Legislature may consider lowering cruise ship tax, Kaiser Permanente workers release strike notice, Capitol reflecting pool replacement project delayed, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii cruise ship tax under fire before getting started. Hawaii’s Legislature will be asked to consider amending part of a 2025 state law that attempts to tax cruise ship passengers but is tied up in federal litigation. State Sen. Lorraine Inouye (D, Hilo-Pepeekeo) plans to introduce a bill this month that would reduce the Transient Accommodations Tax charge on cruise ship fares by applying the 11% rate only to cabin cost instead of a cruise’s total base price divided by the number of days a ship is in port. Star-Advertiser.

Courts Blocked Green Fee For Cruises. This Company Is Still Charging It. Passengers currently aboard The Pride of America were irked to see the tax appear on their invoices despite a court injunction. orwegian Cruise Lines  representatives say the company will refund its passengers if the industry ultimately prevails in court. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers prepare to address federal changes impacting health care and social services. State lawmakers will face the federal impacts on the state’s healthcare systems and social services when they reconvene next week. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Republicans have plans this session to attack state’s housing crisis. According to local Republican lawmakers, a recent survey found that 91% of adults say buying a home in Hawaii is a problem. KHON2. KITV4.

Kaiser Permanente workers announce plan to strike. About 200 Hawaii workers plan to walk off the job Jan. 26.  Another strike appears imminent at Kaiser Permanente. The United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals on Thursday delivered a 10-day strike notice to Kaiser executives. The strike is set to begin Jan. 26 at hospitals and clinics across Hawaii and California. Star-Advertiser. Big Island Now.  Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4.

Delays have increased the cost of Hawaiʻi Capitol reflecting pools. Rising construction costs and objections over a state bid are delaying a project to fix the dilapidated reflecting pools at the Hawai‘i State Capitol, state officials in charge of the multi-million dollar project told lawmakers Wednesday. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Status of bus contract talks worries Honolulu City Council. After months of back-and-forth negotiations, Oahu Transit Services Inc., which operates TheBus and TheHandi-Van routes on behalf of the City and County of Honolulu, remains at odds with its labor union that represents 1,400 bus operators, mechanics and support staff. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu satellite city halls to modernize with cashless property tax payments. Residents can now pay their property taxes with a major credit card as part of Oahu’s satellite city halls effort to eventually go cashless. KITV4.

City and County Martin Luther King Jr. holiday schedule released. The City and County of Honolulu released its schedule for Memorial Day along with the schedule for the rest of its operations and the traffic and parking regulations that will be in effect for Monday, January 19, 2026. KITV4.

Hawaii Island 

Search for new Hawaii County fire chief begins. The Hawaii County Fire Commission on Thursday named Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Volpe — who has been acting chief since the Dec. 14 death of Chief Kazuo Todd — temporary fire chief as the search for a permanent first firefighter begins. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaiʻi Fire Officials Embraced Prevention. Then Kazuo Todd Died. The Hawaiʻi County Fire Commission has appointed a temporary replacement but filling Todd’s shoes within the State Fire Council presents a bigger challenge. Civil Beat.

Mauna Kea oversight board begins series of workshops on the mountain’s future. The Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority began a series of statewide workshops Thursday as it prepares to take over management of the mountain. Hawaii News Now.

$450K released for Boys and Girls Club center. The capital improvement program grant-in-aid funds will support construction, improvements and maintenance of the youth resource center, helping ensure a safe and supportive space for keiki and families in East Hawaii. Tribune-Herald.

KWXX Hoʻolauleʻa returns to downtown Hilo this Saturday. The free, family-friendly event runs Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and features four stages of continuous live music, performances by more than 20 Hawaii artists, and more than 40 local food and craft vendors. Tribune-Herald. Big Island Now. 

Maui

FEMA extension uncertain; Mayor urges wildfire survivors to take alternate housing, if available. With the end of temporary federal emergency assistance now set for the end of next month, Mayor Richard Bissen advised Lahaina wildfire survivors Wednesday night to take a permanent housing alternative, if available. The looming deadline affects 946 households still relying on direct rental assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Maui Now.

Report: Maui home sales surge as prices decline. Realtors Association of Maui report showed single-family house resales increased by 22.2 percent. The median price fell by 2 percent. As for condominiums, resales jumped 41.5 percent, with the median sales price dropping 25.6 percent. The surge in sales suggests buyers are responding to the significant price reductions. Hawaii News Now.

Hale Makua announces new ‘CarePlex’ and workforce housing initiatives on Maui. Hale Makua Health Services, a Maui-born nonprofit serving the island for 80 years, today announced two landmark projects inspired by the community.  Maui Now.

Kauai

Kaua‘i County offices will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Closures also include the following facilities: All neighborhood centers, The Puhi Metals Recycling Center, The Kekaha Landfill, HI5 Redemption Centers, All refuse transfer stations. Kauai Now.

