Ever the optimist, Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday announced a rosy outlook for a “strong” state budget as costs for the Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfire recovery became clearer — and even dispelled the threat of a ban on short-term rentals (STRs) in West Maui. Read more
For the sake of community buy-in, and because this will impose changes statewide, it’s also advisable that the prescriptions included in a one-size-fits-all bill such as this be presented to communities. Read more
In 2015, the state Legislature and then-Gov. David Ige vaulted Hawaii to the forefront of states’ efforts to combat global warming, mandating 100% renewable energy in Hawaii by 2045. Read more
Hawaii’s road regulations have been frustratingly slow to evolve, much to the detriment of public safety. Read more
The enormous legal settlement reached with the driver of a car that crashed during a Honolulu Police Department pursuit is one of the largest the city has paid out in a police case. Read more
The pandemic years were hard on Downtown Honolulu and its urban neighbor, Chinatown. Stay-at-home orders kept office workers away, shut restaurant dining rooms and all but halted casual shopping. Read more
The first half of the 2024 Legislature has been filled with much drama — too much — for the University of Hawaii. Granted, several key senators in recent years inject now-expected yet unwarranted antagonism each session — but in the past month, they’ve attempted overreach as UH prepares to reset with three new regents on its policy board, and crucially, to select the next UH president. Read more
It hardly seems a year has passed since the Honolulu City Council orchestrated an outrageous, 64% salary increase for itself, and the mayor’s 12%-plus raise leapfrogged that salary above the governor’s. Read more
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Speed humps, stop-light installations, road signs, heightened policing, public outreach programs — all tools in the state’s traffic safety tackle box. Read more
When President Joe Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 into law on March 9, it dramatically altered the relationship between Compacts of Free Association (COFA) citizens and the federal government. Read more
State legislators have a monumental problem: A disaster has taken the lives of 101 Maui residents and that event, a catastrophic wildfire, has destroyed the homes of thousands and run up an expense that could hit the $1 billion mark. Read more
The front door of a home safeguards the privacy of the family living inside. It also conceals what can be terrible tensions and stresses permeating domestic life. Read more
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi delivered the last State of the City address of his inaugural term Thursday, highlighting efforts to right-size and improve departments, build affordable housing, increase public safety and maintain Oahu’s streets and parks. Read more
On Monday, a Circuit Court judge ordered that 85-year-old Beverly Shimabukuro, a Liliha resident charged with first-degree arson, be transferred from an Oahu Community Correctional Center jail cell to the Hawaii State Hospital for a mental health examination. Read more
State legislators have their heads in the clouds with a renewed bid to make Hawaii the 26th state to legalize recreational cannabis. Read more
The “soft opening” last week for a state-run Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC) in a city-owned Iwilei building is a positive step for the state and city governments, a cooperative arrangement that increases reach and efficiency for both. Read more
Isle residents who were around some 30 years ago would remember just how combative the same-sex fight in Hawaii was. Read more
Hawaii’s high housing costs are major hurdles for the state’s public school and charter school teachers, and hamper the Department of Education (DOE) in recruiting new teachers. Read more
Critics charge that Kim and the HRE overstepped their authority by wrongfully seeking to control UH administrative decisions, ousting a regent just as the board prepares to choose a new UH president — and they’re right. Read more
The State of the Union address may not be the must-see-TV it once was, at least among political junkies, but this year’s edition had more than the usual draw. Read more
