Teachers union seeks property tax and hotel tax surcharge, Tulsi Gabbard confirms meeting with al-Assad, families vow to stay on Zuckerberg land, theBus may lose transfers, Omidyar Kauai dairy denied stormwater water permit extension, Maui developer seeks to nix public access, new corporation counsel for Big Island, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Teachers rally, 1/21/17 Hawaii State Teachers Association Facebook page

The teachers union has again set its sights on generating more taxes to increase funding for Hawaii public schools. This time, it’s eyeing residential investment properties and visitor accommodations. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii teachers union is asking the Legislature to approve a constitutional amendment that would establish a statewide surcharge on residential investment property and visitor accommodations. Civil Beat.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association believes taxing two areas would raise millions of dollars to recruit and retain teachers, reduce class sizes, pay for special education and fund educational programs.Hawaii News Now.

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U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard defended her trip to Syria and meeting with President Bashar Assad on Wednesday, saying that it’s impossible to broker any kind of peace deal without talking to the country’s leader, who has been accused of war crimes and human rights violations by lawmakers and human rights organizations. Star-Advertiser.

Back from her mysterious trip to Syria during inauguration week, Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard confirmed reports Wednesday that she had met with Syrian President Bashar Hafez al-Assad. Civil Beat.

Tulsi Gabbard,  a congressional Democrat just back from a weeklong trip to Syria defended her meeting with the war-torn country's president, saying Wednesday there's no possibility of a viable peace agreement unless Bashar Assad is part of the conversation. Associated Press.

Tulsi Gabbard Posts Video From Secret Trip To Syria. Big Island Video News.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard returned to Washington, DC after a week-long visit to Syria with a renewed and greater resolve to end the war there. Maui Now.

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Medical marijuana licensees can begin cultivating their crops next week, the state announced Wednesday. But exactly when patients can begin purchasing products is still unclear. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii officials are proposing several rule changes for state harbors in response to ongoing concerns, including limitations on alcohol consumption and a ban on feeding wildlife and feral animals. Associated Press.

On a per-patient basis, Hawaii was ranked No. 16 in Medicare waste, with an average overpayment of $11.31 per patient, and overpayments totaled $1.47 million for 2015, compared to just under $5 million in 2014. Pacific Business News.

New data from the state Campaign Spending Commission shows 2016 highlights. Civil Beat.

Despite calls for reconciliation and peace, the fractured Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees is likely to engage in even more skirmishing next week, possibly including an attempt to topple Chairwoman Rowena Akana from her leadership role. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: With so much to do and so little time to get it done, why in the world would Souki and other key legislators  pick another unnecessary fight with the Hawaii State Judiciary? But that’s exactly what it appears they’re doing. Civil Beat.

Hundreds of volunteers have been canvassing the streets across the state. They’re counting homeless individuals and families for the annual Point-In-Time Count. Hawaii Public Radio.

Oahu

Those flimsy, hard-to-read paper bus transfer slips soon will be a thing of the past while all-you-can-ride, one-day passes will be the future under a bill passed 9-0 by the Honolulu City Council on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

A federal judge says the lawyer representing Honolulu Police Chief Louis Ke­aloha against possible federal criminal charges cannot also represent two people suing the city and three former police officers. Star-Advertiser.

 Myles Breiner has filed numerous lawsuits attacking the credibility of the Honolulu Police Department, the chief and his prosecutor wife. Now he’s representing the couple. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Police Department is going through changes with its chief of police, Louis Kealoha, retiring in about a month. KHON2.

Work crews started striping new two-way bike lanes on McCully Street this week — the latest step in the city’s gradual efforts to make Honolulu more bike-friendly, and to encourage more of its residents to get around by bicycle. Star-Advertiser.

A bill to prohibit most commercial activity at five Waimanalo beaches was approved by the Honolulu City Council on Wednesday. Civil Beat.

The developer of Hawaii’s largest solar farm said it has begun pumping power to the grid. Star-Advertiser.

A permitting dispute is intensifying on Oahu's North Shore, where city officials have issued a third notice of violation for a controversial commercial development near Sharks Cove. Hawaii News Now.

INspiration Interiors is expanding to West Oahu with a new location in the former Sports Authority space at the Target-anchored Kapolei Commons shopping center, Pacific Business News has learned.

Hawaii

A County Council 8-1 confirmation vote Wednesday made Joe Kamelamela the county’s top civil lawyer. West Hawaii Today.

A handful of bills that would facilitate clearing albizia trees from private property passed their first readings in the state Legislature. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii County Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to pass a nonbinding resolution again asking the Legislature to put money in the budget for lifeguards, a lifeguard tower and necessary equipment at Kua Bay. West Hawaii Today.

Hilo businessman Ken Fujiyama and his company still owe about $6.1 million to a North Carolina bank that held mortgage on the then-Naniloa Volcanoes Resort, according to a complaint filed in Hilo Circuit Court. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Developer wants to nix public access after county fails to purchase land. Maui News.

A second-chance hearing for an unpermitted zipline company in Haiku was unanimously denied by the Maui Planning Commission on Tuesday. Maui News.

Kauai

In his quest to create a secluded, tranquil estate on Kauai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has run into a messy problem that involves publicly advocating for something Native Hawaiians often regard as an injustice equated to stealing land. Star-Advertiser.

Heirs of kuleana land on Zuckerberg property say they’re not selling. Garden Island.

A second extension for a storm water permit has been denied for a proposed dairy on Kauai's south shore. Hawaii News Now.

Kauai’s pesticide legislation, Ordinance 960, was repealed Wednesday through the approval of Bill 2643 upon second reading during a Kauai County Council meeting. Garden Island.

