Hawaii Legislature convenes session with tight budget, Honolulu rail transit tax hike mulled, protestors seek GMO ban, pesticide limits, Native Hawaiian rights, Maui council wants exemption from Sunshine Law, Big Island mayor kills incinerator foe's contract, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii House opening session, courtesy Robert D. Harris

The Hawaii Legislature has begun its 2015 session with plans to tackle a tight budget and issues including providing affordable housing and improving patients’ access to medical marijuana. The Senate and House opened their sessions on Wednesday morning. Associated Press.

After all the hoopla, the fanfare, the public protests outside and political speeches inside the Capitol as the 2015 legislative session opened Wednesday morning, people retreated to their offices and homes and went on with their day. Except for a dozen lawmakers and a few of the state’s top economists and financial planners. They went to the Capitol’s basement auditorium to talk about the realities that the legislators face. Civil Beat.

Hawaii state legislators convened their 2015 session Wednesday with a modest agenda that might create more public accountability — both for themselves and for Oahu's pricy rail transit project. Star-Advertiser.

The State Legislature officially opened its 2015 session today. Common themes of restoring public confidence in government and no new taxes were emphasized in both chambers. Hawaii Public Radio.

The 2015 legislative session began with pomp, circumstance, and talks of a potential tax increase. Hawaii News Now.

Opening day fanfare and speeches set the tone of the legislative session It's been almost a decade since the rail tax issue spilled onto the floor of both houses. KITV4.

The state House and Senate celebrated the opening day of the 28th Hawaii State Legislature with fanfare Wednesday. KHON2.

Senate President Donna Mercado Kim’s 2015 Opening Day Speech

House Speaker Souki's Opening Day speech

Unsettling Moment During Senator Slom’s Minority Speech.

Opening Day Remarks for the 2015 Legislative Session by the House Minority Leader.

State Budget Director Wesley Machida warned lawmakers Wednesday the state budget could drop into a deficit if any new expenses crop up or revenues decline. Star-Advertiser.

On the first day of Hawaii's legislative session, lawmakers heard about a flurry of financial requests pouring into Gov. David Ige's office. State finance director Wes Machida said Wednesday at a finance committee hearing that requests for more than 1,000 new state government positions were made since Ige took office on Dec. 1. Associated Press.

Hawaii Senate President Donna Mercado Kim called for eliminating the state Land Use Commission during her remarks on the opening day of the 2015 legislative session. Civil Beat.

State senators and representatives convened the 2015 legislative session in their respective chambers Wednesday morning as groups advocating for Native Hawaiian rights and restrictions against genetically modified organisms protested in the Capitol rotunda outside. Civil Beat.

A potentially powerful coalition of groups demonstrated at the State Capitol Wednesday on opening day of the Legislature, hoping to pressure lawmakers to pass a law controlling use of pesticides near schools. Hawaii News Now.

Demonstrators and spectators made their voices heard at the state Capitol rotunda before the start of the legislative session on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Carl Bonham, executive director of the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, shared a positive outlook for Hawaii's economy this year Tuesday during a luncheon in Honolulu hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii has the fourth-highest number of millionaires per-capita in the U.S., according to a new study. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

An unusual form of affordable housing on state land in Kakaako is one big step closer to getting built after a state agency approved the 84-unit rental project with lofts for artists Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

After KITV4 exposed the fact that the projected shortfall for the city’s $5.3 billion rail project is actually as much as $910 million, Mayor Kirk Caldwell said rail planners may have missed an opportunity to better explain the issue to the public.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will celebrate the completion of the first part of a project to modernize the Honolulu federal building and U.S District Courthouse. Gov. David Ige is among the officials who are expected to attend Thursday’s ceremony. Associated Press.

Katherine Kealoha said in state court Wednesday that the $23,976 she spent from a joint bank account she shared with her grandmother on the January 2010 inauguration breakfast for her husband, Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, was money that was owed to her. She said her husband never asked her how much the breakfast cost because she handles all of the family's finances. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

A local nonprofit whose director opposes Mayor Billy Kenoi’s plans for a waste-to-energy incinerator has lost its longstanding contract to educate the community about recycling. West Hawaii Today.

Cultural practitioners, environmentalists deliver Mauna Kea demands to Governor No further build-up on Mauna Kea, refusal to accept new UH lease top the list. Hawaii Independent.

As the most recent lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano showed no advancement on Wednesday, two Hawaii island legislators were preparing to propose several bills that they hope will reduce the ill effects of the so-called June 27 lava flow. Star-Advertiser.

Longs Drugs plans to reopen its Pahoa store next week, making it the first major retailer to return since the June 27 lava flow prompted several to evacuate last month. Tribune-Herald.

“They will never forget” France honors Big Island nisei soldiers West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Pot legalization, medical measures on the horizon. Maui News.

The state Department of Health has scheduled a public hearing from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 3 in Wailuku on proposed administrative rules for the medical use of marijuana. Maui News.

Opinon: Maui County Council Celebrates Opening Of 28th Hawaii Legislature With New Bill Attacking Sunshine Law. MauiTime.

Doug McLeod, former energy commissioner for Maui County, and his wife, Kandi, have formed an energy consulting services firm called DKK Energy Services LLC. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

A circuit court judge Tuesday ruled in favor of the County of Kauai and the Planning Commission in response to the county’s lawsuit against a Hanalei resident’s unpermitted boatyard operation. Garden Island.

Emergency responders make up less than half of a percent of the Kauai population.  More are needed. Garden Island.

Legislative session opens, Rep. Carroll resigns, Rep. Say residency challenged, Ige withdraws labor chief nomination, Iwase to head PUC, Hawaiian Electric to cut solar rebates, police kill 36 people from 1994-2003, NASA starts Big Island plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii Capitol © 2015 All Hawaii News

A new Legislature officially gets down to business Wednesday, working alongside Hawaii's new governor, as state lawmakers kick off their 2015 legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Legislature: A Guide to the 2015 Session. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige has withdrawn his nomination of Elizabeth Kim to serve as state labor director after learning that under the Hawaii Constitution any officer he picks must have resided in the state for the year preceding appointment, a key Ige adviser said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Medical marijuana has been legal in Hawai’i since 2000.  But many patients cannot grow or legally obtain marijuana for their own use.  This could change this legislative session. Hawaii Public Radio.

