Kokua Line: When will state mail more rebate checks?

Question: Previously, the state said people who were receiving their tax rebate by paper check would get it by the end of October. Is that still on track? I haven’t gotten a check yet, and neither have my parents.

Answer: No, full delivery has been pushed back several weeks. However, the state does have the check stock it needs to print Act 115 rebate checks in large batches, and at least 20,000 checks are expected to be mailed out today, said Nicki Ann Thompson, taxation serv­ices administrator for the state Department of Taxation, who thanked Hawaii taxpayers for their patience.

“Going forward, the intention is to have 20,000 checks mailed each business day until completed. The goal is to have the bulk of the remaining 300,000 checks completed by the middle of November. Unfortunately, November 8th and 11th are holidays, so no mailing will be done on those days,” she said in an email Thursday, before the first large batch was printed. That printing was scheduled to occur later that day, followed by mailing today, she said.

When the state began issuing Act 115 tax refunds in September, electronic direct deposits were made quickly, but people scheduled to receive a paper check had to wait because the state did not have enough check stock on hand; only 6,142 of about 300,000 rebate checks had been issued as of Monday, compared with 283,896 direct deposits, according to the DOTAX website. Direct deposits for eligible returns filed by Aug. 31 have all been issued, it said.

The state Department of Accounting and General Services blamed pandemic-era supply chain issues for the paper shortage. DOTAX determines the amount of the refund, but DAGS oversees check- printing and other processing. It took weeks for the needed check stock to arrive.

Act 115 provides a one-time refund to residents who have lived in Hawaii at least nine months and file a 2021 state income tax return by the end of this year. The amount is $100 or $300 per eligible exemption on the filer’s tax return, based on income. For example, a family of four with federal adjusted gross income under $200,000 would receive $1,200, while a family that size with higher income would receive $400. A single filer (no dependents) would receive $300 if their income is under $100,000, or $100 if it’s higher.

Q: With the proliferation of speed bumps or speed humps on our community roadways, I wonder whether these are designed to be traversed safely at the posted speed limit?

A: Yes, speed humps installed by the city or state are, and the speed limit to traverse the traffic-calming device is posted nearby, according to spokespeople for the state Department of Transportation and city Department of Transportation Services.

“Raised pedestrian crosswalks or speed humps are used where appropriate to actively manage speeds and promote pedestrian safety by improving the visibility of pedestrians. Raised pedestrian crosswalks also provide a physical reminder to reduce speed in areas where pedestrian- vehicle conflict is anticipated, such as school zones. Speed limit and ‘speed hump’ signs are installed at each location. The raised pedestrian crosswalks are designed to be driven over at the posted speed limit,” Shelly Kunishige, communications manager for the state DOT, said in an email.

Likewise, Travis Ota, a spokesperson for the city’s DTS, said, “Properly designed and spaced speed humps are designed to keep the overall speed limit of vehicles within typical residential areas. Speed humps are designed to slow drivers down to go over humps. In addition to this, the city posts 15 mph advisory signage on approach to speed humps.”

Speed humps and speed bumps aren’t the same thing, according to transportation websites. Speed humps, which generally slow traffic to 15 mph, are usually lower than speed bumps but also longer, and are commonly used in residential areas. Speed bumps are generally higher and reduce traffic to under 10 mph; they are more common in parking lots.

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.