The Kauai County Council unanimously voted to “clear the books” of an invalidated county law the courts had struck down requiring biotech companies to disclose pesticide use and regulate the growth of genetically modified organisms. Star-Advertiser.

There will be no county-sanctioned drinking alcohol on the links anytime soon at Wailua Golf Course. Garden Island.

Lihue Post Office may close: Site may be consolidated with facility off Kapule Highway. Garden Island.

Endangered monk seal population recovering, Zuckerberg reconsiders neighbor stance, OHA airs gripes at public meeting, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Monk seal at Five Fathom Pinnacle, Hawaii, courtesy Kent Backman

Scientists and government officials delivered some rare good news Tuesday about one of the world’s most endangered animals, the Hawaiian monk seal. Civil Beat.

The population of Hawaiian monk seals — one of the world’s most critically endangered marine mammals — has been increasing 3 percent a year for the past three years, federal wildlife officials said Tuesday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii residents who have been waiting 16 years for a legal place to buy medical marijuana will have to wait at least several more months. But as of next week, their medicine can start growing. Civil Beat.

The chairwoman of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on Tuesday addressed dozens of allegations of human resource violations filed against her by OHA employees. Civil Beat.

The Department of Education is installing cameras on buses to keep track of students even when they’re out of the classroom. KHON2.

Lawmaker wants DOE to standardize concussion evaluation. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

Board of Water Supply crews this morning have repaired the 24-inch water main that broke on Kalanianaole Highway early Saturday. Officials expect all eastbound lanes to be open by noon Wednesday, the agency said. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu's acting police chief is opposed to using $250,000 in police department funds for a severance payment to outgoing Police Chief Louis Kealoha, according to a letter obtained by Hawaii News Now.

Retiring Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha’s $250,000 severance payment isn’t sitting well with his acting successor. Civil Beat.

House Bill 148, introduced by Rep. Gregg Takayama, D, Pearl City, Waimalu, Pacific Palisades, would allow single-occupant vehicles to use the Zipper Lane for a $1 fee. KHON2.

A state lawmaker plans to introduce a bill on Wednesday to take the next step in redeveloping the Aloha Stadium area. Hawaii News Now.

IHOP is expanding a new restaurant concept called "IHOP Fresh & Go" in Hawaii, which will become the first of its kind in the United States, the franchiseee for IHOP in the state confirmed to Pacific Business News.

Hawaii

The Hawaii County Council moved no closer to passing new limits on buying alcohol with public funds after a second round of discussion Tuesday. Tribune-Herald.

George Yokoyama, community organizer, grant writer and fundraiser, political kingmaker — and Living Treasure of Hawaii — died Sunday at Hospice of Hilo Pohai Malama Care Center following a brief illness. He was 90. Tribune-Herald.

Hawaii Oceanic Technology Inc., a Honolulu-based open ocean fish farming technology company, has shut down after nearly a decade in business, Pacific Business News has learned.

Maui

In his State of the State address Monday, Gov. David Ige touted the state’s efforts to combat homelessness, saying that more beds for homeless people are being created through a new contract process — a statement contradicted by Maui shelter officials last week. Maui News.

Haleakala National Park visitors are being reminded that the National Park Service’s new reservation system for sunrise viewing will begin Feb. 1. Maui News.

Kamehameha Schools buys Wailuku building. Maui News.

Kamehameha Schools has acquired the former office building of the Wailuku Federal Credit Union on Maui that will be turned into the Maui regional office and community resource center for the state’s largest private landowner, the $11 billion educational-focused trust said Tuesday. Pacific Business News.

Kauai

Mark Zuckerberg announced today through a spokesman that he is “reconsidering” his quiet title lawsuits filed recently against hundreds of owners or potential owners of land on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he is reconsidering his actions involving quiet title cases on Kauai after filing several lawsuits against kuleana land owners. Maui Now.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to be a good neighbor, but Naoshi Grady didn’t feel any aloha when he says he was harassed and intimidated while using a coastal trail that passes through the billionaire’s 700-acre property on Kauai. Star-Advertiser.

Governor touts education, housing in third State of the State address, lawmakers push counties to tax themselves more, Kauai missile defense plans, Ellison closes Lanai golf course, Hilo landfill almost pau, Waikiki condo put on hold, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Gov. David Ige 2017 State of the State, courtesy photo

Full transcript of Gov. David Ige's State of the State address here.

Gov. David Ige offered up a cautious State of the State address to lawmakers Monday that underscored his achievements during his first two years as governor, and warned that a slowing state economy will require “adjustments” to his proposed two-year $28.5 billion budget. Star-Advertiser.

Gov. David Ige’s third State of the State address was heavy on improving public education and innovating economic development. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige says transforming schools is key to diversifying the state’s economy, and he wants to expand a program that enables high school students to earn college credits for free. Associated Press.

Governor's State of the State Address: Downward Adjustments to Executive Budget Forthcoming. Hawaii Public Radio.

In his third State of the State address on Monday, Gov. David Ige pointed to homelessness, education and government accountability as the core priorities for his administration in the coming year, but he also warned of a slowing economy that could prompt tough budget decisions. Hawaii News Now.

Governor David Ige made affordable housing one of the main cornerstones to his Monday state of the state speech. Pacific Business News.

Recent changes in revenue projections were mentioned in Governor David Ige’s state of the state address on Monday.Big Island Video News.

Leaders of the Hawaii Legislature say they generally agree with Hawaii Gov. David Ige's public policy goals. But they want to see more details on his proposals. KITV.

Hawaii’s political spotlight settled firmly on Gov. David Ige Monday, as he delivered the 2017 State of the State Address on Oahu. West Hawaii Today.