While Hawaii rents have soared, a tax credit for low-income renters has stagnated for a quarter-century at $50 annually per dependent. The legislative session that begins Wednesday will see an effort to raise the credit and extend it to renters who earn up to $60,000. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Family Advocates has appointed two-time GOP gubernatorial candidate James Duke Aiona as its interim executive director, “a change that will strengthen the organization’s ability to speak for families across the state,” according to a news release from the group. Civil Beat.

If it survives the legislative session, a new measure would change Hawaii's Promoting Prostitution law into a Sex Trafficking law that would be tougher on pimps. Advocates believe it would generate accurate sex trafficking statistics and could save those coerced or forced into Hawaii's sex trade. Hawaii News Now.

Disproportionate victims: the māhū prostitute. Discrimination forces many transgender women into prostitution to survive. But once in the sex trade, they are disproportionately affected by both violence and criminalization. Hawaii Independent.

On the eve of the 2015 legislative session, Hawaii officials were reminded at the annual Red Mass of the plight of millions of people mired in crisis around the world. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii police officers killed at least 36 people between 1994 and 2013, most of those in Honolulu, according to data from the Hawaii Department of Health’s Injury and Prevention Control Section. Cops also sent thousands more to local emergency rooms — sometimes with serious injuries — where treatment cost citizens and their insurance companies millions of dollars.Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige said Friday he has appointed Randy Iwase, a former state senator who ran for governor against then-incumbent Gov. Linda Lingle in 2006, to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and to serve as the commission's chairman. Pacific Business News.

Hawaiian Electric Co. said Tuesday it wants to double rooftop solar capacity while lowering the rate it pays solar customers for excess power, and state lawmakers said they'd like a say in whether to approve that plan. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiian Electric Co. is lifting constraints on its electric grids on Oahu, Maui and the Big Island that will allow a lot more rooftop solar to come online, utility officials announced at a press conference Tuesday. But the news, cheered by Hawaii’s beleaguered solar industry, was tempered by another announcement by HECO that it hopes to slash the amount that it pays rooftop solar customers for their electricity. Civil Beat.

Board of Education members took an energy consultant to task Tuesday for what they called a disappointing start to a renewable energy and efficiency program touted last spring as a cost-cutting measure to reduce electricity expenses at public schools. Star-Advertiser.

All four of Hawaii's Congressional representatives are Democrats so it's not surprising that they praised President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday. Hawaii News Now.

Members of Hawaii's congressional delegation stood behind President Barack Obama on Tuesday in his call for bolstering the middle class through tax breaks for working families, paid family leave from work and free community college. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

A group of voters has renewed its request for an investigation into state Rep. Calvin Say's qualifications to serve. Star-Advertiser.

An attorney for six residents of House District 20 has renewed a request to have the Hawaii House of Representatives rule on Rep. Calvin Say’s residency qualifications. Civil Beat.

A confusing and potentially dangerous crosswalk on a busy Oahu street prompted KHON2 to seek answers from the city, and we found the incomplete crosswalk is part of a larger issue.

The lawyer for Katherine Kealoha, wife of Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, in state court Tuesday attacked the character of her uncle, who filed a lawsuit against her. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Marijuana dispensaries, an aquarium fishing ban, reforming the public hospital system, reapportionment, land use and hunting laws and creating pesticide buffer zones are among West Hawaii state legislators’ list of priorities. Capital improvement projects such as the Kona judiciary complex, updating Kona International Airport, the Hawaii Community College — Palamanui, North Hawaii irrigation systems and a Waikoloa library round out the wish list as lawmakers begin their regular legislative session today. West Hawaii Today.

Agriculture, elections reform and the first lava flow to threaten a town in more than two decades are among the major issues East Hawaii lawmakers will tackle during the session of the state Legislature that begins today. Tribune-Herald.

A community meeting on Puna Geothermal Venture’s plans to drill a new well ended with an arrest Monday evening. Roxanne “RJ” Hampton, 62, of Pahoa was charged with disorderly conduct after she began shouting at PGV representatives and others in the crowd at Pahoa High School cafeteria, witnesses said. Tribune-Herald.

Students from two Hawaii high schools are shooting for the moon, literally. The Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems in Hilo announced Monday a partnership with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center that will give the students an opportunity to develop a space experiment and send it to the moon’s surface. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Mele Carroll, state representative for East Maui, Molokai and Lanai, will resign from the state House on Feb. 1 due to health reasons. Maui News.

State Rep. Mele Carroll abruptly announced Tuesday, the day before the opening of the 2015 legislative session, she will resign from the House of Representatives because of health reasons. Star-Advertiser.

Representative Mele Carroll delivered today letters to Governor David Ige and House Speaker Joseph Souki announcing that, effective February 1, 2015, she is resigning from representing the 13th District in the Hawaii State House Representatives. Hawaii Independent.

Today Rep. Mele Carroll delivered letters to Gov. David Ige and House Speaker Souki announcing that on she is resigning as representative of the 13th District in the Hawai‘i State House Representatives on Feb. 1. Maui Now.

The state Department of Health began phone surveys of the public Monday for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Maui News.

Kauai

With the flu season in full swing, public health care officials are bracing for more cases over the next few months but are so far seeing normal numbers statewide. Garden Island.

ReStore celebrates 22 years. Anniversary party for Habitat locale Saturday. Garden Island.

Health care top Hawaii concern as doctors flee state, tight budgets ahead, HECO asks to cut customer rebates, Honolulu airport seeks free WiFi, Waikiki sand returns, property owners face tax, more politics and government news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Leahi Hospital, courtesy Hawaii Health Systems Corp.

Hawaii's doctor shortage jumped 20 percent over the past year as more physicians left the field amid a growing demand for medical services. New estimates on physician supply and demand peg the current shortage at 890, and that's expected to jump as high as 1,500 by 2020, according to the latest figures from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine's Area Health Education Center. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers and the state’s newly elected governor are heading into the upcoming legislative session with a tight budget and a slew of looming priorities that include dealing with struggling hospitals, medical marijuana and a creeping lava flow. Associated Press.

