When he first proposed the approach to tax relief last year, based on a hefty increase in the standard deduction and tax-bracket adjustments, Gov. Josh Green acknowledged it was an “audacious” notion, and ultimately it stalled in conference committee.
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The COVID-19 pandemic created deep hardship throughout Hawaii, with its serious threats to health, jolts to the economy and shutdown of in-person education, pushing many households that formerly held firm onto shaky domestic ground.
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Hawaii residents enjoy a geographic separation. It’s also attractive as an exotic lure to visitors.
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It’s reassuring that the Legislature found money in the budget to put $300 million aside for the state’s emergency “rainy day” fund, and to make a $135 million appropriation for the state employees’ retirement fund.
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It’s been a quiet period for the historically high-energy debate over the future of Mauna Kea, especially the long-delayed bid to build the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) at the summit.
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Last week’s arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court about a homelessness dispute in Grants Pass, Ore., underscored the difficult policy issues nationwide of balancing the rights of the homeless and the need of municipalities to manage the problems.
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There’s a 617-home gap between the ask from Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and the commitment made so far by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance with Maui fire disaster relief, and no guarantee that it can be bridged.
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Less than a year ago, the City Council acted — or rather failed to act — to allow an outrageous 64% salary increase for itself, in a self-serving act that shocked the public.
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Geanna Bradley. Ariel Sellers, also known as Isabella Kalua.
The names of these lost children, and so many others over the years, conjure feelings of sadness, righteous indignation and anger over the failings of the network put in place to protect them.
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It truly is shameful: The state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) has been judged to have “acted in bad faith” in alleging that stream protections for East Maui caused a shortage of water needed to fight the devastating Lahaina fire of Aug. 8.
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Of course, Gov. Josh Green should sign into law the latest raft of bills that are being described as “good government” legislation.
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For some in Hawaii, the legalization of recreational marijuana is viewed as an inevitability.
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A report making a meticulous dissection of the timeline for the Lahaina fire disaster of Aug. 8 has been released by Hawaii’s attorney general, documenting the events of that tragic day and night.
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The idea behind Senate Bill 2922, to create a “securitization” process for public utilities to recover costs related to enacting wildfire plans and protections, is as emotionally fraught as it is procedurally complex.
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A bill to empower counties to regulate short-term rentals (STRs) as their home-island residents see fit, and to eliminate outdated state law that blocks such county efforts, is now close to the legislative finish line, having been assigned Senate and House committee conferees.
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Hawaii seems to have hit a low point for what traditionally it’s given high marks: aloha.
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Drought conditions are again impacting Hawaii, with less-than-normal rainfall affecting parts of every island in the state.
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The danger of water contamination with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — called PFAS for short and “forever chemicals” informally, because of their persistence in the environment — has been well known for years nationally.
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