For Kauai representatives, Gov. David Ige’s plans to address homelessness and enhance the school system were some of the main takeaways from his State of the State address. Garden Island.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige touted the success of the state’s accelerator programs In his third State of the State address on Monday as he called for investment in Hawaii’s innovation sector. Pacific Business News.

Parents and others concerned about recent deaths of children in day care filled a Hawaii Senate committee hearing room Monday to support bills that would toughen sanctions against negligent operators and bolster safe sleeping rules meant to prevent sudden infant death syndrome. Civil Beat.

Hawaii residents eventually might be able to use marijuana recreationally, and patients could be allowed to purchase it from legally formed collectives.Those are among more than a dozen bills being vetted in the state Legislature related to marijuana and marijuana dispensaries. Tribune-Herald.

Few Tears Shed In Hawaii As Trump Dumps Pacific Trade Pact. Civil Beat.

The recent power struggle that has wracked the leadership of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is expected to flare up again this week in two board of trustees meetings scheduled to take place behind closed doors. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell told state lawmakers Monday that he is proposing to raise fuel and weight taxes, and city parking fees, and might even ask for an array of other hikes to pay for construction, operation and maintenance of Oahu’s rail line. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii lawmakers want the counties to put “more skin in the game” instead of just coming to the state year after year asking for more money, especially when it comes to Honolulu and funding for its increasingly expensive 20-mile rail project. Civil Beat.

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell faced tough questions as he tried to convince state lawmakers to approve a permanent extension of the 0.5 percent general excise surcharge used to fund the cash-strapped rail project. They wanted to know what was being done to control rising costs. With a $5.2 billion budget two years ago, Caldwell assured legislators at that time that an extension through 2027 would cover a $910 million shortfall. Hawaii News Now.

Proposed fee hikes target drivers, vehicle owners on Oahu. KHON2.

Majority Leader Scott Saiki says his proposed legislation to prohibit a sitting governor or county mayor from holding outside employment or receiving emoluments is inspired by President Donald Trump, not Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu developers of a 32-story, 246-unit condominium-hotel project that would replace the King’s Village shopping center in Waikiki are pressing the pause button on this development because of high construction and decreasing demand for this type of product, an executive from the development team confirmed to Pacific Business News.

Volunteers and social service outreach workers fanned out across Oahu on Monday night to interact with the homeless and try to get an accurate head count for an island that once had the highest per capita rate of homelessness in the country. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Closure of the Hilo landfill remains a moving target, but the East Hawaii rubbish dump could reach capacity in as little as a year. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Three Maui facilities spewed nearly 190,000 pounds of toxic chemicals into the air in 2015 with the two Maui Electric Co. power plants logging the largest releases in Maui County, the Environmental Protection Agency reported. Maui News.

Kauai

The head of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance still wants the Pentagon to activate a Kauai missile defense testing facility for the protection of Hawaii in emergencies. Star-Advertiser.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to build a single home on the 700 acres of oceanfront land he owns on Kauai’s North Shore, even though half the land once held entitlements in place for up to 80 luxury homes, Pacific Business News has learned.

Lanai

Billionaire Larry Ellison, who co-founded Oracle Corp. and owns 98 percent of the Hawaiian Island of Lanai, is closing one of the two golf courses he owns on the island, a spokeswoman for the company managing the two golf courses confirmed to Pacific Business News Monday.

The Lodge at Koele, one of the two Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts-branded hotels owned by billionaire co-founder of Oracle Corp. and Lanai owner Larry Ellison, is scheduled to re-open in 2018 with a mix of hotel rooms and a spa and wellness concept, a spokeswoman Four Seasons Resorts Lanai confirmed to Pacific Business News Monday.

Bills for free tuition, school funding, Zuckerberg's land plans, $2B housing bond flow in new legislative session, Ige's State of the State address today, lower coffee rules to stay, Maui to vote on GMO repeal, veto override, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Wind farm on Big Island

President Donald Trump has disputed climate change, pledged a revival of coal and disparaged wind power, and his nominee to head the Energy Department was once highly skeptical of the agency’s value. What this means for states’ efforts to promote renewable energy is an open question. Associated Press.

Hawaii could soon join other states in offering tuition-free college under legislative proposals to have the state pick up the cost of tuition and other school expenses for needy students enrolled at University of Hawaii community colleges. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s Cash-Strapped Small Schools Struggle To Operate. The teachers union and a Maui state representative will push proposals to better fund remote neighbor island schools. Civil Beat.

Lawmakers are introducing dozens of measures that aim to solve Hawaii’s homelessness crisis and increase affordable housing, including a proposal to issue $2 billion in state-backed bonds to develop public housing, shelters and apartments. Associated Press.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority faces losing its sunshine exemption in the wake of criticism from lawmakers and members of the visitor industry that it isn’t transparent about how it spends tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to market the islands. Star-Advertiser.

State health officials are pushing this year to restore adult Medicaid coverage for basic dental care nearly eight years after it was cut amid the 2008 financial crisis. Star-Advertiser.

As Hawaii struggles to stem homelessness and prison overcrowding, Gov. David Ige wants to take a new approach: connecting people arrested for low-level drug crimes with social services rather than putting them behind bars. Civil Beat.

Gov. David Ige will give his third State of the State address to the Legislature at 10 a.m. Monday in the chamber of the state House of Representatives at the Capitol. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: Fellow Democrats faulting governor for lack of decisiveness and clear leadership. Star-Advertiser.

Robert Farrell, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ new chief of enforcement, pledged to work on improving efficiency and providing more resources to staff as he takes the reins as helm of DLNR’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

The Honolulu Police Department let millions of budgeted dollars lapse unspent, while some divisions, including the police commission, have seen spending soar in recent years. KHON2.