With pronouncements already from Gov. David Ige that excessive government spending must stop and the state must live within its means, lawmakers are taking the cue and preparing for a low-key 2015 legislative session. Star-Advertiser.

2015 Legislature — Time To Stop the Financial Bleeding. Lawmakers are expected to focus on major fiscal problems facing the state with less attention to hot-button political issues. Civil Beat.

Officials from the state’s public health care provider, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, say they will likely need more than a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money over the next two fiscal years to fully offset potentially crippling debts, ranging from new federal changes to collective bargaining raises. Some officials, however, say they are not convinced the request should be approved. Garden Island.

Time and the tenacity of Maui County's state lawmakers will tell if this year's legislative session will be the one that takes Maui Memorial Medical Center off life support. Maui News.

The new chairmen of the House and Senate agriculture committees are both from the Big Island, but their stance on genetically modified crops couldn’t be more different. The strong positions Senate Agriculture Chairman Russell Ruderman and House Agriculture Chairman Clift Tsuji have taken on each side of GMO laws almost guarantee a stalemate on issues such as state pre-emption of county farming regulations, counties’ home-rule rights and just about anything dealing with GMO limits or labeling when the state Legislature convenes for its regular session Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

In the wake of recent federal court rulings that Hawaii counties don’t have the authority to regulate farming, it is now up to legislators to address growing concerns about pesticides. Civil Beat.

A nonprofit foundation headed by state Sen. Sam Slom had its tax-exempt status revoked last year by the Internal Revenue Service for failing to file its federal tax return for three years. Slom, the sole Republican in the state Senate and a staunch opponent of new taxes, is president of the Small Business Hawaii Entrepreneurial Education Foundation. Star-Advertiser.

Fresh from winning a new four-year term, incumbent West Hawaii Sen. Josh Green is sitting on the fattest war chest of any state or local candidate in the 2014 election. Green, D-Kona, Ka‘u, ended the election season with $493,438 left over, according to new statistics posted Thursday to the state Campaign Spending Commission website, ags.hawaii.gov/campaign/2014-election. Coming in second was Gov. David Ige, with $435,030. Some 298 candidates sought office in 2014, according to the commission. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaiian Electric Co. is expected to file a proposal Tuesday with the state Public Utilities Commission to cut nearly in half the net energy metering reimbursements offered to customers with rooftop photovoltaic systems. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Gas, the state's only regulated gas utility, is looking to be the sole provider of liquefied natural gas to help the state reach renewable-energy goals. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii temporarily suspended its online Medicaid eligibility system over the weekend as health center workers complain it's fraught with problems. The system known as Kolea is set to cost taxpayers as much as $144 million. It launched in October 2013. Associated Press.

NASA has selected Hawaii as the preferred site to establish the world's first laser communications ground terminal, which could spur major economic activity in the state, translating to job creation and revenues, according to public documents obtained by Pacific Business News.

One trend of Hawaii’s tourism industry over past year has been a growing number of visitors from China. While the numbers are still small compared to Japan, they’re increasing. And China’s government is taking a new step that may improve the travel experience for all parties concerned. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Passengers waiting for flights at Hawaii's largest airport could have access to free Wi-Fi by the end of the year — if state transportation officials can make it happen. Star-Advertiser.

A plan to get Waikiki property owners to pool their resources to help pay for maintenance and restoration of Oahu's most iconic beach cleared its first hurdle before the City Council Zoning Committee on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Not that long ago the popular section of Kuhio Beach known for beach boys and surfing lessons was very low on sand. The shore was so stripped and bare, you could see blocks and boulders. But the shoreline has expanded in what seems like an overnight growth spurt. Hawaii News Now.

Opening statements were scheduled for Tuesday in the state civil trial of Katherine Kealoha, a deputy city prosecutor and wife of Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha. Star-Advertiser.

The U.S. government is modifying terms of a plea deal reached with a shipping company for spilling 233,000 gallons of molasses into Honolulu Harbor. The judge who accepted the guilty plea from Matson Terminals Inc. in October was concerned that the $1 million the company agreed to pay is higher than the maximum fines allowed by law. Associated Press.

Opinion: Urban Hawaii: When the World Is Your Neighbor, Do You Ever Meet? When a big, fancy tower is built it creates a different sort of “neighborhood” from the ones many of us grew up in. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Parker Ranch and NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of the company buying Hawaiian Electric Industries, reached a deal for the development of wind farms on its land. Tribune-Herald.

Kua Bay should have lifeguards, many say. West Hawaii Today.

More than 50 friends, patients and colleagues of Dr. Frederick Nitta lined Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo on Saturday, holding up signs and showing their support for the embattled obstetrician. The doctor has practiced in Hilo for about 20 years and helped deliver “tens of thousands” of East Hawaii’s newborns in that time, by his own estimation. Now, he stands accused of overbilling Medicaid to the tune of about $1.2 million and faces the possibility of having to shut his practice down after the federal health care program stopped reimbursing him in September. Tribune-Herald.

Hilo Hattie, one of Hawaii’s largest retailers of Hawaiian fashions and goods, closed its nearly 30-year-old Kailua-Kona store and plans to pursue a new direction — expanding and broadening cultural experiences. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui now has a voice for cyclists and pedestrians seeking a safe and fun place to bike and walk. The Maui Bicycling League, a nonprofit Maui chapter of the Hawai‘i Bicycling League, officially formed on Dec. 19, 2014, will spearhead efforts to put more bike lanes on Maui roads. Maui Now.

Haleakala National Park will be hosting two community meetings for public review and comment on a draft of the park's foundation document, which defines the park's core mission and significance, its most important resources and values and interpretive themes. Maui News.

Kauai

A federal court ruling in Washington state is being eyed as a victory and potential game changer by those battling to stop Hawaii Dairy Farms’ proposed dairy on Kauai’s south side, including the Friends of Mahaulepu group. HDF, however, doesn’t see a connection. Garden Island.

The Kauai Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol is experiencing a drop in numbers and volunteers who left are saying its ability to carry out emergency services and tsunami watch missions is in peril.  Garden Island.

Why did the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. wear a lei on his famous 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, his relationship with Akaka and other Hawaii ties of the great civil rights leader: a special report

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights leaders wear lei during their 1965 march

Ever wonder why the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders on that famous march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. wore lei? Turns out King had special ties to the Aloha State, and to the family of U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii.

