The Most Influential People at the State Capitol Are Out in the Hallway

Top lobbyists often have more influence than the lawmakers themselves that pass or reject their bills. Lobbyists argue that the key to successfully lobbying is relationships, which are already central in a small island state that maintains high school connections long after graduation.

Civil Beat.

Excess in the State’s Special Funds May Help Ease Budget Concerns

More than 200 special financial accounts at 20 state agencies are being examined by Hawaiʻi lawmakers for excessive holdings that could help pay for general state expenses amid a challenging budgetary environment.

Star-Advertiser.

Senators Reevaluate Income Tax Cut Plan and Renewable Energy Incentives

The state Legislature continues to look at filling the void left by federal funding cuts and added administrative costs — together an estimated $3 billion in lost revenue over the next six years.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Hawaiʻi Ambassador Would Work to Restore Canadian Travel

Hawaiʻi would be represented by an “unofficial ambassador” to Canada through a bill designed to restore positive relations with Canadian visitors, who represent the state’s fourth-largest, but shrinking tourism market.

Star-Advertiser.

HECO Customers May See Electric Bill Increases in 2027

Hawaiian Electric is asking the state Public Utilities Commission to approve a rate increase as part of a new rate-setting scheme mandated by lawmakers in 2018. In an unusual twist, Ulupono Initiative, an outspoken critic of HECO’s initial announcement that it intended to increase rates has joined the utility in making the request to the commission.

Civil Beat. Star-Advertiser.

O‘ahu Headlines

Does Japan Hold the Answer to Fixing Honolulu’s Rail System?

If you’ve been to Tokyo, you know that the city is filled with bustling shopping centers surrounding train stops. But on Oʻahu? Good luck finding a public bathroom near a Skyline station. Hawaiʻi is negotiating with a huge name in Japan — Tokyu Group — to bolster development around rail stations and attract new riders. It’s one way that Gov. Josh Green is looking to strengthen trade and investment ties with Japan.

Civil Beat.

With Japan Visitor Numbers Nowhere Near Pre-pandemic, Waikīkī Adapts

The number of visitors from Japan is still only about half of the 1.5 million that came before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Oʻahu Home Sales Hit Record $1,205,000

The median price for Oʻahu single-family homes in February inched up to a record $1,205,000 as the housing market stabilized ahead of the spring buying season.

Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu City Council Pauses Affordable Housing Bill for More Study

A Honolulu City Council proposal that could change how affordable housing projects are built across Oʻahu is now on pause after lawmakers said they want more data and community feedback.

KITV4.

Kūpuna Wait On Fix for Broken Elevator at Liliha Apartments

Kūpuna living at Malulani Hale in Honolulu have been stuck using the service elevator at their complex. It’s been like this since October. Emergency medics have had to strap people who have died to a stretcher and haul out them out upright. And deliveries or move-out days? Forget it.

Civil Beat.

Homeless Encampment Moored Along Keʻehi Stream Poses Knotty Challenges

The state, city and outreach teams from the Institute for Human Services continue to try to connect to a growing homeless population living aboard a flotilla of 20 or so structures moored on either side of Keʻehi Stream in Kalihi, often within reach of the well-established Kahauiki Village community of families who were formerly homeless.

Star-Advertiser.

Navy Claims Fuel Contamination Was a Result of Military Service

Military families sickened by the 2021 Red Hill water crisis say the federal government is twisting a doctrine meant for battlefield decisions to defend its assertion that injuries from consuming, bathing and cooking with jet‑fuel‑contaminated water were “incident to service.”

Star-Advertiser.

Hawai‘i Island Headlines

Council Awards Kīlauea Recovery Grants to Puna Nonprofits

The Hawaiʻi County Council unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday awarding nearly $6 million from the Kīlauea Recovery Grant Program to a variety of local nonprofit organizations providing relief to communities impacted by the 2018 lower Puna eruption.

Tribune-Herald.

‘A Lack of Transparency’: Residents Blast County’s Plan for Transitional Housing in Waiākea-Uka

At issue was a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home on a third-acre of land at 76 Makani Circle. The property was purchased in October by the county’s Office of Housing and Community Development for $809,000 in federal funds.

Tribune-Herald.

Council Tries to Tackle Kailua Village Parking Fees

Years of grumbling about inflated and unpredictable parking fees in downtown Kona came to a head last Tuesday as the Hawaiʻi County Council considered a bill that would cap rates at privately owned parking lots in Kailua Village.

Tribune-Herald.

Maui Headlines

Military’s Haleakalā Telescope Project Draws Deep Opposition on Maui

The Maui County Council has joined escalating public opposition in calling on the U.S. Air Force to reject an environmental review of a project to build up to seven telescopes in a state conservation district atop Haleakalā. Community members have voiced concerns about the project’s potential to degrade cultural resources, negatively affect the environment and expand military presence on Maui.

Civil Beat.

Major Housing and Infrastructure Investments for Wildfire Recovery Move Forward

The County of Maui Office of Recovery’s Hoʻokumu Hou program announced major investments in the long-term recovery from the 2023 Maui wildfires with the selection of seven multifamily rental housing projects and 22 infrastructure and mitigation improvement projects that have been conditionally awarded Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding.

Maui Now.

South Maui’s Saltier, More Turbid Waters Could Signal Drought Is Taking a Toll

For the hui that goes out to collect samples every three weeks, every little change in the ocean offers a clue, raising early red flags about how the wider environment could be taking a toll on Maui’s critical reefs and nearshore waters.

Maui Now.

Kaua‘i Headlines

Bill for Prescibing Psychologists Program on Kauaʻi Advances

Some psychologists may be able to prescribe medications for their patients as part of a pilot program on Kauaʻi, if approved by the state Legislature.

Star-Advertiser.

Hanalei Transfer Station Halts Bagged Trash Service Due to Equipment Issues

The County of Kauaʻi Department of Public Works reported Sunday morning that the Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station is temporarily not accepting bagged household trash because of equipment issues.

Kauaʻi Now.