 after Judge Greg Nakamura ruled in favor of the project. Tribune-Herald.

The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, known commonly as PISCES, is one of several partners that will execute a four-year, $4.2 million Mars research project to help prepare for future human and robotic missions to the Red Planet. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui County Council members said Monday that money is available for landfill operations and trash pickup services without interruption through June 30 but that mismanagement by the Department of Environmental Management's Solid Waste Division is putting employees, as well as services, "at risk." Maui News.

Opinion: First auditor report criticizes County of Maui investment policies. MauiTime.

Kauai

Erosion has taken a toll on a portion of the walking trail between the visitor center and Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, but relief should be coming. Garden Island.