It's altogether fitting that the Hawaii Legislature opens its annual session this week as the state and the rest of the nation commemorate what would have been King's 83rd birthday. King, in his 1959 address to a special session of the Hawaii Legislature, praised Hawaii for its ethnic diversity.

"We look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country, and you can never know what it means to those of us caught for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man’s inhumanity to man, to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice," King said in his address.

Five years after those words, King carried a bit of Hawaii to Alabama. That five-day, 54-mile march from Selma, where an Alabama state trooper had shot and killed church deacon Jimmie Lee Jackson, to the state capital, helped bring King to the forefront of the nation's imagination, spurring the cause of nonviolent protest that would be picked up and championed by an entire generation, fomenting the hope of equality for all mankind.

The lei were no artifice. King had strong Hawaii ties, from his 1959 address to the Hawaii Legislature to his relationship with the Rev. Abraham Kahikina Akaka, older brother of Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii. Abraham Akaka, kahu (shepherd) of Kawaiahao Church in Honolulu, developed a close friendship with King when King came to Honolulu in 1964 to participate in a Civil Rights Week symposium at the University of Hawaii, according to Akaka's obituary in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.  Abraham Akaka later sent the lei to King as a gift, according to a 1991 article in Jet Magazine by Simeon Booker.

Here's the text of King's speech, as recorded in the Journal of the Hawaii House of Representatives:

The following remarks were made by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Thursday, September 17, 1959 at the Hawaii House of Representatives 1959 First Special Session:

“Mr. Speaker, distinguished members of the House of Representatives of this great new state in our Union, ladies and gentlemen:

It is certainly a delightful privilege and pleasure for me to have this great opportunity and, I shall say, it is a great honor to come before you today and to have the privilege of saying just a few words to you about some of the pressing problems confronting our nation and our world.

I come to you with a great deal of appreciation and great feeling of appreciation, I should say, for what has been accomplished in this beautiful setting and in this beautiful state of our Union. As I think of the struggle that we are engaged in in the South land, we look to you for inspiration and as a noble example, where you have already accomplished in the area of racial harmony and racial justice, what we are struggling to accomplish in other sections of the country, and you can never know what it means to those of us caught for the moment in the tragic and often dark midnight of man’s inhumanity to man, to come to a place where we see the glowing daybreak of freedom and dignity and racial justice.

People ask me from time to time as I travel across the country and over the world whether there has been any real progress in the area of race relations, and I always answer it by saying that there are three basic attitudes that one can take toward the question of progress in the area of race relations. One can take the attitude of extreme optimism. The extreme optimist would contend that we have come a long, long way in the area of race relations, and he would point proudly to the strides that have been made in the area of civil rights in the last few decades. And, from this, he would conclude that the problem is just about solved now and that we can sit down comfortably by the wayside and wait on the coming of the inevitable.

And then segregation is still with us. Although we have seen the walls gradually crumble, it is still with us. I imply that figuratively speaking, that Old Man Segregation is on his death bed, but you know history has proven that social systems have a great last-minute breathing power, and the guardians of the status quo are always on hand with their oxygen tents to keep the old order alive, and this is exactly what we see today. So segregation is still with us. We are confronted in the South in its glaring and conspicuous forms, and we are confronted in almost every other section of the nation in its hidden and subtle forms. But if democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is a cancer in the body politic which must be removed before our democratic health can be realized. In a real sense, the shape of the world today does not permit us the luxury of an anemic democracy. If we are to survive, if we are to stand as a force in the world, if we are to maintain our prestige, we must solve this problem because people are looking over to America.

Just two years ago I traveled all over Africa and talked with leaders from that great continent. One of the things they said to me was this: No amount of extensive handouts and beautiful words would be substitutes for treating our brothers in the United States as first-class citizens and human beings. This came to me from mouth of Prime Minister Nkrumah of Ghana.

Just four months ago, I traveled throughout India and the Middle East and talked with many of the people and leaders of that great country and other people in the Middle East, and these are the things they talked about: That we must solve this problem if we are to stand and to maintain our prestige. And I can remember very vividly meeting people all over Europe and in the Middle East and in the Far East, and even though many of them could not speak English, they knew how to say ‘Little Rock.’

And these are the things that we must be concerned about – we must be concerned about because we love America and we are out to free not only the Negro. This is not our struggle today to free 17,000,000 Negroes. It’s bigger than that. We are seeking to free the soul of America. Segregation debilitates the white man as well as the Negro. We are to free all men, all races and all groups. This is our responsibility and this is our challenge, and we look to this great new state in our Union as the example and as the inspiration. As we move on in this realm, let us move on with the faith that this problem can be solved, and that it will be solved, believing firmly that all reality hinges on moral foundations, and we are struggling for what is right, and we are destined to win.

We have come a long, long way. We have a long, long way to go. I close, if you will permit me, by quoting the words of an old Negro slave preacher. He didn’t quite have his grammar right, but he uttered some words in the form of a prayer with great symbolic profundity and these are the works he said: ‘Lord, we ain’t what we want to be; we ain’t what we ought to be; we ain’t what we gonna be, but thank God, we ain’t what we was.’ Thank you.”

At the conclusion of his address, there was much applause.

Sex trafficking targeted in Hawaii Legislature, Japan prime minister may visit Pearl Harbor, Snowden plans live video at ACLU conference, GMO faces legislative stalemate, UH seeks $75M more, geothermal plant fined for hiding emissions, commission nixes Molokai affordable housing plan, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Pearl Harbor © 2015 All Hawaii News

The government of Japan sought to tamp down a report by one of its major newspapers that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is considering visiting Pearl Harbor in the spring, 70 years after the war in the Pacific waged by Japan against Allied forces drew to a close. Star-Advertiser.

People who benefit from the illegal sex trade are expected to be the target of new laws this legislative session, including a measure that would get tough on those who solicit prostitutes. Civil Beat.

Hawaii: sex trafficking hub of the Pacific. Prostitution is a major industry in Hawaii, but with no sex trafficking laws on the books, the victims involved in the industry have no protection and no easy way out. Hawaii Independent.