Appeals court blocks Hawaii's cruise ship 'green fee' tax, PUC approves HECO wildfire mitigation plan, Honolulu to expand Waimanalo Gulch landfill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Federal ruling blocks Hawaii’s climate change tourist tax on cruise ships. A federal appeals court ruling on New Year’s Eve blocked Hawaii from enforcing a climate change tourist tax on cruise ships passengers, a levy that was set to go into effect at the start of 2026.Cruise Lines International Association challenged the tax in a lawsuit, arguing that the new law violates the U.S. Constitution by taxing cruise ships for entering Hawaii ports.  Associated Press.

Public Utilities Commission approves Hawaiian Electric wildfire mitigation plan. Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday (Dec. 31) approved Hawaiian Electric’s 2025-27 wildfire mitigation plan and completed a comprehensive study about whether to establish a wildfire recovery fund. Big Island Now.

Counties Are On A Hiring Spree, But Recruitment Challenges Linger. Some neighbor island jobs have the edge in salaries compared to their Oʻahu counterparts, adding to hiring difficulties.  Civil Beat.

University of Hawaii leader pushes AI, student support initiatives. When Wendy Hensel took the helm of the University of Hawaii system on Jan. 1, 2025, any notion of a gradual “honeymoon phase” was quickly dashed by an accelerating series of national and local disruptions. Star-Advertiser.

By Resisting Feds’ Demand For Personal SNAP Data, Hawaiʻi Could Face Cuts. Hawaiʻi is one of 22 states that have called the USDA’s demand for food stamp recipients’ information unprecedented and unlawful. Civil Beat.

Hawaii insurers paid $13.3 million for fireworks injuries in past year. State insurance commissioner says costs extend beyond insurance companies to employers and taxpayers. Hawaii’s health insurance companies paid out $13.3 million for 1,496 fireworks-related injury claims over the past year, according to new data released by state insurance commissioner Scott Saiki. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiʻi Is Still Releasing Inmates Without IDs Needed To Reenter Society. Lawmakers have made multiple efforts to improve the process of getting incarcerated people the identification they need to access basic services, but little has changed. Civil Beat.

2025 in memoriam: These Hawaiʻi figures contributed to the fabric of our islands. Hawaii Public Radio. Hawaii News Now. 

Oahu

City aims to expand Waimanalo Gulch landfill. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration intends to pursue expansion of the city’s Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei following stalled attempts to find a suitable location for a new dump. The city plans to petition for a special-use permit to expand the approximately 200-acre solid-waste landfill at 92-460 Farrington Highway by 92.5 acres, according to city documents.  Star-Advertiser.

Oʻahu Needs Sidewalks. Should The County Be Required To Build Them? Two Honolulu charter amendment proposals this year aim to enshrine sidewalk construction as a core local government responsibility. Civil Beat.

Oahu sees calmer New Year’s celebration. Oahu rang in 2026 with significantly fewer fireworks-­related fires and “a below-­average night” for emergency medical crews in a marked shift from the chaos and death that marred the previous New Year’s Eve celebration, authorities reported Thursday. Star-Advertiser. KHON2. 

2 arrested as Honolulu police respond to nearly 600 fireworks violation calls. (video only). Hawaii News Now.

Honolulu EMS responds to multiple firework-related injuries on New Year's Eve. At least seven people were hurt with suspected fireworks injuries in five separate incidents on Oʻahu this New Year's Eve. Hawaii Public Radio. KITV4. 

Hawaii Island

Affordable housing, short-term vacation rentals, drought, volcanic eruptions, more: A look back at some of the top Hawaii Island news stories. Alook back at the Top 10 stories of the year, as selected by the editorial staff of the Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui Fire Department tackles 22 fires over New Year’s Eve. From 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 31 to 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Maui firefighters worked to put out brush fires, vehicle fires, small vegetation fires and more.  KHON2. KITV4. 

Repair work starts on section of Haʻikū Road. Starting today, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, a section of Haʻikū Road between Hamana Place and Līhau Place will be closed from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday while work is underway to repair the eroding slope embankment and replace damaged guardrails, according to the County of Maui Department of Public Works. Maui Now.

DLNR patrols Kāne‘ohe Bay to deter illegal Christmas tree bonfires on New Year’s Day. Officers with the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) will again conduct patrols over the New Year’s holiday to enforce laws and protect the environment, including the sacred Ahu o Laka (Kāne‘ohe Bay sandbar).  Maui Now.

Kauai

Department of Water announces new access hours for the bill payment drop box. The Department of Water (DOW) has completed construction of its new, motorized entry gate to the main entrance of its administrative buildings parking lot. The bill payment drop box located in the DOW parking lot, at 4398 Pua Loke St., Lihue, will be accessible from Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except holidays. Garden Island. Kauai Now.