Honolulu motorists whose commute includes the east end of H-1 and the adjoining Kalanianaole Highway should plan detours when heading home this week, as workers are expected to be repairing a broken water main until Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii

Six Hawaii County department heads and seven deputy directors make less than their subordinates, an issue the county’s Salary Commission will focus on at a meeting next month. Tribune-Herald.

A compromise among coffee producers statewide is leading to continuation of lower standards that were temporarily put in place in 2014 in the wake of an invasion of coffee berry borers. West Hawaii Today.

Two Kona legislators are pushing for management changes at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor as its state of disrepair, and the overall quality of other harbors like it, have become a growing source of frustration across Hawaii Island. West Hawaii Today.

Honomu residents will ask the county Parks and Recreation Department to save their iconic banyan trees. Tribune-Herald.

Starting today, all Priority Mail stamps sold around the country will feature an image of Hilo’s Liliuokalani Park and Gardens. Tribune-Herald.


Maui

The Family Life Center’s new state contracts for emergency shelter and other services for Maui homeless people have forced the facility to reduce its number of beds from 50 to 18 and to discontinue shelter services for families and men. Maui News.

Kauai

Over 120 years have passed since a handful of businessmen with loyalties to the U.S. led a coup d’etat to overthrow the Kingdom of Hawaii, but some Native Hawaiians on the Garden Isle continue to advocate sovereignty. Garden Island.

Solutions to Kapaa’s traffic will be discussed Thursday at a public meeting hosted by the Kapaa Business Association. Garden Island.

Council to vote on mayor veto, GMO repeal. Garden Island.

School transgender guidelines implemented smoothly. Garden Island.

Lanai

Entire Island of Lana'i without power. KITV.

Lanai High & Elementary School will be closed Monday due to the power outage on the island, the state Department of Education announced at 9 p.m. Sunday. Maui News.

A Hawaii lawmaker said Friday he plans to introduce a bill aimed at closing what he calls a “legal loophole” that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is using to gain ownership of small pieces of land, or kuleana lands, within his 700 acres of oceanfront property on the island of Kauai. Pacific Business News.

Hawaii Dairy Farms, a long-planned 699-cow operation on the island of Kauai being funded by billionaire eBay founder Pierre Omidyar’s Honolulu investment firm Ulupono Initiative, has reached a key milestone. Pacific Business News.

EPA, Matson reach settlement on molasses spill, Zuckerberg takes to Facebook to dispute Kauai stories, Innocence Project takes on Dana Ireland murder case, last sugar company equipment draw interested buyers, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor, KHON2 screenshot

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement today with Matson Terminals Inc. for the company’s 1,400-ton molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor in 2013. Associated Press.

Honolulu-based Matson Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $725,000 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over federal Clean Water Act violations relating to a molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor in 2013. This follows a July 2015, settlement, in which Matson (NYSE: MATX) paid $15.4 million to the state of Hawaii over the spill. Pacific Business News.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement Thursday with the company responsible for a 1,400-ton molasses spill in Honolulu Harbor in 2013. Associated Press.

The state has offered public school teachers an annual 1 percent lump-sum bonus that the teachers union called an unacceptable and “paltry” offer in an internal email sent to members Thursday night. Star-Advertiser.

House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke is demanding that state financial and computer experts investigate a massive $59 million project to replace the computer systems in the state Tax Department, saying components of the new system don’t work properly. Star-Advertiser.

More than half of the doctors in Hawaii will reach the retirement age of 65 within the next decade, according to a new report submitted Thursday to the state Legislature.  Tribune-Herald.

Faced with the anti-regulatory zeal of the incoming Trump administration, members of Hawaii’s all-Democratic congressional delegation are finding themselves in the difficult position of choosing when to fight and when to retreat. Civil Beat.

Hawaii taxpayers are on the hook for almost $200,000 for lost dentures at a hospital, missing property at a prison, potholes damaging vehicles and a school ceiling falling on a student, among dozens of other small claims over the past year. Civil Beat.

Prison officials told state legislators Thursday that about 15 percent of their pre-trial inmates are homeless. But advocates and lawmakers immediately disputed that figure as too low. Hawaii News Now.

Included in President Barack Obama's Thursday clemency list were three Hawaii inmates who had been convicted of meth-related offenses: Thaddeas Kulani Thomas Hall, of Waipahu; Alfred William Kemfort, of Maui; and Allan Aquino Lafuente, of Kapolei. Civil Beat.

Hawaii’s unemployment rate declined for the fifth straight month and hit 2.9 percent in December, the lowest level since September 2007, according to data released today by the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December was 2.9 percent, compared to 3.0 percent in November. Maui Now.

The Hawaii Venture Capital Association announced the finalists in 12 categories honoring local entrepreneurs. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

Iolani School announced Thursday that it will build a high school dormitory to foster global connections for its students and will expand its elementary school with new classrooms, science labs and music studios. Star-Advertiser.

Iolani School expansion forces nearby residents to move out. Hawaii News  Now.

A church is prohibiting gay and transgender couples from attending its annual Sweethearts Banquet at the federally owned Hale Koa Hotel, even though state law bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in public venues. Civil Beat.

Another Oahu rail official has left the project. Diane Arakaki resigned and departed as the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s chief financial officer on Dec. 15, according to the rail agency’s latest monthly status report. Arakaki was HART’s CFO for more than four years. Star-Advertiser.

Why One Police Commissioner Wanted To Fire The Chief. Commissioner Loretta Sheehan was outvoted by the other commissioners but presented them with a detailed plan for moving to fire the chief. Civil Beat.

The date is set for Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha's retirement. The police commission will now turn its attention to hiring his replacement. KITV4.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Innocence Project filed a motion this week to take another look at the Dana Ireland murder case. KHON2.