Lawmakers blasted the University of Hawaii for lax oversight of the struggling Cancer Center, which officials have cautioned will run out of money in two years, in a wide-ranging budget hearing Thursday at the state Capitol. Star-Advertiser.

For some universities, even some the size of University of Hawaii, licensing revenue generates anywhere from millions of dollars to more than $100 million a year. By comparison, nine University of Hawaii patents were issued last year, generating royalty revenue of about $145,000. Pacific Business News.

The University of Hawai’i presented its two-year budget request, asking for a $75M hike, to a joint legislative finance committee today. Hawaii Public Radio.

Health Department Flaunts Law Calling for Online Access to Care Home Reports. Hawaii's program remains far from implementation despite an 18-month lead time to meet the Jan. 1 deadline to make inspection reports available online. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s Obamacare exchange, Hawaii Health Connector, has been under fire for being the most costly in the nation, and a new report from the Hawaii Commerce and Consumer Affairs Department shows the Connector won’t be fiscally sustainable until 2022. Hawaii Reporter.

The strong positions that Senate Agriculture Chairman Russell Ruderman and House Agriculture Chairman Clift Tsuji have taken on each side of GMO laws almost guarantee a stalemate on issues such as state preemption of county farming regulations, counties’ home-rule rights and just about anything dealing with GMO limits or labeling when the state Legislature convenes for its regular session Wednesday. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii lawmakers will soon be getting an update about how utilities are dealing with solar connectivity issues. The briefing will be held at the state Capitol on Tuesday. Associated Press.

Bills in the Legislature would make it easier for tourist crime victims to testify. KHON2.

Officials representing the state’s four counties say they will come together to push for five separate bills when the state Legislature convenes next week. Garden Island.

Sam Slom, the Senate’s lone Republican, and minority staff have unveiled their priorities for the 2015 legislative session, which convenes Jan. 21. Civil Beat.

The U.S. government is considering extending to Native Hawaiians the same type of tribal recognition that many American Indian tribes have had for generations, potentially giving special status to more than 200 programs and securing lots of federal money, including nearly $14 million for health care, $32 million for education and $10 million for housing. The issue has reawakened distrust between moderates who generally support the idea and absolutists who want to see the kingdom rebuilt, even if it means chasing an all-but-unattainable goal — dissolving the state of Hawaii. Associated Press.

Edward Snowden, who publicized documents revealing U.S. government surveillance on a massive scale, will appear live via video link from Moscow at a forum in Honolulu on Feb. 14. Star-Advertiser.

Edward Snowden, the NSA whistleblower on the run, will be speaking at ACLU Hawaii’s First Amendment Conference live via a video link from Moscow, Russia next month. Civil Beat.

The nonprofit raising money for President Barack Obama’s future library has picked up the pace of its fundraising, with up to $4.4 million rolling in during the final months of 2014, records released Thursday show. Associated Press.

The flu season has hit Hawaii suddenly with hospitals reporting a surge in patients. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Rental fees and other revenues collected at the Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park should go directly into a dedicated fund that would pay for improvements, the popular complex's advocates say. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii Police Department hiring new dispatchers to take 911 calls. Star-Advertiser.

A study that was just released points out a list of problems with the Makaha's drainage system. One of those is the Makaha stream. When it's not kept clean, it gets clogged and the backed up water overflows into the community. KITV4.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Health on Thursday fined Puna Geothermal Venture $23,700 for violations related to the release of poisonous gas amid Tropical Storm Iselle in August. Associated Press.

The state Department of Health has fined the Puna Geothermal Venture in Pohoiki on the Big Island $23,700 for emission and notification violations related to the release of hydrogen sulfide during Tropical Storm Iselle in August. Star-Advertiser.

With only days to go before the 2015 legislative session, three of West Hawaii’s state lawmakers discussed how they plan to champion West Hawaii priorities and those benefiting the island in general. West Hawaii Today.

Firefighters were battling two brush fires Thursday near Pahoa sparked by lava that had burned a combined 350 acres by the evening. The lava flow sparked both blazes, which were aided by strong winds and dry conditions. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Recognizing that its customers have been "enduring a high bill environment," Maui Electric Co. is forgoing the opportunity to seek an increase in base rates this year, meaning no change to those rates "at this time," according to a Dec. 30 filing with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission. Maui News.

Kauai

Kauai's scenic beauty as a popular backdrop among Hollywood producers is fueling a move to build a creative technology hub for filmmakers as well as the community. Star-Advertiser.

The County of Kauai is moving forward with plans to allow Kauai beekeepers to have their hives tested for the presence of pesticides and other threats, including the varroa mite and small hive beetle. Garden Island.


Molokai

The Molokai Planning Commission voted against a community plan amendment and zoning change Wednesday that would have allowed a 16-unit affordable housing project in Kaunakakai to move forward. Maui News.

Honolulu council balks at $350M rail transit bonds, groups want Hawaiian Electric purchase delayed, wind to power Maui landfill, Kauai mulls clean air bill, state second-worst for taxing the poor, West Coast port problems could hurt Hawaii, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Elevated rail construction, courtesy Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation

Honolulu City Council members continue to harbor strong reservations about a deal that would pave the way for the island's cash-strapped rail transit line to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds leveraged against the city's general fund. On Wednesday, Council members spent much of a Budget Committee hearing grilling rail officials on the project's new financial challenges — and airing concerns that the Council lacks sufficient oversight over the largest public works project in Hawaii's history. Star-Advertiser.

The Honolulu City Council's Budget Committee deferred a resolution that would allow the city to issue as much as $350 million in bonds to cover short-term financing for the elevated train. KITV4.

Clean energy advocates, solar trade groups and community organizations are asking Hawaii regulators to hold off on approving NextEra Energy’s acquisition of Hawaiian Electric Industries until there are firm plans in place outlining the state’s energy strategy. About half of the 12 groups go so far as to urge regulators to open up the sale of HEI to other bidders. Civil Beat.

Hawaii is the second-worst state in terms of taxing its lowest-income residents, according to a new study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. Pacific Business News.

The Joint Legislative Money Committees are continuing to review budget requests from state departments and agencies this week.   Today, lawmakers heard from the corporation responsible for operating neighbor island healthcare facilities. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ongoing contract negotiations with port workers on the West Coast are having an impact here in the islands. The Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping companies like Horizon and Matson, says due to the negotiations, longshoremen have begun to stage slowdowns at many ports on the West Coast. It’s been going on since October. KHON2.

