Off the News: Stiffer fines for fireworks scofflaws

Lawmakers are considering a few House bills — House Bill 1245, 1246 and 508 — aimed at fireworks scofflaws. The first would simplify processing violations by allowing police to issue tickets, similar to traffic tickets. The other two would stiffen the cash penalties.

But the first would require funds to update systems, and not much of that is floating around. And without easier enforcement, lots of folks will consider higher fines as an acceptable risk. That’s what they’ve done for the last decade, anyway.

Saving the Kamehameha butterfly

Sadly, the endemic Kamehameha butterfly, which bears a resemblance to the larger Monarch butterfly, is a species in decline in much of its historical range. Kudos to a state-nonprofit partnership that’s working to pinpoint predator culprits — suspects include birds and ants — that are apparently dining on caterpillars.

The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife and the environmental group Kupu are tracking the caterpillars in a protected restoration area, using cameras and video recorders. If the detective work leads to a protective fix, this native butterfly — the state’s official insect — could reemerge as a welcome fixture in the islands.