With uncertainty over the nation’s health care system, the president and chief operating officer of the state’s largest insurer said he’s keeping an eye on how policy changes could affect coverage in Hawaii. West Hawaii Today.

Construction crews this week began work on new acceleration and deceleration lanes at the entrance to the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Agricultural Farm Laboratory, located near mile marker 6 on Highway 11..Tribune-Herald


Maui

It was standing room only for the more than 250 people at the Maui Beach Hotel on Wednesday who crammed into a hotel ballroom to try and fetch a good deal on Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co.’s red pickup trucks, small farming equipment, machine shop items and even microscopes and scales. Maui News.

The state Land Use Commission unanimously approved the final environmental statement for the 1,433-unit, residential mixed-use Waikapu Country Town project Wednesday, after residents spoke highly of both the project and developer Mike Atherton. Maui News.

Kauai

A new Hawaii law dealing with land ownership that went into effect on Jan. 1 was likely the reason why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg filed the “quiet title” actions on his 700 acres of Kauai oceanfront land just before the start of 2017, a Honolulu real estate attorney tells Pacific Business News.

The CEO and head of Facebook says eight lawsuits involving about a dozen parcels of kuleana land on his 700-acre property are to identify owners and compensate them adequately. Garden Island.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed — for the first time — what he plans to do with his roughly 700 acres of undeveloped oceanfront land he purchased a few years ago on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai. Pacific Business News.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg used his own social media platform today to explain his effort in court to acquire several small pieces of land on Kauai from Hawaii families. Star-Advertiser.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued a response to the "misleading stories" going around about his plans in Hawaii. KITV

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is in a legal battle and wants to clear things up. KHON2.

Hawaii Legislature opens 2017 session: news coverage, speech transcripts, photos. Honolulu Police Chief paid $250k to leave, Tulsi Gabbard goes to Syria, Facebook's Zuckerberg tries to oust Kauai families, pay raises all around, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Opening day Hawaii Legislature, courtesy Robert D. Harris

Several hundred people gathered at the state Capitol in downtown Honolulu on Wednesday morning to kick off the opening of this year’s legislative session, in which lawmakers are expecting spirited debates on issues of rail financing, “death with dignity,” overcrowded jails, affordable housing and the state’s ongoing homeless problem. Star-Advertiser.

Lei-draped lawmakers sang Hawaiian songs and snapped photos as the Hawaii Legislature began its 2017 session, and they vowed to tackle homelessness, housing, traffic and the issue of aid in dying. Associated Press.

Hawaii lawmakers returned to the state capitol Wednesday morning to gavel in for the 2017 legislative session. KITV.

Speech transcript: House Speaker Joe Souki.

Speech transcript: House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto.

Blog post: Hawaii Senate Majority.

For the first time in decades, the state Senate opened the legislative session on Wednesday without a single Republican. Hawaii News Now.

Photos: The Hawaii Legislature Is Back In Business. Civil Beat.

The leader of the Hawaii State Senate promised on opening day of the 2017 Legislature that the issue of paying for Honolulu’s rail system will be concluded before the session ends in early May. Civil Beat.

Hawaii House Speaker Joe Souki opened his chamber’s 2017 legislative session Wednesday calling for an extension of the general excise tax surcharge to finance Honolulu’s rail transit project and a study looking at whether toll roads would help to reduce traffic congestion on Oahu. Pacific Business News.

In his opening day remarks, Speaker of the House Joseph M. Souki of Maui called on members of the House of Representatives to extend the general excise tax to finance rail, to find viable alternatives to prison incarceration and to provide human compassion to those who are mentally ill and terminally sick. Maui Now.

The Latest on the start of the 2017 session of the Hawaii Legislature. KITV.

Hawaii bill aims for 100 percent renewable transportation. Associated Press.

Biofuel crops are expected to play crucial role in Hawaii’s energy future. Tribune-Herald.

==================

Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has made an unannounced trip to Syria and Lebanon, traveling to the region two months after she sat down with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss foreign policy. Associated Press.

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard traveled to Syria this week on what her aides described as a “fact-finding” mission relating to her efforts to bring resolution to a war that has torn the country apart and heightened tensions between the United States and Russia. Star-Advertiser.

As hundreds of Hawaii residents converge on the nation’s capital either to cheer or protest the inauguration of incoming President Donald J. Trump, the state’s two congresswomen are elsewhere. Civil Beat.

Hawaii Residents Journey To DC For Very Different Reasons. Some are here to celebrate a new direction for the country. Others will march for the preservation of women’s rights. Civil Beat.

A program in Hawaii that allows law enforcement officers to seize property that they suspect is related to the commission of a crime, without getting a conviction, this week has scored low marks from the Institute of Justice, a national civil liberties law firm, for falling short on transparency and accountability. Star-Advertiser.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has settled a sexual harassment claim against OHA Trustee Peter Apo for $50,000, Hawaii News Now has learned.

Apo: Don’t Jump To Conclusions. The OHA trustee speaks out after a news report that he settled a sexual harassment claim. Civil Beat.

A group of NASA-funded researchers are poised to enter an isolated geodesic dome on a remote Hawaii volcano to study human behavior in long-term space exploration, including a planned voyage to Mars. Associated Press.

Oahu

The city will pay $250,000 to embattled Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha to leave at the end of February under a “retirement agreement” approved by the Honolulu Police Commission on Wednesday. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is under investigation for public corruption, will receive a $250,000 cash payment as part of a retirement deal he cut Wednesday with the Honolulu Police Commission. Civil Beat.

The Honolulu Police Commission agreed to a $250,000 settlement package for retirement with Police Chief Louis Kealoha, the target of a federal investigation involving allegations of civil rights abuses and corruption. Associated Press.