Scott Topping has left his position as chief financial officer for Hawaiian Airlines. The state's largest carrier said Wednesday that he has been replaced on an interim basis by Shannon Okinaka, who had served as vice president-controller since 2011. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The union that represents city refuse workers wants to stop Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell from eliminating garbage disposal service for about 181 condominiums, apartments and other multifamily properties and nonprofit organizations, calling the move "an unlawful privatization" of a city service. Star-Advertiser.

The lawyer for the man once accused of stealing Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha's mailbox met Wednesday with the FBI about the police department's handling of the case. Star-Advertiser.

FBI investigators met with a federal public defender Wednesday to discuss the strange case of Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha’s missing mailbox. But neither attorney Alexander Silvert or an FBI spokesman would say any more about what sort of case might be in the works involving the chief and the Honolulu Police Department. Civil Beat.

A former Honolulu police officer was sentenced Wednesday to nearly three years in prison for trying to extort $15,000 from the owners of a local hostess bar. Associated Press.

Former HPD cop will spend almost 3 years in federal prison for extortion. Hawaii News Now.

Since the U.S. Navy handed Kalaeloa Airport to the state nearly 16 years ago, the state's No. 2 airport has been home to dozens of commuter planes, flight schools and corporate aircraft. But the state is proposing to quadruple rents for many, forcing the departure of several businesses. Hawaii News Now.

Waikiki Elementary School teacher Catherine Caine is in the running for the 2015 national teacher of the year award — the first Hawaii finalist in more than a decade. Star-Advertiser.

Condo owners locked in fight with developer. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Work at the Hu Honua Bioenergy LLC plant in Pepeekeo has resumed, with the facility set Wednesday to receive deliveries of equipment for installation. Meanwhile, the project was named this month the state’s top “Clean Energy Leader” by the Hawaii State Energy Office. Tribune-Herald.

A brush fire ignited by the June 27 lava flow has been contained after burning about 300 acres, said Darryl Oliveira, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator. Tribune-Herald.

The hull of the wrecked sailboat Hawaii Aloha has been cut up and removed from the beach in North Kona. Salvage crews finished removing the 78-ton hulk from the shoreline near the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Sunday, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources confirmed Tuesday. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The Central Maui Landfill Refuse and Recycling Center completed a monthslong project Friday to install three 65-foot wind turbines to generate electricity and thousands of dollars in annual taxpayer savings on power bills. Maui News.

Developers of a 68-unit town house complex in Wailea are finalizing their design plans, though there's no construction timeline yet, the project's planning consultant said Tuesday. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai County Council will have at least another month to iron out the details on a proposed law that would declare air pollution that endangers public health or causes property damage a public nuisance. The seven-member board, by a 5-1 vote, gave their initial OK to the proposal outlined in Bill 2573 on Wednesday. Garden Island.

The Kauai Lagoons project, including the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, has been sold to Honolulu developer Ed Bushor’s Tower Development, Inc. Garden Island.

When the state public charter school commission turned down her request last year to establish a charter school on Kauai, Deena Fontana Moraes was disappointed. But not deterred. Garden Island.

Lanai
The Maui County Council's Planning Committee will begin a review of an update of the Lanai Community Plan this week. Maui News.

Money sought to battle invasive species, Hawaii County mayor signs e-cig ban, FBI probes Honolulu police, UH seeks new AD, nene prompting Maui park closure dies, whale bumps watchers' boat, Hawaiian Host nuts over Mauna Loa macadamias, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Confiscated boa constrictor at Hilo zoo © 2015 All Hawaii News

Hawaii Invasive Species Council coordinator Josh Atwood said the council is seeking an allocation of about $6 million from the state Legislature for fiscal 2016 and 2017. It received $5.75 million for fiscal 2015. The council, which helps coordinate environmental activity in six state departments, is also asking for a larger allocation of conveyance tax revenues, which would help fund the fight against invasive species. Star-Advertiser.

Ex-Chief of Staff Negotiates Revolving Door as Lobbyist. Bruce Coppa leaps from Governor's Office into a top spot with the state's largest lobbying firm, but the government ethics law limits what he can do for now. Civil Beat.

The next chair of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission will have big shoes to fill when Hermina Morita steps down from the agency, which charged with making key decisions affecting the industry's future in the Islands. Pacific Business News.

Commercial fishing fleets operating around the world are now doing so under the watchful gaze of environmentalists who are concerned with overfishing and other violations that have long been going on unnoticed far out to sea. But a new real-time tracking system built by two organizations — Oceana and SkyTruth — in partnership with Google promises to quickly blow the whistle on vessels that move into areas where they’re not supposed to be. Civil Beat.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs made its pre-legislative session presentation to lawmakers last Tuesday, at which time Representative Gene Ward asked OHA CEO Kamana’opono Crabbe about the status of the Nation Building effort. Big Island Video News.

Honolulu-based Hawaiian Host announced Tuesday that it has agreed to buy Hilo-based Mauna Loa from candy-making giant The Hershey Co. for an undisclosed price. Hawaiian Host said it will maintain Mauna Loa as a subsidiary and separate brand. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

FBI investigators are expected to meet Wednesday with the federal public defender who has been insisting he has evidence of corruption in the Honolulu Police Department. It’s not the first time the FBI has investigated HPD. But it’s the first time its generally well-regarded chief, Louis Kealoha, has been at the center of any concerns. Whatever happens, the problems are as serious as any the chief has faced in his 32-year career. Civil Beat.

Video of HPD Chief's mailbox being stolen, is that Puana? Hawaii News Now.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell and the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation are seeking a memorandum of understanding to issue as much as $350 million in bonds to secure short-term financing for the project. Without the bond money, the project could be forced to stop construction at some point in the future, since state procurement law doesn't allow new contracts to be issued without the money to back it up. KITV4.

Micro-units, used shipping containers, prefabricated modular units and other nontraditional but low-cost concepts are being sought from developers wanting to create a mixed-income, mixed-use housing complex on the site of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's administrative offices. Star-Advertiser.

