Question: Last year or so, the state said it was going to come up with a state ID for people who can’t get a gold-star ID. This would be for those who don’t drive. Did they ever do that?
Answer: Yes. “A Limited Purpose State Identification card is available for anyone who is unable or unwilling to provide satisfactory proof of authorized presence in the United States under federal law. Applicants must present supporting documentation establishing their identity and Hawaii residency. A Limited Purpose State Identification card is issued only for state identification purposes and is not acceptable for official federal purposes. It does not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits. A Limited Purpose State Identification may not be issued to the holder of a REAL ID credential,” Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services says in a recent update to its website. A REAL ID is commonly called a gold-star ID because of the star mark it carries.
To obtain a Limited Purpose ID, make an appointment at a driver’s license center, complete the application and submit it and required supporting documents. Find full instructions at www8. honolulu.gov/csd/state-id.
Hawaii has issued a Limited Purpose Driver’s License since 2016. The new Limited Purpose State ID is the alternative for undocumented residents (and others) who don’t drive.
The fact that the Limited Purpose ID is not available to people with a REAL ID means that part-time Hawaii residents from elsewhere in the United States cannot obtain this ID for kamaaina privileges if they have a REAL ID from their home state, while part-time Hawaii residents from other countries presumably can, because they wouldn’t have a U.S. REAL ID. Acceptable identifying documents include a valid foreign passport or foreign school record, and acceptable proof of residency includes a current home utility bill, lease or rental agreement, or deed or title to Hawaii property (two proofs of residency are required). We heard complaints about this when the state law authorizing the ID was being written — some readers said it was unfair that part-time residents from the U.S. would be denied privileges extended to those from other countries.
Q: Will any customers with solar panels under HECO’s net-metering program be included in “Shift and Save”?
A: “Some NEM customers may have been selected for the pilot program. They can choose to opt out if they were selected,” Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Darren Pai said in an email.
“Shift and Save” is the time-of-use pilot program that will charge customers less for electricity used during the day, when solar power is plentiful, and more for nighttime use, when electricity is generated by fossil fuel. Any customer randomly selected for the one-year pilot program can opt out, and customers not selected can opt in, according to Hawaiian Electric’s website.
The company’s Net Energy Metering Program, which is closed to new applicants, credits customers for excess energy generated by rooftop solar systems that is sent to Hawaiian Electric’s grid.
Q: I’m still so upset that Glenn Nitta got no jail time for stealing more than $400,000 from Mililani High’s booster fund. I question the court’s judgment on this.
A: You and other readers submitted Auwes expressing dismay that Circuit Judge Catherine Remigio did not send the former Mililani High School athletic director and booster club president to prison. Nitta received four years’ probation, paid back the stolen money and was fined $155,000, to be paid at the rate of $100 a month. He had pleaded no contest in June and was sentenced Nov. 7. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison term.
We asked Jan Kagehiro, a spokesperson for Hawaii’s Judiciary, how members of the public can express their concern. She said that “comments about a First Circuit judge’s performance may be directed to Chief Judge R. Mark Browning.”
The mailing address is First Circuit Court, Ka‘ahumanu Hale, 777 Punchbowl St., Honolulu, HI 96813.
Mahalo
On Nov. 20 two super senior ladies, friends since kindergarten, met for coffee at Zippy’s. The hostess informed us as as well as a few others that John K., another customer, had paid for our breakfasts. Thank you to John for the unexpected and gracious treat. May you continue to have a wonderful life. — Aloha, J and G
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.