The Honolulu Police Commission approved a $250,000 payout deal for embattled Police Chief Louis Kealoha on Wednesday. But in an apparent nod to community concerns over the plan, Kealoha will have to pay back the money if he's convicted in an ongoing federal public corruption probe. Hawaii News Now.

Chief Kealoha’s retirement deal did not need the city council’s approval. KHON2.

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Honolulu inflation doubled to 2 percent last year despite lower energy costs as consumer prices rose at the fastest pace since 2012. Star-Advertiser.

A new proposal to build more homes on the North Shore is drawing criticism. KHON2.

About 400 volunteers have signed up to count Oahu’s homeless population next week, and the organizer of the annual homeless census said she believes that’s enough people to get a good picture. Star-Advertiser.

Japan’s Watabe Wedding Corp., one of the largest wedding services companies in Hawaii, has purchased Michel’s at the Colony Surf in Waikiki, one of the most popular high-end restaurants in the Islands for more than five decades, the head of Watabe’s Hawaii branch confirmed to Pacific Business News Wednesday.

Hawaii

Top-to-bottom raises are being considered for county officials and employees, despite a hiring freeze as fixed costs for retirees take a bigger chunk out of the county budget. West Hawaii Today.

A need for a public shooting range on the Big Island drew a standing-room only crowd to a Tuesday evening meeting in Hilo. Big Island Video News.

Maui

Two Maui nonprofits that work with homeless people received a total of $4.4 million from the state for an upcoming 18-month period, at the same time they must adjust to the state’s new “housing first” paradigm for homelessness. Maui News.

The Pa’ina building, one of University of Hawaii Maui College’s most used facilities, suffers from construction and design deficiencies and is in need of major repairs, officials said. Maui News.

More than 400 lots of items from Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Co., including pickup trucks, machine shop and welding items and John Deere equipment, will be auctioned beginning today. Maui News.

Kauai

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who paid north of $100 million for hundreds of acres of undeveloped oceanfront land on the Hawaiian Island of Kauai’s North Shore, is making some moves to build at least one home on the land he acquired nearly three years ago, Pacific Business News has learned.

The owner of Facebook has filed several lawsuits with three of his companies to acquire about a dozen parcels of kuleana land on his $100 million property, sources close with Mark Zuckerberg confirmed with The Garden Island Wednesday.

After nearly two years of evaluation and technical work by experts, Hawaii Dairy Farms has submitted its Final Environmental Impact Statement to the State of Hawaii Department of Health. Garden Island.

Hawaii Legislature's opening day, Zuckerberg sues over Kauai locals, audit calls for midwife licensing, Native Hawaiian health, FBI raid update in Kealoha case, lawmakers question loss of school superintendent, Hard Rock Cafe leaves Maui, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii state Capitol © 2017 All Hawaii News

Today marks the opening day of the state Legislature, with the House and Senate scheduled to convene at the state Capitol at 10 a.m. Star-Advertiser.

State lawmakers are pushing for energy independence, easing the high cost of living and improving working conditions in the state’s commercial fishing fleet as they begin the 2017 legislative session. Associated Press.

Lawmakers interrogated several members of the Board of Education on Tuesday over the decision not to retain schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi, and demanded to know what prompted the call for a leadership change. Star-Advertiser.

Two groups of lawmakers wanted answers Tuesday as to why current Department of Education Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi is being replaced when the Board of Education has said she’s done a good job. Civil Beat.

The accounting practices of the State Public Charter School Commission came under scrutiny during a legislative budget hearing at the Capitol.  Civil Beat.

A plan to ease overcrowding in Hawaii jails by releasing nonviolent accused or convicted petty criminals hasn’t gotten off the ground yet, and might not have much impact when it finally takes effect because too few inmates will qualify. Star-Advertiser.

A state audit calls for all midwives to be licensed in Hawaii. KITV.

A group of health leaders is proposing public policy changes such as a minimum wage hike and public dental benefits for low-income residents in an attempt to reduce health disparities among Native Hawaiians with a higher proportion of chronic diseases. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii typically ranks among the top states when it comes to the health of its residents, but its indigenous population suffers disproportionately from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and high incarceration rates. Civil Beat.

Senate president’s goals include rail, health care services. Garden Island.

Counties Again Seek Greater Share Of Hotel Tax, Lifeguard Immunity. Protection from civil litigation expires July 1 unless lawmakers act. Counties want lifeguards treated the same as some state workers. Civil Beat.

Counselor Involved In School Sex Case Now Works For State. Scott O’Neal didn’t admit liability but paid $750,000 to settle. The Department of Health said it could find no reason not to hire him. Civil Beat.

Women legislators across the country are launching a bi-partisan effort to address the opioid abuse epidemic.    Local lawmakers conducted a news conference today on their proposed legislation. Hawaii Public Radio.

The state Department of Health levied an administrative penalty of $2,800 against Safeway Inc. “for failure to submit payments and reports required of beverage distributors.” Tribune-Herald.

Oahu

The FBI raided another county building late last week as part of its public corruption case against Honolulu's police chief and his deputy prosecutor wife, Hawaii News Now has learned.

Hawaii Sen. Will Espero has added his name to the chorus of people urging the Honolulu Police Commission to hold off on inking a cash settlement with Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who is under federal investigation for corruption. Civil Beat.

What will police chief Louis Kealoha walk away with when his retirement becomes official? It’s a question the Honolulu Police Commission will answer at its meeting Wednesday. KHON2.

How Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell's pay stacks up against other big city mayors. Pacific Business News.

State officials say they’ll have to relocate the 450-foot-tall radio tower near the Kapalama Canal in the next several years to help make way for more harbor capacity — but where the tower will go hasn’t been decided. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu expects to select a company in the coming months that will replace about 52,000 of its streetlights with more efficient LED lighting, a city spokesman confirmed to Pacific Business News Tuesday.