Prostitution is a diverse, thriving industry in Honolulu, but misinformation about the highly varied nature of sex trafficking makes it harder to change laws that could provide protection to victims. Hawaii Independent.

Institute for Human Services officials say that since they kicked off their first full-time homeless outreach program in Wai­kiki on Nov. 3, the nonprofit has helped 63 of the district's homeless people into shelter or housing. Star-Advertiser.

The University of Hawaii at Manoa has formed a committee to find a new director for the university’s deficit-mired athletics department. Associated Press.

University of Hawaii-Manoa Chancellor Robert Bley-Vroman has announced the formation of an eight-person search advisory committee to find a new athletic director, who will be tasked with turning around a department that’s expected to end this year $3.5 million in the hole. Civil Beat.

The troubled Kalihi charter school facing closure by the Public Charter School Commission says it will challenge the decision to revoke its charter contract amid financial and operational problems. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Mayor Billy Kenoi has signed a bill that makes Hawaii County the first in the state restricting the use of electronic cigarettes to the same places traditional tobacco cigarettes can be smoked. West Hawaii Today.

Hawai‘i County residents who smoke e-cigarettes will soon find fewer places where vaping is allowed. Hawai‘i Island Mayor Billy Kenoi signed the bill Tuesday, making it the only county in the state to ban electronic cigarettes from public places where smoking is already prohibited. Hawaii Public Radio.

The Hawaii County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is considering whether to file charges against former County Council District 5 candidate Tiffany Edwards Hunt after police completed their investigation into alleged voting irregularities. Tribune-Herald.

The Waimea community wants its bypass. The Kawaihae Road bypass was on state Department of Transportation project lists for the past eight years — a safety measure the North Hawaii community has agitated for over a period of decades. However, the estimated $265 million road was dropped from priority last summer in favor of a $100 million extension of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway from Mamalahoa Highway to Queen Kaahumanu Highway. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Maui Meadows residents hope that the county will reconsider cutting the South Maui curbside recycling project known as the "3 Can Plan." Maui News.

The nesting nēnē family that prompted closure of Hosmer Grove in Haleakalā National Park on Friday, Jan. 9, lost its young gosling, the park service reported. Maui Now.

Maui campground reopened after young nene found dead. Associated Press.

Passengers on a Maui whale-watching boat had an unexpected up-close-and-personal encounter with a mother and her calf. It happened around 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan.10, about four miles off Lahaina. KHON2.

One local teacher is taking a unique approach to highlight the issue of plastic waste in the ocean and to inspire Hawaii’s youth to be the catalyst for change. Lindy Shapiro, founder of the nonprofit Bodhi Education Project on Maui, plans to take a month-long 750 mile coastal expedition around the Hawaiian Islands by foot and bike. Garden Island.

Kauai

Better days may be ahead for the state’s public hospital system, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, following a year of tough financial decisions, said Interim HHSC Kauai Region CEO Scott McFarland. Garden Island.

Padraic Gallagher has been hired as the new Kauai County Director of the American Red Cross. He takes over the position on Monday and replaces Keri Russell, who left in October for a job with another nonprofit. Garden Island.

Chinese tourists flock to Hawaii, Morita out as PUC chair, attorney general, two board members fight transparency, $25M Punchbowl improvements advance, Dems mull Johanson party switch, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Shoppers in Waikiki © 2015 All Hawaii News

According to research by Hawaii Tourism China, Chinese visitor arrivals increased by more than 25 percent during the first 11 months in 2014. Civil Beat.

Hawaii's 2015 tourism campaign to leverage visitors’ social media content. Pacific Business News.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is working with a golf course membership company to bring high-spending Chinese golfers to Hawaii. Associated Press.

The state's Public Utilities Commission chairwoman, Hermina "Mina" Morita, resigned from her position Monday. Star-Advertiser.

Mina Morita, the embattled chair of Hawaii’s Public Utilities Commission, has resigned, according to a press release from Gov. David Ige’s office. There’s no word yet on Morita’s replacement. Civil Beat.

Hermina Morita, who has played a major role in Hawaii's energy industry since becoming chairwoman of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission in 2011, has resigned from her post, Gov. David Ige's office said Monday. Pacific Business News.

Hermina “Mina” Morita has resigned as chair of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, Gov. David Ige’s office said Monday. Garden Island.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige says he's accepting the resignation of Hermina Morita as the chairwoman of the state Public Utilities Commission. The governor said in a statement Monday Morita decided not to seek reappointment. Associated Press.

State Democrats on Friday will begin reviewing a request by state Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson to switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. Johanson, who last month announced he was switching parties over philosophical differences with some members of the state GOP, goes before the Executive Committee of the Demo­cratic Party's Oahu County Committee to present his case. Star-Advertiser.

Two State Board Members Fight Release of Financial Disclosure Statements. The Attorney General has asked the Hawaii Supreme Court to delay a Circuit Court order forcing the Ethics Commission to release of the records. Civil Beat.

After arguments pro and con, a task force on health care for seniors took no position Monday on a legislative resolution that would require hospitals to instruct family members in the proper care of relatives who are discharged. Star-Advertiser.

Matson Inc., the state's largest ocean shipper, is lowering its fuel surcharge for Hawaii and other Pacific islands by 4 percentage points as bunker fuel prices continue to drop. Star-Advertiser.

The number of new foreclosure lawsuits filed in Hawaii through November stayed under 200 for a seventh straight month in the wake of a tweak to state law that took effect in May. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

State housing officials want land developers to get creative and submit plans to redevelop a North School Street property, making a housing project featuring both low-income public housing and mixed-income rental units. Star-Advertiser.

The overtime costs incurred by the Honolulu Police Department to provide round-the-clock protection for President Barack Obama, his family and others traveling with him during his just-completed Christmas vacation have risen dramatically since the Hawaii native began spending the holidays here. Star-Advertiser.

President Barack Obama and his family just spent their Christmas and New Year’s holidays in Kailua. Now it’s time for taxpayers to pick up the tab. While the Obamas and friends who accompany them pay for their own private vacation home rentals on or near Kailua Beach, taxpayers foot a multimillion dollar tab for everything from a stand-by ambulance to the fuel for Air Force One. Hawaii Reporter.

Four Oahu nursing facilities have been hit with flu outbreaks since last week, leading to restricted visits and — in one case — a temporary ban on accepting new patients. Star-Advertiser.

