Hawaii Business Magazine

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Bill establishing labor standards in Hawai‘i moves forward
Senate Bill 2615 has the backing of some county officials who say they have seen cases of labor-law violations in their districts. Star-Advertiser.

House passes bill to increase penalties for driving without a license on state roads
After a third conviction within five years, the offense would become a Class C felony, carrying a maximum term of five years in prison. Maui News.

Bill would establish regular state funding for DA BUX food program
This year’s state budget bill could allocate a $1 million annual payment into the program for low-income residents, which reduces the price of produce grown by local farmers. Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Invasive parakeets are threatening Hawai‘i farms. Is killing them the answer?
A proposed bill would create a one-year pilot program to cull the birds on O‘ahu and Kaua‘i, where the animals are destroying an estimated 10% of crops on small farms. Civil Beat.

Political fight over school construction could slow Hawai‘i’s preschool expansion plans
Four years after its creation, a state agency created to expedite school construction projects is at risk of losing its funding. Some legislators say the School Facilities Authority has fallen short, citing hiring struggles and failure to make headway on projects. Civil Beat.

Hawai‘i is among three states sued over voter registration record
The conservative Public Interest Legal Foundation has active lawsuits in Hawai‘i, Michigan and South Carolina over their voter-roll maintenance. Star-Advertiser.

Regenerative tourism draws groups to Hawai‘i
Members of the American Association of Geographers, who were in Honolulu for their annual meeting, volunteered Sunday for a cleanup at Magic Island, where tons of trash were removed from the peninsula and ocean. Star-Advertiser.

Hundreds bid farewell to Ha‘ikū Stairs during final hike before removal
For some unlucky climbers, the views came with a hefty price during Sunday’s hike: 40 were given warnings, four cited for trespassing and nine received parking tickets. KHON2.

Waimea Valley plans renovation project
The North Shore project involves upgrading infrastructure, improving safety, and refocusing the visitor experience to the history and cultural aspects of the valley. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii’s premier association for the commercial real estate industry honors those who have contributed to the state’s economic growth and community enrichment… read more.

Pilot program moves forward for state-initiated expungement of marijuana records 
A state bill to remove marijuana-possession records on Hawai‘i Island passed a final reading in the House and will be transmitted to the governor for approval. Hawai‘i Public Radio.

Increased Kīlauea activity prompts daily updates from scientists
A moderate swarm of earthquakes beneath the summit indicates that magma is moving in the subsurface. Big Island Video News.

UH Hilo faces enrollment challenges
In fall 2023, 2,781 students enrolled — a 6.5% drop from the previous year and the second year in a row that fall enrollment has decreased. Tribune-Herald.

Lead contamination at renovated Kolekole Gulch Park remains unresolved
The park is scheduled to reopen on April 24, but remediation of lead contamination found in the soil — a responsibility of the state Department of Transportation — has yet to be completed. Big Island Now.

Big ask for FEMA homes for Maui fire survivors meets resistance
Gov. Josh Green and other local leaders had asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to build 1,000 homes, but the agency is only committing to 169 modular homes in Lahaina under a contract expected to be awarded May 24. Star-Advertiser.

Unequal treatment by lenders is hurting Lahaina homeowners
Lenders’ policies, and an obscure thicket of state and federal regulations and laws, determine which homeowners will get interest on their sizable insurance payouts. Civil Beat.

Maui County hotels led state in average daily rate in March
Revenue per available room was $401 — the highest in Hawai‘i but an 11.9% decrease from 2023 as hotel performance remains affected by the aftermath of the August wildfires. Maui Now.

State reduces meal service for Lahaina fire survivors still living in costly hotels
Dinner is now the only meal being provided to the approximately 1,254 displaced adults and children still living in hotel rooms in West Maui through the emergency housing program. Civil Beat.

It will take years and millions of dollars to replace Lahaina’s trees
Lahaina town had approximately 25,000 trees, but only 1,000 survived the fire. Volunteers are now tending to surviving trees, planting seedlings and pushing the county to hire a second arborist. Civil Beat.

Ambulance service providers vying for contract as procurement process restarts 
American Medical Response will again compete for an emergency-services contract alongside the previously chosen provider, Falck, whose contract was canceled late last year following protests. Kaua‘i Now.