State officials recovered an illegal 4-1/2-foot ball python over the weekend, the Department of Agriculture said. Star-Advertiser.

The first residents of a new apartment complex in Kapolei that feels like a hotel for seniors received a grand welcome along with a kahu’s blessing and a Champagne toast Tuesday as part of the project’s opening ceremony. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii
Mayor Harry Kim headed to Honolulu Tuesday, ready to meet, greet, request and repeat. West Hawaii Today.

Amidst concerns expressed by residents neighboring the planned East Hawaii Organics Facility in Panaewa, the mayor is taking another look at the enhanced mulching project. Big Island Video News.

Puna Councilwoman Eileen O’Hara interrupted a burglary at her Pahoa council office Monday when she found a man making himself a little too comfortable. Tribune-Herald.

Demolition of two Pahoa landmarks — the Akebono Theatre and Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant — started Tuesday afternoon following a late-night blaze that heavily damaged both buildings Sunday. Tribune-Herald.

The Hawaii Police Department and residents of Puueo have taken steps toward the creation of a neighborhood watch to help address ongoing concerns about crime and drug use in the area. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

The titles, membership and duties of each committee were finally decided at 9:30 p.m. Monday after the Maui County Council unanimously approved a proposal to create four committees with seven voting members and four with nine voting members. Maui News.

Closed for months following massive flooding in September, Iao Valley State Monument and Kepaniwai Park are both expected to re-open this year, county and state officials said. Maui News.

A peek through the windows of Lahaina’s Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday afternoon shows that the Front Street landmark has been closed and cleaned out after a 26-year run. Maui News.

Kauai

Lawsuit: When Facebook’s co-founder Mark Zuckerberg paid around $100 million for 700 acres of rural beachfront land on Kauai two years ago to create what Forbes magazine described as a secluded family sanctuary, he actually acquired a not-so-secluded property. Close to a dozen small parcels within Zuckerberg’s Kauai estate are owned by kamaaina families who have rights to traverse the billionaire’s otherwise private domain. Star-Advertiser.

When the Legislature opens today, a slew of key issues await Kauai legislators. Garden Island.

With today’s opening of the 2017 Hawaii State Legislative session, some on Kauai are redirecting the spotlight to restricted use pesticides. But the agribusiness industry is waiting for the opening of the session to take up the issue. Garden Island.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the departmental draft of the General Plan update. Garden Island.

Honolulu purchases 114 acres for preservation, Hawaii to be linked with broadband cable, Oahu solar hookups down, Delta adding Seattle-Kauai flights, living payheck to paycheck, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

North Shore beach purchased, courtesy Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell

The City and County of Honolulu announced Monday the $12 million purchase of 114 acres of the North Shore, saving a sizable chunk of oceanfront land that includes the Kahuku Golf Course from possible development. Star-Advertiser.

The City and County of Honolulu has purchased 114 acres of oceanfront land on Oahu’s North Shore, including the nine-hole Kahuku Golf Course, for $12.1 million, saving these lands from a planned development of luxury homes along the shoreline. Pacific Business News.

The City and County of Honolulu just beat developers to the punch, and scooped up prime beachfront land in Kahuku before houses could pop up. KITV.

A large piece of oceanfront land on Oahu’s North Shore that was at risk for development is now city property. KHON2.

================

People living in Hawaii are more likely to live paycheck to paycheck than in any other state, and may even be in the red each month after paying for basic living expenses, according to a new study by GoBankingRates. Pacific Business News.

For the second year in a row, Hawaii has been named the state where residents are "most likely" to live paycheck to paycheck. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaiian Telcom said the Federal Communications Commission has approved the landing license for the $250 million Southeast Asia-U.S. broadband cable under construction, which will allow the cable to connect Indonesia and California, via Hawaii. Pacific Business News.

Do Condo Owners Need Some Help From Hawaii’s Legislature? Potential condo-related proposals run the gamut from establishing an ombudsman to merely clarifying existing laws. Civil Beat.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s presence at Pearl Harbor will endure in the form of a small yet powerful symbol of peace and reconciliation between Japan and America. Star-Advertiser.

As many as 50 supporters from the islands will be among the one million people in attendance for the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump in Washington, D.C. Hawaii News Now.

Hawaii Most Integrated State. America, it seems, has come closer to realizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision, “though segregation and discrimination persist,” says WalletHub. Civil Beat.

With a high turnover rate of teachers, it can be challenging to fill open positions. The state Department of Education is trying to fix this problem by increasing recruitment efforts, providing mentoring programs for teachers and by strengthening partnerships with organizations such as Hawaii State Teachers Association. Garden Island.

Gun-Death Rates In America. Hawaii still rates very low but slips to No. 49 in report analyzing weak gun violence prevention laws and higher rates of gun ownership. Civil Beat.

Oahu
More Judge Jobs For Ige Pal. The governor’s former campaign manager is being considered for three judicial vacancies. Civil Beat.

Three Honolulu attorneys in private practice and a District Court judge are among the nominees for two vacancies on Oahu's 1st Circuit Court submitted to Gov. David Ige by the Hawaii Judicial Selection Commission. Pacific Business News.

The solar industry on Oahu continues to shrink as the number of building permits issued for rooftop solar projects by the City and County of Honolulu was down 34 percent in 2016 compared with the year prior. Star-Advertiser.

Volunteers spent the holiday cleaning up Diamond Head State Monument. KHON2.

Commentary: I feel sad whenever I hear about local residents being squeezed out of their community beach parks by tour buses rumbling in day after day to drop off hundreds of tourists on so-called “recreation stops.” Civil Beat.

