Hawaiʻi House Wants to Set Aside $200 Million as a Hedge Against Hard Times

The House Finance Committee has released its state budget draft, proposing $21 billion in spending next year. A $200 million buffer for potential federal cuts raises the total rainy day fund to $1.56 billion. We’re also looking at $6 billion in construction spending, $30 million to kickstart planning for a new jail, plus funding for airports, highways and more.

Civil Beat.

DBEDT Reduces Hawaiʻi’s Economic Growth Rate to 1.7% for 2025

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism on Wednesday lowered its economic growth projections for this year on the expectation that tourism growth will slow, consumer inflation will rise, and policy uncertainty will increase at the national and international levels.

Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi Food Banks Report Canceled Shipments and Frozen Funds Amid Federal Cuts

Six shipping containers worth of food for the Hawaiʻi Foodbank, which serves Oʻahu and Kauaʻi, were scheduled to be shipped to the state during the first half of the year. But those shipments have been canceled.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

State Judiciary Reaffirms Support for ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi as an Official Language

Trump’s recent executive order declared English as the official language of the country for the first time, but the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary says the order does not impact the state. Hawaiʻi is the only state that has two official languages: ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

O‘ahu Headlines

Honolulu Mayor’s $5B Budget Boosts Homeless Funding and Addresses Federal Cuts

Mayor Blangiardi is proposing the city set aside millions of dollars to brace for potential federal funding cuts. His budget for the next fiscal year allocates $3.93 billion for operating costs like salaries and retirement benefits and $1.21 billion for capital projects, including road repairs and wastewater treatment upgrades.

Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser. Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Honolulu Will Allow Some Developers to Ok Their Own Projects

Honolulu could soon launch a program to cut the backlog of building permit applications.
As is, builders must wait for the Department of Planning and Permitting to review a project to ensure it meets the city building code. But now, architects or engineers may soon be able to self-certify certain kinds of projects to speed things along.

Civil Beat.

‘Calculation Error’ Discovered in Skyline Audit

In a report issued Feb. 27 involving the audit of the city Department of Transportation Services’ Skyline operations, the city auditor found the audit mistakenly cited a 77% decrease in rail ridership from July 2023 to December 2023. The correct percentage decrease in ridership on the city’s rail line was later determined to be almost 44%.

Star-Advertiser.

Hidden Links Exposed: Hawaiʻi Fireworks Bust Tied to Mainland Suppliers

One mysterious address on shipping documents in a seizure at Honolulu Harbor is the first in a chain of clues that lead across the country and through the decades — a mysterious web of connections between the legal and illegal fireworks trade.

Civil Beat.

Controversial Youth Transitional Living Facility Moves Forward in Mākaha

Residential Youth Services & Empowerment is moving forward with a plan to help homeless youth get off the streets in Leeward O‘ahu, but some neighbors are asking the governor to cancel the project. But the nonprofit does have supporters who said they do good work helping getting at risk youth off the street.

Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

County, HGEA Reach COVID Compensation Agreement

Hawaii County has come to terms with the state’s largest labor union regarding hazard pay for those who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The arbitrated agreement will pay certain Hawaii Government Employees Association members who were county employees 15% of their hourly pay over a two-year period based on when the pandemic began and when cases began to flatten.

Tribune-Herald.

Hawai‘i County Police Kill Murder Suspect in Shootout

Hawai‘i Island police said officers killed murder suspect Isaiah Kaleo Jiaan Fourshey, 28, in a Tuesday evening shootout in Volcano, ending a day-long manhunt after the early-morning shooting death of a 25-year-old woman in Puna.

Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald. KITV4.

Immigration Enforcement Operation Raising Concerns Among Latino Population

A federal immigration enforcement operation was conducted at a Kona coffee farm Wednesday afternoon, increasing concerns among the island’s Latino community.

Hawaii News Now.

Waimea Nonprofit Eyes Lunar Landings

The arrivals of two lunar landers on the moon this week bodes well for a Big Island company’s plan to set up a permanent observatory on the moon.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Maui County’s Economic Recovery Trails Rest of the State; Construction Builds Momentum

Maui County’s economic recovery remains slower than other islands, particularly in tourism and employment, suggesting lingering effects from the August 2023 wildfires disaster that disrupted tourism and local businesses, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism the 2025 Statistical and Economic Report, published in this first quarter.

Maui Now.

Maui Losing 10 Stores, 80 Jobs After Company Overseeing Iconic Surfing Brands Files for Bankruptcy

The Honolua Surf Company store in The Shops at Wailea is one of 10 surf stores on Maui — four Honolua Surf Company, two Quiksilver, two Volcom and two Billabong — that are liquidating their stock and closing their doors for good after their operator, Liberated Brands LLC, filed for bankruptcy a month ago in the U.S. District of Delaware.

Maui Now. KITV4.

Maui Residents Divided on Proposal for Street Extension Connecting Two Communities

Maui County officials are asking for public feedback about a proposal for a new road connecting the Wailuku and Waiehu communities.

Hawaii News Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Hawaiʻi Pays 64% Above National Average for Electricity

With an electricity bill averaging $213 per month, Hawaiʻi tops the nation with the highest electricity bills despite having over two times more renewable energy. Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative said 60% of its electricity comes from renewables and rates on Kauaʻi range between 33 and 39 cents, but the need for energy storage capacity becomes apparent when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind stops blowing.

Kaua‘i Now.