After two waves of rolling power blackouts, Hawaiian Electric Co. said no further outages would be needed Monday night. Star-Advertiser.

After several setbacks, a plan to expand a revered final resting place at Punchbowl is finally moving forward. The Department of Veterans Affairs just awarded a $25 million contract to Nan Inc. Hawaii News Now.

Opinion: Rail Ends at Ala Moana, But Will Tax Go on Forever? Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is being disingenuous when he claims extending a rail surcharge doesn't amount to asking the Legislature for a tax increase. Civil Beat.

Hawaii

A state senator says an idea floated by a Hilo attorney to use a helium-filled airship to take passengers over active lava could be a viable solution if Kilauea volcano’s June 27 flow crosses Highway 130. Tribune-Herald.

The Kamakana Villages affordable housing development would get a more secure water source, if developer Forest City Hawaii is successful converting an existing exploratory well into a production well. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii County has issued a finding of no significant environmental impact for the construction of a central sewer system in the Lono Kona subdivision. The $6.5 million sewer project will be built mauka of Kuakini Highway in an area residents have dubbed “Hamburger Hill.” West Hawaii Today.

East Hawaii residents woke up Monday morning to find volcanic haze shrouding the landscape and a sulfuric smell and taste in the air, the odor reminiscent of a barbecue grill gone unattended too long. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Partnership talks are advancing between the operator of three Maui hospitals and Hawai‘i Pacific Health. The news comes as patients continue to pack the emergency room at Maui Memorial Medical Center. Maui Now.

State hospitals on Maui are pursuing a partnership with the privately-run Hawai‘i Pacific Health. The state’s publicly-funded facilities have been struggling for years and plan to seek approval from the legislature. Hawaii Public Radio.

While single-family and condominium sales numbers were both down in 2014, compared with the previous year, prices continued to climb and the percentage of foreclosure and short sales fell. Maui News.

Kauai

Former renters of Kauai Kalani Apartments near Lydgate Park are suing condo developers  in 5th Circuit Court for unlawful evictions and retaliation. Garden Island.

Native Hawaiians irked over Ige land policy, Oahu preps for plastic bag ban, public can comment on University of Hawaii Mauna Kea telescope plan, Kauai lighthouse cleanup under fire, overfishing worries Molokai residents, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Native Hawaiians guard the Hokulea canoe © 2015 All Hawaii News

Barely a month into his term, Gov. David Ige already is in hot water with some Native Hawaiians. Two key actions taken at the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands since he took office have prompted some to question whether Ige will bring the change he promised during the campaign to the agency that manages the 203,000-acre land trust on their behalf. Star-Advertiser.

Where Real Estate Is King. A key driver of our cost of living is the high price of land. A collision of interests and actions push its value upward. Civil Beat.

Former Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s chief of staff Bruce Coppa has landed a lobbying job with Hawaii’s top lobbying firm, Capitol Consultants of Hawaii. Civil Beat.

Nearly 14 years after the use of medical marijuana was legalized in Hawaii, medical marijuana patients may have a legal way to purchase it, rather than just grow it themselves, within the next few years. Garden Island.

New details have emerged regarding Florida-based NextEra Energy's planned $4.3 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Electric Co., including the fact that talk of a deal first began as early as May 2014, when NextEra Chairman and CEO Jim Robo first requested a meeting with Connie Lau, president and CEO of HECO parent Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc., according to a document filed with federal regulators on Thursday. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Starting July 1, Oahu will join the growing list of places that have banned the plastic checkout bag. Businesses will be prohibited from giving out plastic bags and nonrecyclable paper bags to their customers at the point of sale for carrying groceries or other merchandise. Star-Advertiser.

State and federal officials are pursuing the possibility of designating a part of Kaneohe Bay as a research-focused estuarine reserve. Star-Advertiser.

Opinion: Hawaii Reporter’s Malia Zimmerman Bids Aloha. The loss of the longtime local investigative reporter is another a blow for independent media — and the citizens of Hawaii. Civil Beat.

The former Porlock madam who said she ran an elite prostitution business for 10 years servicing celebrities, politicians and law enforcement, has been convicted on federal drug charges. A federal jury on Jan. 9 found Malia Elena Arciero guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of distribution of some quantity of methamphetamine. Hawaii Reporter.

Hawaii

The University of Hawaii issued its first document exploring a new master lease for astronomy facilities on Mauna Kea. The 160-page environmental impact statement preparation notice was published Thursday and explores its proposal for a new 65-year lease covering the Mauna Kea Science Reserve and Halepohaku mid-level facilities, and potential alternatives. Tribune-Herald.

The public has 30 days to comment on the environmental impact of UH's proposed new master lease for the Mauna Kea Science Reserve. Hawaii Independent.

The University of Hawaii has taken its first steps toward a new Mauna Kea "master lease" for astronomy facilities on the mountain. Associated Press.

It took almost five years of negotiating between the state and county, but an almost 8-foot boa constrictor, the latest addition to the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo &Gardens, was settling in Friday, its distinctive tan and black geometric patterns undulating as it stretched to its full length for perhaps the first time in that many years. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources will be holding a public hearing to discuss proposed management changes to areas on Maui in the state forest reserve system, including three state parks, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center's upstairs room in Pukalani. Maui News.

Economist Paul Brewbaker predicted that Maui's struggling housing construction industry will benefit from the Maui County Council's action last month to ease the county's affordable housing requirement for developers from 50 percent to between 20 to 25 percent. Maui News.

Maui region hospitals seek solutions for hospitals’ longevity. HHSC Maui region to enter into partnership discussion with Hawai‘i Pacific Health. Hawaii Independent.

Jet pack rides off Kaanapali proposed. Maui News.

Kauai

State and federal officials are trying to determine who is responsible for cleaning up areas around Ninini Point Lighthouse, which has been blighted by a pair of stripped, abandoned cars and other discarded trash for several months. Garden Island.

Molokai

Opinion: Since statehood, the people of Molokai have relied on state government to manage Molokaiʻs ocean resources. We are currently witnessing profound shortages in our subsistence gathering sources, which island families rely heavily on. We have fewer income opportunities and higher costs of living than most of the other islands. Molokai Dispatch.