Hawaii

Puna residents were in shock Monday following a fire late Sunday night that gutted the historic Akebono Theatre and Luquin’s Mexican Restaurant in downtown Pahoa. Tribune-Herald.

Although there were no reported injuries in the fire, it felt like a funeral on Monday as the community stood in disbelief over the loss of their town's cultural center. Big Island Video News.

For the second straight year, around 150 Kaiser Permanente employees and members of various nonprofits from across the island dedicated their annual day of service, which falls every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to reforestation efforts at the Hauaina Enclosure, part of the 40,000-acre Puu Waawaa Forest Reserve on Hawaii Island. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

More than 150 volunteer physicians, staff, and family members continued a 12-year tradition of giving back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day by participating in the Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi Annual Day of Service on Maui. Maui Now.

Kauai

Delta Air Lines is adding a daily nonstop flight between the Hawaiian island of Kauai and Seattle, one of seven new flights from the Atlanta-based airline’s hub in the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Business News.

Kaiser Permanente staff members and families volunteered at Waipa ahupuaa in North Kauai Monday as part of the organization’s 12th annual Day of Service. Garden Island.

Albatross back on Kauai; 33 eggs relocated from Pacific Missile Range to Oahu. Garden Island.

Hawaii Legislature prepares for session opening, 300 rally for health care, tourism bureau prefers closed meetings, foreclosure increase bucks national trend, homeless, squatters plague Big Island, candidates set for Kauai electric coop, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Health-care rally, with U.S. Sen. Schatz, courtesy Hawaii Democratic Party

More than 300 people gathered Sunday at the Hawaii State Capitol for a rally to save the Affordable Care Act. KITV.

The Legislature will gather for its 29th biennial session Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the state Capitol. Among the nagging problems that confront lawmakers are the lack of affordable housing, the condition of congested state highways, and aging facilities such as the Oahu Community Correctional Center that need to be refurbished or replaced. Star-Advertiser.

Commentary: The first legislative pass over Gov. David Ige’s $28.5 billion, two-year state budget drew only catcalls. Star-Advertiser.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority, empowered by the Legislature to spend tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to market the islands, is operating behind closed doors at least half the time, according to a three-month review of records by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s tight housing market is the result of a “costly, time-consuming, and politically and economically uncertain” development process and not short-term Airbnb rentals, says a study conducted for the online vacation rental company. West Hawaii Today.

With President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration a week away, Pacific Business News took the temperature of local industries on their expectations of the new administration. Hawaii Public Radio.

Embattled telecommunications provider Sandwich Isles Communications Inc. is disputing findings by the federal government that the company received more than $26 million in overpayments of federal subsidies over 10 years. Star-Advertiser.

Schatz Gets Key Role On Military Panel. Hawaii senator hopeful that new post will bring money to the state. Civil Beat.

Hawaii experienced an increase in foreclosure activity in 2016, contrasting the national trend with foreclosure activity sinking to its lowest level since 2006 according to a report by property database Attom Data Solutions. Pacific Business News.

Oahu

An FBI raid on the Honolulu prosecuting attorney's office is the latest action in a growing corruption scandal involving the chief of police and his prosecutor wife. Associated Press.

The Honolulu Police Commission won’t meet with the City Council about a retirement deal for Police Chief Louis Kealoha, who has agreed to leave the department in the midst of a federal criminal probe but is still negotiating his exit. Civil Beat.

In the first rent increases in years, the city on Feb. 1 will begin raising rates on 10 “affordable” residential properties across Oahu, including those for low-income senior citizens. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Councilman Ikaika Anderson wants to move quickly on a proposal that would presumably end the idea of developing the Malaekaha­na section of Laie. Star-Advertiser.

A former Honolulu police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Associated Press.

Hawaii

It’s that time of year again, and Big Island legislators are brimming with new ideas for laws and projects they want to see in their districts. West Hawaii Today.

Harry Kim ordered the removal of a baseball diamond from the Kukuihaele Park redevelopment plan. The facility had the neighborhood sharply divided. Big Island Video News.

Homeless at Old Kona Airport Park say they’ve been told to clear out; but ‘very few places to go’ West Hawaii Today.

New players are starting to emerge in Hawaii Island’s international tourism game, as 2016 saw a noticeable increase in arrivals and expenditures from South Korean and Taiwanese visitors. Tribune-Herald.

A destructive house fire last week underscores the problem of squatters on Hawaii Island. Tribune-Herald.

Workers from entry level to highly trained professionals are needed for high-paying East Hawaii health care jobs. Tribune-Herald.

An assessment of Hawaii Island’s sandalwood supply is being planned to help state officials improve protection of what remains of the sweet-scented tree. Tribune-Herald.

Maui

Maui County’s state legislators will continue to push for a smooth transition for Maui Memorial Medical Center and will remain vigilant in ensuring that long-term projects such as the Kihei high school get the money and support they need. Maui News.

Renters in the Lahaina Front Street Apartments fear they’ll eventually be forced out of their affordable units, due to a loophole in the tax code that would allow the units to be bumped up to market rates by 2019. Maui News.

Wailuku/Kahului was one of five communities statewide chosen to join the Blue Zones Project, a community well-being improvement initiative. Maui News.

Kauai

The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative has confirmed seven candidates that will run for three seats during its board of directors election in March. Pacific Business News.

During the first week of January, 17 animals were transferred to the Mainland from Kauai Humane Society as a direct result of the community’s involvement. Garden Island.

For the Surfrider Foundation, which announced its landmark 400th coastal victory over the past decade, consistently moving forward and improving coasts and oceans is the primary goal. 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

Martin Luther King Jr. wearing lei

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 former 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 88th 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.